I. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Legal Form and Headquarters
ARTICLE 1
The World Backgammon Federation (the WBGF) shall be an association registered under Austrian law.
The WBGF shall be neutral, politically and religiously.
The WBGF’s headquarters shall be situated in Austria.
The association is officially located at A-6130 Schwaz, Austria.
An executive board (the Executive Board) shall be formed.
Statutes Supremacy
ARTICLE 2
These statutes (the Statutes) shall form the constitution of the WBGF. All decisions and regulations shall be in accordance with these Statutes.
Prohibition of Discrimination
ARTICLE 3
The WBGF shall not allow discrimination based on age, race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, social class, political or other beliefs.
Logo and Flag
ARTICLE 4
The WBGF has a logo and a flag. Description of the logo and flag, its usage and intellectual property protection is regulated by special act which is adopted by the Executive Board.
International Organisations
ARTICLE 5
The WBGF may join other international organisations by the decision of its general assembly (the General Assembly).
Objectives
ARTICLE 6
The objectives of the WBGF shall be to:
a) develop, improve, expand and promote backgammon as a mind sport according to principles of Olympic and sports rules;
b) deal with all questions relating to tournament backgammon taking place in all member nations and where otherwise invited;
c) organise and conduct international backgammon competitions and tournaments at a global level;
d) promote unity among its member nations (Member Associations) in matter relating to international backgammon;
e) safeguard the overall interests of Member Associations;
f) act as a representative voice for the global backgammon family as a whole; and
g) respect the interests of Member Associations, settle disputes between Member Associations and assist them in any matter upon request.
The WBGF shall seek to achieve its objectives by implenting any measures it deems appropriate, such as setting down rules, entering into agreements or conventions, taking decisions or adopting programmes.
Activities
ARTICLE 7
The WBGF’s activities are:
– coordination of activities and preservation and promotion of its members’ interests
– establishment of the development of backgammon policies at a global level
– regulation of the competitions system at a global level
– organisation and conduct of sporting events, particularly an official global championship (the WBGF Team and Individual Championships) and other competitions at a global level
– adoption and implementation of WBGF tournament rules and adoption of acts in connection with their application
– establishment of evaluation and categorization of players, particularly by ratings and titles
– encouragement of development of national organisations, particularly by assisting the establishment of national federations, where none currently exist
– encouragement of ethical and moral standards in sports, respect of human dignity, fair play, tolerance, nonviolence and a general sporting culture
– advocacy for legal recognition of backgammon as a mind sport on the national and international stage
– perform any other tasks which have been determined pursuant to these Statutes and any other applicable rules and regulations
– the pursuit of its own commercial objects in accordance with any applicable laws or regulations in order to finance its activities
Cooperation
ARTICLE 8
The WBGF shall perform the objectives and activities referred to in Articles 6 and 7 of these Statutes directly and in conjunction with its members.
In order to achieve such objectives and activities, the WBGF shall cooperate with any national authorities and international organisations when necessary.
Official Language
ARTICLE 9
The official language of the WBGF shall be English.
II. MEMBERSHIP
Membership
ARTICLE 10
Membership of the WBGF is open to any national backgammon associations, based in a country which is a member of the United Nations (the UN) or has a National Olympic Committee which is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (the IOC), and which is responsible for the organisation and implementation of backgammon-related matters in the territory of such country and which freely and voluntarily accepts the WBGF’s statutes, rules, objectives and activities.
Where an application to join the WBGF is received from any national backgammon association based in a country which is not a member of the UN and does not have a National Olympic Committee which is recognised by the IOC, it shall be put to a vote of the Executive Board whereby: (i) if the Executive Board by a simple majority vote to reject such application, it shall be rejected; or (ii) if the Executive Board by a simple majority vote to accept the consideration of such application, it shall be put to a simple majority vote of the Full Member Associations of the WBGF which may be convened either at the General Assembly or conducted by other communication means including email, telephone, social media or any other method or combination of methods adopted by the Executive Board.
At the General Assembly, decisions on the final admission of new member associations shall be made before any other order of business except modificatons of the statutes. A new member can then fully participate in all matters of the WBGF, in accordance with the membership status that it has been accorded, including any rights to vote, from the moment it is accepted for membership by the General Assembly.
Membership may also be permitted, to those non-profit backgammon associations which are overseas territories of, and have sports autonomy from, the parent state organisation, if such an organisation is in existence and subject to the consent of such parent state organisation, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld.
