FAQ

The General Assembly is the highest decision-making body of IPPF. It is a Governance meeting where the Federation discusses and votes on high level decisions regarding the direction and future of IPPF.

The items to be voted on at the General Assembly are:

• Vote to formally approve the IPPF Strategy 2023-2028, to define IPPF’s strategic direction for the next 6-years. To review the Strategy process and the current draft of the Strategy, please visit this website.
• Vote to appoint new members for the vacant seats within the Nominations and Governance Committee (NGC). The NGC will lead the recruitment of new NGC members with the support of the Secretariat. The proposed new members will be approved by the General Assembly.
• Vote to adopt and amend specific Regulations and Bylaws of the Federation. The adoptions and amendments to specific Regulations and Bylaws of the Federation will be proposed by the IPPF Board of Trustees at its meeting in June 2022. The proposed amendments will be sent to all attendees 4 weeks prior to the General Assembly.

A summary report of decisions made will be shared with all delegates after the GA. The IPPF Board of Trustees will then develop the next steps to implement decisions made at the GA. Each delegate will also receive final copies of the documents, such as IPPF Strategy 2023-2028 and the amended IPPF Regulations and Byelaws, approved at the GA.

The Global Youth Forum is an opportunity to ensure a strong contribution from the youth board members (under 25 years old at the time of appointment) in the General Assembly (GA), inform the implementation of the next strategy and the content of the IPPF charter that will be developed.

The next strategic framework (2023 -2028) provides a perfect platform for deepening the youth and adolescent engagement. It’s the right time to demonstrate how IPPF can scale up its youth-centered approach to ensure the greater participation of young people from all diversities.

The objective of the Global Youth Forum is to ensure meaningful participation of young people at the GA to ensure that IPPF’s strategic directions reflect young people’s voices and aspirations. The recommendations from this dialogue will also inform the implementation of the next strategy and the IPPF Charter.

Every General Assembly delegate, observer and other participants must sign the IPPF Code of Conduct and are obliged to support IPPF’s commitment to a human rights framework which prohibits any discrimination, exclusion or restriction on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, race, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability health or any other analogous status.

Download the IPPF Event code of conduct.

English, French, Spanish, Arabic.

IPPF takes the safety and security of the General Assembly attendees seriously. Safety precautions are taken based on the risk assessment defined by the Americas and the Caribbean Regional Office (ACRO), Profamilia and the IPPF Senior Safety and Security Advisor. Detailed guidance on precautions taken by the organisation and how to stay safe in Bogotá, Colombia will be shared ahead of the meeting.

General Assembly website: We will post updates and all essential information on the website.
You can also get in touch via email at GeneralAssembly2022@ippf.org

Member Association Representatives

Associate Members Representatives

IPPF Collaborative Partners 

IPPF Board of Trustees*

IPPF Nominations and Governance Committee*

IPPF Director’s Leadership Team: The DLT includes the Director General, Director of External Relations, Director of Programs, Director of Finance & Technology, Director of People, Organization & Culture, and all Regional Directors.

IPPF Staff

*Members of the IPPF Board of Trustees or IPPF Nominations and Governance Committee, must attend the General Assembly in that capacity, they cannot represent their MA at the same time. The MA will need to appoint someone else to represent the MA at the General Assembly.

The General Assembly is a governance meeting, driven by the IPPF Board of Trustees. The IPPF Board of Trustees is the decision-making body which defines the desired outcomes and content of the General Assembly.

The Board of Trustees is supported operationally by the host MA, Profamilia Colombia, and the IPPF Secretariat. Profamilia Colombia and the IPPF Secretariat DO NOT have the power to make decisions on the outcomes, content, and deliverables of the General Assembly. Profamilia Colombia and the IPPF Secretariat provide logistical support for the smooth running of the General Assembly, as decided by the IPPF Board of Trustees. 

The host Member Association, Profamilia Colombia, just celebrated a monumental win to make abortion legal. This is the time to invite MA’s and Trustees from across the Federation for this global meeting to the same region that sparked the green wave. The host MA works closely with the IPPF Secretariat for the logistical running of the meeting. The host MA has several opportunities to showcase their work. However, it cannot make decisions on the content of the General Assembly, which is defined by the IPPF Board of Trustees.

