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RULES OF CONGRESS(Approved by the Council on 13 July 2022 andeffective immediately)

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Specific Definitions
The words and phrases used in these Rules that are defined terms (denoted by initial capitalletters) shall have the meanings specified in the Constitution and the General Definitions, or(in respect of the following words and phrases) the following meanings:“Absolute Majority” has the meaning given to it in the Constitution namely: means aresolution passed by over 50% of the valid votes cast by those present and entitled to vote
(Article 86.1).
"Agenda" means the items of business for the Congress meeting as described in Rule3 ofthese Rules.
"Congress meeting" means a meeting of Congress including an Ordinary Congress meetingor a Special Congress meeting.
“Elections” in these Rules, means, the elections of the President, Vice-Presidents andIndividual Council Members.
“Electronic Voting” has the meaning given to it in the Constitution namely: means voting ona resolution by electronic communication (Article 86.1).
"Electronic Voting System" means the technology by which Electronic Voting is undertaken,
usually tabulating software (if at a meeting at which delegates are present in person or
virtually) and other appropriate software (if a resolution is being put to the Member Federations
pursuant to Rule 16 below).
“Highest Polling Candidate” means the candidate in an Election who receives the highest
number of valid votes cast in a round of voting, by those present and entitled to vote.
“Lowest Polling Candidate” means the candidate in an Election who receives the lowest
number of valid votes cast in a round of voting, by those present and entitled to vote.
“Open Voting” has the meaning given to it in Rule 7.2, and “Open Vote” has the same
meaning.
“Scrutineers” means the persons specified in Rule 9.
“Secret Ballot” has the meaning given to it in Rule 7.5.
“Special Majority” has the meaning given to it in the Constitution namely: means a resolution
passed by at least two-thirds (2/3rds) of the valid votes cast by those present and entitled tovote and voting (Article 86.1).
"Verifying Company" means the representative of the contracted independent electronic
voting system certification company or entity, appointed by the Chief Executive Officer or theirnominee, who shall be present at the Congress meeting.
“Virtual Congress” means a meeting of the Congress (whether Ordinary or Special) which
is held with delegates attending virtually rather than delegates being present in person or a
hybrid meeting where some delegates attend in person and some attend virtually.
"Voting Delegate" means the Delegate or, if more than one Delegate from a Member
Federation, then one Delegate who is present at a Congress meeting, who is designated byWorld Athletics Rules of Congress (Approved by Council 13 July 2022 effective immediately)1

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their Member Federation to vote on behalf of the Member Federation at that Congressmeeting. It shall also include any change to the Voting Delegate as specified in Rule 4.1.
1.

Overview

1.1

To the extent the Constitution does not provide for the procedure for Congressmeetings whether Special, or Ordinary (Election or non-election), these Rules ofCongress shall apply.

2.

Application of these Rules

2.1

These Rules apply to all Member Federations, Area Associations, World Athletics
Officials, Delegates and all other persons attending any Congress meeting.

3.

Agenda and Running Order

3.1

The Agenda for an Ordinary Congress meeting shall contain the items of businessspecified in Article 31.1.

3.2

The order in which items on the Agenda proceed at a Congress meeting shall bedecided by the President.

4.

Voting Delegates and Attendees

Voting Delegates
4.1

Each Member Federation shall designate one of its three (3) Delegates to be the Voting
Delegate for that Member Federation at a Congress meeting and shall notify World
Athletics of its Voting Delegates by the time specified by World Athletics, prior to thecommencement of the Congress meeting. Only the Voting Delegate is permitted tovote. If, due to illness or other extraordinary circumstance, the Voting Delegate cannot
be present during any part of the Congress meeting, a Member Federation may
designate one of its other Delegates (if it has one) to be the Voting Delegate for theremainder of the Congress meeting, provided that before the Delegate can vote as a
Voting Delegate:
4.1.1

the Chairperson must be notified in writing of such request and the reason
for it, and

4.1.2

the new Delegate must be verified as a Voting Delegate (in accordance with
Rule 9.3.1);

The Voting Delegate can only be changed once during a Congress meeting and cannot
be changed a second time back either to the original Voting Delegate or to any otherDelegate of the Member Federation once changed.
Observers and Attendees
4.2

Persons who are candidates for the position of President, Vice-President and Council
Member, and who are not otherwise entitled to attend an Election Congress in anothercapacity may attend Election Congress meetings as Observers. However, no
candidate may speak about himself as a candidate, or request or permit any otherperson to speak in support of or against a person who is a candidate, during an Election
Congress meeting.