Subject to any exceptions otherwise referred to herein, only one association per state or territory shall be permitted to become a member.
Member Types
ARTICLE 11
Member Associations may be of one of only three types, Full Member Associations, Associate Member Associations or Observer Member Associations.
Full Member Associations are those which the WBGF considers fully responsible for backgammon regulation in their states or territories and who have all rights and obligations from these Statutes.
Associate Member Associations are those which the WBGF considers not sufficiently developed. Associate Member Associations have the right of participation in WBGF’s bodies, but without voting rights. Associate membership can last a maximum of two years, after which the Executive Board shall reconsider their membership status.
Observer Member Associations are those which the WBGF exceptionally considers as not yet fulfilling all the criteria of being Full Member Associations or Associate Member Associations but where there is a mutual understanding that at an unspecified future time they may fulfill such criteria and be considered for Full Member Association or Associate Member Association status.
Admission
ARTICLE 12
A national backgammon association that wishes to become a member of the WBGF shall submit a written application for admission.
The Executive Board may admit a national backgammon association into membership.
The General Assembly at the next session shall have the power in its discretion to approve or reject the decisions of the Executive Board regarding admission of the national backgammon associations.
Rights of Member Associations
ARTICLE 13
Only Member Associations shall have the following rights:
a) to take part in and exercise their voting rights at the General Assembly. For the avoidance of doubt and notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Associate Member Associations and Observer Member Associations are not permitted voting rights;
b) to draw up proposals for the agenda of the General Assembly. Observer Member Associations shall not have this right;
c) to propose candidates from their own association for the election of the President of the WBGF, the members of the WBGF Executive Board and any of its committees. Observer Member Associations shall not have this right;
d) to take part in WBGF competitions with their representative teams and to enter their players for such competitions; and
e) to excercise all other rights granted to them by these Statutes and regulations and decisions made under them.
Obligations of Member Associations
ARTICLE 14
Member Associations apart from Observer Member Associations shall have the following obligations:
a) to observe the principles of loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship in accordance with the principles of fair play;
b) to comply with these Statutes and regulations and decisions made under them; and
c) to respect and abide by the WBGF Tournament rules.
Member Associations apart from Observer Member Associations shall include the spirit of these obligations in their own constitutions.
Member Associations apart from Observer Member Associations shall manage their affairs independently and with no influence from third parties. Member Associations shall provide in their statutes for a procedure guaranteeing that their executive body is freely elected and that their other bodies are elected or appointed in a completely independent way. Any body or decision from a body that has not been elected or appointed in compliance with such a procedure, even on an interim basis, shall not be recognised by the WBGF.
Member Associations apart from Observer Member Associations shall communicate to the WBGF any amendment of their statutes translated, if necessary, into the official language of the WBGF.
Observer Member Associations shall be expected to collaboratively work towards meeting these obligations and at which time they may be considered for Full Member Association or Associate Member Association status.
All Member Associations shall be obliged to pay the annual membership fee then in effect by no later than the General Assembly each year.
All Member Associations shall be obliged to notify the WBGF in detail of any ethical or disciplinary matters concerning any individual or group of individuals that such Member Association becomes aware of in order to assist the WBGF in achieving its objectives as specified in Article 6 above.
Withdrawal and Termination of Membership, Exclusion, Dissolution of a Member Association
ARTICLE 15
A Member Association may withdraw its membership at the end of the WBGF’s financial year, provided that it has given a minimum of six months’ written notice to the body administering the WBGF (the Administration).
If a Member Association is dissolved, its membership of the WBGF shall terminate at the same time.
A Member Association may be excluded from the WBGF if it has:
a) failed to settle its financial obligations towards the WBGF; or
b) seriously breached these Statutes or a regulation or decision made under them; or
c) lost its qualified status as a representative national backgammon association.
The exclusion of a Member Association shall be decided by the General Assembly. The exclusion must be supported by two-thirds or more of the General Assembly, and at least half of the total number of Member Associations must be present.
A Member Association shall be obliged to settle all outstanding financial obligations due to the WBGF prior to its withdrawal or dissolution and/or the termination of its membership.
Suspension
ARTICLE 16
If, in the opinion of the Executive Board, a Member Association has commited a serious breach of these Statutes or regulations and decisions made under them, the Executive Board shall be entitled to suspend the membership of the Member Association with immediate effect.
