MSF International Secretary General (ISG) and MSF International office (IO)

5 October 1989:

MSF inter-section meeting: Approval for setting up of MSF Europe Council secretariat in Brussels

9 January 1990:

MSF inter-section meeting:

International structure to be set up as MSF European Council. The office to be known as MSF Europe and to be led by international secretary

September 1990:

Official opening of MSF International Office in Brussels

Early 1991:

Alain Destexhe, a Belgian doctor appointed MSF International Secretary General

September-October 1991:

Recruitment:

• International Press Officer to coordinate MSF communication

• Lawyer to define legal framework for MSF interventions

10 January 1992:

MSF International Council Meeting

• Signing of MSF International statutes

• International office responsible for establishing MSF trademark policy and global protection of the brand

10 April 1992:

MSF International Council Meeting

• MSF liaison offices with the UN in Geneva and New York placed under the authority of International office.

• MSF lawyer asked to advise movement on international humanitarian law.

• Recruitment of institutional funds coordinator

26 June 1992:

MSF International Council Meeting

Decision to strengthen the ICP and ISG roles regarding implementation of Melun decisions

25 November 1992:

First ‘populations in danger day’ and publication of the ‘Populations in Danger’ report. Yearly event until 1996.

December 1992:

Framework of MOU between NGOs and ECHO negotiated by MSF International Secretary General

3 February 1995:

MSF International Council Meeting

The International office is not the MSF spokesperson.

1st Semester 1995:

Jean-Marie Kindermans replaced Alain Destexhe as MSF International Secretary General.

June 1996:

MSF International Council Meeting

ICP and ISG tasked with organising working groups and making proposals on:

• MSF structure

• MSF movement rules

• IC role

September 1996:

ICP and ISG’s letter to ICl proposing to strengthen international dimension of MSF by reorganising IC structure

30 January 1997:

MSF International Council Meeting

The international restructuring gave rise to the MSF Executive committee composed of the general directors of the MSF Operational Centres and of the MSF International Secretary.

The Executive Committee to be in charge of preparing and executing the International council’s decisions.

November 2000:

Rafael Vilasanjuan took up duties as MSF International secretary general

14 July 2001:

MSF International Executive Committee Meeting:

IO reorganisation to make the most of resources and improve role of coordinating international activities and facilitating internal communication within movement.

October 2002:

MSF International Executive Committee Meeting:

Revision of MSF Strategy towards UN, thus role of UN Liaison positions in New York and Geneva.

21-23 November 2003:

MSF International Council Meeting

Marine Buissonnière appointed MSF International secretary general.

IO to move from Brussels to Geneva.

18 May 2004:

MSF International Council Meeting

Following Erkel crisis management, ExCom and ICB acknowledged their dysfunctions and gave IO responsibility to follow up relation with Dutch government.

25-26 June 2004:

MSF International Council Extraordinary General Assembly:

Legal validation of IO transfer from Brussels to Geneva.

14 March 2005:

MSF General Directors’ Meeting:

IO and international finance coordinator (IFC) tasked to collect and coordinate flow of information regarding reassignment of unearmarked funds after 2004 tsunami crisis surplus.

4 April 2005:

MSF Executive Committee Meeting:

Acknowledgement of IO legitimacy and of need to strengthen its role.

24-25 June 2005:

Official transfer of assets and liabilities from Belgian ‘MSF International’ association to Swiss association.

24-25 June 2006:

MSF International Council Meeting

IO tasked with carrying out a review of existing measures taken at international and national level and remaining gaps regarding MSF’s policy towards national staff as a socially responsible employer and their access to associative life.

25 September 2006:

MSF International Council Meeting

Opening of position of international secretary general (ISG) with new terms of reference.

March 2007:

MSF Executive Committee Meeting:

IO tasked with assessment of entities opened since 2002 and on possible interesting entities to open.

23 June 2007:

MSF International Council Meeting

Setup of a senior position in IO to coordinate association coordinators and to share information within the movement

September 2007:

Christopher Stokes took up duties as MSF International secretary general, ending a five-month gap and an interim period backed by general directors.

March 2008:

Cristopher Stokes resigned from his position of MSF International secretary general.

May 2008:

Kris Torgeson takes up duties as International secretary general.

26 June 2008:

MSF International Council Meeting

IO and ICB tasked with follow-up of IC decisions related to entities.

September 2012:

Jerome Oberreit took up duties as International secretary general.

October 2018:

Chris Lockyear took up duties as International secretary general.