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The International Office

Outside view of MSF's office housing Operational Centre Geneva (OCG) and the International Office (IO). Geneva, Switzerland, August 2024.
© Joanna Keenan/MSF
Within MSF International, the International Office (IO) was established to act as a facilitator within the global MSF network.

The IO helps develop common policies, priorities and accountability mechanisms across MSF. It also acts as a secretariat to the International Board and International General Assembly members to help them carry out their mandate. It can also provide representation support for the whole MSF movement – such as through the International President or even through the website you’re visiting today.

The International Office (IO) is headed by the Secretary General, who manages the team of International Coordinators.

Together they facilitate:

  • coordination and information sharing within the MSF movement to identify medical humanitarian issues we need to tackle together; or to jointly review our response in a major emergency;
  • to help develop our public positioning around a humanitarian crisis; or develop common policies on the best use of our resources for our medical and humanitarian action.

Shared policies and tools are developed for medical activities, logistics and supply, fundraising, finance, communications, human resources and representation. For example, this includes working on shared medical guidelines for our field teams; common policies on drug procurement; improving joint logistics supply systems to send medical and relief items to the projects; or publishing the annual International Financial and Activity reports.

The International Office is registered in Switzerland but our staff are based in different MSF offices around the world, including in countries where we run our field programmes.

Secretary General, MSF International
Portrait Laura Leyser
Laura Leyser

Laura Leyser is a humanitarian and international development professional with over 20 years’ experience. Originally from Austria, Laura holds master’s degrees in development, management, and anthropology from the University of Vienna and the London School of Economics. Her experience includes working as a strategy consultant in Germany and Brazil, before she joined the Austrian Development Agency in 2008, working in both Vienna and in Mozambique.

In 2013, Laura joined the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), where she worked in Nepal, helping to lead the UK’s response to the 2015 Nepal earthquake. After working for DFID in London in senior management roles, she joined Médecins Sans Frontières Austria in 2018, becoming its General Director. While leading MSF Austria, she was a member of or chaired a number of MSF strategic and leadership platforms, before being appointed Secretary General of MSF International, taking up the role in March 2026.

Current vacancies at MSF International

Below you will find a list of current vacancies within our International Office.

 

 
msf.org

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This Notice describes how MSF International collects, holds and processes personal data about Candidates when applying to MSF International.

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2016 International General Assembly
How we're run

Committed to independent medical humanitarian action

We are run by MSF associations, whose members are mostly current and former field staff. The MSF associations are linked to six operational directorates (OD) who directly manage our humanitarian action in the field and decide when, where, and what medical care is needed. All 28 MSF associations, as well as individuals and the International President, are members of MSF International, the association that safeguards the identity of the MSF movement.

Learn more