![[Translate to Englisch:] Viele Menschen bilden Rotes Kreuz vor dem Brandenburger Tor](/fileadmin/_processed_/9/b/csm_drk-berlin_1920x640_buehne_eb77a6a0ef.jpg "[Translate to Englisch:] Das DRK ist eine starke Gemeinschaft")
Corporate governance plays an important role for the German Red Cross. The focus here is on the transparency of internal processes and ensuring compliance with legal requirements, internal guidelines, and ethical standards with the aim of maintaining and continually rebuilding trust in the German Red Cross. In the GRC National Headquarters, the departments of Compliance, Internal Audit, Risk Management and Controlling are providing support in this regard. In addition, the GRC National Headquarters is regularly monitored by third-party auditors.
Compliance
At the GRC National Headquarters, we understand compliance to mean adherence to legal and internal requirements and the promotion of a strong culture of trust. It is a preventive measure to avoid damage to our reputation and liability risks and serves to protect the German Red Cross, all employees and especially the people we aim to assist. To this end, we have set up a comprehensive compliance management system, which is continuously being developed.
Anti-corruption guideline in the German Red Cross
The German Red Cross has a clear position against any form of corruption. All employees may not use their own position or function to offer, grant, demand, be promised or accept benefits or advantages. All decisions must be made in such a way that they are within the framework of legal and internal requirements and are also externally justifiable. Further details are regulated in the Anti-corruption guideline of the German Red Cross. This is binding for all GRC societies. In addition to the fundamental prohibition of corruption, it includes various preventive measures, some of which are mandatory, e.g., the role model function of the top management on the topic of anti-corruption as well as the sensitization and education of employees in this regard. In addition, the general handling of suspected and confirmed cases of corruption is described.
Integrity Guideline of the GRC National Headquarters
The Integrity Guideline is intended to provide orientation for all employees of the GRC National Headquarters in their daily work for the German Red Cross and to sensitize them to conduct themselves in accordance with the rules.
Our mission is to provide effective assistance while consistently implementing the principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The principles represent a special obligation for all of us and significantly shape our organizational culture in the German Red Cross. At the same time, these Red Cross principles form the basis for the very high level of identification of voluntary and full-time staff with the German Red Cross.
Based on the principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement as well as the resolutions and position papers of the Movement, the Integrity Guideline of the GRC National Headquarters addresses particularly important legal provisions and internal guidelines that regulate our behavior towards each other as well as towards external parties, e.g., business contacts, and society.
Download: Integrity Guideline of the GRC National Headquarters
Whistle-blower protection
A whistleblower system has been set up at the GRC so that compliance violations can be uncovered at an early stage and potential grievances can be rectified. This offers various ways of reporting compliance violations relating to the GRC, such as corruption or other serious breaches of rules with potentially significant financial or reputational damage for the GRC. In this way, we want to protect the German Red Cross, its employees, and in particular the people we help.
All information received is treated as strictly confidential. At the GRC, no actions are tolerated that are directed against people who have reported possible compliance violations in good faith. The established whistleblower system thus focuses on the protection of whistleblowers.
Information can be submitted confidentially to any of GRC's managers or to the internal compliance office
Encrypted Submission of Compliance Issues
In addition, our external ombudsman's office with independent lawyers of trust acts as the reporting office for the GRC, accepting information about possible compliance violations in connection with the GRC. It is in regular contact with the internal compliance office, but only passes on the name of the whistleblower with their consent.
There, GRC's employees in Germany and abroad, as well as third parties, can submit information and files on violations in various languages, in strict confidence (securely encrypted) and also anonymously. This open approach to dealing with errors helps us to uncover grievances and weak points and thus to improve internal processes and structures in order to preserve the integrity of the GRC and to strengthen trust in the GRC.
Ombudsman: Attorney Benedikt Rudolph
Telephone: +49 (0)221/975 80-856
Encrypted communication: https://drk-ombudsstelle.hinweis.digital/?lang=en
For reports in the international context of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, you can also use the 'Integrity Line' of the GRC (https://german-redcross.integrityline.io/).
Internal Audit
![[Translate to Englisch:] Taschenrechner und Geldmittel](/fileadmin/_processed_/f/e/csm_Geld_Taschenrechner_0bd16dabec.jpg "[Translate to Englisch:] Pfüfung und Kontrolle im Rechnungswesen")
Risk Management and Controlling
The GRC National Headquarters has a risk management system in which risks are identified, assessed, and controlled on an ongoing basis in accordance with current standards and applicable laws. Linking with compliance risks is ensured. All employees are obliged to report identified risks immediately. The department managers, in consultation with the GRC-Presidential Board, must take suitable measures to avert possible damage to the German Red Cross or to limit it to a minimum. A report is submitted annually to the Chief Executive Officer and the GRC-Presidential Board containing the status of risk management and an assessment of existing risks.
For the proper management of the business, the controlling department continuously provides all decision-makers with the required information from the finance/accounting system. In addition to the annual business planning, the most important task of Controlling is to prepare regular decision-making bases for all divisions. Together with the Chief Executive Officer, the department managers use this information to derive the necessary control measures in the short term. The results are presented to the GRC-Governing Board on a regular basis.