The Congresses

(i) Congresses shall be held every third year unless the Council votes to vary the year in which the Congress shall be held. The venue, approximate date and theme shall be decided by the Council.

(ii) Any member country may submit an offer to host a Congress. The Council in each cycle shall establish and notify to all member countries a timetable and procedure for inviting, considering and voting upon proposals for a Congress.

(iii) A country whose offer to host a Congress is accepted by the Council shall establish a National Organising Committee whose Chairman shall serve on the Executive Committee of WPC. It shall also nominate a representative to the Congress Programme Committee. The National Organising Committee has responsibility for all necessary arrangements for the planning, financing and execution of the Congress and shall maintain close liaison with the Executive Committee and the Congress Programme Committee through its representatives on those committees.

A member country whose offer to host a Congress has been accepted will be relieved of the payment of annual dues for one Congress period, including and ending with the year of that Congress.

(iv) The theme of a Congress shall be decided by the Council on the recommendation of the Congress Programme Committee.

(v) The Proceedings of a Congress shall be published as soon as practicable after the conclusion of each Congress in such media as the Council shall determine.

(vi) The primary purpose of the WPC is to hold a Congress every three years. Council may decide to hold a Regional Meeting of the WPC in the interval between each Congress. Any such event shall not be held within twelve months of the conclusion of a Congress or within twelve months prior to the date announced for the succeeding Congress nor in the same geographic region as the preceding or subsequent Congress.

Offers to host a Regional Meeting shall be submitted to the Secretariat not less than two months prior to the meeting of Council to be held in conjunction with a Congress. Details of such offers shall be circulated with the agenda for that meeting. The Council shall vote upon the selection of a venue and approximate date subject to such conditions as shall be agreed with the host country.