SPORTACCORD

(Previously known as GAISF, the General Association of International Sports Federations)

STATUTES

APRIL 2009 EDITION

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 SPORTACCORD STATUTES
Table of content

CHAPTER I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Name and headquarters
Article 2. Objectives
Article 3. Non-discrimination, representation of women
Article 4. Official languages

CHAPTER II. MEMBERSHIP

Article 5. Categories of Members
Article 6. Conditions for Membership
Article 7. Application procedure and conditions
Article 8. Observers status
Article 9. Honorary Members
Article 10. Members' rights
Article 11. Members' obligations
Article 12. Resignation
Article 13. Revision of Membership
Article 14. Suspension
Article 15. Expulsion
Article 16. Notices

CHAPTER III. ADMINISTRATION OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 17. Organs
A. GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Article 18. Definition, organisation
Article 19. Powers of the General Assembly
Article 20. Delegates
Article 21. Quorums
Article 22. Voting
Article 23. Elections
Article 24. Election of the President
Article 25. Ordinary General Assembly
Article 26. Agenda for Ordinary General Assembly
Article 27. Extraordinary General Assembly
Article 28. Conduct of meetings
Article 29. Minutes
B. COUNCIL
Article 30. Composition and election
Article 31. Eligibility, term of office
Article 32. Presidential election
Article 33. Meetings, quorums
Article 34. Powers of the Council
C. ADMINISTRATION
Article 35. Mission
Article 36. Director General
CHAPTER IV. FINANCES

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Article 37. Subscriptions
Article 38. Finances, liability
Article 39. Auditors

CHAPTER V. FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 40. Dispute resolution
Article 41. Interpretation
Article 42. Modification of the Statutes
Article 43. Dissolution
Article 44. Independence of Members
Article 45. Enforcement

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 STATUTES

CHAPTER I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Name and headquarters

1.1 Sportaccord (previously known as GAISF, the General Association of International Sports
Federations) is a non-profit association, composed of autonomous and independent international
sports federations and other international organisations contributing to sport in various fields.

1.2 The association is constituted according to art. 60ff of the Swiss Civil Code, and is formed for an
unlimited period of time. The General Assembly determines the location of the headquarters of
Sportaccord, which are currently located in Switzerland.

Article 2. Objectives

2.1 The objectives of Sportaccord are

1. to promote sport at all levels, as a means to contribute to the positive development of

society;
2. to assist its Members in strengthening their position as world leaders in their respective
sports;
3. to develop specific services for its Members, and provide them with assistance, training
and support;
4. to increase the level of recognition of Sportaccord and its Members by the Olympic
Movement stakeholders as well as by other entities involved in sport;
5. to actively support the organisation of multi-disciplinary games by its Members;
6. to be a modern, flexible, transparent and accountable organisation;
7. to organise, at least once a year, a gathering of all of its Members, and of other
stakeholders of the sport movement, preferably on the occasion of its General Assembly;
8. to recognise unconditionally the autonomy of its Members and their authority within their
respective sports;
9. to promote closer links among its Members, and between its Members and any other
sport organisation;
10. to coordinate and protect the common interests of its Members;
11. to collaborate with organisations having as their objective the promotion of sport on a
world-wide basis;
12. to collect, collate and circulate information to and among its Members.

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2.2 Other objectives may be defined by the General Assembly.

Article 3. Non-discrimination, representation of women

3.1 Sportaccord and its Members reject all forms and means of discrimination against individuals,
groups of people, organisations or countries on grounds of ethnic origin, gender, language,
religion or politics.

3.2 Sportaccord supports a fair representation of women in sporting activities and in the management
of sport.

Article 4. Official languages

4.1 The official languages of Sportaccord are English and French.

4.2 In the event of a dispute, the language of origin or the original translation into one of the official
languages shall prevail.

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 CHAPTER II. MEMBERSHIP

Article 5. Categories of Members

The Members of Sportaccord are:

 a) the Members
 b) the Associate Members
whose admission has been approved by the General Assembly.