A Member Association may in particular be suspended if:
a) it can no longer be considered as fully responsible for the organisation of backgammonrelated matters in its territory; or
b) it is no longer in a position to perform its statutory tasks in an appropriate manner; or
c) the smooth running of competitions organised under its auspices in no longer guaranteed; or
d) the free election of its executive body is no longer ensured.
Any suspension shall be submitted to the next General Assembly for consideration as to whether or not the Member Association should be excluded, or the suspension lifted or continued. If the General Assembly does not consider the matter, the suspension shall cease.
III. ORGANS
Organs
ARTICLE 17
The organs (each an Organ and together the Organs) through which the WBGF may act shall be:
– the General Assembly
– the Executive Board
– its president (the President)
– its general secretary (the General Secretary) and Administration General Assembly does not consider the matter, the suspension shall cease.
1. GENERAL ASSEMBLY
General
ARTICLE 18
The General Assembly shall be the supreme organ of the WBGF. Only a duly convened General Assembly shall have the power to make decisions. The General Assembly is convened by the President or the Executive Board.
General Assembly: Powers, Notice, Agenda
ARTICLE 19
General Assembly shall be held every year.
Matters within the power of General Assembly shall be the:
– election of tellers;
– election of three delegates to verify the minutes of the General Assembly;
– receipt and consideration of the President’s and Executive Board’s report;
– receipt and consideration of the Administration’s report by the General Secretary;
– acknowledgement of the financial report as well as approval of annual accounts and annual budget;
– election, dismissal and recall of the President of the WBGF;
– election, dismissal and recall of the members of the Executive Board;
– amendment of the Statutes;
– consideration and taking of decisions on proposals;
– consideration of membership applications and the exclusion of a Member Association;
– decisions on the lifting or continuation of the suspension of a Member Association, Executive Board member or a member of another body;
– consideration of proposals for the dismissal of a member of the Executive Board or any appeals committee (such Appeals Committee);
– receipt and consideration of the minutes of the previous General Assembly in accordance with Article 15, if necessary
Notice of a General Assembly shall be given in writing at least three months in advance. The official invitation to attend the General Assembly shall be sent out at least four weeks before the General Assembly is due to take place, together with the agenda, which shall be drawn up by the Executive Board.
Extraordinary General Assembly: Powers, Notice, Agenda
ARTICLE 20
An extraordinary General Assembly (an Extraordinary General Assembly) may be convened by the Executive Board, or at the written request of at least one tenth of the Member Associations, stating the items to be placed on the agenda.
If convened by at least one tenth of the Member Associations, an Extraordinary General Assembly shall be held within one month of the date of the written request. Notice of an Extraordinary General Assembly shall be endeavoured to be sent out at least two weeks before it is due to take place.
The agenda, which shall be drawn up by the Executive Board, shall be sent out together with the notice of the Extraordinary General Assembly. Items may also be placed on the agenda by the Executive Board.
An Extraordinary General Assembly may be held in any manner deemed reasonable by the Executive Board including by remote access by participants using social media platforms such as Skype.
Proposals of Member Associations
ARTICLE 21
A Member Association wishing to include a proposal on the agenda for a General Assembly must submit it in writing to the Administration at least four weeks before the General Assembly is due to take place. In exceptional circumstances the Executive Board may waive this requirement. The proposal must be clearly formulated, together with brief reasons for the proposal.
Chairman of General Assembly, Acting Chairman, Casting Vote
ARTICLE 22
The President or, in his absence, a vice president (the Vice President) elected by the Executive Board shall act as chairman (the Chairman) of the General Assembly. If the Vice President is not present either, the longest-serving member of the Executive Board shall chair the General Assembly.
In the event of a tie in any vote, the Chairman shall have the casting vote.
Minutes
ARTICLE 23
Minutes of all business at the General Assembly shall be taken.
The delegates elected to verify the minutes shall do so in order that minutes may be sent out to Member Associations within 90 days following the General Assembly. The minutes shall be regarded as approved if, within 30 days of their dispatch, no objections are raised by the registered letter to the Administration. In the event that any objections are received, the minutes shall be placed on the agenda of the next General Assembly for consideration.
Voting Rights
ARTICLE 24
Each Full Member Association shall have one vote which shall be exercised on its behalf by one of its representatives (Delegate).
Votes by proxy shall be permitted.
Voting shall be open, unless the General Assembly decides otherwise.
