72nd
IVSA SYMPOSIUM

What is an IVSA General Assembly? The General Assembly (GA) is a deliberative decision-making body of the IVSA where certified Delegates, who represent the countries/supranational organizations with officially recognized member organizations discuss and make motions that affect the IVSA’s actions. Whereas the Executive Committee (ExCo) and the Team of Officials manage the IVSA’s day to day operations, and bring forth new initiatives and opportunities of improvement, the General Assembly is ultimately the highest decision-making body of the IVSA. In order to provide every representative with an equal power to affect the discussion and the decision making in the IVSA, the General Assembly follows a set of rules of parliamentary procedure that explain and codify the actions and behavior of the Delegates, and the proceeding of the General Assembly. Roberts’ Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR) is one of if not the most widely used manuals of parliamentary procedure around the world. However, in addition to RONR, the IVSA General Assembly also acts according to a set of internal regulations written in the IVSA Constitution, and the IVSA Bylaws, which are official documents of the IVSA approved and amended only by the power of the General Assembly itself. By nature, the Constitution is a short document that is meant to be factual. It provides a very basic idea of the IVSA’s Mission, Principles, Objectives, and overall structure. The IVSA Bylaws are longer and more detailed, and provide specific information that codify the governance of the IVSA as a whole, such as Election procedures, Membership, and Finances.