Kate Forbes new President of Red Cross

GENEVA: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies elected a US candidate on Monday as its new president after an acrimonious meeting that nearly saw the vote postponed amid a controversy involving a rival candidate.
Kate Forbes, an existing IFRC board member, became the second woman to ever hold the top job at the world’s largest humanitarian network after two rounds of votes.
“Now is the time to lean into our fundamental principles to deliver on our mission and make communities stronger,” she said, vowing to address the impacts of climate change, geopolitical tensions and health emergencies.
Forbes who began working with the IFRC four decades ago, as a local volunteer at the Phoenix, Arizona, branch of the American Red Cross will replace outgoing chief Francesco Rocca who is also president of Italy’s Lazio region.
Rocca announced his departure after his regional government pulled its support from an annual LGBT parade, drawing criticism from some rights activists and opposition politicians.
He said at the time in a letter to the IFRC that his decision to leave was a “very difficult one” that was “driven by my desire to protect our organization and the people we serve.”
Monday’s extraordinary General Assembly meeting in Geneva to choose his successor was marked by heavy sparring between Rocca and representatives of the national organizations after he announced a delay to voting.