Unless otherwise prescribed in these Statutes, a proposal shall be passed if supported by a simple majority of the valid votes cast. Abstensions shall not be counted. In the event of a tie, the Chairman of the General Assembly shall have a casting vote.
Suspended Member Associations and Associate Member Associations shall not have the right to vote.
Elections
ARTICLE 25
In respect of elections, a person shall be elected in the first ballot if supported by an absolute majority (more then half) of the valid votes cast. If no election is made, there shall be a second ballot, in which the persons supported by a simple majority (most votes) shall be elected. In the event of a tie in the second ballot, there shall be a third ballot, in which the person supported by a simple majority shall be elected. In the event of a tie in the third ballot, election shall be determined by the casting vote of the Chairman.
Elections may be by secret ballot. If the number of candidates is equal to the number of vacant positions, the General Assembly may decide to proceed otherwise.
The President and at least three members of the Executive Board shall be elected during any even-numbered year. The other members of the Executive Board shall be elected during any odd-numbered year.
Coming into Force of Decisions
ARTICLE 26
General Assembly decisions shall be binding on all Member Associations.
Unless otherwise stated, a decision shall come into force three months after the end of the General Assembly. The General Assembly may decide that a decision shall come into force at an earlier or later date.
2. EXECUTIVE BOARD
Composition
ARTICLE 27
The Executive Board shall consist of the President and at least six other members elected by the General Assembly.
The Executive Board shall not include more then one representative of the same Member Association.
The Executive Board shall elect the Vice President and a treasurer (the Treasurer) among its members. The President shall be entitled to propose candidates.
Term of Office
ARTICLE 28
The term of office of the President and members of the Executive Board shall be two years. Three members, or three members and the President, shall be elected every year. All members are eligible for re-election.
The term of office of the President and members of the Executive Board starts at the close of the General Assembly at which they are elected and ends at the close of the General Assembly at which their successors are elected.
If a vacancy occurs, the next General Assembly shall elect a replacement for the remaining term of office.
Powers of the Executive Board
ARTICLE 29
The Executive Board shall have the power to adopt regulations and make decisions on all matters which do not fall within the legal or statutory jurisdiction of the General Assembly or another Organ.
The Executive Board shall manage the WBGF, except to the extent that it has delegated such management, or unless such management has been delegated by the Statutes to the President or the Administration.
Duties of the Executive Board
ARTICLE 30
The Executive Board shall have the following untransferable and irrevocable duties:
a) overall control of the WBGF and the issue of necessary instructions;
b) definition of organisational structure;
c) form and supervision of book-keeping;
d) appointment of the General Secretary and a deputy general secretary (the Deputy General Secretary) upon proposal of the President;
e) dismissal of the General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary upon proposal of the President or by a decision supported by two-thirds or more of all members of the Executive Board;
f) overall supervision of the Administration, including the General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary, especially in terms of observance of laws, the Statutes, regulations and orders;
g) approval of the annual business plan of the Administration;
h) compilation of a written report for presentation to the General Assembly;
i) examination of the Administration’s report to the General Assembly;
j) appointment of members, if a vacancy occurs on the Executive Board until the next General Assembly.
The Executive Board may delegate the preparation and implementation of its decisions or the supervision of business to to one or more of its members.
Delegation of Management
ARTICLE 31
In accordance with a set of organisation regulations issued by it, the Executive Board shall be authorised to delegate management, either fully or partially, to the President, to one or more of its members, and/or to the Administration.
This set of organisational regulations shall govern the management, define the necessary posts, outline the corresponding duties and govern reporting.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Administration (which shall include any treasury or accounting functions) may be carried out by suitable individuals appointed by the Executive Board.
Frequency of Meetings and Quorums
ARTICLE 32
The Executive Board shall as a general rule meet once every month. It shall be convened by the President. At the request of at least four voting members, the President shall convene a meeting of the Executive Board within two weeks of such a request being made. The President may invite third parties to attend meetings in an advisory capacity.
The Executive Board shall have a quorum of more then half of its voting members, including the President or, in his absence, the Vice President.
Decisions of the Executive Board shall come into immediate force, unless the Executive Board decides otherwise.
For the avoidance of doubt, any meetings may take place remotely.
Voting and Elections Procedures, Minutes
ARTICLE 33
Unless decided otherwise, a decision shall be made in elections and votes if supported by more then half of the votes cast by the voting members present. In the event of a tie in votes or elections, the President shall have the casting vote. Votes shall be open unless the Executive Board decides otherwise.
