ISU Congress 2020 postponement to 2021

Lausanne, Switzerland

Further to the ISU letter dated March 24, 2020, the ISU Members have, by a wide majority, voted in favour of postponing the 2020 Congress to June 2021 (the detailed voting results will be sent to ISU Members). After consultation with the Figure and Speed Skating Association of Thailand, the Council decided that the 2021 Congress of the Union will be held in Phuket, Thailand at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa tentatively from Monday, May 31 through Friday, June 4, 2021. A formal invitation by ISU Circular Letter to ISU Members will follow in due course.

In the meantime, please note that the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa, has confirmed that deposits made for reservations for the initially planned 2020 Congress remain valid.

Referring to the ISU letter dated March 24, 2020 and since the 2020 ISU Congress will not take place as scheduled, the Council, in line with Article 10, paragraph 4 of the ISU Constitution, shall ask ISU Members for a mail vote on the motions on the Agenda that the Council considers urgent and essential for the correct administration of the ISU. When considering this provision, and also taking into account legal advice, the Council has concluded that in order not to risk possible court challenges against mail votes on the basis of an alleged violation of membership rights, the term "urgent and essential for the correct administration of the ISU" needs to be construed in a narrow way. Only motions whose immediate entering into force is necessary or which are critical for the correct functioning of the ISU may be put to vote. Typically, this is the case only for Congress Agenda items listed below. Therefore, such a mail vote will not include motions concerning amendments to the Constitution, General Regulations, Special Regulations and Technical Rules which call for a meaningful debate which is basically the core purpose of the Congress.

The urgent and essential agenda items identified by the ISU Council for the correct administration of the ISU being subject to a mail vote are:

  1. Approval of the Minutes of the previous Congress (2018 Sevilla) (Art. 31, paragraph 8 of the ISU Constitution)

  2. Report by the Auditors (including the 2019 Financial Statements, Notes to the Financial Statements and Annual Report 2019 of the Council) with respect to the financial administration of the ISU since the last Congress, the approval thereof and the discharge of the Council, Director General, Treasurer, and the Sports Directors with respect thereto. (Art. 31, paragraph 14 of the ISU Constitution)

  3. A Budget for the years 2020 and 2021 and the approval thereof (Art. 31, paragraph 17 of the ISU Constitution).

  • The Minutes of the 2018 Congress have already been distributed to ISU Members and are also available on the ISU website (https://www.isu.org/inside-isu/rules-regulations/isu-congresses/24245-full-isu-congress-2018-minutes-16042019-1/file)

  • The Report of the Auditors (including the 2019 Financial Statements, Notes to the Financial Statements and Annual Report 2019 of the Council) will be distributed during the month of May 2020.

  • For the 2020-2021 Budget, the ISU Secretariat, Treasurer and the Council need some time to properly assess the negative financial consequences of the cancellation and pending possible postponement of three ISU 2020 Championships. The Budget will therefore be finalized and published during the Spring.

  • In line with Art. 10, paragraph 4 of the ISU Constitution, the Council shall ask ISU Members for a mail vote on the above-mentioned items as soon as possible but latest six weeks after the originally fixed date of the planned 2020 Congress (by July 20, 2020).

  • All other reports (President, Development Coordinator, Disciplinary Commission, Legal Advisors, Status Reports on the Four Year Plans) will be prepared for presentation during the 2021 Congress and cover the three year period between the 2018 and 2021 Congresses.

As to the Proposals for amendment of the ISU Constitution, General Regulations, Special Regulations and Technical Rules, the following procedure shall apply:

  1. All Proposals currently submitted for the 2020 Congress Agenda by ISU Members, the Technical Committees and the Council remain valid and included on the Agenda for the 2021 Congress.

  2. ISU Members and Technical Committees as well as the Council may further amend their Proposals and add new Proposals in accordance with the provisions of Article 30, paragraph 2 of the ISU Constitution, namely:

a) Constitution, General Regulations, Special Regulations

ISU Members and Technical Committees must send new and/or amendments to previously submitted proposals on the current 2020 Congress Agenda, for changes in the Constitution, General Regulations and Special Regulations for inclusion in the agenda to the Secretariat by December 1, 2020.

New and/or amendments to previously submitted proposals on the current 2020 Congress Agenda, of the Technical Committees must be submitted for preliminary review by the Legal Advisors by November 15, 2020.

A summary of proposals from ISU Members, the Council and Technical Committees for changes in the Constitution, General Regulations and Special Regulations shall then be sent to all ISU Members, the Council, the Sports Directors and the Technical Committees by January 31, 2021.

ISU Members and Technical Committees may submit amendments to their own previous proposals to the Secretariat by March 30, 2021.

An updated agenda for the Congress including such amendments, as well as amendments to Council proposals, will be published in an ISU Communication to all ISU Members and Office Holders by April 30, 2021.

b) Technical Rules

ISU Members may send proposals for changes in the Technical Rules for the consideration of the respective Technical Committees and the Sports Directors to the Secretariat by September 1, 2020.

A summary of proposals for Technical Rule changes from the Technical Committees, approved by the respective Sports Directors and the respective Vice President, and of the Council shall then be sent by January 31, 2021 to ISU Members and Office Holders.

ISU Members and Office Holders may submit comments on the proposed Technical Rule changes by March 1, 2021 to the Secretariat for consideration by the respective Technical Committees and the respective Sports Directors.

An updated summary of proposals for Technical Rule changes from the Technical Committees and the Sports Directors, approved by the respective Vice President (Article 16, paragraph 3.e) applies) and of the Council, shall then be included in the Congress Agenda and published through an ISU Communication to all ISU Members and Office Holders by April 30, 2021.