Article 6. Conditions for Membership

6.1 May become:

1. a Member any sport organisation (generally known as International Federations) which

group together the majority of the National Federations (or organisations) throughout the
world practising its sport and regularly holding international competitions;

2. an Associate Member any sport organisation which groups together the activities of
several Members or National Olympic Committees generally for the purpose of
organising competitions, and any organisation having aims and objects
recogniserecognised by the Council as being beneficial to those of the other Members of
the Association.

6.2 Unless stipulated otherwise in these Statutes, the term Member comprises both Members and
Associate Members.

Article 7.A. Application procedure and conditions to Member status

7.A.1 The Administration shall conduct investigations as to the bona fides of any applicant organisation,
under the direction of the Council. No commitment as to the outcome of such application may be
made by anyone on behalf of the General Assembly.

7.A.2 A permanent Commission may be appointed by Sportaccord Council to examine the new
membership applications in respect to the justification of the existence of the sport and to the
existence of rivalry issues with Sportaccord Members.

7.A.3 If the Commission’s subsequent report to the Council so recommends, and only then, the
application will be considered by Sportaccord Council.

7.A.4 On the basis of the investigations and if Sportaccord Council finds the application compliant with
Sportaccord requirements, the Council shall issue recommendations for the General Assembly.

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7.A.5 Any organisation willing to apply for membership must submit its application at least 9 (nine)
months prior to the commencement date of the General Assembly at which the application is to
be considered, together with:

1. a written declaration justifying that the sport or activity which they control does not conflict
with or is not in rivalry with an already existing Member of Sportaccord;
2. a written declaration justifying that the IF is the only federation governing its sport on a
world level. Provide, if any, the name of dissident organisations and explain how and
which solutions were arranged;
3. a confirmation that the candidate is a non-profit organisation;
4. a copy of its constitution/statutes, regulations and directives which must comply with the
World Anti Doping Code (incl. detailed statistics on the tests conducted and the number
of anti-doping rules violations having led to sanctions). The constitution/statute of the
candidate must also contain a specific provision recognising the exclusive jurisdiction of
the Court of Arbitration for Sport, in Lausanne, Switzerland;
5. a chart of its organisational structure (including staff), with detailed explanations and
highlighting the gender representation within its governing elected bodies (men/women
comparison);
6. the minutes of the last 2 (two) General Assemblies;
7. the list of the last 5 (five) General Assemblies, and the list of their attendees;
8. a list of its Member National Federations(where applicable), grouped by continents, which
must count:
 for summer sports, at least 40 (fourty) active Member Federations from at least 3
(three) continents
 for winter sports, at least 25 (twenty five) active Member Federations from at
least 2 (two) continents. Only those sports which are practised on snow and ice
are considered as winter sports.
9. a membership certification signed and stamped by each member NF must be enclosed
within the membership application for Sportaccord; there will be no more than 1 (one)
National Federation per sport and per country;
10. at the national level, the sport – represented by the IF applying for Sportaccord
membership – must include one of the disciplines recognised by the member NF. The
National Federation must be a full member of the corresponding International Federation
applying for Sportaccord membership. No categories other than the full membership to
the IF will be taken into account;
11. a list of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or National Sport Authorities
recognising its Member National Federations; A recognition certification signed and
stamped by the NOC and / or NSA must be enclosed within the membership application
for Sportaccord;

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 12. a list of its national federations having participated in men’s and women’s qualifying
events (where applicable) and in the last two major Events/World Championships of their
discipline;
13. a document presenting its event, explaining in particular:
 the procedures implemented by the candidate in order to ensure a high level of
fairness and objectivity to its competitions (including selection, training,
evaluation of judges):
 the steps taken to present its sport in an interesting and attractive manner;
 concrete examples of its ways of ensuring non-discrimination, fair play and
solidarity in all of its activities;
14. copies of audited financial statements, together with a detailed description of sources of
income and a transparent report on expenses;
15. a strategic plan approved by the candidate's board meeting, covering the mid/long term;
16. a document describing the main achievements of the candidate over the last three years,
and its fields of priorities, among the following list:
 athletes
 coaches
 anti-doping / medical
 promotion of women
 sport administration
 communication / marketing

7.A.6 A National Federation is a body representing a sport or a number of sports in a country that is
recognised by the NOC and/or the highest sporting authority of the country.