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4.3

There shall be no persons other than those specified in the Constitution and theseRules permitted to attend a Congress meeting, including the media.

5.

Chairperson

5.1

The President is the Chairperson who has control of the Congress meeting and shall:
5.1.1

preserve the order of the meeting, which may include removing any personfrom the meeting who is in breach of these Rules or the Constitution;

5.1.2

ensure the Constitution and these Rules are adhered to, including the rulesof debate as set out in Rule 9 of these Rules;

5.1.3

decide on any points of order or any other procedural matters in accordancewith the Constitution and these Rules; and,

5.1.4

decide on any matter of procedure during a Congress meeting where theConstitution or these Rules make no provision or insufficient provision.

5.2

The decision of the Chairperson on procedural matters at a Congress meeting is final
and is not open to debate at the Congress meeting nor is it subject to any right ofappeal.

5.3

In an Election Congress, the Chairperson of the Congress meeting shall vacate thechair for the period of any election of a position for which they are seeking election.
For the period of such vacation, the Senior Vice-President shall assume the chair,unless they are also seeking election for the same position, in which case a VicePresident designated by the President who is not seeking election for the same
position shall assume the chair. If all the Vice-Presidents are seeking election for thesame position as the President, the longest serving Council Member shall assume thechair and if there are more than one, the longest serving Council Member designatedby the President shall assume the chair.

6.

Rules of Debate

6.1

The following rules of debate shall apply to all Congress meetings.

6.2

For the avoidance of doubt, Member Federations may only propose amendments to
the Constitution in accordance with Article 30.2(d) and amendments may not be
proposed by Member Federations at the Congress meeting itself. A Member
Federation is entitled to withdraw that Member Federation’s proposed amendment to
the Constitution at or before the Congress meeting which is due to consider it. Further
amendments to an amendment properly proposed in accordance with Article 30.2(d)shall only be permitted to be put before the Congress meeting in exceptional
circumstances if the Chairperson agrees pursuant to Rule 6.3.2(c) below.

6.3

Motions
6.3.1

Overview of Process
Except for Elections, for any decision to be made on any matter at a
Congress meeting the following process shall be followed:a.

a motion is moved (as described in Rule 6.3.2 of these Rules);World Athletics Rules of Congress (Approved by Council 13 July 2022 effective immediately)3

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6.3.2

6.3.3

6.3.4

b.

the motion is seconded (as described in Rule 6.3.3 of these Rules);c.

the motion is discussed (as described in Rule 6.3.4 of these Rules);d.

there is a right of reply to the discussion on the motion (as describedin Rule 6.3.5 of these Rules); and,e.

there is a vote on the motion (as described in Rule 6.3.6 of theseRules).

Moving a Motiona.

Except for Elections, for any decision to be made on a matter included
within the agenda for a Congress meeting, a Delegate of the Member
Federation or (for proposals of Council) a Council Member appointed
for that purpose, must move a motion proposing that decision.

b.

A Delegate or Council Member who wishes to move a motion shall doso by informing the Chairperson by show of hands or notifying him via
the technology provided.

c.

The Chairperson may reject a motion for a matter not included on theagenda for the Congress meeting, or for an amendment to a matter on
the agenda, being put if it:i.

has not been properly notified to the Chairperson in writing by
a Member Federation; orii.

is an amendment which is not minor in nature and whichchanges the substance or intent of a matter which has been
properly notified; oriii.

covers the same or substantially similar matters which either
have already been dealt with, or which will be dealt with later,in the Congress meeting; oriv.

is unclear or ambiguous.

Seconding the Motiona.

Once a motion is "moved", it must be "seconded" by a Delegate fromanother Member Federation before it can proceed.

b.

Seconding a motion shall be done by informing the Chairperson byshow of hands or notifying him via the technology provided.

c.

