RedR Australia Chief Executive Officer Kirsten Sayers has been elected to the Governing Board of Sphere, an international organisation focused on improving the quality and accountability of humanitarian assistance.

Representing RedR International, Ms Sayers joins nine other Board Members in overseeing Sphere’s mission to set common principles and universal minimum standards for humanitarian action.

Ms Sayers is one of six female directors on the newly elected board, reflecting the Sphere Strategy 2021-2025 which commits to creating a more inclusive and diverse governance and membership – with representation from more women, national organisations and local actors.

A former lawyer and diplomat, Ms Sayers brings more than 30 years’ experience in international, environmental and social governance to her role. She has been a strong advocate for collaboration and governance within RedR International, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, and is also President of RedR USA.

Ms Sayers’ reappointment to the Board continues RedR International’s long-standing contribution to Sphere. She first joined the Board mid-2021 replacing RedR India Executive Director Tanaji Sen as the RedR International representative. Previously, RedR UK CEO Martin McCann had served on the Sphere Board. RedR International is also represented in Sphere’s General Assembly, the organisation’s decision-making body.

Ms Sayers said she was thrilled by her reappointment, which provides an opportunity to rally people, organisations and countries around shared advocacy of Sphere, its standards and its work.

“On behalf of RedR International, I am delighted by our ongoing representation on the Sphere Board and the work to be done in promoting the organisation to humanitarian actors across the globe,” Ms Sayers said.

RedR International is committed to best practice humanitarianism and has long been an advocate of the Sphere standards, which are integrated into training, recruitment and deployment activities across all member RedR organisations. RedR organisations have embedded the Sphere standards into their internationally-recognised training, including the Essentials of Humanitarian Practice course, where participants implement the standards in a range of simulation exercises.

As the Sphere Focal Point for the Asia Pacific, RedR Australia plays a key role in promoting the application of the Sphere principles and standards to humanitarian actors in the region and globally. RedR Australia was also instrumental in launching the new Sphere Handbook in Australia in 2019, helping ensure that humanitarians are learning and implementing up-to-date, best practice standards in their work.

Read the Sphere announcement: https://www.spherestandards.org/diversity-with-new-sphere-governing-board-and-president/