7.A.7 A country is an independent state recognised by the International Community, where a National
Olympic Committee (NOC) recognised by the IOC exists.

7.A.8 Membership applications are to be accompanied by a proof of payment, made out in Swiss
francs, equivalent to the membership application fee determined by the Council. This payment
does not cover the first membership subscription due after the candidate joins the Association.

7.A.9 In addition to the above rules, the Council is competent to enact guidelines implementing the
provisions on admission, and to determine transparent and objective criteria for admission into
Sportaccord.

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Article 7.B. Application procedure and conditions to Associate Member status

7.B.1 The Administration shall conduct investigations as to the bona fides of any applicant organisation,
under the direction of the Council. No commitment as to the outcome of such application may be
made by anyone on behalf of the General Assembly.

7.B.2 A permanent Commission may be appointed by Sportaccord Council to examine the new
membership applications in respect to the justification of the existence of the sport and to the
existence of rivalry issues with Sportaccord Members or Associate Members.

7.B.3. If the Commission’s subsequent report to the Council so recommends, and only then, the
application will be considered by Sportaccord Council.

7.B.4 On the basis of the investigations and if Sportaccord Council finds the application compliant with
Sportaccord requirements, the Council shall issue recommendations for the General Assembly.

7.B.5 Any organisation willing to apply for membership must submit its application at least 9 (nine)
months prior to the commencement date of the General Assembly at which the application is to
be considered, together with:

1. a written declaration justifying that the sport or activity which they control does not conflict
with or is not in rivalry with an already existing Member of Sportaccord;
2. a written declaration justifying that the IF is the only federation governing its sport on a
world level. Provide, if any, the name of dissident organisations and explain how and
which solutions were arranged;
3. a confirmation that the candidate is a non-profit organisation;
4. a copy of its constitution/statutes, regulations and directives which must comply with the
World Anti Doping Code (incl. detailed statistics on the tests conducted and the number
of anti-doping rules violations having led to sanctions) if the applicant organisation
organises sports events. The constitution/statute of the candidate must also contain a
specific provision recognising the exclusive jurisdiction of the Court of Arbitration for
Sport, in Lausanne, Switzerland;
5. a chart of its organisational structure (including staff), with detailed explanations and
highlighting the gender representation within its governing elected bodies (men/women
comparison);
6. the minutes of the last 2 (two) General Assemblies;
7. the list of the last 5 (five) General Assemblies, and the list of their attendees;
8. a list of its Member National Federations or International Federations or National Olympic
Committees (where applicable), grouped by continents;
9. a membership certification signed and stamped by each member NF or IF or NOC must
be enclosed within the membership application for Sportaccord; there will be no more
than 1 (one) National Federation per sport or NOC per country;

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 10. at the national level, the sport – represented by the IF applying for Sportaccord
membership – must include one of the disciplines recognised by the member NF. The
National Federation must be a full member of the corresponding International Federation
applying for Sportaccord membership. No categories other than the full membership to
the IF will be taken into account;
11. if the applicant organisation organises sports events, a list should be provided of the
National Federations or National Olympic Committees represented in its three most
recent events. If he number of events is less than three, the organisation is not eligible for
associate membership;
12. if the applicant organisation organises sports events, a document presenting its event,
explaining in particular:
 the procedures implemented by the candidate in order to ensure a high
level of fairness and objectivity to its competitions (including selection, training,
evaluation of judges):
 the steps taken to present its sport in an interesting and attractive manner;
 concrete examples of its ways of ensuring non-discrimination, fair play and
solidarity in all of its activities;
 a list of all International Sports Federations that are involved in the organisation
of the events. If any of these IFs are not Members of Sportaccord, they should
not be any rival federation to any of Sportaccord Members;

13. if the applicant organisation does not organise sports events, a document presenting its
events or profession, explaining in particular the benefit of the organisation’s activities for
the members of Sportaccord;
14. copies of audited financial statements, together with a detailed description of sources of
income and a transparent report on expenses;
15. a strategic plan approved by the candidate’s board meeting, covering the mid/long term;
16. a document describing the main achievements of the candidate over the last three years,
and its fields of priorities.
7.B.6 A National Federation is a body representing a sport or a number of sports in a country that is
recognised by the NOC and/or the highest sporting authority of the country.