If the motion is not seconded, the motion lapses and cannot be
proposed again at the same Congress meeting.

Discussing the Motiona.

Once the motion has been moved and seconded, the Chairperson
shall first give the proposer and seconder of the motion an opportunity
to speak in favour of the motion before opening the matter up for
debate. The Chairperson shall determine the order of debate and may
terminate the debate if they consider the debate has run its course.

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6.3.5

6.3.6

Right of Replya.

Once the discussion on the motion is completed, the Chairperson shallgive the proposer of the motion the right to reply to the discussion.

b.

The right of reply must be strictly limited to the speaking on mattersraised by the previous speakers on the motion and may not introduce
any new matters.

c.

The mover of the motion may withdraw the motion at this time.

Vote
a.

6.4

Following the right of reply, the motion shall be voted on in accordancewith the Constitution and these Rules.

Motions which Propose Amendments to the Constitution
6.4.1

Where a Member Federation or Council has properly notified proposed
amendments to the Constitution in accordance with Article 30.2(d), theChairperson will ask a Delegate of the Member Federation or, for Council
proposals, the appointed Council Member (as applicable) to move theproposal as a motion.

6.4.2

Motions to amend Articles of the Constitution shall usually be dealt with inthe order in which the applicable Article appears in the Constitution.
However, the Chairperson may propose motions to amend Articles to be
dealt with together in blocks if, for example, the motions are about the same
subject matter, or they are technical, clerical or minor in nature.

6.4.3

If there is more than one amendment proposed to the same Article of theConstitution the Chairperson shall proceed with the motions as they
consider appropriate including (but not limited to):a.

proceeding with the motions to be proposed, seconded, discussed
and voted on in the order in which they were received by World
Athletics; or,b.

proceeding with the motions in such order as he considers appropriate
for purposes of allowing them to be moved, seconded and discussed
together, followed by a vote on each of the motions (or as they may
be amended), in such order as the Chairperson decides; or,c.

proceeding with them in any other order proposed by him andapproved by a majority of the Delegates,

provided that if a motion to amend an Article is voted on by the Delegates,
then no further motion dealing with the same subject can be voted on atthat Congress meeting.
6.5

Amending all other Motions
6.5.1

A motion can be amended by a Delegate (or as applicable a Council
Member appointed by Council to propose that motion) after the original
motion has been moved, seconded and discussed but before it is voted on.

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6.6

6.5.2

A motion to amend a motion shall be in writing and notified to the
Chairperson before the original motion is voted on, unless the Chairperson
allows otherwise.

6.5.3

The Chairperson may decline an amending motion for any of the reasons
set out in Rule 9.3.2(c).

6.5.4

An amending motion cannot itself be amended, and must be voted on,
before another amending motion can be moved. This does not prevent a
Delegate (or as applicable a Council Member) from notifying the
Chairperson of an intention to move a further amendment, once the firstamending motion is resolved.

6.5.5

An amending motion shall be moved, seconded, discussed and voted on, inthe same manner as the original motion. If the amending motion is
successful, the original motion is then amended accordingly, and the original
motion (as amended) will then be discussed and voted on.

Speaking to Motions
6.6.1

In order to allow a fair debate, no one should speak to the motion for morethan three (3) minutes.

6.6.2

In speaking to any motion, speakers are to limit their comments strictly tothe motion and shall not speak to irrelevant or unrelated matters, as decided
by the Chairperson.

6.6.3

The Chairperson may stop a speaker from speaking if they are disrespectful,or make statements which are offensive to any person or contain offensive
language. (See also Rule 11 where Chairperson may order a person toleave the meeting.)

6.6.4

Persons entitled to speak at a Congress meeting may speak in any
language of the following languages for which simultaneous translations will
be available:a.

Arabic;b.

Russian;c.

Spanish;d.

English; and/ ore.

French.

Simultaneous translations may be made from and into any other language
required, provided this is notified to World Athletics well in advance of themeeting, and the costs of this are met by, or on behalf of the Member
Federation requesting the additional language.
6.6.5

For avoidance of doubt, there is no right for a person who is a candidate forElection at a Congress meeting, to speak about themselves as a candidate,or for any other person to speak in support of or against a person who is a

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candidate, during a Congress meeting unless the Election Oversight Paneldecides otherwise.
7.