The priority of the General Assembly is to hear the views of Member Association delegates. Expert Facilitators will guide delegates through the process, ensuring there will be a fair balance in the allocation of time to speak for delegates of Member Associations at the General Assembly. Delegates are encouraged to make their interventions concise and focused. The Facilitators are tasked with managing the fair balance in speaking time, and this includes ensuring that youth voices are given due participation.

IPPF has engaged facilitators with expertise in democratic processes. The Assembly will be facilitated by an expert team of global leaders and influencers. 

We have convened a taskforce to deliver the General Assembly. The group is led by Mina Barling, Director of External Relations, and includes support from Isabella Lewis and Nisha Gohil. Technical support will be provided by Achille Togbeto on Governance and Voting, Eugenia Uribe Lopez and Anita Nyanjong on Youth Engagement, Casper Erichsen on IPPF Strategy 2023-2028 Launch, and Dona Da Costa Martinez on IPPF’s Statement on Anti-Racism.

The GA is quorate with the physical presence of at least 50% + 1 of the Full Member Associations. Proxies do not count towards determining quorum.

IPPF Regulations, Procedural Bylaws and relevant policies provide for a simple majority requirement for decisions to be considered as passed unless another specific majority is required such as in the case of amendments to IPPF Regulations where 2/3 majority is required.

Only Full Member Associations have voting rights during the General Assembly proceedings. Associate Members do not have a vote. Neither the Board of Trustees, nor the Nominations and Governance Committee members have a voting right.

Each Full Member Association will have one vote.

It is anticipated that decisions at this meeting will be reached through consensus. Hence, the facilitators and various speakers will work towards this main objective. However, voting will be required if a consensus cannot be reached.

Where a vote is held on a recommendation, the required majority is a simple majority of the Full Member Associations present in person and by proxy.   

IPPF Honorary Legal Counsel will declare the total votes received by each recommendation/principle and the subsequent winning recommendation/principle. 

During the GA, delegates from the Full Members Associations are expected to approve a couple of resolutions/recommendations. The facilitators and various speakers will work towards this main objective. If consensus cannot be reached anywhere, voting is required. 

IPPF Procedural Byelaws provide for the GA to make its decisions by a show of hands or by any suitable means approved by the Trustees or by the Chair of the meeting (Clause 5.3.1). 

For the 2022 General Assembly, voting will be conducted by a show of hands as decided by the Board of Trustees in compliance with the above-mentioned procedural provision.

The representatives of a Full Member Association that are not present in person at the meeting will exercise their voting rights at the General Assembly by proxy. IPPF Regulation 2 (4) (i), ( j) & (k) provide for a Full Member Association to give a proxy to another Full Member Association if they are to be absent physically from the meeting or to be represented at the meeting by only their Executive Director (noting that EDs, like all staff, are not entitled to vote). 

Member Association Board delegates will determine the person among them that will vote on behalf of their Member Association and for a proxy vote if received. The Executive Director/CEO does not vote.

The following are the steps for voting:

• Voting cards will be distributed to each Full Member Association at the beginning of the meeting. One of the two authorised delegates (Youth Representative or Board Chair or Board Representative) can vote using that card.
• The proxy holder will also receive an additional voting card on behalf of the MA that provide such proxy.
• The authorised member within each Full member Association delegation will submit their vote by raising the voting card for preferences for the voting items that will be put before them.
• Votes will be counted under the stewardship of the IPPF Honorary Legal Counsel and the results will be announced by her.

The General Assembly will be legally constituted if at least 50% + 1 of the Full Member Associations are represented, the vote will be conducted digitally to include both attendees participating in person and those participating remotely.

On recommendations that require further debate and dialogue, these discussions can take place in smaller consensus groups that report to the plenary. The goal of the consensus group is to review and revise discrete recommendations, with a view to having them passed by Member Association delegates in plenary.

Member Association delegates will self-nominate to participate in the consensus groups. 

