Islamic Relief Worldwide is pleased to announce that Dominic Grieve QC, former Attorney General and former Chair of Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee, is to chair a new Independent Commission established by the charity. The Commission will assess the vetting of the charity’s trustees and senior executives, as well as reviewing and redefining expectations of conduct. Mr Grieve will be assisted by Sir Clive Jones CBE, former chair of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), a coalition of the UK’s 14 leading humanitarian agencies, of which Islamic Relief is a member.
The Independent Commission will begin its work immediately and will review trustee screening and vetting policies and practices of all Islamic Relief entities and associated organisations. The Commission will compare policies, procedures and best practice among other INGOs and UN organisations to ensure Islamic Relief is modelling best practice.
Two former trustees of Islamic Relief Worldwide resigned recently when the charity discovered that they had both posted offensive comments on social media in 2014 and 2015 (before becoming trustees). The charity elected a new Board of Trustees last month, and its first act was to announce this Independent Commission.
On accepting the role as Chair of the new Commission, Dominic Grieve QC says,
“I have been encouraged by the openness and honesty of Islamic Relief about recent events, as well as its determination to learn lessons and take responsibility as an organisation. This is an important Commission with a clear remit. I look forward to the challenge of advising and informing an organisation whose humanitarian footprint and impact is considerable. I also look forward to working with Sir Clive, as there are few others who I can think of who know the sector better.”
Dr Ihab Saad, Chair of Islamic Relief Worldwide’s Board of Trustees, says,
“In setting up this Independent Commission we were very keen to secure independent, credible and well-respected third-party leadership for what needs to be a fundamental review of Islamic Relief’s practices. It is also critical that the Independent Commission is able to assist Islamic Relief in maintaining its principled and value-based mission, underpinned by humanitarian principles. In securing Dominic Grieve QC and Sir Clive Jones, we are confident that we are on course to generate a robust and relevant set of recommendations for Islamic Relief to put in place.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Dominic Grieve QC is a barrister, and former Member of Parliament, who served as Shadow Home Secretary from 2008 to 2009 and Attorney General for England and Wales from 2010 to 2014. He was Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee from 2015 to 2019. Mr Grieve was MP for Beaconsfield for over two decades, from 1997 to 2019. He is now based at Temple Garden Chambers.
Sir Clive Jones CBE was CEO of Central Television and then the Carlton Television Group, before taking Carlton into a merger with Granada to create ITV plc. During his broadcasting career he was also Managing Director of the ITV Network and Chairman of GMTV. In 2018 he completed an eight-year term as Chair of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), a period in which the DEC and its members raised over £500 million in ten appeals for victims of natural disasters and conflict. He now chairs Sightsavers, the leading international disability organisation, National Theatre Wales and the Runnymede Trust. He was awarded a knighthood for services to humanitarian causes in the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 2019.
The Independent Commission led by Dominic Grieve and Sir Clive Jones is expected to report and make recommendations in January 2021.
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