contrary to popular belief, the icrc is not a sovereign entity like the sovereign military order of malta and also it is not an international organization, neither of non-governmental nor of governmental type. the icrc limits its membership to swiss nationals only, and also it does not have a policy of open and unrestricted membership for individuals as its new members are selected by the committee itself (a process called cooptation). however, since the early 1990s, the icrc employs persons from all over the world to serve in its field mission and at headquarters. in 2007, almost half of icrc staff was non-swiss. the icrc has special privileges and legal immunities in many countries, based on national law in these countries, based on agreements between the icrc and the respective governments, or, in some cases, based on international jurisprudence (such as the right of icrc delegates not to bear witness in front of international tribunals).