EGM 2021: Bylaws Amendments and Key Procedural Points

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Extraordinary General Meeting

To overcome the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, we evolve together with our members to face adverse global circumstances and continue carrying out our mission. 

As a global organisation, we have sought new ways to effectively address the needs and aspirations of the members of the WONCA family. Although technology is increasingly supporting our efforts, for some important processes such as the Meetings of Council, the use of electronic means is not contemplated in our current Bylaws; they were drafted when information technology was not yet essential. 

For this reason, we have called for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of Council from Tuesday 11 to Sunday 16 May 2021, to amend our bylaws and allow sessions to be conducted digitally. The result of the EGM meeting will be then ratified during our Meeting of Council in Abu Dhabi in November 2021.

EGM Procedure

The EGM will span over six days from Tuesday 11 to Sunday 16 May. During these six days, delegates will be able to attend the EGM by logging into a dedicated online platform, consulting the pre-recorded material and documents, and voting on the proposed amendments. 

It is important to note that there will be no live meetings during these six days.  

The dedicated EGM platform (available from 11 to 16 May) and voting process will be supported by LUMI. The company is a well-known leader in services for interactive real-time voting and audience engagement. With their proprietary technology, they run more than 5,000 General Assemblies / Annual General Meetings globally not only for associations, but also for companies, legislative bodies, etc. 

Voting for the EGM of Council will be secure. The company is certified to the ISO 27001 standard and is compliant to the General Data Protection Regulation: all data will be stored on Amazon Web Services to ensure uninterrupted service and will be encrypted at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.2). 

Voting for the EGM of Council will be transparent. As it is customary in our Meetings of the Council, scrutineers will follow the EGM and verify the result. Three WONCA Past Presidents have already agreed to participate as scrutineers and we are highly appreciative of their time and commitment to our organisation. We will inform you about the list of scrutineers in a separate communication in the coming weeks. After their verification, the results of the EGM will be approved by Dr Donald Li, WONCA President. 

Although the six days of EGM do not include any live meetings, there will be an opportunity for live engagement through two informative Q&A Sessions on Zoom in March and April.

Q&A Sessions

Before the EGM, we will host two explanatory Q&A sessions to discuss with you and address any questions. The two sessions will be hosted by Dr Donald Li, WONCA President, and Prof. Shabir Moosa, Chair of the WONCA Bylaws Committee and WONCA Africa President. The sessions will also feature the participation of other members of the Executive Committee.

The first Q&A session will be at a convenient time for Member Organisations of the Eastern hemisphere on Saturday 27 March at 05:00 UTC. 

The second Q&A session will be at a convenient time for the Western hemisphere on Saturday 10 of April at 15:00 UTC.


Q&A Guide
VIDEOS: Extraordinary General Meeting and Amendments Proposal

Key Considerations 

What are the proposed amendments? 

Please make sure to watch the two videos from Dr Donald Li, WONCA President, and Prof. Shabir Moosa, Chair of the WONCA Bylaws Committee and WONCA Africa President, regarding the Extraordinary General Meeting. They offer a detail explanation of the proposed amendments to WONCA Bylaws. The videos are also available with Spanish subtitles. 

A list of the proposed modification is also attached on this page. 

How to participate in the EGM? 

It is important to note that in order to have access to the EGM and participate in this crucial process, your organisation should declare the focal points of contact in the form that was sent at the beginning of February to all Member Organisations of WONCA. If you have not received the communication, please contact us at [email protected].

After receiving your declaration of focal points of contact, we will then request you to certify your Official Representative, who will receive access to the EGM platform and be able to vote. It will also be possible to certify proxy for another organisation. 

Finally, it is fundamental that your organisation present no outstanding balance or membership dues in the previous years. 

How to register to the Q&A sessions? 

Invitations to register to the Q&A sessions will be sent out in the coming weeks from our Secretariat. 

How to stay informed? 

Future communications will be made available via email (make sure to fill in the declaration of focal points of contact) and in this section of the website. 

For further information, please submit your questions or comments to the CEO at the email [email protected].

Important Dates: Mark Your Calendar! 

• The EGM will start on Tuesday 11 May 2021 at 00:00 UTC (When is that in my local time?) 

• The EGM will end on Sunday 16 May 2021 at 17:00 UTC (When is that in my local time?) 

• The first Q&A session will take place on Saturday 27 March at 05:00 UTC (When is that in my local time?) 

• The second Q&A session will take place on Saturday 10 of April at 15:00 UTC (When is that in my local time?)

Read the President’s Announcement