▁as ▁a ▁private ▁association . ▁Con tr ary ▁to ▁popular ▁belief , ▁the ▁IC RC ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁non - g overn ment al ▁organization ▁in ▁the ▁most ▁common ▁sense ▁of ▁the ▁term , ▁nor ▁is ▁it ▁an ▁international ▁organization . ▁As ▁it ▁limits ▁its ▁members ▁( a ▁process ▁called ▁co opt ation ) ▁to ▁Swiss ▁national s ▁only , ▁it ▁does ▁not ▁have ▁a ▁policy ▁of ▁open ▁and ▁un rest rict ed ▁membership ▁for ▁individuals ▁like ▁other ▁leg ally ▁defined ▁N GO s . ▁The ▁word ▁" intern ational " ▁in ▁its ▁name ▁does ▁not ▁refer ▁to ▁its ▁membership ▁but ▁to ▁the ▁world wide ▁scope ▁of ▁its ▁activities ▁as ▁defined ▁by ▁the ▁Gene va ▁Con vent ions . ▁The ▁IC RC ▁has ▁special ▁privileges ▁and ▁legal ▁imm un ities ▁in ▁many ▁countries , ▁based ▁on ▁national ▁law ▁in ▁these ▁countries ▁or ▁through ▁agre ements ▁between ▁the ▁Committee ▁and ▁respective ▁national ▁govern ments . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁its ▁stat utes ▁it ▁consists ▁of ▁ 1 5 ▁to ▁ 2 5 ▁Swiss - cit izen ▁members , ▁which ▁it ▁co opts ▁for ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁four ▁years . ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁limit ▁to ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁terms ▁an ▁individual ▁member ▁can ▁have ▁although ▁a ▁three - quarters ▁majority ▁of ▁all ▁members ▁is ▁required ▁for ▁re - e lection ▁after ▁the ▁third ▁term . ▁ ▁The ▁leading ▁org ans ▁of ▁the ▁IC RC ▁are ▁the ▁Director ate ▁and ▁the ▁Assembly . ▁The ▁Director ate ▁is ▁the ▁executive ▁body ▁of ▁the ▁Committee . ▁It ▁consists ▁of