Book B - B3.1

GOVERNANCE RULES(Approved by Council on 05 November 2023 effective immediately)

Book B - B3.1

Book B - B3.1

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:“Annual Council Report” has the same meaning as defined in the Constitution.
“Applicable Person” has the meaning given to it in the Integrity Code of Conduct.
“Article(s)” references to Article(s) are to Articles(s) in the Constitution.
“Athletes’ Commission” means the Commission described in Rule 5.5.4.
“Audit and Finance Committee” means the committee of the Executive Board described assuch or any one or more committees of the Executive Board which is responsible for advising
the Executive Board on audit and finances of World Athletics.
“Chief Executive Officer” has the same meaning as defined in the Constitution.
“Commission” means a group of people appointed by Council, whether on an ad hoc or
standing basis, to provide expertise and advice to Council, and which are established andfunction in accordance with the Rules and includes the Athletes' Commission.
“Competition Commission” means the Commission described in Rule 5.5.1.
“Compliance and Risk Officer” means the person appointed by World Athletics from time totime (or their equivalent) to oversee the implementation of the rules relating to ethicalcompliance, including developing and maintaining policies and procedures thereunder, andproviding training, guidance and ad hoc advice and any person deputising for that individual.
"Constitution" has the same meaning as defined in the Constitution.
“Development Commission” means the Commission described in Rule 5.5.2.
"Directors" means Staff who are in senior management positions at World Athletics.
“Election Congress” has the same meaning as defined in the Constitution.
“EB Appointments Panel” has the same meaning as defined in the Constitution.
“Existing Official” means any person who is in office as an Official.
“Financial Audit” means the audit of the Financial Statements of World Athletics under Article
79.2.
“Financial Year” means the financial year of World Athletics which is from 1 January to 31
December.
“Governance Audit” means the audit required under Article 79.3.
“Governance Commission” means the Commission described in Rule 5.5.3.

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"Independent Body" means any of the following bodies of World Athletics, unless statedotherwise in these Rules:(a)the Vetting Panel, including the Screening Panel;(b)

the Nominations Panel;(c)the Election Oversight Panel;(d)the Integrity Unit (including the Integrity Unit Board);(e)

the Integrity Unit Board Appointments Panel;(f)the EB Appointments Panel;(g)

the Disciplinary Tribunal, including its secretariat.

“Integrity Audit” means the audit required under Article 79.3.
“Integrity Unit Board” has the same meaning as defined in the Constitution.
“Integrity Unit Board Appointments Panel” has the same meaning as defined in theConstitution.
“International Officials” means World Athletics officials at World Rankings Competitions
referred to in Rule 3 of the Competition Rules.
“International Standards of Auditing” means the professional standards for the
performance of financial audit of financial information issued by International Federation of
Accountants through the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board.
"Nominations Panel" means the panel described in Rule 6 of these Rules.
“President” has the same meaning as defined in the Constitution.
"Public Statements" means statements or comments made which are intended to become
available to the public, or a section of the public, whether made in writing, orally or bytechnological means including in social media.
“Remuneration Committee” means the committee of the Executive Board which is
responsible for advising the Executive Board on remuneration matters as delegated by the
Executive Board.
“Risk Committee” means the committee of the Executive Board which is responsible foradvising the Executive Board on risks faced by World Athletics.
“Rule” means a rule in these Governance Rules and "these Rules" has the same meaning,
unless expressly stated otherwise.
“Rules and Regulations” mean the rules and regulations of World Athletics, unless expressly
stated otherwise.
"Screening Panel" means the panel described in Article 67.5.
"Senior Vice-President” has the same meaning as defined in the Constitution.

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“Standard Operating Procedures” means written procedures of Council which it may adopt
from time to time including for example, scheduling of Council meetings, the process forestablishing the agenda, the form of meeting papers, and the minutes of Council.
“Strategic Plan” means the strategy and plan for the direction of World Athletics over a
specified period of time as decided by Council.
“Technical Rules” means the Rules which describe the technical rules of competition in
Athletics as specified in the Competition Rules.
"Vetting Panel" has the same meaning as defined in the Constitution.
“Vice-President” has the same meaning as defined in the Constitution.
“Website” means the website of World Athletics (i.e. www.worldathletics.org or such otherwebsite as decided by World Athletics).
“Working Groups” means groups appointed by Council to undertake a specific task or project
which are not Commissions.
“World Plan for Athletics” means the direction and plan for the development of the sport ofAthletics throughout the world.

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1.

Purpose of these Rules

1.1

The purpose of these Rules is to expand on matters relating to the governance ofWorld Athletics, to the extent those matters are not already stated in the Constitution

2.

Application of these Rules

2.1

These Rules apply to all Officials including Staff and all members of any Commissionor Working Group or other persons referred to in these Rules or who are delegatedauthority under these Rules.

3.

CouncilInduction and Agreement
3.1

Article 41 sets out provisions relating to the membership of the Council. As soon asreasonably practical after each Election Congress, the Chief Executive Officer shallarrange for any new Council Member to undergo an induction as a Council Member.
This process will include familiarising each Council Member with their role, duties andresponsibilities, the Rules and Regulations, the World Plan, the Strategic Plan andbudget, and the current issues before Council.

3.2

Following the induction, all Council Members will be required to sign a letter of
appointment with World Athletics recording their agreement to actively undertake theirduties, to act in the best interests of World Athletics and to comply with all Rules andRegulations, together with such other administrative details as are relevant ornecessary.

Scope of Work
3.3

Council shall decide the process by which it will carry out its responsibilities. The
specific procedures set out in Rule 3.3.1 to 3.3.7 shall apply to certain responsibilities
of Council listed below:
World Plan for Athletics
a. The World Plan for Athletics (Article 85) sets out the vision and goals for the
sport globally and the steps that entities with responsibility for Athletics will
undertake to achieve the goals, including but not limited to the Area
Associations and Member Federations.
b. The World Plan for Athletics will cover a period decided by Council but willusually be either eight (8) or twelve (12) years pursuant to Article 47.2(b). It
must be presented for approval at the Ordinary Congress held in the year
following every second Election Congress.
c. Council shall consult with the Member Federations and Area Associations in
the development of the World Plan for Athletics.
Strategic Plan
a. The Strategic Plan will usually cover a period of four (4) years between eachElection Congress.

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b. The Executive Board will develop a proposed Strategic Plan in accordancewith the process set out in Rule 4.7.1 of these Rules and submit it to Council
for approval prior to its commencement pursuant to Article 47.2(c).
c. The Executive Board, through the Chief Executive Officer, is responsiblefor implementing the Strategic Plan.
Rule-Making Processa. Subject to the Constitution, Council shall decide on the matters to beincorporated into Rules or Regulations (Article 47.2(d)).
b. If time allows, Council should be asked to approve new principles or
proposals which materially change an existing Rule or Regulation before
the Rules and Regulations themselves are presented to Council for
approval.
c. Proposed principles and policies (including proposed Rules andRegulations or amendments to them) may be submitted to Council by:
any Council Member,
the Executive Board,
the Chief Executive Officer,
the Compliance and Risk Officer,
any Commission or Working Group,
the Integrity Unit Board, or
any other Independent Body,
provided that in each case such principles and policies are matterswithin the roles and responsibilities of the persons or bodies listed.
In addition, any Member Federation or Area Association may propose
principles and policy positions for Council to consider (including any
proposed Rules, Regulations or amendments to them) by submitting the
proposal in writing, to any one or more of the persons or bodies listed in(i) to (vii) of this Rule. Following such submission, the persons or bodies
concerned shall then decide whether to recommend the proposed
principle or policy position to Council for consideration.
d. The applicable Commission(s), Working Group(s), Executive Board, orIntegrity Unit Board, to which the subject matter of the specific Rule or
Regulation relates, should if practicable review the Rule or Regulation. Anyviews and recommendations on the Rule or Regulation shall be reported
to Council.
e. Finally, the Governance Commission should review all Rules andRegulations before they are submitted to Council for final approval. Theirviews and recommendations on the Rules and Regulations should bereported to Council.