Voting

7.1

The only persons who may vote at a Congress meeting are the Voting Delegates. Each
Voting Delegate is entitled to vote on each motion and for Elections.

7.2

Open Voting
7.2.1

7.2.2

7.3

All decisions of Congress, shall be decided by Open Voting except for:a.

Elections, which shall be undertaken by Secret Ballot in accordancewith Article 36.1 of the Constitution;b.

Voting undertaken by show of hands, by voice or acclamation, if
permitted by the Constitution or these Rules of Congress (see Rule7.3); or,c.

Voting on any other motion where the Voting Delegates call for a
Secret Ballot, in accordance with Rule 7.4.

“Open Voting” means the vote is undertaken using the Electronic Voting
System and after the vote has closed on each motion the following will beavailable at the Congress meeting to all persons present at the Congressmeeting:a.

the names of the Member Federations which voted in favour, against
or abstained from voting on the motion; and,b.

the required majority, and the outcome of the vote, including total
number of votes in favour, against and abstentions;c.

if having taken a vote using the Electronic Voting System, there is amalfunction or problem with the Electronic Voting System (as advisedby the Verifying Company), the vote shall be undertaken manuallyusing voting papers (the results of which shall be made available at
the Congress meeting in the same manner as described in Rule7.2.2(a) and (b) or Rule 7.5 of these Rules, as applicable).

Voting by Show of Hands, Voice or Acclamation:
7.3.1

The Chairperson shall decide if a motion shall be voted on by a show of hands,
voice or acclamation unless:a.

prior to the vote, there is an objection made by at least ten (10) Voting
Delegates to request Open Voting using the Electronic Voting System;or,b.

having taken the vote, the voting outcome is uncertain or inconclusive,in which case, the Chairperson shall hold the vote on the motion asecond time by Open Vote using the Electronic Voting System.

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7.4

Voting by Secret Ballot: In addition to voting in Elections, a motion may be voted on
by Secret Ballot only if:
7.4.1

25% of the Voting Delegates present in the Congress meeting call for a voteto be held by Secret Ballot.

7.4.2

If the threshold in Rule 7.4.1 is met, the motion to vote by Secret Ballot isthen voted on by Open Voting; and,7.4.3

the motion to hold the vote by Secret Ballot is then carried by an Absolute
Majority, and if carried,the original motion is then voted on by Secret Ballot.
7.5“Secret Ballot” means voting will be undertaken in the same way as other motions
using the Electronic Voting Technology, however after each vote, the votes of the
Voting Delegates shall not be disclosed, and only the following will be available after
each vote (including rounds of a vote) at the Congress meeting:
7.5.1

The outcome of the vote;

7.5.2

In an Election, the total number of votes for each candidate in the Election
and the order of votes from the highest to the lowest for all candidates ineach vote (including any rounds of vote);

7.5.3

For any other motions voted by Secret Ballot, the total number of votes infavour, against and abstentions;

7.5.4

The number of any votes that were not valid votes.

7.6Open and Closing Votes: When using the Electronic Voting System, the Chairperson
shall announce when voting is open with respect to a motion or the Election of aposition, and when it is closed (which shall not usually be longer than three (3)minutes), including giving a warning before voting is closed.

7.7

Abstentions: A Voting Delegate may abstain from voting on any motion or in an
Election. Such an abstention does not count in favour or against the motion in
determining the requisite majority for the resolution to be passed.

8.

Elections

8.1

Election of President:
8.1.1

Each Voting Delegate shall vote for only one (1) candidate for President,
otherwise the vote will be invalid. An election for the position of President isrequired even if there is only one candidate.

8.1.2

If in any round, there is a tie in votes between two or more of the Highest
Polling Candidates, then a further round of voting shall be undertaken
between the tied candidates only, and the Highest Polling Candidate shalleither:a.

be declared elected (if the tied candidates were the only candidates
on the list of candidates) or,World Athletics Rules of Congress (Approved by Council 13 July 2022 effective immediately)

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b.

8.1.3

8.2

if there are three or more candidates on the list, remain on the list fora further round or rounds of voting between the remaining candidates
until there is a Highest Polling Candidate who shall be declared
elected.