Minutes of all business conducted at a meeting shall be taken. The minutes shall be sent to all members of the Executive Board before the next meeting.
For the avoidance of doubt, any voting may take place remotely including by way of online poll as deemed appropriate by the Executive Board.
Suspension of Members of the Executive Board and other Organs, as well as Removal of Members of other Committees
ARTICLE 34
The Executive Board may suspend a member of the Executive Board or a member of another Organ, until the next Ordinary General Assembly where it considers such person to have commited a gross dereliction of duty or an act of improper conduct.
The Executive Board may remove from office a member of any committee, and appoint a replacement for the remaining period of the term of office where it considers that person to have commited a gross dereliction of duty or an act of improper conduct.
Such decisions shall be made if supported by at least half of all voting members of the Executive Board. A member of the Executive Board affected by the decision shall not be entitled to take part in the deliberations or vote.
Committees
ARTICLE 35
The Executive Board can establish working bodies and committees for particular domains.
By a decision on the establishment of working bodies and committees, the Executive Board shall specify the composition, scope and method of work of the working bodies and committees.
For specific actions and tasks, the Executive Board may appoint an individual.
3. PRESIDENT
Powers and Duties of the President
ARTICLE 36
The President shall represent the WBGF.
The President shall chair the General Assembly, as well as meetings of the Executive Board.
In the event of a tie in any vote, the President shall have the casting vote.
The President is responsible for:
– relations between the WBGF and its Member Associations
– relations between the WBGF and political bodies and international organisations
– implementing the decisions of the General Assembly and the Executive Board through the Administration
– supervising the work of the Administration.
In carrying out these responsibilities, the President shall consult with the Executive Board. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall assume his powers and duties.
Mandate and Candidates
ARTICLE 37
The mandate of the President shall be two years.
A candidate for the president can be proposed by every full member or a delegate in the General Assembly.
Treasurer
ARTICLE 38
The Treasurer shall take care of all activities related to material and financial operations of the WBGF, including observance of any local legal requirements relating to accounting.
The Treasurer shall submit an annual report on his work to the General Assembly.
Administration – Duties of the General Secretary
ARTICLE 39
The General Secretary shall be responsible for the organisation, management and direction of the Administration.
The following duties in particular shall be delegated to the General Secretary:
– representation of the WBGF, as delegated by the WBGF President
– appointment and dismissal of staff of the Administration
– submission of annual business plan
– compilation of a written report for presentation to the Ordinary General Assembly
– drawing up estimate for income and expenditure
– initation of expenditure within the framework of the budget
– coordinate activities with the members, monitor their activities
– harmonise material and other work conditions and provide that the activities and tasks are performed in time
and quality in line with decisions, conclusions and work program of the WBGF and its bodies,
– prepare sessions of the General Assembly and Executive Board with the President
Further duties of the Administration shall be defined by the Executive Board in detail.
The General Secretary may delegate his duties to the Deputy General Secretary.
Such duties shall be defined in regulations to be approved by the Executive Board.
Appointment, Meetings
ARTICLE 41
The Executive Board shall appoint the General Secretary and the Deputy General Secretary.
The General Secretary and the Deputy General Secretary shall attend the meetings of General Assembly, the Executive Boards and committees, and take an advisory part in the deliberations. The General Secretary may be represented by the Deputy General Secretary.
ARTICLE 42
The General Secretary shall have the right and obligation to participate in the work of all the bodies of the WBGF.
In case he should identify irregularity in the work of the bodies of the WBGF, the General Secretary shall warn them and indicate the need to eliminate the irregularity, and in case the warned body should persist on the adopted act, the General Secretary shall be obliged to report this to the General Assembly.
ARTICLE 43
The General Secretary shall be independent in his work.
For his work, he shall be responsible to the Executive Board and President of the WBGF.
ARTICLE 44
The General Secretary can be relieved of duty due to an identified lack of knowledge and skills for performing the function of the General Secretary, failure to implement decisions of the Executive Board and other bodies, unlawful and irregular work, abuse of function and in other instances when his work or omissions caused significant damage or disturbed the fulfilment of the tasks of the WBGF. A decision on relieving of duty the General Secretary shall be made by the Executive Board upon a proposal by the President.
IV. RECALL OF MEMBERS OF FEDERATION BODIES
Appointment, Meetings
ARTICLE 45
The General Assembly may recall members of the WBGF bodies if they negligently perform their obligations, fail to be present at the sessions or damage the WBGF in any way.
