International governance

Our Goals

Our founding goals remain as relevant today as they were in 1950:

  • To further education in international understanding of children throughout the world, without the distinction of race, religion or politics, so that they may grow to maturity conscious of their responsibilities as human beings.
  • To develop the individual child’s potential for co-operation with others.
  • To carry out further research, contributing to this work.
Our Constitution

Our constitutional documents govern the operation of CISV International and safeguard our fundamental principles.

CISV’s International Membership

The Members of CISV International are our National Associations and Junior Branch.
The representatives of the CISV International Membership approve plans and accounts, and receive reports annually; this is done virtually. The Membership send representatives to an in-person meeting, held at the Global Conference, every three years.

Trustees/Directors

The Trustees of CISV International are the nine elected members of the Governing Board. The Governing Board upholds CISV International’s vision, mission, and values and ensures that they are reflected in the strategic direction of the organization.Three members of the Governing Board are elected by the Members of CISV International, the National Associations and Junior Branch. Every third year, one of those three Trustees is elected solely by the Junior Branch.

Individuals may be elected to the Governing Board for two consecutive terms. While every Trustee naturally brings the perspective of their Chapter, National Association, or region to the table, they do not represent those constituents. All Trustees represent all Members and are required to act in the best interests of CISV International.

Elections are managed by an Election Committee whose purpose is to promote a fair, open, informative, and constructive elections process

Governing Board Terms of Reference

Secretary General

The Secretary General is the chief executive officer of the organization and works very closely with the Governing Board. The Secretary General, with a small senior management team, is responsible for the running of CISV International. The Secretary General attends all meetings of the Governing Board, but is not entitled to vote.

International Junior Branch

The International Junior Branch is the youth-led arm of CISV International and leads and represents the interests of our local Junior Branch members. Our Junior Branch welcomes members aged 16-25 and offers young people an unrivalled opportunity to develop their personal and leadership development skills. Join Junior Branch.

CISV International Junior Representatives

There are two CISV International Junior Branch Representatives (IJRs), who are both full voting members of the Board of CISV International. The IJRs organize and lead the annual International Junior Branch Conference. At this Conference, CISV National Junior Branch Representatives elects one new IJR for a two year term. The current IJRs are: Senior IJR Vy Nguyen and Junior IJR Georgia Chase.

CISV International Junior Branch Meetings

There is an annual International Junior Branch Conference for National Representatives and delegations from National Junior Branches.

There are also annual meetings in the three working regions of the CISV International Junior Branch:
  • America’s Regional Members Meeting
  • European Junior Branch Meeting
  • Juniors Asia Pacific Region Conference.
CISV National Junior Branch Representatives

Each CISV National Association Junior Branch has two National Junior Branch Representatives, who in turn elect the International Junior Branch Representatives. The National Junior Branch Representatives are elected by their national Junior Branch membership. Nearly every one of our 200 plus, CISV Chapters has an active local Junior Branch.

CISV Member Associations

CISV International has Member Associations in over 60 countries. Our established National Associations and developing Promotional Associations are in every region of the world. Find CISV near you.

CISV Associations run our educational programmes and cooperate internationally through their membership of the umbrella organization of CISV International. Each association is legally registered, consistent with national law, and volunteer members manage the organization locally and nationally. National Associations are financially independent of CISV International, and are required to have annual audits and appropriate insurance cover. The vast majority of our associations operate without permanent or fixed offices, and only a very small number employ part-time administrative support staff.