7.B.7 A country is an independent state recognised by the International Community, where a National
Olympic Committee (NOC) recognised by the IOC exists.

7.B.8 Membership applications are to be accompanied by a proof of payment, made out in Swiss
francs, equivalent to the membership application fee determined by the Council. This payment
does not cover the first membership subscription due after the candidate joins the Association.

7.B.9 In addition to the above rules, the Council is competent to enact guidelines implementing the
provisions on admission, and to determine transparent and objective criteria for admission into
Sportaccord.

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Article 8. Observer status

8.1 The Administration may grant the status of observer to any organisation considering joining
Sportaccord. This status shall not carry any right to speak except on the invitation of the
President or his substitute.

8.2 Observer status will normally only be valid for 1 (one) General Assembly unless the Council finds
there are extenuating circumstances and authorizes a prolongation of such status.

8.3 An observer that becomes applicant for membership may not be represented at the General
Assembly where its application for membership is considered, in any capacity, unless invited to
reply to specific questions, until after it has been elected as a Member of the Association.

8.4 Sportaccord will make no charge or fee to any invited organisation for its participation in the
General Assembly as an observer.

Article 9. Honorary Members

The General Assembly may, upon a proposal by the Council, grant the title of "Honorary President" or
"Honorary Member" respectively to a retiring President or a retiring Council Member for their outstanding
services to Sportaccord. They may attend the General Assembly, but do not have the right to vote.

Article 10. Members' rights

Members have the right:

1. to receive in advance the agenda of the General Assembly, to be called to the meeting
within the prescribed time, to take part to the meeting and to exercise their right to vote;
2. to be informed of the state of Sportaccord;
3. to participate in voting and in elections;
4. to draw up proposals regarding the Agenda of the General Assembly;
5. to nominate candidates to the Presidency of Sportaccord;
6. to exercise any other right arising from the Statutes, regulations, directives and decisions
of Sportaccord.

Article 11. Members' obligations

Members have the obligation:

11.1. to comply at any time unreservedly with the Statutes, regulations, directives and decisions of
Sportaccord;

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11.2. to have their executive organs, and, if applicable, their disciplinary organs, elected by their
respective General Assembly;
11.3. to notify Sportaccord, in writing, modification in their constitution/statutes, regulations and
directives or of the inclusion of any new disciplines to their programme: any change that affects
the conditions of admission;
11.4. to pay their membership subscription in due time.

Article 12. Resignation

12.1 A Member may resign at any time, provided that at the time of resignation he has no outstanding
liabilities to the Association and is a fully paid-up Member.

12.2 Such resignation shall take effect immediately upon receipt of a notice of resignation signed by
the authorized person(s), and shall be reported to the next General Assembly by the
Administration of Sportaccord.

Article 13. Revision of Membership

Modifications of its constitution/statutes, regulations and directives by a Member, or inclusion of new

disciplines to its program, may result in the revision by the General Assembly of its membership of
Sportaccord.

Article 14. Suspension

14.1 The Council may, by a majority decision, suspend until the next General Assembly a Member
who fails to comply with a provision of the Statutes, regulations, directives and decisions of
Sportaccord, and in particular for the following reasons:
1. non-payment of any liabilities due to the Association;
2. owing 2 (two) years of overdue annual membership fee to the Association;

14.2 A final decision must be made by the next General Assembly, provided the suspension is still in
force at that time.

Article 15. Expulsion

A Member shall lose its membership of the Association on a resolution passed by an absolute majority
(50%+1) of the Association in General or Extraordinary Assembly, notably for the following reasons:
1. refusal to pay any liabilities due to the Association;
2. non-payment of any membership fees due to the Association for 4 (four) or more years;
3. refusal to comply with the provisions of the Statutes, regulations, directives and decisions
of Sportaccord;

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 4. loss of its status of representative of its sport at the international level.

