MOTION 1a | World Board Composition
⚑ 2/3 MAJORITY — STATUTES CHANGE – Mutually exclusive with Motion 1b

Motion text

The General Assembly of IFOAM – Organics International resolves to take forward the following changes to the current World Board Composition

1 - Amend § 7 of the Statutes to read as follows:

7. Elections
Every regular General Assembly elects ten World Board members as follows:

(a) Continental seats (6): One seat is reserved for each of the six major geographical regions of continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America (Including Mexico and Central America,) North America (all English-speaking countries), and Oceania. Candidates for continental seats shall be pre-selected by the IFOAM members affiliated with that continent through a process established in the Rules of Procedure. The continental pre-selection shall elect two to three candidates per seat, from whom the General Assembly of IFOAM – Organics International elects one.

(b) Constituency seats (currently 1): One seat is reserved for the constituency of organic farmers' organisations (currently represented by INOFO). The constituency group shall nominate two to three candidates through its own democratic procedures, from whom the General Assembly of IFOAM – Organics International elects one. The General Assembly may, by ordinary resolution, recognise additional constituencies and assign them a reserved seat, provided the total number of seats does not exceed ten (10) without a further statute amendment.

(c) Council Chair seat (1): The elected Chair of the Council of Regional Bodies and Self-Organized Structures (§ ) shall serve as a member of the World Board for the duration of their term as Council Chair. This seat is ex officio. If no Council exists, this seat shall be filled as a free seat under (d).

(d) Free/open seats (currently 2): The remaining seats (currently two) shall be filled by open election from an unrestricted pool of eligible candidates. Any individual meeting general candidacy requirements may stand.

Candidacies for all seats must be received at least three months before the regular General Assembly and must be endorsed by five members. A presentation of the candidates must be sent to the members at least 60 days before the General Assembly.

The World Board chooses an Executive Board (see § 8) from amongst the elected members before the end of the General Assembly. The World Board may co-opt up to three further World Board members to address gaps in competencies, diversity or social inclusion. Co-opted members have full World Board voting rights.

The World Board may elect additional Executive Board members and replace them as appropriate during the term.

Rationale 1

The current statutes (§ 7) provide only for election of ten members by the General Assembly with no structural requirements on representational balance. This amendment introduces a federated composition that guarantees representation of all continents, INOFO (farmer constituency) and the IFOAM Council while preserving direct democratic accountability to the full membership through the GA election. By requiring continental pre-selection to elect 2–3 candidates, the mechanism combines regional participation, vetting and legitimacy with genuine GA choice. Existing co-option powers are retained.

Statute sections affected: § 7 (Elections). Cross-reference: new Council article for sub-section (c).

2. Establish the Continental Pre-Selection Process

The General Assembly of IFOAM – Organics International instructs the World Board to establish, within six months of adoption of Motion WB-1, a Continental Pre-Selection Procedure as part of the Rules of Procedure for the World Board Elections, covering the following elements:

• Definition of continental affiliation: The World Board shall define clear criteria for the continental affiliation of IFOAM members (place of incorporation, primary area of operation, or member's own declaration subject to WB approval).
• Pre-selection mechanics: At least ninety (90) days before each General Assembly, a continental caucus process shall be convened (e.g. by electronic ballot or virtual/physical meeting) through which members affiliated with each continent may nominate and vote to produce a short-list of two to three candidates.
• Facilitation: The IFOAM – Organics International office shall facilitate the continental pre-selection process and publish the results, together with candidate profiles, at least sixty (60) days before the General Assembly. Where existing Regional Bodies exist, there is an option for the regional body to facilitate elections of representatives from that continent where they can demonstrate capacity and procedures ensuring transparent elections accessible for all IFOAM - Organics International members on the continent.
• Fall-back provision: If a continent fails to produce a valid short-list within the prescribed deadline, the position shall be filled as a free seat (§ WB-1(d)) at that General Assembly, and the World Board shall investigate the cause and report to the subsequent General Assembly.

Rationale 2

The pre-selection mechanism is the procedural engine of the continental seats describe above. It ensures that the people ultimately elected by the full GA have genuine support from their regional constituency, without creating a separate, parallel election outside the GA.

3. Constituency Pre-Selection Process

The General Assembly of IFOAM – Organics International instructs the World Board to establish, within six months of adoption of Motion WB-1, a Constituency Nomination Procedure as part of the Rules of Procedure for Elections, covering the following elements:

1. Recognised constituencies: Each constituency holding a reserved seat under § WB-1(b) shall submit to the World Board, at least three months before the General Assembly, a short-list of two to three candidates, together with a description of the democratic process used to select them.
2. Approval: The World Board shall review the process description and confirm its alignment with democratic principles. It shall not substitute its own judgment on the merits of individual candidates.
3. Transparency: Candidate profiles shall be published together with those of all other WB candidates at least sixty (60) days before the General Assembly.

Rationale 3

This motion operationalises the constituency seats created by Motion WB-1(b). It ensures that the internal processes of constituencies like INOFO are transparent and democratic, while respecting their autonomy. The two-to-three candidate requirement prevents constituencies from presenting a single uncontested nominee to the GA, preserving genuine GA choice.