Dear Members,
2020 was an extraordinarily difficult year for everyone globally, and ACWW members around the world tried their best to keep moving forward and overcome the challenges they faced. Though 2021 has started with the announcement of various Covid-19 vaccines being approved, these are a long way from global deployment and we have also seen significant increases in infection rates in many countries. To this end, ACWW's Board of Trustees met on Tuesday 12 January 2021 and passed the following resolution:
“The Board of Trustees calls for a Special World Conference to be convened in line with the Constitution of the Associated Country Women of the World (clause 11.5.2 (a) and (b)), to be held on or about 15 April 2021, with a minimum of 90 days’ notice duly given to Voting Member Societies in Categories 1, 2, and 3. This Special World Conference will discuss a resolution postponing the 30th Triennial World Conference beyond the statutory 42 months, given the current global pandemic of Covid-19 and its impacts on all nations and Member Societies. This resolution will be presented to the Conference and to all Member Societies in advance of the opening of the Special World Conference”
Therefore, a Special World Conference will be convened via digital video conference on Saturday 17 April 2021, lasting for 7 days. During this period, a series of Zoom meetings will be held to allow as many Members as possible to engage with the process. Full details of voting procedures will be circulated to all Voting Member Societies in due course. The Special World Conference will consider a single Resolution, which is presented below:
"In light of the unprecedented uncertainties of 2021, specifically in respect of the global Covid-19 Pandemic, it is resolved to: a) Reschedule the 30th Triennial World Conference from May 2022 to May 2023, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In order for this to be enacted, the following Constitutional Amendment is required: i) The following section of Clause 11.1.1, “…Triennial World Conferences must be held at intervals of not more than 42 months” be suspended, and the following text be inserted: “…Triennial World Conferences must be held at intervals of not more than 52 months” ii) The amendment in i) above be rescinded at the close of the 30th Triennial World Conference” Additional Information: Whereas all nations and Member Societies have been affected by the current Covid-19 Pandemic, and noting both the disruptions to international travel and inherent risk to the health of our Members, the Board of Trustees recommends to the Special World Conference that the period between Triennial World Conferences be extended from 42 months to 52 months, allowing the 30th Triennial World Conference to take place 1 year later than initially planned, in May 2023. Accordingly, this resolution would also extend the term of service of the current Board of Trustees until the 30th Triennial World Conference. This temporary Constitutional Amendment would cease to hold effect after the 30th Triennial World Conference, whereupon the usual 42 month interval would apply. The 31st Triennial World Conference would thus be held in 2026. Note: Note that the Board elected in April 2019 will continue to hold office until the end of the 30th Triennial World Conference. (clause 15.6.2 ‘A Trustee shall hold office until the next Triennial General Meeting, where she shall retire unless she ceases to be a Trustee at an earlier date under clause 18’).
This notice will also be sent to the registered addresses of all Individual Members (Category 5), and Member Societies (Categories 1, 2, 3, and 4) by post. Full details of the meeting and arrangements for voting will be circulated in due course, and can also be found on our website at www.acww.org.uk/swc2021.html. Please note you can also find a copy of this notice attached as a PDF for you to download and share with other ACWW members.
With very best wishes for your health, wellbeing, and safety,
Magdie de Kock
ACWW World President Associated Country Women of the World A04 Parkhall | 40 Martell Road | London SE21 8EN Registered Charity No. 1174798 www.acww.org.uk | info@acww.org.uk | +44 (0)20 7799 3875 All information and attachments included in this email are confidential and intended for the original recipient only. You must not share any part of this message with any third party. If you have received this message by mistake, please contact us immediately, so that we can make sure such a mistake does not happen again and delete this message from your system. ACWW places the highest priority on the security and privacy of our Clients. Therefore, we have put our efforts into ensuring that this message is free of errors and viruses. Despite our efforts, you should always scan all emails for any threats with proper software, as the sender does not accept liability for any damage inflicted by viewing the content of this email. The security of your data is one of our greatest concerns. That is why we put extra effort into ensuring your data is always safe and up to date. Please contact us if you want to access or change your personal information or if you want us to remove it completely from our database. Here at ACWW we care for your privacy. That is why we have taken appropriate measures to ensure that the data you have provided to us is always secure. If you have any questions related to GDPR compliance or data protection, please contact Central Office. Our organisation is GDPR-compliant. To learn more about how we comply with GDPR and, as a result, care for the security and privacy of personal data we collected from you, visit our website.