Article 16. Notices

16.1 A notice or notification to a Member shall be deemed to have been properly received provided it
was sent to the last address indicated by the Member to the Administration.

16.2 Notification regarding suspension, expulsion or dissolution shall always be sent by registered
mail.

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 CHAPTER III. ADMINISTRATION OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 17. Organs

17.1 The General Assembly is the supreme and legislative organ of Sportaccord.

17.2 The Council is the executive body.

17.3 The Administration is the administrative body.

A. GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Article 18. Definition, organisation

18.1 The General Assembly is the meeting attended by all the Members of Sportaccord. It is the
supreme and legislative organ of Sportaccord.

18.2 Only a General Assembly regularly convened has the authority to exercise its powers.

18.3 The General Assembly may be Ordinary or Extraordinary.

Article 19. Powers of the General Assembly

19.1. The General Assembly adopts or amends the Statutes, regulations and directives of Sportaccord.

19.2 The General Assembly approves the minutes of the last meeting.

19.3 The General Assembly admits, suspends or expels a Member.

19.4 The General Assembly elects the President.

19.5 The General Assembly appoints the independent auditors.

19.6 The General Assembly approves the budgets, financial statements and the activity report.

19.7 The General Assembly sets the amount of the subscription for Members;

19.8 The General Assembly bestows, on a proposal by the Council, the title of honorary president or
member on a person who rendered outstanding services to Sportaccord.

19.9 The General Assembly exercises any other competence specifically attributed to it by the
Statutes, regulations and directives of Sportaccord.

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Article 20. Delegates

20.1 Each Member's delegation is limited to a maximum of 3 (three) persons, including Council
Members (if they are represented in that organ).

20.2 A delegate may speak on behalf of another Member only if specifically requested by the relevant
Member and at the invitation of the President or of the Chairman.

20.3 All delegates other than the President/Chairman, Vice-President or Secretary General/Director
General of the Member shall send to the Administration (time permitting) a power of attorney
document signed by one of the above mentioned three Officers, which he must carry on the day
of the General Assembly.

Article 21. Quorums

21.1 The quorum for general business of the General Assembly shall be 50% (fifty per cent) of the
Members having voting rights.

21.2 The quorum for business entailing changes of these Statutes or the dissolution of the Association
shall be 2/3 (two thirds) of the Members having voting rights.

21.3 Absent the quorum, a second General Assembly shall be held 24 hours after the first was due to
convene, with the same agenda. In that second General Assembly, no quorum is required, unless
an item on the agenda proposes the amendment of Sportaccord Statutes, the election of the
President, the expulsion of a member or the dissolution of Sportaccord.

Article 22. Voting

22.1 Each Member who has satisfied all its financial obligations toward Sportaccord at the time of the
meeting is entitled to one vote.

22.2 Delegates may not represent more than one Member.

22.3 Associate Members, except the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and the
Maccabi World Union (MWU), as founding Members, have no voting right, but have the right to
speak.

22.4 The voting can be done by show of hand, voting machines or ballot papers.

22.5 Save any indication to the contrary in these Statutes, all decisions shall be made by the majority
of the votes validly cast by the official delegates who have voting rights.
22.6 Illegible, void, blank or improper votes, and abstentions shall not be included in the count of
validly cast votes

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22.7 The Council shall have a casting vote in the event of a tied vote.

22.8 Except in the case of elections, voting shall always be conducted by a show of hands or voting
machines, unless 2 (two) or more Members should request a secret ballot; in that case, voting
machines may also be used, provided they allow secrecy in voting.

22.9 Acceptance of new Members, suspension, expulsion, modification of the agenda, declarations of
principles, requires the majority of the votes validly cast.