The consensus groups will be chaired by a member of the relevant Commissions. A rapporteur will be identified.  

Each Full Member Association will have one vote. The Member Association Board delegates will determine who will vote on behalf of the Member Association. The Executive Director/CEO does not vote. This vote can be exercised in person or by proxy by all Full Member Associations that are registered for the General Assembly. 

Where consensus cannot be reached, the Facilitators will declare a vote.

Where there are visa restrictions, COVID-19 restrictions or other compelling circumstances that prevent Member Association delegates from attending the General Assembly, the Full Member Association will be supported to participate online and will have voting rights that will be exercised through remote digital vote or by proxy vote.

These are ballot papers that ticked more than one recommendation/principle against the instruction of one single choice or ballot papers without any recommendation or principle chosen.

Where a vote is held on a recommendation, the required majority is a simple majority of the Full Member Associations present in person and by proxy.   

IPPF Honorary Legal Counsel will declare the total number of votes received by each recommendation/principle and the subsequent winning recommendation/principle.  

Yes. To travel to Colombia and to attend the General Assembly, you must have received vaccinations against COVID-19. If you require support to access a COVID-19 vaccination, please contact your regional office and GeneralAssembly2022@ippf.org

Yes. For individual delegates who have been denied Visas or have compelling reasons for not joining, there will be remote participation. All delegates who want to participate, either in-person or virtually, need to complete the confirmation of attendance form online.

Yes, except for Donors and Collaborative Partner representatives. Each Member Association is responsible to book and pay for the travel of each of its delegates, the MA will then be reimbursed by IPPF.

Flights purchased must be in line with the IPPF Travel Policy in order to qualify for a reimbursement.

IPPF General Assembly Air Travel Policy (EN)

Política de viajes en avión de la Asamblea General de la IPPF (ES)

Politique de voyage par avion de l’Assemblée générale de l’IPPF (FR)

(AR) سياسة السفر الجوي للجمعية العامة للاتحاد الدولي لتنظيم الاسرة

The arrival and departure days will be as follows:

• Global Youth Forum Delegates: Arrival in Bogotá no later than 08:00, 21 November 2022. Departure no sooner than 17:00, 24 November 2022.
• General Assembly Delegates: Arrival in Bogotá no later than 08:00, 22 November 2019. Departure no sooner than 17:00, 24 November 2022.

You must provide the onsite finance team with receipts and expenses claim sheet.

IPPF will reimburse the cost of ‘go and return’, if you add an onward journey to your trip, IPPF will reimburse the MA for only the cost of ‘go and return’ between your start city and Bogotá, Colombia. At the time of booking, please also receive and save a quote for only the ‘go and return’ between your start and Colombia, IPPF will then reimburse only this quote amount.

Yes, except for Donors and Collaborative Partner representatives. Accommodation will be paid for and arranged by IPPF for the core days of the meeting 20-26^th November. Should you wish to arrive early or extend your stay, accommodation must be paid for by the individual and will not be covered by IPPF.

Yes, except for Donors and Collaborative Partner representatives. If you require a Visa to visit Colombia, IPPF will reimburse the MA for the cost of your short-term tourist Visa. The MA should manage the purchase of your Visa and IPPF will reimburse the MA. You must provide the onsite finance team with receipts and expense claim sheet. IPPF will not cover Visas for long-term visits, study, or work Visas.

Yes, except for Donors and Collaborative Partner representatives. You will be covered by IPPF’s centralised travel insurance. Download and print the Insurance Medical Assistance Card, this includes the Medical Helpline phone number and the IPPF Policy Number.

Yes, except for Donors and Collaborative Partner representatives. The MA should arrange any COVID-19 testing required and IPPF will reimburse the MA. You must provide the onsite finance team with receipts and expense claim sheet.

Yes, except for Donors and Collaborative Partner representatives. Each MA should provide its delegates with a per diem of US$50 per day of travel, excluding any meals included in the event programme. You must provide the onsite finance team with an expense claim sheet. Per diems may not be used for the purchase of tobacco products, alcohol, recreational drugs, or entertainment products/services. Medication can be purchased with per diems with a pharmacy receipt.