IWF Launches Governance Consultation, Establishes Revised Timeline For Congresses

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Executive Board has today launched a widespread consultation exercise for its draft governance reforms, while also announcing the anticipated dates of Congressional and Electoral Congresses.

“Only four months have passed since the IWF established its Reform and Governance Commission [RGC],” said IWF Interim President Dr Michael Irani. “In that short time, under the leadership of independent experts, the Commission has already carried out a comprehensive governance review and has now proposed a complete overhaul of the IWF’s constitution and bylaws.”

The governance review and the proposed constitution have today been sent to IWF Member Federations and external stakeholders, including the IOC, for a consultation period lasting until 31 March. Comments arising will be considered in April, with the intention of providing a final draft to Member Federations in time for a June Constitutional Congress. The timing of subsequent elections will be dependent on the date of this Constitutional Congress, whether IWF Member Federations adopt the reforms and the final nature of the reforms. Based on the proposed Constitution sent to IWF Member Federations, the IWF Executive Board anticipates that elections may be held in October.

“The IWF has moved speedily to prepare these reforms in recent months and we are delighted to share the results for widespread consultation. The reforms are so widespread, and the outcome so important, that it is only right for the IWF to invite comments at this stage,” continued IWF Interim President Dr Michael Irani. “Beyond the changing of documents, it has become clear that culture change is called for in the global governance of weightlifting. That culture change can only be put in place if all the constituent parts of our global governance are part of the process.”

The RGC’s governance review can be found here and the proposed constitution can be found here.

The independent members of the RGC are Dr Darren Kane, who also sits on the Legal Committee of FINA, together with Damaris Itzel Young Aranda of Panama, a former international athlete who is also a sports law expert and member of the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission, and Ximena Restrepo, an Olympic medallist for Colombia who in 2019 became the first ever female Vice President of World Athletics.

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