22.10 Dissolution and amendments to the Statutes require 2/3 of the votes validly cast

22.11 Voting by proxy or letter is not allowed.

Article 23. Elections

23.1 Save any indication to the contrary in these Statutes, elections are held on the basis of the simple
majority.

23.2 Election of the President is held on the basis of the absolute majority (50%+1) of the votes validly
cast. In the event the absolute majority is not reached in the first round, a second round will be
organised, under the rule of the relative majority (the highest number of votes). In the event of a
tie, a third round shall take place after the elimination of the candidate who has obtained the least
number of votes in the second round; this procedure shall continue until only one candidate
remains. In case of persisting equality between candidates, they shall be separated by drawing
lots.

23.3 Illegible, void, blank or improper votes, and abstentions shall not be included in the count of
validly cast votes.

23.4 Voting for elections shall always be carried out by secret ballot whenever there is more than 1
(one) candidate for the office up for election. Voting machines may be used provided they allow
secrecy in voting.

23.5 In the event there is only one candidate for the position being filled, the election will be carried out
by acclamation, unless an election by secret ballot is requested by at least 2 (two) Members
having voting rights.

23.6 Voting by proxy or letter is not allowed

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Article 24. Election of the President

24.1 During the election of the President, the out-going President shall, if seeking re-election,
surrender the chair to a "chairman pro-tempore," elected by the Assembly, who will then conduct
the election.

24.2 If re-elected, the out-going President subject to the provision of Para 1 resumes his position after
the election and continues to chair the General Assembly.

24.3 The newly elected President and Council members take office after the close of the General
Assembly.

Article 25. Ordinary General Assembly

25.1 The Ordinary General Assembly is convened by the Council once a year.

25.2 No item shall be dealt with which does not appear on the agenda.

25.3 All proposals to modify Sportaccord Statutes should be communicated in writing to the
Administration at least 9 (nine) months prior to the General Assembly. After consideration, the
Council will pass on the proposal to the Members along with its comments at the latest 3 (three)
months before the General Assembly.

25.4 At least 6 (six) months before the date of the opening of the General Assembly, the
Administration shall send a formal call to the meeting to all Members. The notice shall stipulate
that any Member willing to add a new item on the agenda must submit it to the Administration in
both of Sportaccord languages no later than 4 months prior to the meeting.

25.5 At least 1 (one) month before the General Assembly meets, the Administration shall circulate the
agenda as prepared by the Council, together with the activity report and any other relevant
document. The budget and the accounts will be circulated immediately after having been audited,
but, in any case, before the General Assembly.

25.6 Together with the agenda, the Administration shall circulate details of any membership
applications and a brief description and results of any investigations made to that effect by the
Administration. Objections to or reservations held regarding such membership applications must
be communicated to the Administration together with the reasons for such objection or
reservation, no later than 15 days prior to the General Assembly.

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Article 26. Agenda for Ordinary General Assembly

26.1 The agenda shall contain the following items:

1. opening of the meeting;
2. roll call (by the Director General for late-comers, registration having been completed
earlier);
3. adoption of the agenda;
4. president's address;
5. appointment of scrutineers (if applicable);
6. suspension or expulsion of a member (if applicable);
7. approval of the minutes of the previous meeting;
8. activity reports;
9. financial matters (balance sheet, accounts, auditing report, budget, auditor…);
10. Statutes modifications (if applicable);
11. voting and elections (if applicable);
12. new membership applications;
13. items presented for information;
14. items brought forward from meetings among Members;
15. date and place of next meeting.

26.2 The Council may add any urgent matter to the Agenda of the General Assembly at any time. In
any other cases, the agenda may be modified provided there is a 2/3 (two thirds) majority of the
votes validly cast.

Article 27. Extraordinary General Assembly

27.1 An Extraordinary General Assembly may be convened at the request of the Council or upon
receipt of a written request from at least 1/5 (one fifth) of the Members having the right to vote, no
later than two months after the request. Notification of the meeting will be sent out to the
Members at least 30 (thirty) days in advance.

27.2 The notification shall detail the reasons for convening an Extraordinary General Assembly. No
business other than that specified in the notification shall be conducted at such Extraordinary
Assembly.

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Article 28. Conduct of meetings

The President presides over every meeting of the General Assembly and of the Council. If the President
is absent, unable or unwilling to preside, the General Assembly or Council, as the case may be, shall
elect one of their members to preside for the duration of the meeting as Chairman.

