MSF Sections
Médecins Sans Frontières has offices in 19 countries. There are five 'operational centres' which directly control field projects, decide when, where, and what aid is necessary and when to end a programme. These centres are based in Belgium, France, Holland, Spain and Switzerland.
The remaining 13 offices are 'non-operational sections', whose primary functions are to recruit volunteers, raise funds and advocate on behalf of populations in danger. These offices are located in Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, the UK and the U.S.
MSF has four other main offices: the international office in Geneva, UN Liason Offices in Geneva and New York City and an office in the United Arab Emirates. MSF is also establishing itself in Ireland, South Africa and Brazil.
Three specialized public-health centres called Epicentre, Aedes and HealthNet work with MSF to help expand expertise in specialist medical issues.
MSF International President, Dr Christophe Fournier, speaking at a press conference, 2004
Photo by Andrea Bussotti/MSF
International Council
MSF is run and managed by experienced people who have worked in overseas projects and feel passionately about MSF’s work. The International Council in Geneva is the focal point for the 19 MSF offices and is where important joint decisions are made. This council is headed by Dr Christophe Fournier, a doctor who has dedicated the past ten years of his life to MSF’s work. Since leaving his job as a GP in France in 1997, he has run MSF projects in Africa and Central and South America. As International President of MSF he spends much of his time on the ground with MSF teams, developing a deeper understanding of both the problems these teams encounter and their successes.
Operating as an Association
MSF is a movement to which people associate themselves in order to put their feelings of solidarity with populations in danger into practice. This commitment of each volunteer to the MSF movement goes beyond completing an assignment. Returned volunteers who come back to busy jobs and lives give up their time to continue to participate and contribute to MSF as members of the MSF associations.
The effective contribution of volunteers is based on an equal voice for each member. Through active participation in the associative life of the organisation and an adherence to the Charter and Principles of MSF, the members of the associations of MSF ensure that the organisation continues to operate in line with its stated principals and objectives.
Associative organisation and decision-making
MSF is made up of 19 principal offices, with overall coherence ensured by an International Council.
Each Association is made up of members who work or have worked for MSF. They elect a Board of Directors in each of the 19 countries, whose members are mainly medical professionals.
Each Board of Directors ensures that decisions taken at the General Assembly of members are executed, appoints an executive director for that country, is responsible for control of the office and guarantees that the MSF Principles are respected.
Because the people making these decisions have worked with MSF overseas, the organisation's work remains focused on the core principles of providing medical humanitarian care.