The mandate of a newly elected member of the bodies shall last until the expiration of the mandate of the person in whose place such member was elected.
V. MATERIAL AND FINANCIAL OPERATIONS
ARTICLE 46
The assets of the WBGF shall include:
1. immovable property including any intellectual property rights
2. movable property
3. funds
4. any other property or other rights of the WBGF
Other Sources Pursuant to Law and Regulations
ARTICLE 47
Revenue and expenditures of the WBGF shall be determined by the financial plan.
The Executive Board shall appoint a legal or physical person to manage the accounting and financial operations of the WBGF.
An annual report on material and financial operations shall be submitted by the President to the Assembly for discussion and approval.
ARTICLE 48
The WBGF shall keep business books and develop financial reports pursuant to regulations governing the accounting procedures of non-profit organisations.
VI. ARBITRATION COURT
ARTICLE 49
(1) An internal arbitration court (the “Arbitration Court”) shall be appointed to settle all disputes concerning the association. It is an “arbitration institution”
in the sense of the Austrian Association Act (“Vereinsgesetz”) 2002 and not an arbitration court according to §§ 577 ff ZPO (“Zivilporzessordnung” – Austrian Code of Civil Procedure ).
(2) The Arbitration Court shall be composed of at least three Executive Board members (“Arbitrators”). It shall be formed in such a way that one party to the dispute nominates a member as Arbitrator in writing to the Executive Board. Upon request by the Executive Board within seven days, the other party to the dispute shall nominate a member as Arbitrator within 14 days. After notification by the Executive Board within seven days, the Arbitrators nominated shall elect a third Executive Board member as chairman of the Arbitration Court within a further 14 days. In the event of a tie, the nominees shall be decided by lot. The members of the Arbitration Court must be independent of the matter in dispute.
(3) The Arbitration Court shall reach its decision by a simple majority of votes after hearing both sides and taking into account any relevant information it deems appropriate. Any decision reached by the Arbitration Court shall be final.
(4) In online tournaments, the tournament director makes all decisions in the first instance; in the event of an appeal, an arbitration panel consisting of at least 3 members of the WBIF Committee must make the final decision. The WBIF rules in English are the basis.
VII. AUDITORS
ARTICLE 50
(1) Two auditors are elected by the General Assembly for a period of 2 years. Re-election is possible. The auditors must be independent to the subject of the audit.
(2) The auditors shall be responsible for the ongoing control of the business and the financial management of the association with regard to the accuracy of accounting and the use of any funds in accordance with these Statutes. The Executive Board shall submit the necessary documents to the auditors and provide them with the required information. The auditors shall report to the Executive Board.
(3) Legal transactions between auditors and the association require the approval of the General Assembly.
VIII. TERMINATION OF THE WBGF
ARTICLE 51
The WBGF shall terminate its activities if such decision is made by the General Assembly by at least three quarters of the votes of the total number of the members of the General Assembly entitled to vote upon a discussion, or based on any relevant law or other regulations governing such matters.
In case of the termination of the WBGF, the remaining assets of the WBGF shall be allocated to organisations with similar objectives.
IX. PUBLIC NATURE OF ACTIVITIES
ARTICLE 52
The activities of the WBGF shall be public.
The public nature of the activities shall be obtained by:
– the timely provision of discussion materials to the members of the WBGF bodies and other invited and interested persons
– informing the public press and other public media on convening sessions
– informing the public about the activities and business operations of the WBGF through the media and in press conferences
– any other means
Exceptionally, when required by the agenda contents, sessions of the Executive Board and other bodies of the WBGF may be closed to the public.
X. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND AWARDS
ARTICLE 53
The WBGF shall present recognitions and awards in the honour of outstanding contributions to the development of backgammon at a global level.
The Executive Board shall present awards and recognitions by its decision, based on awards and recognitions determined by the Executive Board in consultation with, and on behalf of, the General Assembly.
XI. INTERIM AND FINAL PROVISIONS
ARTICLE 54
The Statutes may only be changed and adopted by the General Assembly, by a majority vote of the members of the General Assembly.
ARTICLE 55
Interpretation of the provisions of these Statutes shall be provided by the General Assembly.
Interpretation of other acts shall be provided by the Executive Board.
ARTICLE 56
These Statutes shall enter into force on the date of their adoption.
These Statutes shall be available to all Member Associations at all times.