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f.

The process described in Rule 3.3.3(a) to (e) of these Rules shall not apply
to the Technical Rules. Any Technical Rules (including amendments or
repeal of them), shall be proposed to Council by the Competition
Commission. Before approving any Technical Rules, Council may request
further advice or input from any other persons or bodies. Technical Rules
must be approved by Council.

g. The process for proposing, reviewing and approving Rules andRegulations shall be undertaken efficiently and in a timely manner by
Council and the other bodies involved in the Rule-making processdescribed in this Rule including utilizing technology.
h. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Rule prevents Council fromapproving Standard Operating Procedures, policies or guidelines, on
matters within Council’s roles and responsibilities, which are not required
under the Constitution or any other Rule to be contained in Rules orRegulations.
Budgeta. Council shall not make decisions which will require expenditure of World
Athletics outside of the approved budget unless with the prior approval of
the Executive Board in accordance with Rule 4.7.2.
Election of the Senior Vice-President
a. The Senior Vice-President shall be elected by Council from amongst thefour (4) Vice-Presidents or, if any one or more Vice-Presidents does notwish to be considered for the Senior Vice-President position, fromamongst those Vice-Presidents who do (Article 55.5).
b. The President may indicate their preference for the Senior Vice-President
to Council prior to the election.
c. Subject to Rule 3.3.5(e), each Council Member including each VicePresidents is entitled to cast a vote for the Senior Vice-President position.
Voting shall be undertaken by secret ballot.
d. The highest polling Vice-President in the Council vote shall be the Senior
Vice-President.
e. In the event there is only one Vice-President wishing to be considered forelection as the Senior-Vice President, they shall be declared elected byCouncil without the need for an election.
Appointment of Council Members to Bodies
a. The process for appointing a Council Member to each of the Integrity Unit
Board, the Integrity Unit Board Appointments Panel or the EB
Appointments Panel shall be as follows:(i)

The President shall request any Council Members who wish to
be considered for any such body to submit their application inwriting to the Nominations Panel by a specified date;

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(ii)

Applications shall set out the skills, expertise and experience theCouncil Member considers they have for the position on therelevant body;(iii)

The Nominations Panel shall review the applications and makea recommendation to Council to appoint the Council Member it
considers is best suited, taking into account the following factors:A.

the skills, expertise and experience of the Council Memberin the nature of the work or subject matter undertaken by
the relevant body;B.

the availability of the Council Member to undertake the
role;

C.

the skills, experience and expertise of the other membersof the relevant body and the preference for the Council
Member to complement them;D.

the requirement for both sexes to be members on therelevant body; and,E.

the desire for geographical spread of members on therelevant body, but this shall not exclude a Council Member
from the same country as the other members of therelevant body.

(iv)

The President may indicate their preference for the Council
Member to be appointed prior to Council’s decision.

(v)

The Convenor of the Nominations Panel shall inform Council inwriting of its recommended Council Member together with thenames of the other Council Members who applied.

(vi)

Council shall decide on the Council Member to be appointed byagreement or show of hands (as decided by the President), or if
requested by three (3) or more Council Members, by secretballot.

Appointment of International Officials
a. International Officials shall be appointed by Council pursuant to Article
47.2(k) taking into account:
their skills, expertise and prior experience in the role for which
they are being considered for appointment;
the requirement for both sexes to be represented; and,such other factors as considered relevant by the Competition
Commission to appoint the best suited persons.
b. The Competition Commission shall develop a policy which sets out theprocess for seeking persons to be appointed as International Officials andWorld Athletics Governance Rules (Approved by Council on 05 November 2023 effective immediately)

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the process for deciding whom it will recommend to Council, provided thatsuch process must adhere to the following requirements:
applicants do not have to be Council Members but may be;
the Competition Commission will make a recommendation toCouncil on the persons to be appointed as International Officials;
and,applicants must be Eligible in accordance with the Vetting Rules.
c. Council shall decide on the persons to be appointed as International Officialsby agreement or show of hands (as decided by the President) or if requestedby three (3) Council Members, by secret ballot.
Meeting Procedures
3.4

Regulate Own Procedure: Council may issue Standard Operating Procedures. In theabsence of any specific rule or procedure, the President shall decide the meeting
procedure.

3.5

Conflicts of Interest: Any Council Member who considers they may have a potential
or actual conflict of interest in any matter being considered by Council, shall disclose
it and comply with the Conflicts, Disclosures and Gift Rules.

3.6

Confidentiality
For the purposes of Article 47.1(k), "disclose" or “distribute” includes sending,giving, showing, exchanging, discussing, revealing, publishing or in any otherway (whether oral or in writing) providing or making information known or giving
access to confidential information to another person or entity, whether directly
or indirectly.
For the purposes of Article 47.1(k)(i), it is agreed that Council Members may
disclose confidential information to:a. another current Council Member or any person who attended the meeting or
was included in the written communications, by which the information was
obtained;b. Staff who the Council Member knows is already aware of the confidential
information;c. professional advisors to World Athletics, with the permission of the
President;
d. any other person approved by the President or Council (which person mustin turn keep the information confidential).
For avoidance of doubt, if some or all of any confidential information disclosed
to a Council Member in their capacity as a Council Member is also known tothat Council Member as a result of them acting in another capacity (e.g. as an
Area President), the restriction on disclosure of that information set out in Article
47.1(k) shall still apply.

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Council Interface with Chief Executive Officer and Staff
3.7

The role of Council is to govern the sport of Athletics and not to manage or implement
decisions made by it or the Executive Board. The Chief Executive Officer is responsible
for managing and implementing the decisions of Council and the Executive Board.

3.8

As such Council Members (acting in this capacity) are not permitted to direct or require
the Chief Executive Officer, to do or not do anything related to World Athletics, except:
where the Council Member is the President (or the Senior Vice-President, in
the President's absence) acting in accordance with their powers andresponsibilities as President (Article 54.2) including in particular their
responsibility to support, monitor and liaise with the Chief Executive Officer onbehalf of the Executive Board (Article 54.2(j));
where the Council Member is delegated authority or otherwise authorised by
the President, Executive Board or Council to do so;
noting that, nothing in this Rule prevents a Council Member from otherwise
communicating with the Chief Executive Officer.

3.9

In addition Council Members are not permitted to direct or require any other Staff
member to do, or not do, anything related to World Athletics, except:
where the Council Member is the President (or the Senior Vice- President in
the President's absence) and:a. the Staff member reports directly to the President, such as their personal
assistant; or,b. in the opinion of the Executive Board, the Chief Executive Officer may not
be or is not fulfilling their responsibilities satisfactorily; or,c. the President has agreed with the Chief Executive Officer that the President
may give such direction or requirement either generally or specifically on amatter, for specified Staff members;
where the Council Member is a Chairperson of a Commission or Working Group
who has been authorised either generally or specifically on a matter, to director require specified Staff members by the Chief Executive Officer or the relevant
Director to whom the specified Staff member reports.

3.10

Nothing in Rules 3.8 or 3.9 prevents or is intended to limit in any way:
Council from making decisions which the Chief Executive Officer is directed to
implement; and,Council Members from communicating directly with the Chief Executive Officer
or with Staff provided that:a. generally communications with Staff on substantive Council matters should
be done through the Chief Executive Officer (excluding administrative andlogistical arrangements); and,World Athletics Governance Rules (Approved by Council on 05 November 2023 effective immediately)

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b. a Council Member who is a member of a Commission or Working Groupmay communicate with the relevant Staff person/s designatedresponsibility for, or assisting, that Commission or Working Group.
Council Interface with Independent Bodies
3.11

Council Members shall not direct, require or request any Independent Body to do or
not do anything, nor communicate with them (or any members of them), except as
specified below:
where the Council Member is a member of the Integrity Unit Board appointed
by Council, where it is necessary to communicate with the Integrity Unit
(including the Integrity Unit Board) and otherwise act in accordance with theIntegrity Unit Rules;
where the Council Member is a member of the EB Appointments Panel,
Integrity Unit Appointments Panel or the Nominations Panel, where it isnecessary to communicate with the applicable Independent Body andotherwise act in accordance with the applicable Rules and Regulations;where the Council Member is being assessed, investigated, charged or isotherwise the subject matter of any assessment or proceedings before, or iscontacted by, or a complainant or witness to, an Independent Body, where it isnecessary for the Council Member to communicate in accordance with theapplicable Rules and Regulations of the Independent Body;
where the Council Member is the President (or in their absence the Senior VicePresident) and they have communication with the Independent Body (forexample, from the Independent Body communicating a decision of the
Independent Body or possible amendments to its Rules or Regulations, or any
other matter permitted under the Constitution about which the Independent
Body is considering or has reported to Council or Congress).

3.12

Nothing in Rule 3.11 prevents or is intended to limit in any way:
an Independent Body attending Council meetings or reporting to or making
recommendations to Council; or,Council from adopting, amending or repealing Rules and Regulations, ordecisions, in accordance with the Constitution, which are applicable to any
Independent Body.

Authority, Communications and Media
3.13

Council shall act and make decisions on behalf of World Athletics in accordance with
its powers and responsibilities set out in Article 47. Council shall not act or makedecisions on behalf of World Athletics which are the responsibility of another body ofWorld Athletics including the Executive Board.

3.14

Council Members shall not enter into any transaction, contract, agreement,
arrangement or other pledge the credit of World Athletics, unless prior approved byCouncil or the Executive Board.

3.15

Council Members may make Public Statements about World Athletics and any of its
work in the following circumstances:

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where the Public Statements do not contain World Athletics confidential
information; and,
where the Public Statements are not likely to, or do not, breach the Integrity
Code of Conduct including adversely affecting the reputation of World Athletics
or Athletics generally; and,
where:
a. the Council Member is the President;b. the Council Member is authorised to make the Public Statements by the
President;c. the Council Member has discussed and agreed the Public Statements inadvance with the Chief Executive Officer or their designated nominee;d. the Public Statements are made in accordance with any media policy
decided by Council; or,e. the Public Statements are made in their capacity as an Area President.
4.

Executive Board

Executive Board (EB) Appointments Panel
4.1

Separation of EB Appointments Panel
The EB Appointments Panel, appointed pursuant to Article 60, shall operate separatelyfrom Council, Executive Board and Staff except to the extent that the Chief Executive
Officer will ensure the EB Appointments Panel is allocated sufficient budget to engage
administrative support and professional advice (e.g. legal, executive search), as
necessary, to undertake its work.

Process for Appointing the Appointed EB Members
4.2

In carrying out its responsibilities under Article 60.6(a) to (d), the EB Appointments
Panel shall also:
invite all Member Federations and Area Associations to identify and encourage
suitable candidates to apply for the three (3) Appointed EB Member positions,which candidates shall be endorsed by a Member Federation or an Area
Association; andfirst consider the candidates endorsed by Member Federations and Area
Associations in Rule 4.2.1, and if the skills, expertise and experience andrelevant factors are not sufficient, to then consider the other candidates.

4.3

The three (3) persons proposed to be appointed as Appointed EB Members, taking
into consideration the relevant factors under Article 60.7, must be Eligible inaccordance with the Vetting Rules and will be recommended by the EB Appointments
Panel to the Ex-Officio EB Members for approval in accordance with the Constitution.

4.4

The Ex-Officio EB Members shall approve or reject the persons recommended to be
the Appointed EB Members at a meeting of the Ex-Officio EB Members called by the
President for this purpose. At this meeting a quorum of four (4) Ex-Officio EB Members

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is required and the decision on each of the Appointed EB Members must be approvedby an Absolute Majority of Ex-Officio EB Members present.
4.5

In the event the Ex-Officio EB Members reject one or more of the persons
recommended to be the Appointed EB Members, the EB Appointments Panel will referto the other candidates who submitted applications for the Appointed EB Members
and, if there are suitable candidates, recommend another person or persons (as thecase may be) to the Ex-Officio EB Members for approval. This process shall be
repeated until such time as the Ex-Officio EB Members approve the recommended
persons to be the Appointed EB Members or the EB Appointments Panel considers
there are no suitable candidates, in which case the Panel shall call for new nominationsin accordance with Rule 4.2 with any necessary modifications as to timing. In the period
during which this reassessment or repeated calls for candidates occurs, the Executive
Board shall comprise the Ex-Officio EB Members and any persons who have been
approved as Appointed EB Members.

Executive Board Members' Induction and Agreement
4.6

Members of the Executive Board are appointed pursuant to Article 57. Executive
Board Members shall undergo an induction which is the same as that provided forCouncil Members under Rule 3.1. Following the induction each Executive Board
Member will be required to sign a letter of appointment with World Athletics recording
their agreement to actively undertake their duties, to act in the best interests of World
Athletics and to comply with all Rules and Regulations, together with such otheradministrative details as are relevant or necessary.

Executive Board Scope of Work
4.7

Pursuant to Articles 56 to 59, the Executive Board shall decide the process by which it
will carry out its responsibilities, except to the extent set out in these Rules. The specificprocedures set out in this Rule shall apply to certain responsibilities of Council listed
below:
Strategic Plan
The Strategic Plan must be developed by the Chief Executive Officer,
reviewed by the Executive Board with input from the Council andapproved by the Council prior to the date of the commencement of theStrategic Plan (or within any other timeframe approved by the Executive
Board).
Annual Plan and Budgeta.

The annual plan and budget for each Financial Year shall be developed
and approved by the Executive Board to achieve the goals and outcomes
specified in the approved Strategic Plan and submitted to the Council for
its information prior to the commencement of that Financial Year (or within
any other timeframe approved by the Executive Board).

b.

In addition to the annual plan and budget, the Executive Board shallprepare a financial forecast for the period of the Strategic Plan andprovide this to Council for its information.

c.

The Chief Executive Officer shall be responsible for implementing theannual plan and ensuring compliance with the budget. The Chief

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Executive Officer shall report to the Executive Board regularly (asrequired by it) on progress against the annual plan and actual income andexpenditure against the approved budget.
d. The Executive Board shall monitor progress against the annual plan andbudget.
Major Transactions
a. For the purposes of these Rules, a "major transaction" (Article 86) inrelation to World Athletics means any acquisition, expenditure, liability,commitment or transaction (when singularly or combined with othertransactions) amounting to 500,000 Euros or greater or any acquisition,
expenditure, liability, commitment or transaction which is unprecedented,
complex or high-profile of any amount as decided by the Executive Board.
b. A major transaction must be approved by the Executive Board inaccordance with the following procedures set out in these Rules:
the proposed resolution to approve a major transaction must firstbe considered and recommended by the Executive Board's Audit
and Finance Committee and its Risk Committee;
it must then be discussed and a proposed resolution put to the
Executive Board at a meeting or for email approval;
all Executive Board members must be given as much notice inwriting as is reasonably practical (given the nature of the majortransaction and any time constraints) of the proposed resolution
and any meeting called to consider it or email resolution to approveit;
there must be a quorum of six (6) EB Members (excluding the Chief
Executive Officer) present at a meeting or responding to the email
resolution; and,the vote by the Executive Board on the proposed resolution shallbe carried only if it is approved by at least two thirds of those EB
Members entitled to vote.
Regulate Own Procedure
4.8

The Executive Board may issue Standard Operating Procedures. In the absence ofany specific rule or procedure, the President shall decide the meeting procedure.

Confidentiality
4.9

Rule 3.6 shall apply to the Executive Board on the same basis as it does for Council,
provided that information disclosed to an Executive Board Member who is also a
Council Member, shall not be disclosed by an Executive Board Member to anotherCouncil Member unless that Council Member is also an Executive Board Member, or
it is approved in accordance with Rule 3.6.2 (where every reference to Council means
Executive Board).

Executive Board Interface with Chief Executive Officer and Staff

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4.10

The role of the Executive Board is to govern World Athletics and not to manage or
implement decisions made by it. The Chief Executive Officer is responsible formanaging and implementing the decisions of Council and the Executive Board.

4.11

Except for the purposes of obtaining information, Executive Board Members (acting
this capacity) are not permitted to direct, require or request the Chief Executive Officer,
to do or not do anything related to World Athletics, except in the following
circumstances:where the Executive Board Member is the President (or the Senior VicePresident, in the President's absence) acting in accordance with their powers
and responsibilities as President (Article 54.2), including in particular their
responsibility to "support, monitor and liaise with the Chief Executive Officer onbehalf of the Executive Board" (Article 54.2(j)); and,
where the Executive Board Member is delegated authority or otherwise
authorised by the President or the Executive Board to do so.

4.12

In addition, Executive Board Members are not permitted to direct, require or request
any other Staff member, to do or not do anything related to World Athletics, except:
the President (or the Senior Vice-President in the President's absence) may do
so where the Executive Board Member is the President (or the Senior VicePresident in the President's absence); anda. the Staff member reports directly to the President, such as their personal
assistant;b. in the opinion of the Executive Board, the Chief Executive Officer may not
be or is not fulfilling their responsibilities satisfactorily; orc. the President has agreed with the Chief Executive Officer that the
President may give such direction or requirement either generally or
specifically on a matter, for specified Staff members;
where the Executive Board Member is a member of an Executive Board
Committee, or the Chairperson of a Commission or Working Group, who has
been authorised either generally or specifically on a matter, to direct or require
specified Staff members by the Chief Executive Officer or the relevant Director
to whom the specified Staff member reports.

4.13

Nothing in Rules 4.11 or 4.12 prevents or is intended to limit in any way:
The Executive Board from making decisions which the Chief Executive Officer
is directed to implement; and;
Executive Board Members from communicating directly with the Chief
Executive Officer or with other Staff provided that:a. generally, communications with Staff on substantive Executive Board
matters should be done through the Chief Executive Officer or the relevant
Directors (excluding administrative and logistical arrangements); and,b. an Executive Board Member who is a member of an EB Committee or a
Commission or Working Group may communicate with the relevant Staff

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person/s designated responsibility for, or assisting, that EB Committee,
Commission or Working Group.
Executive Board Interface with Independent Bodies
4.14

The provisions of Rule 3.11 regarding Council Members' interface with Independent
Bodies shall apply to the Executive Board on the same basis and in accordance withthe same procedures as for the Council and every reference to Council shall mean the
Executive Board.

Executive Board Committees
4.15

Pursuant to Article 58.2(i) and subject to these Rules, the Executive Board shallapprove terms of reference for each of its committees, setting out its:
composition;
specific role and responsibilities;
nature and limits of its delegated authority;
reporting requirements to the Executive Board.

4.16

The Executive Board shall establish the following permanent committees to carry out
some of its roles and responsibilities set out below:
Audit and Finance Committee, or more than one committee: responsible foradvising the Executive Board on any one or more of audit and finance matters;
Remuneration Committee: responsible for reviewing and advising the
Executive Board on the remuneration and expenses policies to the President,
Vice-Presidents, Executive Board Members, Council Members, members of theCommissions and Working Groups, the Chief Executive and any related
matters as may be decided by the Executive Board;
Risk Committee: responsible for reviewing and advising the Executive Board
on risks faced by World Athletics; andany other Committee which the Executive Board wishes to establish to advise
it on matters within the Executive Board’s responsibilities.

4.17

The following rules apply to all committees of the Executive Board:
every committee must have at least two (2) members of the Executive Board;generally, a committee shall not have more than five (5) members;
the Executive Board shall take into account the need for some independent
members on the Audit and Finance Committee and the Risk Committee;
the quorum for any meeting or decision of a committee shall be three (3)members of which at least one (1) must be an Executive Board Member;
the Executive Board shall appoint the chairperson of each committee, who must
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Book B - B3.1

where possible there should be a balance of sexes on each committee;
members should be appointed primarily for their expertise in the subject matterof the committee;
positions for members (other than EB Members) on all committees should be
publicly advertised on the World Athletics Website and circulated to all Member
Federations and Area Associations;the chairperson of each committee must report on the activities of thecommittee at meetings of the Executive Board, as applicable, and at such othertimes as required by the Executive Board; andthe Executive Board may not delegate authority to any committee to approveor enter into any transaction, or incur any liability in excess of 10,000 Euros.
Authority, Communications and Media
4.18

Executive Board Members shall not enter into any transaction, contract, agreement,
arrangement or otherwise pledge the credit of World Athletics, unless prior approved
by Council or the Executive Board.

4.19

Executive Board Members may make Public Statements about World Athletics andany of its work in the following circumstances:where the Public Statements do not contain information which is confidential toWorld Athletics; and,
where the Public Statements are not likely to, or do not, breach the Integrity
Code of Conduct including adversely affecting the reputation of World Athletics
or Athletics generally; and,
where:

5.

a.

the Executive Board Member is the President;b.

the Executive Board Member is authorised to make the Public Statements
by the President;c.

the Executive Board Member has discussed and agreed the PublicStatements in advance with the Chief Executive Officer or theirdesignated nominee; or,d.

the Public Statements are made in accordance with any media policy
decided by Council.

Commissions and Working Groups

Authority
5.1

Commissions and Working Groups established by the Council pursuant to Article
47.2(n) are advisory and have no authority to make decisions on behalf of Council orWorld Athletics. They are ultimately accountable to Council.

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5.2

Commissions and Working Groups may, if requested, also provide expertise andadvice to the President, Executive Board, Chief Executive Officer and Directors, andother Commissions and Working Groups.

5.3

Commissions are standing bodies established for the period from their appointment
until the next Election Congress or in the case of the Athletes’ Commission as set out
in Rule 5.42. Working Groups are ad hoc and established only for the period necessary
to undertake a specific task or project.

5.4

In addition, pursuant to Article 47.2(o), Council has the power and is responsible for:establishing and disestablishing such other bodies, panels, or taskforces withdelegated authority from Council, as decided by Council.

Commissions – Nature and Scope
5.5

There shall be four (4) Commissions as follows:
Competition Commission;Development Commission;
Governance Commission; and,
Athletes’ Commission.

5.6

Additional Commissions may be established by Council, usually on therecommendation of the Governance Commission, by Council amending these Rules.

5.7

The role of each Commission is as follows, and as more specifically described in theterms of reference for each Commission:Competition Commission: advising Council on the format, qualifications,programme and organisation of all International Competitions including newcompetitions and the Technical Rules of Athletics.
Development Commission: advising Council on the development of Athletics
worldwide to increase participation from grassroots to elite and as a means ofaddressing social issues such as health, wellbeing, crime and social inclusion.
Governance Commission: advising Council on matters necessary to ensure
good governance practices in World Athletics and its members and to upholdthe highest standards of integrity, including reviewing all Rules andRegulations.
Athletes’ Commission: advising Council on matters related to Athletics from theathletes’ perspective.

5.8

The specific scope, procedure and authority of each Commission shall be set out in
written terms of reference approved by Council.
In addition, each Commission will have a four (4) year plan approved by Council (onthe recommendation of each Commission) which aligns with the Strategic Plan andwith specified outcomes for the Commission for its term of its appointment.

Commissions - Composition and Appointment

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5.9

Rules 5.10 to 5.17 do not apply to the Athletes’ Commission (see Rules 5.40 to 5.47).

5.10

Each Commission will usually have at least eight (8) and not more than fourteen (14)members, including at least two (2) Council Members, or such other number ofmembers and Council Members as the Council may agree. In addition, the President
will be an ex-officio member of each Commission.

5.11

Each Commission shall be appointed by Council on the recommendation of theNominations Panel, except for Council Members wishing to be on any Commission,
who shall be appointed by Council on the recommendation of the President.

5.12

The primary criterion for appointment of any person to a Commission (including
Council Members) is the specific knowledge and expertise they have in the subject
matter of the Commission. The secondary criterion for appointment to eachCommission, is that the Commission should preferably comprise of:at least one (1) person from each Area;
at least 40% of each sex; and,a member to represent the Athletes’ Commission.

5.13

The procedure for the appointment of members (other than Council Members) to eachCommission shall be as follows:
An open call for nominations to membership of all the Commissions shall be
communicated to Member Federations and Area Associations by circular orother written communication and also be posted on the Website.
Nominations must be submitted in writing by the nominee with the endorsementof the Member Federation or Area Association of which they are a member orotherwise associated (such as a member of a member club, or other bodyaffiliated to the Member Federation), unless they are an expert, in which casethey may be endorsed by the Chief Executive Officer.
Nominations must be received by the Chief Executive Officer within the time
specified in the open call communicated to Member Federations and Area
Associations.
No Staff or members of any Independent Bodies may be members of aCommission, except for the President and the Council Members who aremembers of the EB Appointments Panel and the Integrity Unit Board.
Nominees will be reviewed and then shortlisted by the Nominations Panel inaccordance with these Rules. This may include interviewing and making
enquiries of nominees to ensure their suitability. In doing so, the Nominations
Panel must first consider nominees endorsed by a Member Federation or Area
Association and if the skills, expertise, knowledge and other criteria in Rule 5.12of those nominees are insufficient for the relevant Commission, the Panel may
consider nominees who are experts recommended by the Chief Executive
Officer.
A person should not be a member of more than two (2) Commissions at thesame time, unless in exceptional circumstances as recommended by the
Nominations Panel.

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Book B - B3.1

The proposed short-listed nominees for all Commissions will be subject toVetting in accordance with the Vetting Rules. All nominees must be Eligible
under the Vetting Rules.
The Nominations Panel will then make recommendations to Council of thepersons it considers best suit the positions on each Commission, including
proposed Chairpersons (with the requisite skills and experience in chairing
bodies and meetings), on the basis of the criteria specified in Rule 5.12. Council
Members may, but need not, be recommended to be a Chairpersons ofCommissions.
Council shall appoint the Chairperson and members of the Commissions assoon as possible after each Election Congress.
A member’s appointment to a Commission is subject to the member agreeing
to the obligations, expectations and commitments set out in the letter of
appointment.
Commissions - Term and Removal
5.14

Members of each Commission shall commence their terms of office upon notificationof their appointment by Council, and subject to Rules 5.15 to 5.17, shall end their termof office at the conclusion of each Election Congress (held four (4) years later), but are
eligible for reappointment up to a total maximum of three (3) terms or twelve (12) years.

5.15

A member of a Commission may resign prior to the expiry of their term of office bygiving not less than one (1) month’s notice in writing to the Commission Chairperson,
President and the Chief Executive Officer.

5.16

A Commission Member may be removed from a Commission prior to the expiry of theirterm of office, by decision of the Council (after first affording the Commission Member
natural justice) on the recommendation to the President from the Commission
Chairperson (or if it is the Chairperson to be removed, on the recommendation fromthe Chief Executive Officer):
if they are no longer Eligible;
for breach of these Rules or any other Rules or Regulations; or,for any other act or conduct that, in the opinion of Council, brings theCommission or World Athletics into disrepute.

5.17

In addition, a Commission Member shall be deemed to have vacated their position if,
during their term, he or she:dies; or,is absent from two (2) or more meetings of the Commission without priorapproval of the Commission Chairperson.

Working Groups – Composition and Appointment
5.18

Working Groups may be established from time to time by Council on therecommendation of the President or the Chief Executive Officer for finite projects.
Their terms of reference must be approved by the Council.

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5.19

A Working Group shall have such number of members as is appropriate for the task or
project being undertaken. The appointment of members of a Working Group shall beapproved by the Council. In considering who to appoint, Council should consider how
best to ensure diversity and balanced representation from different Areas and ofdifferent sexes. All members of a Working Group must be Eligible in accordance with
the Vetting Rules. The President will be an ex-officio member of each Working Group.

5.20

The primary criterion for appointment of a person to any Working Group is the specificknowledge and expertise they have in the subject matter of the Working Group. The
secondary criterion for appointment specified in Rule 5.12 may also be considered.
However this is not mandatory.

5.21

No Staff or members of any Independent Bodies may be members of a Working Group,
except for the President and the Council Member who is a member of the EB
Appointments Panel. A member’s appointment to a Working Group is subject to themember agreeing to the obligations, expectations and commitments set out in any
letter of appointment.

Working Groups - Term and Removal
5.22

Members of each Working Group shall commence their terms of office upon their
appointment by Council, and subject to Rule 5.24, shall end their term of office on thedate or upon the circumstances set out in the terms of reference approved by Council,
or any other earlier or later date decided by Council, subject to Rule 5.24.

5.23

A Working Group shall not have a term of more than two (2) years. If its work needs tocontinue beyond two (2) years, consideration should be given to this work beingtransferred to the relevant Commission or another Working Group being established.

5.24

A member of a Working Group may resign or be removed on the same basis as amember of a Commission as set out in Rules 5.15 to 5.17.

Commissions and Working Groups - Working Procedures
5.25

Each Commission and Working Group will have as its convenor, a Director from the
Office, who shall attend all meetings and work of the Commission. The Chief Executive
Officer may also attend any meeting or work of the Commission.

5.26

The relevant Director shall, in consultation with the Chairperson of each Commission
and Working Group set the agenda, meeting schedule and work (subject to budget).
The Chief Executive Officer shall ensure the work of each Commission and Working
Group is appropriately supported.

5.27

The Chairperson of each Commission and Working Group is ultimately responsible forthe work and outcomes of the Commission or Working Group. Should any issues ordifferences arise between the Chairperson and the relevant Director, these shall bereferred to the Chief Executive Officer.

5.28

Each Commission will approve a proposed four (4) year plan that is aligned with theStrategic Plan and World Plan for submission to Council for approval. The four (4) year
plan shall be reviewed, and where appropriate, revised annually.

5.29

The tasks and outcomes sought from each Working Group will be set out in terms ofreference approved by Council.

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Book B - B3.1

5.30

The Chairperson of each Commission shall report to Council on progress against its
four (4) year plan at least twice each year, either orally or in writing, including using
technology, as requested by the President. The content of the report to Council must
be prior approved by the members of the Commission.

5.31

Commissions should "meet" at least three (3) times each year - usually once in person
and otherwise using technology (e.g. video or audio conferencing.). Working Groups
should meet as often as required in person or using technology to achieve its agreed
outcomes.

5.32

Commission may agree to allocate specific tasks of the Commission to a smaller groupof members within the Commission with the necessary expertise for the task, and toreport back to the Commission with its advice and recommendations. For example, theCompetition Commission may allocate tasks related to the Technical Rules to a smallergroup of its members, and the Governance Commission may allocate the review ofrules to a smaller group of its members with the necessary legal expertise.

Other
5.33

Commissions and Working Groups have no authority to make decisions on behalf ofWorld Athletics. They are advisory and can only make recommendations to Council
and to the Chief Executive Officer (if within their mandate to do so).

5.34

Commissions and Working Groups have no authority to incur any expense or bindWorld Athletics to any financial or other commitment.

5.35

Members of Commissions and Working Groups cannot engage in the media (in any
forum) in relation to World Athletics’ activities without the prior approval of the
President or the Chief Executive Officer.

5.36

Members of Commissions and Working Groups will be paid fees and expenses inaccordance with World Athletics policies.

5.37

Members of all Commissions and Working Groups are bound by the Constitution,
Rules and Regulations of World Athletics, including the Integrity Code of Conduct.

5.38

Advisors may be engaged to provide particular expertise or advice by the Chief
Executive Officer to advise a Commission or Working Group, following consultation
with the Chairperson of the relevant Commission or Working Group. The role andresponsibilities of any advisor should be advised to the members of the relevantCommission or Working Group and should not duplicate or conflict with the role of theCommission or Working Group. Such advisors are not members of the Commission orWorking Group.

5.39

The Chairpersons of all the Commissions will, at a time and place decided by the Chief
Executive Officer, meet at least once each year to discuss matters of commonality
between the Commissions.

Athletes’ Commission
5.40

Composition: The Athletes' Commission shall comprise:
twelve (12) elected members, elected in accordance with Rule 5.42 of theseRules ("Elected Athletes’ Commission Members"); and,World Athletics Governance Rules (Approved by Council on 05 November 2023 effective immediately)21

Book B - B3.1

up to six (6) other members, appointed by Council in accordance with Rule 5.43of these Rules "(Appointed Athletes’ Commission Members");
together referred to as “Athletes’ Commission Members”.
5.41

Eligibility: To be eligible to be nominated for, and to remain as, an Athletes'
Commission Member (whether as an Elected Athletes’ Commission Member or an
Appointed Athletes’ Commission Member) the person must:
be a current member of a Member Federation (or a body affiliated to theMember Federation) in good standing;be nominated by their Member Federation;
be at least eighteen (18) years old;
if seeking to be an Elected Athletes’ Commission Member, have competedin at least one (1) of the last two (2) World Athletics Championships, or in
the last Olympic Games, or be a competitor in the World Athletics
Championships at which the election will be held;be able to speak and understand English reasonably well;
not be under investigation, or convicted or otherwise sanctioned for:a. a doping offence (whether or not they have served the sanction imposedon them); or,b. any other offence or breach of any rules of World Athletics, an Area
Association or a Member Federation (whether or not they have served
the sanction imposed on them); or,c. an offence under any applicable laws punishable by a term of
imprisonment of two (2) years or more (unless the person has served thesanction imposed on them); and,d. be Eligible under the Constitution as determined by the Vetting Panel(under the Vetting Rules). The assessment of eligibility under the Vetting
Rules will be taken before the election (under Rule 5.42.1) or appointment
by Council (under Rule 5.43).

5.42

Elected Athletes’ Commission Members
The elections for Elected Athletes’ Commission Members shall take place inaccordance with Rule 6 and Appendix 3 of the Candidacy Rules.
Prior to the election, by the date specified by World Athletics, each candidate
must be vetted by the Vetting Panel under the Vetting Rules and approved as
Eligible.

5.43

Appointed Members: In addition to the Elected Athletes’ Commission Members,
Council may appoint up to six (6) persons to be Appointed Athletes’ Commission
Members once every four years by the following process and for the term described inRule 5.44 below:

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Book B - B3.1

At least two (2) months prior to every second World Athletics Championships,
Council may call for nominations from Member Federations for up to six (6)Appointed Athletes’ Commission Members.
Member Federations may nominate one (1) person (who is Eligible under Rule5.41), in the format and by the date specified by World Athletics;
All nominees must be vetted by the Vetting Panel under the Vetting Rules andapproved as Eligible by the Vetting Panel prior to submission of a nomination;
Within one (1) month of the election of the Elected Athletes' Commission
Members under Rule 5.42 and before the next Council meeting following theconfirmation of the appointment of each Elected Athletes' Commission
Member, Council shall appoint a subcommittee (including the President) toconsider the nominations received.
This subcommittee shall make recommendations to Council for Appointed
Athletes' Commission Members. Council shall decide whether to confirm theappointment of each of the recommended Appointed Athletes' Commission
Members by no later than 31 December in the same year as the election of theElected Athletes' Commission Members.
In deciding both the number of Appointed Athletes’ Commission Member
positions available (in Rule 5.43.1), and the persons to appoint, Council musttake into account the requirement for at least 40% of Athletes’ Commission
Members of each sex, and the desire for a balance of Athletes’ Commission
Members from different Areas, athletics disciplines and the person's
skills/expertise and availability to be on the Athletes' Commission.
5.44

Term: Subject to Rule 5.44.6, the term of office for members of the Athletes'
Commission is approximately four (4) years as follows:
for Appointed Athletes Commission Members, commencing on their
appointment by Council (under Rule 5.43.5); and,subject to Rule 5.45 (resignation and removal), expiring four (4) years later on
the appointment by Council of the next group of Athletes’ Commission
Members;for Elected Athletes’ Commission Members commencing from the conclusionof the World Athletics Championships at which their appointment is announced;
andsubject to Rules 5.44.6 and 5.45, expiring four (4) years later at the conclusionof the World Championships held in that year.
A member of the Athletes' Commission who is and remains eligible (under Rule5.41) may be re-elected or re-appointed for further subsequent and consecutive
terms of office up to a maximum of three (3) terms in accordance with theprocess set out in Rules 5.42 and 5.43.
Members of the Athletes’ Commission elected during the 2022 World Athletics
Championships shall end their term of office upon the election announcementof the newly Elected Athletes Commission Members following the 2025 World
Athletics Championships.

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Book B - B3.1

5.45

Resignation and Removal
A member of the Athletes' Commission may resign prior to the expiry of theirterm of office by giving not less than one (1) month’s notice in writing to the
Athletes' Commission Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and the President.
An Athletes' Commission Member may be removed from the Athletes'
Commission prior to the expiry of their term of office, by decision of the Council(having first afforded the Commission member natural justice) on therecommendation of the Athletes' Commission Chairperson to the President, for:a. breach of these Rules or any other Rules and Regulations; orb. any other act or conduct that, in the opinion of Council, brings the Athletes'
Commission or the into disrepute.
In addition, an Athletes' Commission Member shall be deemed to have vacatedtheir position if, during their term, they:a. die; orb. are absent from two (2) or more meetings of the Athletes' Commission
without prior approval of the Chairperson.

5.46

Changes and Vacancies
If any position (whether an Elected Athletes’ Commission Member or an
Appointed Athletes’ Commission Member) on the Athletes' Commission isvacant, whether by resignation, removal or otherwise at any time, the Council
may (on the recommendation of the Athletes' Commission Chairperson and
Deputy Chairperson and the President) appoint a replacement member (whois Eligible under Rule 5.41) for the balance of the term of office of the vacatedposition.

5.47

Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson
The Athletes' Commission shall recommend to Council, two (2) of its members
to be the Chairperson and a Deputy Chairperson. Both positions shall berecommended for appointment at the same time.
The role of the Chairperson (or the Deputy Chairperson in the Chairperson'sabsence or if requested by the Chairperson) is to lead and be the spokesperson
for the Athletes' Commission. The Chairperson has the following
responsibilities:
a. chair and prepare the agenda/papers for all meetings of the Athletes’
Commission;b. be the spokesperson for the Athletes’ Commission including to the media,
subject to the terms of reference;c. liaise with the President and Chief Executive Officer as required orrequested;d. prepare and present reports to Council;

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Book B - B3.1

e. attend meetings of the Council and any other Commissions or Working
Groups as requested by the President or Council;f.

be the World Athletics athlete representative at any forums, groups orpresentations as requested by the President or the Chief Executive Officer;

g. regularly communicate with the members of the Athletes’ Commission andother athletes and persons in order to identify issues for the Athletes’
Commission to consider; and,h. any other specific responsible as required by the Chief Executive Officer,
the President or Council that are within the scope of the role andresponsibilities of the Athletes’ Commission (set out in its terms ofreference).
Only current Elected Athletes’ Commission Members are eligible to be the
Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson.
The recommended Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson shall be elected at
the first meeting of the Athletes' Commission held following Council's
confirmation of their appointment after each World Athletics Championships.
The quorum and other procedures for this meeting shall be as specified in theterms of reference.
Elected Athletes’ Commission Members wishing to seek election for the
Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson shall submit their nomination in the format
and by the date specified by World Athletics. An Elected Athletes’ Commission
Member may seek nomination in one or both positions in the alternative.
Those seeking nomination may make a short (3 minutes) presentation to theother members of the Athletes' Commission at a meeting of the Athletes'
Commission on their suitability for the position/s being sought. Other than thispresentation, candidates may not produce or issue any document, materials or
publicly seek support for their candidacy. Such support must be limited to
discussions between the members.
The election shall be undertaken by secret ballot in which all Athletes’
Commission Members present at the meeting are entitled to vote, including
those seeking appointment, as follows:a. The position of Chairperson will be voted on first. The candidate with thehighest number of votes for that position shall be elected provided that theyreceive an absolute majority (over 50%) of the votes cast in their favour.
The outcome of the vote will be announced to the Commission by the
scrutineers.
b. The position of Deputy Chairperson will be voted on second. If thecandidate elected as Chairperson also submitted a candidacy for Deputy
Chairperson they shall be withdrawn from that vote, before the position of
Deputy Chairperson is voted on. The candidate with the highest number ofvotes in the vote for Deputy Chairperson shall be elected provided that theyreceive an absolute majority of the votes cast in their favour.
c. If no candidate receives an absolute majority in the vote for either position,
the lowest polling nominee in that vote, shall be withdrawn from the ballot,

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Book B - B3.1

and the vote for that position undertaken again. This procedure is to berepeated until such time as a candidate receives an absolute majority ofthe votes cast in their favour for the applicable position.
d. No proxy votes are permitted.
e. Any abstentions or invalid votes shall not be counted.
f.

World Athletics shall supply three (3) persons who are independent of theAthletes’ Commission and not from the same country as any nominee, tobe the scrutineers for the election. They shall conduct the election, decideif votes are valid, count the votes and inform the meeting of the outcome.

Following the election, Council shall, as soon as practicable, decide whether or
not to confirm the appointments of the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson.
Council may, in its absolute discretion, decide not to confirm a person who has
been elected as Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, if in Council's opinion
there are exceptional circumstances warranting such decision. If this occurs
another election shall be held for that position in accordance with the process
set out in Rule 5.47.7 with the Athletes’ Commission Member who had been
elected in a position removed from the ballot for that position.
The term of office for the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson is four (4) years
commencing on their approval by Council to that position, and ending four (4)years later, subject to Rule 5.47.10, and as long as they remain a current
member of the Commission. An Elected Athletes’ Commission Member may be
re-elected for further terms of office as the Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson
up to a maximum of three (3) terms of office.
The Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson may each be removed from theirposition as such, prior to the expiry of their term of office, by:a. resignation; or,b. decision of Council, in its absolute discretion; orc. decision of the Athletes' Commission to remove the member, which shallrequire a two-thirds (2/3rds) majority of the members of the Athletes’
Commission who are present at a meeting called for that purpose (by atleast six (6) members of the Commission); or
d. resignation or removal from the Athletes’ Commission under Rule 5.45.
The resignation or removal of a Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson from either
position does not affect their membership of the Athletes’ Commission, unlesstheir term of office expires or Rule 5.47.10 applies. If the Chairperson and
Deputy Chairperson resigns or is removed from the Athletes’ Commission, they
may not continue in that position from the date that resignation or removal iseffective.
6.

Nominations Panel

6.1

Council shall establish a Nominations Panel to assist it to ensure objectivity and therelevant expertise in making recommendations for appointments.

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Role and Responsibilities
6.2

The role of the Nominations Panel is to identify, recruit, assess and makerecommendations to Council for the appointment (or removal) of members on thefollowing World Athletics bodies:
Screening Panel;
Vetting Panel;
Disciplinary Tribunal;
Election Oversight Panel;
Nationality Review Panel;
Therapeutic Use Exemption Committee; andthe bodies set out in Rule 6.6 to which Council Members are appointed.
(referred to as the "relevant body" in these Rules).

6.3

The Nominations Panel shall undertake its responsibilities in Rule 6.2 (excluding Rule6.2.7) independently of Council and shall be responsible for:identifying the skills, expertise, and experience which may be necessary for thevacant positions on the relevant body;
identifying and inviting suitable candidates to apply to be a member of therelevant body;
publicly advertising, and notifying all Member Federations and Area
Associations, of the vacancies including position descriptions for the relevantbodies;receiving and assessing applications from candidates to the relevant bodies,by reference to the relevant factors in Rule 6.4, including undertaking suchenquiries and holding interviews and meetings as it sees fit;
within the timeframes specified in Rule 6.5, recommending to Council the
persons it recommends best suit the position(s) for the relevant bodies; and,recommending to Council the removal of a member from office on a relevant
body in accordance with the applicable Rule or if there is no applicable rule,then following a process in which the member who is proposed to be removed,is afforded natural justice before a decision is made by Council.

6.4

Relevant Factors for Considering Appointments
Subject to Rule 5 (Commissions and Working Groups), in recommending toCouncil persons for the bodies in Rule 6.2.1 to Rule 6.2.4, the Nominations
Panel shall recommend persons based on merit and in so doing shall take into
account the following factors about the applicant and the other members of therelevant body:

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Book B - B3.1

a. significant experience in the nature of the work or subject matter
undertaken by the relevant body role;b. knowledge of, and experience in, Athletics;
c. occupational skills, abilities, and experience including the specific skills andexperience in the subject matter of the relevant body;d. knowledge of, and experience in, community, sports or not for profit
organisations generally;e. a balance in the sexes of members (usually a minimum of 40% of each
sex);
f.

geographical spread, with no more than one (1) person from the same
country on any relevant body, except on an exceptional basis;g. the need to minimise conflicts of interest;h. the ability to contribute independent and diverse views;
i.

the need for a range of skills, experiences, and backgrounds on therelevant body;j.

for the Therapeutic Use Committee, any recommendations from theIntegrity Unit Board;k. the need to consider the requirements of continuity (i.e., such that not all
members of the relevant body rotate off that body at the same time in orderthat the body’s work benefits from retained institutional memory).
6.5

Timeframes for Appointments
The Nominations Panel shall undertake its responsibilities and provide
recommendations to Council of the persons it proposes for the relevant bodies in Rule6.2.1 to 6.2.4 by the following dates:
persons recommended for the Vetting Panel and Disciplinary Tribunal to besubmitted to Council at least six months before an Election Congress, so that
Council can circulate its recommendations to Congress two months prior to an
Election Congress;
persons recommended for the Screening Panel to be submitted to Council atleast six months before an Election Congress, for its approval;
persons recommended for the Commissions to be submitted to Council prior to
the Election Congress;
persons recommended for the Election Oversight Panel to be submitted toCouncil by no later than six (6) months prior to an Election Congress forapproval by the Council and endorsement by the Election Congress;
persons recommended for the Therapeutic Use Committee to be submitted inaccordance with the Anti-Doping Rules;

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where a vacancy arises (for whatever reason) during the term of office of any
member of a relevant body, the person recommended to fill the vacancy to besubmitted to Council within the time period specified by Council.
6.6

Council Members on Independent Bodies
In addition to its responsibilities under Rule 6.2 to 6.5, the Nominations Panelshall also have a role in assessing and recommending the Council Members tobe appointed by Council to the following Independent Bodies:a. the Integrity Unit Board;b. the Integrity Unit Board Appointments Panel; and,c. the EB Appointments Panel.
The procedure for the Nominations Panel in assessing and recommending theCouncil Members for these bodies shall be in accordance with Rule 3.3.6.

6.7

Composition of Nominations Panel
The Nominations Panel shall comprise the following five (5) people:
a. the President (or the Senior Vice-President or another Council Member, as
decided by the President);b. four (4) other persons, appointed by Council, of whom:
two (2) persons shall have experience in Athletics; and,two (2) persons shall have relevant experience in appointment
processes (such as human resources or recruitment),
provided that none of the four (4) persons shall be Council Members, orcurrent Officials, Member Federation Officials or Area Association Officials,
and all must be independent of World Athletics.
Nothing in these Rules prevents any or more of the independent members on
the Nominations Panel from also being an independent member of the Integrity
Unit Appointments Panel (under Article 74.2(b)) and/or an independent memberof the EB Appointments Panel (under Article 60.2(c)) at the same time.

6.8

Eligibility: All members of the Nominations Panel must be Eligible in accordance with
Article 65 (Eligibility).

6.9

Convenor: The convenor of the Nominations Panel shall be one of the independent
persons described in Rule 6.7.1(b)) as decided by Council.

6.10

Term of Office of Nominations Panel
Council shall appoint the four (4) independent members of the Nominations
Panel as soon as possible after each Election Congress meeting. The term of
the Nominations Panel will commence from the date of appointment by
Council.

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Book B - B3.1

Once appointed, the members of the Nominations Panel shall remain in office
until the conclusion of the next Election Congress meeting and may bereappointed for up to a maximum of three terms of office. This Rule is subject
to these members continuing to be Eligible in accordance with Article 65.
Meeting Procedures
6.11

Meetings: The Nominations Panel shall meet as and when required and in suchmanner as it thinks fit, including by teleconference.

6.12

Quorum: The quorum for a meeting or decision of the Nominations Panel shall bethree (3) members.

6.13

Decisions: Decisions of the Nominations Panel of the applicants to be recommended
to a relevant body shall be by Simple Majority.

6.14

Conflicts and Confidentiality
All information received by the Nominations Panel, and its deliberations, shallbe kept confidential except to the extent required by law.
Any member of the Nominations Panel who considers they may have apotential conflict of interest in considering the appointment or otherwise of any
applicant shall declare that potential conflict to the convenor and if the convenor
considers it appropriate to do so, they may require that member to vacate theirposition on the Nominations Panel for that appointment.
If the convenor considers they may have a potential conflict of interest, theyshall notify the President and if they consider it appropriate to do so, they may
require the convenor to vacate their position on the Nominations Panel.

6.15

Vacancies on Nominations Panel: Any vacancy that arises in the membership of theNominations Panel, whether due to a conflict of interest, resignation, or removal fromthe position it shall be filled by appointment of Council, unless it is the President, inwhich case the Senior-Vice President shall be on the Nominations Panel.

6.16

Removal: Council may remove any member of the Nominations Panel prior to the
expiry of their term of office, if Council considers, in its sole discretion, that:a member has a conflict of interest which has not been satisfactorily resolvedby the convenor or the President to the Council's satisfaction;
there are circumstances which may give rise to a question of actual or apparent
bias in the Nominations Panel’s composition and/or process;a member is no longer Eligible in accordance with Article 65.2 (Eligibility).
Any removal of a member from the Nominations Panel under this Rule shall berecorded in the Annual Council Report (Article 79).

6.17

Procedure: Before removing any member from the Nominations Panel, Council shallnotify the member of its proposal to remove them and give the member and the othermembers of the Nominations Panel the opportunity to make submissions on the
proposed removal.

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Book B - B3.1

7.

AuditsScope of Audits
7.1

Financial Audit
The scope of the Financial Audit is to audit the annual accounts of World
Athletics against International Standards on Auditing or any other standard as
required by the applicable law or as decided by the Executive Board (on therecommendation of the Audit and Finance Committee) (Article 79.2).

7.2

Governance Audit
The Executive Board shall determine from time to time how most effectively to
conduct the Governance Audit (Articles 58.2(r) &(s) 79.3).

7.3

Integrity Audit
Except to the extent specified below, the Integrity Audit is an audit each year toensure compliance by World Athletics with its anti-doping and integrity
programme including the Athletics Integrity Unit (Article 79.3).
In particular the Integrity Audit will include auditing compliance with theapplicable Rules and Regulations for the following:a. Athletics Integrity Unit Board;b. Athletics Integrity Unit Board Chairperson/Head of Integrity;c. anti-doping programme compliance with the Rules, including the Integrity
Code of Conduct (which includes compliance with the WADA Code,education, testing and investigations, results management andprosecutions); and,d. integrity programme
prosecutions).

7.4(including

education,

investigations,andThe specific nature and cost of each of the audits shall be agreed between the
Executive Board and the Auditors.

Auditors
7.5

The auditor for each of the audits must be suitably qualified and experienced andindependent of World Athletics. In making its recommendations to Congress as to theappointment of auditors, the Executive Board shall consider periodically whether to put
its proposed appointments out to tender.

Reporting
7.6

The auditor of each audit shall prepare and submit a final written report for each audit
to the Executive Board by no later than 30 June in the year following the Financial Yearof the Audit.

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Book B - B3.1

8.

Transparency Standards

8.1

Subject to Rule 8.2 (privacy and commercially sensitive), as a minimum the following
information shall be publicly available on the Website:
The Constitution;
All Rules and Regulations;
An organisation chart setting out the whole structure of World Athletics that
includes the President, Executive Board, Council, Commissions, Executive
Board Committees, Chief Executive Officer, headquarters, the Athletics
Integrity Unit and, the Independent Bodies and Congress;
Profiles and photographs and term of office dates for the President, Senior
Vice-President, Vice-Presidents, EB Members, and Council Members;
The name and country of the members of each Commission and theIndependent Bodies;
A list of the Member Federations and Area Associations including the name ofeach President and Chief Executive Officer (or equivalent) and the contact
details for each Member Federation and Area Association ;The current World Plan for Athletics (including any previous plan);
The current Strategic Plan (including any previous plan);
Annual Council Reports (including any previous report);
Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements (including any previous
Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements);
Annual Remuneration and allowances for EB Members, Council Members,
Athletics Integrity Unit Board members, members of Commissions, membersof Working Groups, Executive Board committees and members of all the
Independent Bodies
may be disclosed collectively by describing the
remuneration range(s), or number of Staff within the remuneration range(s), oras otherwise specified in any remuneration policy decided by the Executive
Board.
The following from each Congress meeting:a. the agenda;
b. a summary of the decisions of the meeting including the number of votes
cast in favour and against; andThe following from each Council meeting:a. the agenda;
b. a summary of the decisions of the meeting.
the Terms of Reference and four (4) year plans of each Commission approvedby the Council for its term of its appointment.

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Privacy
8.2

In complying with these transparency standards, World Athletics will comply with all
relevant privacy and data protection laws and the Chief Executive Officer may withhold
the publication of any information if it is confidential or commercially sensitive.

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