If in any round, there are three or more candidates on the list and there isa tie in votes between two or more of the Lowest Polling Candidates, thena further round of voting shall be undertaken between the tied candidates
only, and the Lowest Polling Candidate shall be removed.

Election of Four Vice-Presidents:
Election Congress in 2023
8.2.1

At the 2023 Election Congress, the Member Federations through their Voting
Delegates shall cast a vote for only four (4) candidates for the position ofVice-President of whom:i. at least one (1) is of each sex; andii. each are from different Areas.

8.2.2

The votes for each candidate shall be counted and the candidates thenranked in order from the Highest Polling Candidate to the Lowest Polling
Candidate. If any candidates are tied, they shall have the same ranking.

8.2.3

The Highest Polling Candidate ranked pursuant to Rule 8.2.2 shall bedeclared elected. If there is a tie between the Highest Polling Candidates,
the provisions of Rule 8.2.12 below shall apply. The candidate(s) declared
elected, as well as all other candidates from the same Area as any
candidate declared elected shall be removed from the list of candidates forthe remaining positions on the ballot.

8.2.4

If only one (1) candidate was declared elected pursuant to Rule 8.2.3, thenext Highest Polling Candidate of the remaining candidates who is of adifferent sex to the candidate declared elected pursuant to Rule 8.2.3 shallbe declared elected. Any other candidates from the same Area as that
second candidate declared elected shall be removed from the list of
candidates for the remaining positions on the ballot.

8.2.5

If at least one (1) candidate of each sex was declared elected pursuant toRule 8.2.3 as a result of a tie, then the next Highest Polling Candidate
whether male or female shall be declared elected. If there is a tie between
the next Highest Polling Candidates, the provisions of Rule 8.2.12 below
shall apply. Any other candidates from the same Area as any candidate
declared elected shall be removed from the list of candidates for theremaining positions on the ballot.

8.2.6

This process shall continue until such time as there are four Vice-Presidents
each from a different Area and at least one of whom is female and one ofwhom is male.
Election Congress in 2027

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8.2.7

At the 2027 Election Congress and for all subsequent Election Congresses,
the Member Federations through their Voting Delegates shall cast a votefor four (4) candidates for the positions of Vice-President of whom:i. two are female and two are male; andii. each are from different Areas.

8.2.8

The votes for each candidate shall be counted and the candidates thenranked in order from the Highest Polling Candidate to the Lowest Polling
Candidate. If any candidates are tied, they shall have the same ranking.

8.2.9

The Highest Polling Candidate from the election held pursuant to Rule 8.2.8
shall be declared elected. If there is a tie between the Highest Polling
Candidates, the provisions of Rule 8.2.12 below shall apply. Any othercandidates from the same Area as any candidate declared elected shall be
removed from the list of candidates for the remaining positions on the ballot.

8.2.10The process set out in Rule 8.2.8 shall continue until such time as there are
two candidates of the same sex declared elected. At that point any othercandidates of that same sex shall be removed from the list of candidates forthe remaining positions on the ballot along with those from the same Areas
as any candidate declared elected.

8.2.11The process set out in Rule 8.2.8 shall continue until such time as there are
four Vice-Presidents each from a different Area and two of whom are female
and two of whom are male.

8.2.12In the event there is a tie in the votes for the Highest Polling Candidate inthis Rule 8.2, then a further round of voting shall be undertaken between
the tied candidates only, and the Highest Polling Candidate between themshall be declared elected and the rankings adjusted accordingly. The only
exception to the need for a further round of voting being if:a.

the tied candidates are all from different Areas; andb.

there are sufficient vacancies for all the tied candidates to be declared
elected; andc.

the requirement for:i. in the case of the 2023 Election Congress there to be at leastone (1) Vice-President of each sex elected; andii. in the case of the 2027 Election Congress, and thereafter, there to
be two (2) female Vice-Presidents and two (2) male VicePresidents elected;
has already been or will be met by all the tied candidates being
declared elected.

8.2.13For the purposes of these Rules “from the same Area” means the Area towhich the Member Federation that nominated the candidate (under Article
36.2) is assigned in accordance with the Constitution (Annexure to theConstitution).

