Geneva, Switzerland: The Chairperson of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS), Farzhana Naek, held a series of high-level meetings with senior leadership of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) during her official visit to Geneva.

The visit marked Mrs. Naek’s first engagement at the headquarters of the two organisations since assuming office and focused on strengthening cooperation, institutional capacity and the sustainability of humanitarian operations in Pakistan.

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During a meeting at the IFRC headquarters, Mrs. Naek met IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain. Discussions centred on enhancing PRCS’s organisational capacity, improving service delivery across Pakistan and ensuring long-term financial sustainability. The IFRC Secretary General acknowledged the ongoing organisational reforms within PRCS and reaffirmed IFRC’s continued support for the National Society’s strategic objectives, including resource mobilisation and institutional development.

In a separate engagement, the PRCS chairperson held a virtual meeting with ICRC Director General Pierre Kraehenbuehl during her visit to the ICRC headquarters. The discussion focused on expanding collaboration in Pakistan’s merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as Balochistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with particular attention to Khyber’s Tirah area and Kurram district.

The ICRC Director General commended PRCS’s humanitarian outreach and highlighted the significance of Pakistan’s Restoring Family Links programme, noting its role in reconnecting families separated by conflict, migration and disasters.

Speaking on the occasion, Mrs. Naek said the Geneva engagements provided an opportunity to align PRCS priorities with global Movement partners. She said discussions with IFRC and ICRC leadership reinforced a shared commitment to sustainability, accountability and effective humanitarian outcomes, underlining the importance of strong partnerships in responding to the needs of vulnerable communities across Pakistan.

In addition to meetings with senior leadership, the PRCS chairperson also held discussions with programme heads and senior officials from both organisations. These engagements covered areas including climate action, migration, health services, disaster response, innovative financing, digitalisation, governance frameworks, ethics and accountability, cash assistance and community resilience.

PRCS officials said the visit reflects the organisation’s continued efforts to strengthen cooperation within the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and to expand the reach and impact of humanitarian services across Pakistan.