Amnesty International is a global movement of people who work together to protect human rights. Some of our members and supporters take larger roles within national entities beyond activism and campaigning. They decide to participate in the governance of the organisation by taking leadership roles in several committees that support national entity decision-making. One such committee is a Nominations Committee. Within Amnesty, a Nominations Committee seeks out appropriately qualified candidates for the board and other elected governance roles by assessing what skills are needed for a strong governance system at the national entity level. At the global level, the International Nominations Committee serves this function for the International Board. Across the movement, several entities elect a Nominations Committee at their General Meeting, tasking them to advertise governance positions, screen candidates and ensure these match the skills profile needed for the board.
The purpose of the International Nominations Committee (INC) is to find and assess candidates for internationally elected positions in Amnesty International global governance bodies, striving for the appropriate composition of skills, competencies, and regional, gender and age balance. The INC reaches out to sections and structures in their search for qualified candidates. Besides targeted networking at Amnesty’s international governance meetings, the committee assesses which competencies are represented among the continuing Board members and which skills gaps will need to be covered by newly elected Board members. Based on this analysis, the INC develops a Model Board, mapping the competencies needed in the overall composition of Board members to make it an “ideal” Board, in alignment with the organisation’s strategic goals. The tool the INC has been using to assess Board candidates’ skills so far is the so-called Competency Framework, which is a self-assessment of specific competencies that have been identified as key in the upcoming governance cycle. The INC is responsible for receiving nominations and collecting candidate information, which is then made available to the movement. The INC also assesses Board candidates’ skills according to the key competencies identified as gaps. This analysis is then presented together with each candidate’s nomination information to the movement in advance of the elections. At the international governance meeting that holds the elections, the INC is responsible for the presentation of candidates to the electorate. In the past cycle, the INC has been exploring new channels to recruit candidates as well as innovative ways to present their candidacy to the electorate.
At the national level, Amnesty’s Core Standard 3 (II) requires every national entity to have a nominations committee or clear procedures and processes to assess skills and assist our members during elections. In other words, national entities should have:
Why a Nominations Committee?
Our national entity boards need to be effective and representative of their constituencies. For this, the board needs the right composition of people, who possess an appropriate mix of skills, knowledge and experience that fits with the entity’s strategic goals, and who are trusted by members. A diverse board composed of people with complementary skills and experiences is the basis for making sound decisions and standing strong in times of challenges. A Nominations Committee can analyse what specific skills may be needed on the board and actively search for candidates with a particular profile in demand.
The issue of representation of diversity on a board may pose a challenge for some entities. When assessing the right mix of competencies among board members, diversity should be factored in as one important, cross-cutting criteria. Diversity varies widely across the movement and the question of who is represented remains difficult, but Amnesty has made a considerable effort to consider gender and youth in elected governance positions. Beyond these two diversity criteria, national entities should carefully consider what type of diversity is appropriate for their organisation’s context. Taking this into account, a Nominations Committee can be helpful to map existing skills on the board and identify gaps. This analysis is then shared together with the role description of the vacancies that are up for election. These priority competencies can then be used to assess candidates’ strengths and make this assessment available to members, as they prepare for the General Meeting.
A common reservation about Nominations Committees is the notion of them influencing the choice members have during elections. This often stems from a lack of understanding of what a Nominations Committee does. A Nominations Committee does by no means replace the democratic process, but complements and enhances it. It also ensures that potential candidates are aware of the responsibilities and commitments of being elected to a board. In addition, a Nominations Committee could be instrumental in making sure that candidates are vetted and agree to the values and principles of Amnesty before presenting themselves as candidates. As an elected committee, a Nominations Committee is accountable to the General Meeting and reports regularly on its work. The introduction of a Nominations Committee requires transparency and good communication to gain credibility among the members it serves. Only a trusted and effective committee will receive the approval of a General Meeting.
Key functions of a nominations committee
Each Nominations Committee will need to fit into the specific organisational context, and should perform the following key functions:
Some Nominations Committees go beyond this list of key functions and also:
What makes a good nominations committee member?
This is ultimately for each entity to determine, but in the same manner that there are certain desired key competencies for board members, members of a Nominations Committee should ideally have the following skills and experience:
The process of establishing a Nominations Committee in your national entity involves engaging with key stakeholders to discuss how the organisation is best governed. This includes the participation of the board, the director, senior management staff, and members. Part of this conversation could be about which specific skills are needed on the board and how to find competent candidates interested in standing for election at a General Meeting. Building a strong Nominations Committee is a good starting point. These are some general guidelines which you might find useful if you are planning to set up your own Nominations Committee:
