54th WORLD ATHLETICS CONGRESS
17/18 AUGUST 2023
DECISIONS AND INFORMATION
Minutes of the previous Congress meeting
Congress approved the minutes of the 53rd Congress Meeting held virtually on 17/18 November 2021 as a trueand correct record of that meeting.

Scrutineers
Upon the recommendation of the Election Oversight Panel, Congress approved the following persons to act as
the Scrutineers for the 54th World Athletics Congress Meeting:
••
•••
•

Ms. Pinkie Wilson (BOT)Dr. Yeung Sai Mo, Simon (HKG)
Mrs. Ana Ballesteros Barrado (ESP) – Chief Scrutineer
Mr. Michael Serralta (PUR)
Mr. Leo John Gilroy (PYF)
Mr. Cláudio Roberto de Castilho (BRA)

AFRICAASIAEUROPENACAC
OCEANIA
SOUTH AMERICA

Council Elections
Elections were held for the positions of President, the four Vice-Presidents and the 13 Individual Members on
Council for the period 2023-2027 in accordance with the Constitution and the Rules of Congress. The list
below also includes the Area Association Presidents, who are ex officio members of Council.
World Athletics Council 2023-2027
President

Sebastian Coe (GBR)

Vice-Presidents

Ximena Restrepo (CHI)
Raul Chapado (ESP)Adille Sumariwalla (IND)
Jackson Tuwei (KEN)

Individual Members

Yuko Arimori (JPN)
Anna Riccardi (ITA)
Annette Purvis (NZL)
Nawal El Moutawakel (MAR)Nan Wang (CHN)
Abby Hoffman (CAN)
Nataliia Dobrynska (UKR)
Sylvia Barlag (NED)
Beatrice Ayikoru (UGA)
Willie Banks (USA)
Antti Pihlakoski (FIN)
Cydonie Mothersill (CAY)
Donna Raynor (BER)

6-8, Quai Antoine 1er
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www.worldathletics.org@WorldAthletics

Area Presidents,
ex officio Members

Hamad Kalkaba Malboum (CMR), Africa
Dahlan Al Hamad (QAT), Asia
Dobromir Karamarinov (BUL), Europe
Mike Sands (BAH), NACAC
Robin Sapong Eugenio (NMI), Oceania
Hélio Gesta De Melo (BRA), South America

By early October 2023, the Athletes’ Commission will elect its Chair and the additional representative who willboth join the Council. Once this has been concluded, the composition of Council, as referred to in Article 41.1of the Constitution, will be complete.
The related press release issued following the elections can be accessed here.

Amendments to the World Athletics Constitution
On 14 December 2022 (Circular M/61/22), Member Federations were asked to submit proposals to amend theConstitution by 16 February 2023 and, by this deadline, no proposals were received. The Council proposals
listed below were circulated to Member Federations prior to the Congress meeting on 15 June 2023 (CircularM/24/23), as part of the Congress documents (Section VII).
All 13 proposals to amend the Constitution received from Council were approved by a Special Majority ofCongress. The following is a summary of these decisions, which were taken in accordance with Articles 27.1(b)and 82.1 of the Constitution:
Proposal
NoArticle(s)Description

Decision1

13.12, 27.1(g) & (k), 28.5,29.3(e), 31.1(b) & (e), 46.2,47.2(q) & (r), 57.10(a) and76

Disciplinary Tribunal becomes Disciplinaryand Appeals Tribunal to create a lower
cost and more efficient alternative to allappeals being heard by the Court ofArbitration for Sport to improve ourgovernance.

Accepted by vote(177 Yes, 4 No, 3 Did
not vote, Special
Majority 121)2

31.1(a), 79.4 and 79.5(a)Duplication of reporting on the Annual
Council Report and Auditor’s Reportremoved to ensure relevant information
provided to Member Federations at theappropriate time and in a clear and concise
reporting format.

Accepted by vote(177 Yes, 3 No, 5 Did
not vote, Special
Majority 120)349.6, 58.2(k) and 79.4(e)Editorial amendment to addressinconsistent references in the Constitution
and clarify the Executive Board has
responsibility for remuneration andexpenses under the Constitution. The
amendments bring all provisions into one
place reflecting the current process.

Accepted by vote(180 Yes, 1 No, 4 Did
not vote, Special
Majority 121)

458.2(r) & (s) and 79.3

Non-financial audit process refined tosupport continuous improvement in ourgovernance and integrity practices byenabling the Executive Board tocommission annual audits in respect ofWorld Athletics’ anti-doping and integrity
programme including the AIU and regularmore qualitative audits in respect of World
Athletics’ governance arrangements, ethicalcompliance, and internal control framework.

Accepted by vote
(179 Yes, 0 No, 6 Did
not vote, Special
Majority 120)

M/37/232

ProposalNoArticle(s)DescriptionDecision

545.2(g)Process for a Casual Vacancy in theposition of an Individual Council Member
revised to ensure there is sufficient time tofill the position ahead of the next Election
Congress and the election campaign period
and to provide discretion to the Council onwhether to do so and the process.

Accepted by vote(171 Yes, 7 No, 7 Did
not vote, Special
Majority 119)647.1(h)Alignment of the Constitution and theGovernance Rules regarding publicstatements by clarifying the difference
between Council Members speaking about
World Athletics as opposed to speaking on
behalf of World Athletics.

Accepted by vote(175 Yes, 3 No, 7 Did
not vote, Special
Majority 119)747.2(n)Amendment reflects current practice,namely for Commissions and Working
Groups some appointments are madepursuant to Rules such as most of theAthletes’ Commission are electedaccording to the Candidacy Rules rather
than appointed individually by Council.

Accepted by vote(172 Yes, 1 No, 12
Did not vote, Special
Majority 116)865.1, 65.2, 65.3, 65.5 and75.1(f)Amendment required to align staff
eligibility with Monaco’s employment laws
and legal processes. Staff eligibility will be
dealt with under staff contracts andMonaco employment law which requires
the same standards of behaviour as in theIntegrity Code of Conduct and the VettingRules.

Accepted by vote(176 Yes, 1 No, 9 Did
not vote, Special
Majority 118)

969.1

Deletion of the requirement for appeals
from the decisions of the Vetting Panel
having to go direct to the CAS and insteadallows Council to decide whether appeals
continue to the CAS or go to the newAppeals Panel which will be a more costeffective alternative for appeals.

Accepted by vote(172 Yes, 8 No, 4 Did
not vote, SpecialMajority 120)

1084

Clarification that only disputes between
World Athletics and a Member Federation
and between World Athletics and an Area
Association must be resolved by CAS.
Council may step in to resolve differences
between World Athletics and a Member
Federation or an Area Association. If
unsuccessful the matter can be referred toCAS. For all other matters, the relevant
Rules provide how matters are resolved
whether by CAS or the Appeals Panel –this approach is based on the principle ofstreamlining processes and reducing costs.

Accepted by vote(177 Yes, 3 No, 5 Did
not vote, SpecialMajority 120)

11*

86 (Definitions)

12*

Appendix (List of Member
Federations and Areas)

Amendments to record all typographical,
clerical, grammatical and any
consequential amendments including

Accepted by vote(176 Yes, 0 No, 10

M/37/233

Proposal
No

Article(s)Description

Decision

13*

Contents Page, 2.1, 4.1(g)& (k), 13.4(b), 35.2, 35.4,36.6.(c), 47.1(k), 47.2(b),47.2(g), 60.6(c), 64.3(a),65.6, 74.5(c), 79.5(c),83.2, 87.1 and Appendix(Minor Amendments)

those arising from the proposed
amendments to the Constitution referredto in this table. In addition, several
definitions have been amended and thecountry name amended from ‘Turkey’ to‘Türkiye’.

Did not vote, SpecialMajority 118)* These typographical, clerical, grammatical and consequential amendments proposed by Council wereapproved by the Congress in one block vote.

Note: The Constitutional amendments listed by proposal number above are set out in the table that begins atpage 411 and Section VII of the Congress documents.
The approved amendments to the World Athletics Constitution will come into force on 1 September 2023.
The amended Constitution can be found on the World Athletics website by clicking here (Book A).

Reports
The Congress received and unanimously approved by a show of hands the Annual Council Report which wasincluded in the Congress Book (Section III) circulated on 15 June 2023 and presented at the Congress meeting.
The Annual Council Report included the following:••••

President's Report
Executive Board Report
Council Report
Commission Reports- Athletes' Commission- Competition Commission- Development Commission- Governance Commission•Working Group & Taskforce Reports- Safeguarding Working Group- World Plan Implementation Working Group- Gender Leadership Taskforce•Financial & Audit Reports (including the 2021 and 2022 Non-financial Audit Reports, Governance & EthicalCompliance, and Anti-Doping & Integrity Programmes)

In addition, the Congress received the World Plan for Athletics 2022-2030 Progress Report, and reports fromIndependent Bodies as follows:•••

Report from the Athletics Integrity Unit Board
Report from the Disciplinary Tribunal
Report from the Vetting Panel

The Congress also received reports from the six Area Associations:••••••

AfricaAsiaEuropeNorth America, Central America and CaribbeanOceania
South AmericaM/37/23

4The Organising Committee of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 also presented a report toCongress.

Appointments
Appointment of the Independent Members of the Athletics Integrity Unit Board
The Congress approved by a show of hands the recommendation of the Integrity Unit Board Appointments
Panel (details included in the Congress documents in Section VIII) and reappointed, in accordance with Article
27.1(i) of the Constitution, David Howman (Chair), Andrew Pipe, Marc Peltier, Victoria Aggar and Jill Pilgrim as
independent members of the Athletics Integrity Unit Board for a further term of four years, which commenced at
the first Council meeting after the 2023 Congress meeting and will end at the first Council meeting after the2027 Election Congress meeting.
Appointment of the Chair and Members of the Vetting Panel
Upon the recommendation of the Council, the Congress approved by a show of hands, in accordance withArticle 27.1(h) of the Constitution, that Don Mackinnon (Chair), Esi Schimming-Chase and Professor Mark Pieth
be reappointed to the Vetting Panel for a further term of four years, which commenced at the conclusion of the2023 Congress meeting and will end at the first Council meeting after the 2027 Election Congress meeting(details included in the Congress documents in Section VIII).
Appointment of the Chair and Members of the Disciplinary and Appeals Tribunal
Upon the recommendation of the Council, the Congress approved by a show of hands, in accordance withArticle 27.1(g) of the Constitution, that the persons listed below be appointed to the Disciplinary and Appeals
Tribunal for a term of four years, which commenced at the conclusion of the 2023 Congress meeting and willend at the first Council meeting after the 2027 Election Congress meeting (details included in the Congress
documents in Section VIII):••••••••••••••••••

Ahamed Ebrahim*
Monty Hacker*
Dinga Nyoh Mthias*
Kate O’Regan*Peter Koh*
Akira Kawamura*
Parth Goswami
Christopher Quinlan*
Raj Parker*
Charles Hollander (Chair)*Lucas Ferrer*
Paul-Filip Ciucur*
William Norris*
Anna Bordiugova*
Conny Jorneklint*
Anna Smirnova*
Dennis Koolaard*
Julian Berenger** Reappointments of members from the 2019-2023 term••••••••••••••••••Nick De Marco*
Joelle Monlouis*
Hannu Kalkas*
Tanja Haug*
Erika Riedl
David Sharpe
Tom Murray*
Francisco Larios*
Yves Fortier*Harveen Thauli
Stefan Fabien
Benoit Girardin
Annabelle Williams*
Jack Anderson*
Ian Hunt*
Alan Galbraith*
Pedro Fida*
Eduardo Amorin*

Service Awards & Honorary Titles
In accordance with the Honorary Member and Service Award Rules, the Council made recommendations for theappointment of Honorary Membership and the awarding of Service Awards to the Congress (following aprocess of review by the Nominations Panel). Details of the Veteran Pin and Plaque of Merit recommendations
were outlined in the Congress Documents in Section IX, and the decisions taken by the Congress are
summarised below.
Veteran Pins
By a show of hands, the Congress approved to grant the Veteran Pin to the following recipients for their longand meritorious service to the cause of Athletics within World Athletics and/or Area Association activities:

M/37/23

5

Area

Nominees

Country

GenderAfricaSiphatisiwe Machaya

Zimbabwe

FemaleHamdi Abderahim

Egypt

MaleElhadj Amadou Dia BaSenegal

MaleJee Isram

Mauritius

Male

Filomena Barros Dos Reis

Timor LesteFemale

Hajymyrat Rahmanov

Turkmenistan

Male

Saad Shaddad Al-Asmari

Saudi Arabia

MalePierre Weiss

FranceMaleMalcolm Rogers

Great Britain & NI

MaleSirje Lippe

Estonia

FemaleImre Matrahazi

HungaryMaleNACAC

Jose Calixto Sierra Ramirez

Honduras

MaleOceania

Kevan Gosper

Australia

Male

Selwyn Williams

Fiji

Male

Francoise Teriierooiterai

French Polynesia

FemaleDaniel Marcelino Sotto

Argentina

Male

Monica Carolina Fredes Piña

ChileFemale

Mario Augusto Quintero
Hernandez

PanamaMaleAsia

EuropeSouth America

Plaque of Merit
By a show of hands, the Congress approved to grant the Plaque of Merit to the following recipients for their
exceptional service to the cause of Athletics within Area Association activities:
Area

RecipientCountry

GenderAfrica

Derartu Tulu

Ethiopia

FemaleAsia

Prema
Pinnawala

Sri Lanka

MaleEurope

Toralf Nilsson

Sweden

Male

NACAC

Donna Raynor

BermudaFemaleOceania

Bob Snow

Australia/
Papua New
GuineaMale

South America

XimenaRestrepo

Colombia

FemaleGold and Silver Order of Merit
By a show of hands, the Congress approved to grant the Golden and Silver Order of Merit for their exceptional
service and contribution to global athletics as follows:• Golden Order of Merit – Sergey Bubka (UKR) & Alberto Juantorena Danger (CUB)• Silver Order of Merit – Hiroshi Yokokawa (JPN)

M/37/236

Honorary Titles
By a show of hands, the Congress approved to grant the following titles of Honorary Life Member of World
Athletics for their long-term service in their respective positions on the World Athletics Council, as listed below:• Honorary Life Vice-President to Sergey Bubka (UKR)• Honorary Life Member to Alberto Juantorena Danger (CUB).

Next Congress
As agreed by the Council, the 55th World Athletics Congress will be held in Tokyo, Japan on 11-12 September
2025, with the Convention to be organised alongside the Congress. The World Athletics Championships Tokyo
2025 is scheduled from 13 to 21 September 2025 coinciding with 100 years of the Japanese Association of
Athletics Federations.

M/37/23

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