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Individual Council Members
8.3

Election of Individual Council Members:
8.3.1

Following the election of the President and the Vice-Presidents, theIndividual Council Member Number of Each Sex (as described in Article
36.6(c)) shall be calculated and declared to Congress by the President.

8.3.2

Any candidates for the positions of Individual Council Member who weresuccessfully elected to the positions of President or Vice-Presidents, shallbe removed from the list of candidates for Individual Council Members.

8.3.3

Any candidates for the positions of Individual Council Members who arefrom the same Member Federation Country or Territory as the President,
any Vice-Presidents, or any Area Presidents shall be removed from the listof candidates for Individual Council Members.

8.3.4

Voting Delegates shall cast one vote for thirteen (13) candidates only, fromthe list of Individual Council Members. This vote must include at least theminimum number of candidates of each sex to meet the declared IndividualCouncil Member Number of Each Sex. Any vote which does not comply
with this Rule will be invalid.

8.3.5

The thirteen (13) Highest Polling Candidates for the Individual Council
Number of Each Sex will be declared elected. The thirteen (13) Highest
Polling Candidates shall be determined as follows:a.

After the vote, all the candidates (male and female) shall be ranked inorder of the number of votes they each received.

b.

The female Highest Polling Candidates, in order of ranking, of such
number as are required to meet the Individual Council Member Sex
Number for females, shall be declared elected.

c.

The male Highest Polling Candidates, in order of ranking, of such
number as are required to meet the Individual Council Member Sex
Number for males, shall be declared elected.

d.

The remaining number of the 13 Individual Council Member positions,shall be filled by the Highest Polling Candidates on the ranking list
(whether male or female), excluding those elected in (b) and (c) above.

8.3.6

If there is a tie in votes between two or more candidates for the thirteenth
position as an Individual Council Member, there shall be a further round of
voting between those tied candidates only, and the Highest Polling
Candidate between them shall be declared elected.

8.3.7

If there are insufficient candidates to fill the Individual Council Number ofEach Sex, the position/s for that sex shall be left vacant until the next
Ordinary Congress meeting.

9.

Scrutineers

9.1

There shall be six (6) Scrutineers (one from each Area) who shall not be World Athletics
Officials, candidates in any election or appointment occurring at the Congress meeting,

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persons employed or contracted to World Athletics (other than as independent
professional advisors), or Voting Delegates of Member Federation present at theCongress meeting. For the avoidance of doubt, observers, attendees and Delegates
who are not Voting Delegates and who are not otherwise excluded by this Rule andattending the Congress meeting, may be nominated to be Scrutineers.
9.2

The Voting Delegates shall approve the Scrutineers (including a Chief Scrutineer) upon
the recommendation of the Election Oversight Panel. The Chief Executive Officer shallcall for nominations for Scrutineers from the Member Federations at the same time as
the Agenda is sent to the Member Federations and Area Associations under Article
31.1 of the Constitution. The nominations received shall be referred to the Election
Oversight Panel for assessment and recommendation of the Scrutineers to the Voting
Delegates.

9.3

The Scrutineers are responsible for:9.3.1

allocating the voting equipment for the Electronic Voting System to each
Voting Delegate including verifying them as the Voting Delegate;

9.3.2

overseeing the voting where Electronic Voting System is used to ensure all
Voting Delegates have voted, and confirming that it is functioning
adequately;

9.3.3

if voting is undertaken by show of hands, confirming the identity of theperson voting to ensure they are the Voting Delegates, and counting thevotes;

9.3.4

if voting is taken using manual voting papers, distributing the voting papers,
overseeing the voting, collecting the voting papers and counting the votes;

9.3.5

if voting is undertaken by acclamation or voices, deciding the outcome ofthe vote. If the Chief Scrutineer considers the outcome is inconclusive or
unclear, he will order a revote either by show of hands or voting using theElectronic Voting System; and9.3.6

confirming the outcome of each vote and, the Chief Scrutineer informing
the Chairperson.

