National Gymnastics federations meet up in Antalya for the FIG Congress

The 83rd FIG Congress will bring together an unprecedented number of national Gymnastics federations from 5 to 7 November 2021 in Antalya, Turkey. Despite the ongoing challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 340 delegates representing 130 member federations will converge on the Turkish coastal city’s Gloria Golf Resort this week for this significant moment in the democratic life of the international federation.

The 83rd Congress was initially planned for late October 2020, but given the numerous travel restrictions and difficulties, the decision was made to postpone it until 2021, in the hope that conditions would allow the organisation of an event with attendees present, rather than an online event.

That decision paid off: never before have so many national federations registered to participate in an FIG Congress.

FIG ELECTIONS

On 6 November, the General Assembly will vote to renew the FIG’s decision-making bodies. The federations will be called upon to choose the President, three Vice-Presidents, seven Executive Committee members and 21 Council members (with quotas for continental representation).

They will also elect the President and the six members of the Gymnastics for All Committee and the President and the six members of the Technical Committees of each discipline, as well as two Auditors.

• List of candidates

All elected officials will take office on 1 January 2022. The Congress shall vote on the proposal to reduce their term to three years from the normal four years – an exceptional measure resulting from the one-year postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games and its knock-on effects on the sport.

BETTER GENDER REPRESENTATION

At the previous Congress, in 2018, the FIG enshrined in its Statutes gender quotas for several positions. This mechanism will be implemented for the first time at these elections. It will lead to a minimum of 30% representation per gender for Vice-Presidents, Executive Committee members and Council members, as well as the members of the Gymnastics for All Committee and the Technical Committees of Trampoline, Acrobatic and Aerobic Gymnastics.

NEW MEMBERS

The Gymnastics family is set to welcome new members this week: seven federations – Democratic Republic of the Congo (COD), Guam (GUM), Haiti (HAI), Lesotho (LES), Rwanda (RWA), Sierra Leone (SLE) and Togo (TGO) – should be granted affiliation to FIG official status. Another – Antigua and Barbuda (ANT) – joins the FIG as an associated member. If the Congress ratifies these affiliations, the FIG will grow to 156 member federations.

FINANCIAL MATTERS

One of the main responsibilities of the Congress is to vote on the quadrennial plan for 2021–2024. This plan sets the projected annual budget, allowing the FIG to operate and achieve its missions daily – in particular to run World Championships and other major competitions, support development programmes and address the needs of the Gymnastics community.

ETHICS, GOOD GOVERNANCE AND SAFEGUARDING

The establishment of the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation (GEF) was one of the key decisions made at the last FIG Congress in 2018. Almost three years into the GEF’s operation, its President, Ms Micheline Calmy-Rey, will present a report on how this independent body endorses its primary missions, ensuring that violations of FIG rules, policies and procedures are handled in an unbiased way.

Safeguarding is an important part of the GEF’s mission. National federations will be given an overview of the different independent investigations that have been carried out in several countries following allegations of abuse. They will also be able to learn more about the new policies and awareness activities put in place by the FIG to promote and ensure a respectful culture in Gymnastics.

While the FIG has made great strides in recent years to achieve the highest standards of good governance, the Congress will be an opportunity to outline what can and must be done at all levels to strengthen the credibility and integrity of the sport.

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