Article 29. Minutes

29.1 The minutes of the meetings are recorded both in English and French by the Administration and
submitted for approval by the Council within 2 (two) months of the meeting.

29.2 No correction of or alteration to the minutes will be accepted without written notification to the
Administration, duly received and acknowledged, within 4 (four) months of the date of circulation
of the minutes to the Members.

29.3 The minutes are submitted for approval at the next General Assembly.

B. COUNCIL

Article 30. Composition and election

30.1 The Council is the executive organ of Sportaccord. It consists of 8 members:

1. the President, elected by the General Assembly;
2. 7 (seven) members:
 2 (two) members designated by the Association of Summer Olympic International
Federations (ASOIF);
 1 (one) member designated by the Association of International Olympic Winter Sport
Federations (AIOWF);
 2 (two) members designated by the Association of RecogniseRecognised International
Sports Federations (ARISF);
 2 (two) members (1 delegate from the International Federations and 1 delegate from
the Associate Members) designated by the other sports Federations/Organisations
that do not belong to any of the above groups.

30.2 Each organisation/group applies its own procedure to designate its representatives

30.3 The names of the Council members designated according to Para. 1 point 2 of the present article
are communicated to the Members at the General Assembly where the President has been
elected.

30.4 The Council elects 2 (two) Vice-Presidents and 1 (one) Treasurer from among its members.

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Article 31 Eligibility, term of office

31.1 The candidates must have reached the age of majority in their own country, and be in full
possession of their civil rights.

31.2 They must be designated by, or delegates of the organisation they represent.

31.3 Council members are appointed for a term of 4 (four) years. They may be reappointed.

31.4 The Council members who, during their term of office with Sportaccord, lose their position with
the Member affiliated to the organisation which they represent shall continue to sit on the Council
until the next General Assembly, unless the relevant Member objects. In this case, the
organisation concerned shall designate a substitute that will sit for the remainder of the term.

Article 32. Presidential election

32.1 Nominations for the Presidency must be notified in writing to the Administration at the latest 30
(thirty) days before the beginning of the meeting at which the elections will take place. The
Director General will issue a note indicating the deadline to be observed, together with the
General Assembly working papers.

32.2 Candidates must be the delegates from fully paid-up Member Federations, who on the date of
election are Members of the Council or similar Executive Committee of the Federation.

32.3 Candidates must have reached the age of majority in their own country, and be in full possession
of their civil rights

32.4 In the event of the President no longer holding any position in the International Federation which
has presented his/her candidature, he/she will automatically lose his/her status of President.

32.5 The acting presidency will then be taken over by the Vice President, by seniority, until the next
General Assembly. Additional election will then take place at the next General Assembly in order
to replace him/her for the period in progress

32.6 Nominations which arrive after the deadline shall not be taken into consideration.

32.7 After the deadline for receiving nominations has been reached, the list of nominees for President
will be distributed immediately to the delegates.

32.8 The General Assembly elects the President for a 4 (four) year term. He is eligible for re-election.

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Article 33. Meetings, quorums

33.1 The Council shall meet in principle twice during each year of its period of office

33.2 The quorum for meetings of the Council is met when the President plus 4 (four) other Council
members are present, except in exceptional circumstances where the President is unable to
attend and does not wish or is unable to cancel the meeting, in which case the quorum shall be
satisfied with 1 (one) Vice President and 4 (four) other Council members.

Article 34. Powers of the Council

34.1. The Council is competent in all matters that are not reserved to other bodies by the Statutes,
regulations and directives of Sportaccord.

34.2 The Council represents and commits Sportaccord with regard to third parties.

34.3 The Council oversees the day to day running of the Association.

34.4 The Council prepares and convenes Ordinary and Extraordinary General Assemblies.

34.5 The Council appoints any commission it deems necessary at any time.

34.6 The Council appoints or dismisses the Director General.

C. ADMINISTRATION

Article 35. Mission

35.1 The mission of the Administration is to implement the decisions made by the General Assembly
and the Council, and carry out all the administrative duties of Sportaccord, under the supervision
of the Director General.