9.4

If voting is undertaken using manual voting papers, each voting paper shall have thename of the Member Federation recorded on it, unless it is a Secret Ballot. If it is anOpen Vote, after the voting papers have been collected, the votes will then be manuallyentered into the Electronic Voting System to display the results of the vote at Congressin accordance with Rule 7.2.2 or 7.5 of these Rules, as applicable.

9.5

In addition to the Scrutineers, the Chief Executive Officer may request an independent
third party with a professional qualification to be present at Congress meetings towitness and verify the voting procedure and outcomes of the votes.

10.

Media

10.1

Congress meetings shall not be open to the public or any representatives of the media.
However, in the interests of transparency, live proceedings of the Congress meeting(or parts of it) may be viewed by the public (including representatives of the media) inan adjacent room to the Congress meeting or online, if the facilities and costs
reasonably permit such proceedings, as decided by the Chief Executive Officer.

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11.

Call to Order and Disorder

11.1

If the Congress meeting is called to order by the Chairperson, all persons are to resume
their seats and /or stop speaking as the case may be. Should any person refuse toobey the Chairperson they may be directed by the Chairperson to leave the meeting.
If such direction is made, the person shall leave the meeting and will not be permitted
to return during the meeting, or any period of that meeting that the Chairperson may
determine.

11.2

The Chairperson may, at any time, require any person to leave the Congress meeting
if they are disorderly, disrespectful, is breaching any of these Rules, is making
statements which are offensive to any person or contain offensive language, or isotherwise acting in a manner which is disruptive or inappropriate.

11.3

If a person is directed to leave the meeting and he is a Voting Delegate, the Member
Federation which the Delegate represents, shall lose the right to vote at that meeting,even if it has another Delegate present at the meeting.

12.

Virtual Congress

12.1

The Council may decide in exceptional circumstances that an Ordinary or a Special
Congress is held virtually rather than delegates attending in person or that it is heldwith some delegates attending in person and some delegates attending virtually.

12.2

For a Virtual Congress, the provisions of these Rules, and in particular Rules 6 and 7,
may be varied by the Council and new processes shall be implemented and notified toMember Federations to reflect the practicalities of holding a Virtual Congress.

12.3

At a Virtual Congress, there shall be no requirement to appoint six (6) Scrutineers fromeach Area pursuant to Rule 9 above. The verification of the voting procedure and theoutcome of the votes shall be conducted by the independent third party with aprofessional qualification appointed by the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 9.5
above.

13.

Written Resolutions passed by Member Federations

13.1

Pursuant to Article 26.4, Congress may make urgent decisions by written resolution on
extraordinary matters (as decided by the Council) by Electronic Voting.

13.2

When exercising its power pursuant to Rule 13.1 above, Council shall determine:
13.2.1

whether a Special Majority or an Absolute Majority is required to pass any
resolution proposed pursuant to Rule 13.1 above; and13.2.2the time period within which Member Federations are required to respondto the resolution being proposed.

13.3

At least one third of the Member Federations must respond to the resolution to achieve
a quorum.

13.4

There shall be no requirement to appoint six (6) Scrutineers from each Area pursuant
to Rule 9 above when a written resolution is put to the Member Federations. The
verification of the voting procedure and determination as to whether the resolution ispassed or not, shall be conducted by the independent third party with a professional
qualification appointed by the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 9.5 above.

World Athletics Rules of Congress (Approved by Council 13 July 2022 effective immediately)

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Book A – A2

14.

Proceedings not Invalidated

14.1

Any irregularity, error, omission in notices, agendas and relevant papers for a
Congress meeting and any other error in the organisation of the Congress meeting,shall not invalidate the meeting nor prevent Congress from considering the businessof the meeting, provided that:
14.1.1

the Chairperson of the meeting in his discretion decides that it is still
appropriate for the meeting to proceed despite the irregularity, error oromission; and14.1.2a resolution to proceed is put to the Congress meeting to proceed and is
carried by Special Majority.

15.

Minutes15.1

An audio-recording shall be made of each Congress meeting and retained by World
Athletics.

15.2

Minutes of each Congress meeting (in English and French) shall be sent to all Member
Federations, within six (6) months of the date of the Congress meeting.

15.3

The minutes shall be held at the headquarters of World Athletics.

World Athletics Rules of Congress (Approved by Council 13 July 2022 effective immediately)14