Congress Programme Committee

(i) The Congress Programme Committee shall be responsible to the Executive Committee for developing and producing the working programme for each Congress, such programme to include all content excluding Opening and Closing ceremonies and social events. In this work it shall cooperate closely with the Organising Committee of the Host Country and with the Secretariat.

(ii) The membership of the committee shall consist of:

(a) The Vice-President, Congress Programme, who shall act as chairman of the Committee and shall report on its activities to meetings of the Executive Committee.

(b) Eight members, each of whom (including the Chairman) shall be from a different member country, elected by the Council in accordance with the provisions of this Article.

(c ) Up to four additional members appointed by the chairman from member countries not otherwise represented on the committee. In appointing such members the chairman shall take into account the desirability of securing a geographical and functional balance on the committee and of promoting both continuity and orderly rejuvenation.

Prior to appointment of such members the chairman shall, through the Secretariat, ensure that the National Committee of a proposed nominee shall have no objection to his/her cooption.

(c) A representative of the Host Country of the next Congress.

(d) The Director-General, as a non-voting member.

(iii) Any member country may nominate a candidate for election to the Congress Programme Committee under the provision of (ii) (b) of this Article. Each nomination shall be accompanied by a brief biography of the candidate in the standard form prescribed by WPC and by a written confirmation from the candidate that he is willing to serve, if elected. Nominations shall be sent to the Secretariat not less than two months before the meeting of the Council at which the election is to take place and shall be circulated with the agenda for the meeting.

Should there be more than eight candidates an election shall be held at the election meeting of the Council. Each member country represented shall have one ballot paper and may vote for up to eight candidates. Any candidate receiving votes representing a simple majority of member countries present and voting shall be elected. On each ballot the candidate receiving the least number of votes shall be eliminated from the next round of voting. This procedure shall be repeated until eight members have been elected.

(iv) The committee shall normally meet twice each year, but additional meetings may be called by its chairman or by a simple majority of members of the committee. A quorum shall be a simple majority of voting members. Any decision of the committee shall be taken by a simple majority. Decisions may be taken by mail or electronic means.