The World Board has proposed the following text as the Preamble for the “World Board Consolidated Governance Model”. 

Please read the text below and provide your feedback. 

Remember 

Read the How to section to understand how to write your feedback. 

Note: Please keep in mind that while comments are welcome from all affiliates. Amendments to motions and seconding a motion amendment are only possible for voting members who have paid their membership fee in 2026. 

Preamble | World Board Consolidated Governance Model 

The World Board acknowledges and seeks to address the points of criticism and commentary on the current governance and culture, increasing diversity, accountability, transparency, and correcting for resource inequalities and hidden hierarchies.  

Member consultations and written feedback provided on the governance models have revealed that several challenges are as much related to organisational culture as organisational governance. For instance, those impacted by decisions are often not adequately heard, and the pathways to influence are unclear, and too little is done to protect against controlling majorities and privilege-based entitlements. 

While reform options presented attempt to address some of these issues via governance structure, the World Board also commits itself to developing an enabling and collaborative organisational culture, regardless of which governance motion is adopted.  We want governance and culture that creates and nourishes an organisation of the members, by the members and for the members, contributing to the greater good. The World Board is just one part of governance. To genuinely strengthen all in their work and solidarity requires more opportunities for participation, and entry points for influence and exchange of information, insights, and views beyond the World Board. 

IFOAM – Organics International’s World Board will initiate work to describe an organisational governance culture, consistent with the principles of health, ecology, fairness, and care. The future governance culture must create practices and culture consistent with inclusion, equity, transparency, and subsidiarity, where responsibilities are decentralised, and talent is mobilised worldwide.  This will require investments in capacity-building that address economic inequalities hindering fair access to influence and member engagement opportunities. And it will provide clarity on the importance of a close dialogue, co-creation, and agility between staff, self-organized structures, and members in developing and implementing our work. 

The WB and IFOAM – Organics International will take steps to foster a shift in organisational culture, to address issues already raised by members regarding transparency, accountability, equal access to decision-making, and organisational culture.  Among these steps will be: 

• Prioritise fundraising and capacity building in less consolidated regions within our academy and advocacy activities, to enhance their influence and impact 

• Strengthen the focus of the World Board and IFOAM – Organics International  on clear and timely dialogue with regional bodies, sector platforms, and members on core work areas, e.g., Advocacy, Academy, project initiatives. 

• Enhance transparency on World Board Candidates’ qualifications in advance of WB elections at the General Assembly. 

• Enhance accountability by clarifying that all World Board members are accountable to all members worldwide, and internal World Board performance assessment processes and Internal Auditor reports are utilised to monitor individual performance, including initiating formal processes where WB obligations are not met. 

• Evaluate the process of virtual participation and voting at the next General Assembly through the lens of fairness and feasibility as a step to increase equal access to decision-making and correct for unequal access to resources. 

Regarding the governance models presented, the work of the Governance Advisory Board appointed as a result of the 2024 General Assembly provided inspiration and concrete models for the World Board to consider and work with to develop the Motions presented to the Extraordinary General Assembly. Their work is greatly appreciated. 

The World Board recognises and echoes the aspirations of the members for reform and seeks governance innovation that strengthens our movement by improving how we develop and coordinate our work, builds on our collective strengths, and creates momentum for further development across the globe.

The World Board has assessed models for their contribution to: 

• Clarity and simplicity—Are they understandable, implementable? 

• Representation and fairness—Does it address unequal access and unequal resources? 

• Effectiveness and functionality—will it unite our movement in a cost/time efficient way? 

• Feasibility—Is it legal? Operational? 

• GA acceptability—Does the model resonate with our members and their feedback? 

• Participation—Does it create entry points for members and promote engagement?