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Governance
ICM has 136 member associations and is governed by the Council, our highest decision-making authority. ICM has three categories of membership: full, affiliate and associate. The Council is made up of a maximum of two delegates nominated by each full member association.
ICM’s regular business is administered by the Board and the Head Office, on behalf of the Council.
Governance Structure
Constitution and Governance Policies
ICM’s registered Head Office is in The Hague, The Netherlands. ICM is bound by the provisions stated in the ICM Constitution incorporated under Dutch law and in its Governance Policies. You can download these documents below.
Member Midwives’ Associations
ICM’s member associations are organised into six geographical regions, defined in the same way as the WHO regions:
- Africa
- Americas
- Eastern Mediterranean
- Europe
- South-East Asia
- Western Pacific
Each region is made up of member associations, who nominate their delegates to the ICM Council.
Council
The ICM Council is the Confederation’s highest decision-making authority. The Council sets ICM’s strategic direction and provides a mandate to the Board. It should be noted that:
- Council members are nominated by their respective member associations.
- The Council meets annually and once every three years for the Triennial Council Meeting.
- Full member associations that have paid their annual membership fees are able to vote at Council meetings. Each such member association has two votes.
- Council meetings are chaired by the President of the Board. Another Board member chairs the meetings if the President is absent.
Council Timeline
To be able to actively participate in Council, ICM Member associations are asked to prepare in advance. Five months before Council all ICM member associations will receive an email with details about the upcoming Council meeting. This email shares the date of the upcoming Council meeting, the process of nominating Council delegates and observers and information on how to submit agenda items.
| Action | Who | When |
| Submit agenda items for the upcoming Council Meeting | ICM member associations | 14 weeks before Council |
| Nominate delegates to ICM Council | Presidents of ICM member associations | 6 weeks before Council |
| Nominate observers to ICM Council | Presidents of ICM member associations | 4 weeks before Council |
| Access to the ICM Online Council Platform to prepare for the Council Meeting by familiarising yourself with agenda and papers | Nominated Council delegates | 4 weeks before Council |
| Register for the Annual Online Council Meeting | Nominated Council delegates and observers | Up to 1 day before Council |
Access the Council Platform
One month before the Council Meeting, nominated ICM Council delegates can access all documents for the Council meeting on the Council Platform. Access credentials (username and password) have been shared with all current ICM Council delegates. For support accessing the Platform, please email [email protected].
Board
The ICM Board implements Council decisions and leads the preparation of the triennial strategic plan. The Board is responsible for the governance of ICM and is guided by Board governance policies. It should be noted that:
- There are three office holders on the ICM Board: the President, the Vice-President and the Treasurer. The rest of the Board are made up of Regional Board Members from each of the six ICM regions.
- Board Members serve a three-year term, with the possibility of a second term. The President and Vice-President are elected at the ICM Triennial Council Meeting. Other members are elected by their regions and the Treasurer is appointed by the Independent Election Committee (IEC).
- The Board gives authority to the Chief Executive who is guided by written policies and formal decisions of the Board.
- Every member of the Board apart from the Treasurer must be a midwife belonging to a full member association.
Meet the Board Members
Sandra Oyarzo Torres
President
Lia Brigante
Regional Board Member – Europe
Alison Eddy
Regional Board Member – Western Pacific
Samara Ferrara Belart
Regional Board Member – Americas
Farida Shah
Regional Board Member – Eastern Mediterranean
Laxmi Tamang
Regional Board Member – Southeast Asia
Olive Tengera
Regional Board Member – AfricaChief Executive and Head Office
The ICM Chief Executive is charged with the day-to-day operations of ICM’s Head Office. The work of the Head Office is aligned with ICM’s Strategy and follows the decisions of the ICM Council and the Board. It should be noted that:
- The Chief Executive makes decisions and develops activities for the Head Office to achieve ICM’s strategy, mission and vision.
- The Head Office establishes and manages communication channels to effectively liaison with member associations, the Board, partners and other stakeholders.
- The Head Office records and maintains accurate minutes of all meetings of the Council, Board and other ICM committees.
Independent Election Committee
The Independent Election Committee (IEC), is made up of four MA representatives and an independent Chair. The IEC assists the ICM Council in fulfilling its responsibility to appoint Board Members. It should be noted that:
- The IEC develops a suitable competency framework for to evaluate each candidate.
- The IEC assesses candidates for the Board, ensuring that nominations for appointments to the Board are based on merit and objective criteria. Within this context the IEC promotes diversity of age, gender, social and ethnic background, geography, language, experience and personal strengths.
- The IEC recommends suitable candidates for the Board and Council Delegates to MAs in each region.
- The IEC appoints the ICM Treasurer.