35.2 Members of the Administration do not have voting rights.

Article 36. Director General

36.1 The Director General is appointed by the Council, on the basis of a contract governed by private
law. He/she shall be accountable to the Council through the Officers for the running of the
Administration and such other duties as may be required.

36.2 He/she hires his/her administrative officers with the approval of the Council.

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 CHAPTER IV. FINANCES

Article 37. Subscriptions

37.1 All Members of Sportaccord shall pay an annual subscription according to the following scale:
 Members: 100% (one hundred per cent) of the subscription;
 Associate Members: 75% (seventy-five per cent) of the subscription.
37.2 New Members shall pay a partial Membership fee of the current year, as of the month of their
membership acceptance.

37.3 The amount of the subscription shall be decided by each General Assembly on a proposal from
the Council and shall be payable no later than the next 31st of January.

37.4 Should a General Assembly not be held in any one or more years, the same amount of
subscription as the previous year shall become due on the 31st of January as appropriate.

Article 38. Finances, liability

38.1 Sportaccord shall be financially bound, within the limits of the approved budget, by the joint
signatures of the President and the Director General, or of the Treasurer or Vice President and
the Director General.

38.2 Members and Associate Members shall only be legally and financially liable, toward Sportaccord
and third parties, up to the limit of their annual subscription to Sportaccord.

38.3 The financial year of Sportaccord shall run from the 1st January to the 31st of December
annually.

Article 39. Auditors

39.1 The accounts must be audited each year by external qualified professional auditors, totally
independent from Sportaccord. Their duty is to check the accounts and present their report to the
General Assembly, with their conclusions and recommendations, notably with regards to the
approval of the financial statements by the General Assembly.

39.2 The auditors must be appointed by the General Assembly, generally for a period of 2 (two) years.
Their mandate may be renewed.

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 CHAPTER V. FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 40. Dispute resolution

40.1 Any dispute arising from, or related to the Statutes, regulations, directives and decisions of
Sportaccord, and for which there is no competent internal organ, will be submitted exclusively to
the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), in Lausanne, Switzerland, applying its own procedural
rules. Its decisions are final.

40.2 Any appeal against a final and binding decision from any Sportaccord organ shall exclusively be
submitted to the CAS, to the exclusion of any ordinary court of any country.

Article 41. Interpretation

The authority for settling any dispute arising out of the interpretation of these Statutes shall reside with the
President, or Chairman for the time being, who shall seek the advice of the Council or General Assembly
before taking the final decision.

Article 42. Modification of the Statutes

42.1 These Statutes may only be modified by the General Assembly or by an Extraordinary Assembly
convened especially for that purpose.

42.2 The amendments to the Statutes require the 2/3 of the votes validly cast

Article 43. Dissolution

43.1 The intended dissolution of Sportaccord shall require an Extraordinary Meeting of the General
Assembly at which the proposed dissolution shall be the sole item on the agenda.

43.2 Dissolution requires the 2/3 of the votes validly cast

43.3 Any assets remaining after the dissolution of the Association, shall, after satisfaction of all its
debts and liabilities, be applied to the furtherance of any objective(s) of the Association as
determined by the General Assembly at, or before, the time of dissolution. If effect cannot be
given to the foregoing provisions, they shall be given to a charitable organisation. Under no
circumstances shall they be paid to, or distributed among the Members of the Association.

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Article 44. Independence of Members

No discussion or voting by Sportaccord shall infringe in any way on the freedom and independence of any
Member, who shall, at all time, retain complete independence and control over all matters falling within
their field of activity.

Article 45. Enforcement

These statutes have been adopted at the General Assembly in Seoul, on 7th April 2006.
They come into force on January 1. 2007, except for article 7 that comes into force on the day of their
adoption.

These statutes have been modified by the General Assembly held in Beijing on 27th April 2007.
The modifications came into force immediately.

These statutes have been modified by the General Assembly held in Denver, on 27th March 2009.
The modifications came into force immediately.

Lausanne, April 2009

Hein Verbruggen
Sportaccord President

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