Governance

SOS Children’s Villages is structured as a federation of independent, locally led and self-governed national member organizations, united by a shared mission and committed to shared standards. With a collective presence in more than 130 countries and territories, SOS Children’s Villages organizations worldwide are dedicated to ensuring that children and young people can grow up with the nurturing relationships they need to become their strongest selves.  

SOS Children’s Villages International is the umbrella organization of the federation, to which all member organizations belong. It is legally registered as an association in Vienna, Austria.

General Assembly

The General Assembly is the highest decision-making body of SOS Children's Villages International. It is made up of all member organizations and meets annually. The General Assembly sets the strategic direction for the federation and approves binding policy frameworks and governance principles and procedures. It also adopts binding resolutions for all executive bodies and members in case of compliance violations and elects the International Board. General Assembly meetings are led by a Chair and Vice Chair, elected from among its members for a three-year term. 

International Board

The International Board is the supervisory body of SOS Children’s Villages International. It is composed of 9 to 13 members. The International Board monitors compliance with binding policy frameworks, monitors the activities of the Executive Board and supports the Executive Board in implementing General Assembly resolutions. It also approves and monitors the annual plans and budgets of SOS Children’s Villages International and decides on the appointment and discharging of members of the Executive Board. The Board is led by a Chair and Vice Chair, elected for three-year terms, and meets at least four times a year.

Executive Board

The Executive Board is the legal representative of SOS Children’s Villages International and is responsible for management of SOS Children’s Villages International. It implements decisions made by the General Assembly and the International Board and leads the General Secretariat, which operates SOS Children’s Villages International as a legal entity and provides support to member organizations in their pursuit of their common purpose. The Executive Board currently consists of the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Operating Officer and the Chief Programme Officer, and is led by the CEO.

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