At a time when sport is playing an ever more important role in the lives of millions of people, either in top competition or in sport for all, fair play - i.e. a combination of observance of the rules, respect for the opponent, and combatting violence and unfair behaviour - is an essential feature that is deserving of promotion. To this end, the International Council for Physical Education and Sport and the International Sports Press Association in particular decided in 1963 to establish the "International Committee for Fair Play".

The Association

An association governed by the French Law of July 1, 1901 (non profit making bodies) was
established in 1963 in Paris, France under the name: COMITÉ INTERNATIONAL POUR LE FAIR PLAY. Its duration is unlimited.

Aims of the Association

The aims of the Association are the world-wide defence and promotion of fair play with national and international organizations working for sport and education, with high level athletes, also with children, adolescents and those in charge of training them - coaches and trainers.

The Association will therefore have a role of education in fair play, prevention of adverse behaviour, and fostering the fair play ideal. The Association shall refrain from any politicaI or religious activities, will encourage the establishment of national fair play committees, in close co-operation with the various national bodies concerned - ministries, olympic committees, sports federations, media and sports press associations.

The Association may award distinctions in order to honour acts particularly in keeping with its aims. Such distinctions shall be defined in the By-Laws.

Headquarters

The Headquarters of the Association are in Paris, France 75008, 21 rue d'Artois. They may be transferred to any other place by decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Board of Directors.

Composition of the Association

The Association is composed of :
- founding members : the International Council for Physical Education and Sport, and the International Sports Press Association.
- ordinary members
- honorary members
- and contributing members.

Eligibility

May become :
a / ordinary members :
- international organizations concerned with the aims of the Association, such as international sports federations.
- national organizations such as the national committees for fair play, the national olympic committees, national or continental unions of federations, national sports press associations, the sports federations.
- persons admitted on an individual basis, in agreement with the criteria specified under the By-Laws.
b / honorary members :
- outstanding personalities in the fields of sport, education, culture or science, nominated by the General Assembly upon proposals moved by the Board of Directors.
c / contributing members :
- any individual or legal entity having rendered outstanding services to the Association, or having with the agreement of the Board of Directors helped the Association through subsidies.

General Assembly

The General Assembly consists of all members of the Association. It shall convene every two years upon the President's notice or upon the request of at least ten per-cent of the members of the Association. The Notice of assembly shall be sent at least one month before the appointed date, together with the Agenda and drafts of accounts, balance sheet and budget. The accounting period is twelve months .

Votes by proxy are permitted. The Genera1 Assembly shall sit validly when at least a third of its members are present or represented.

Votes shall be counted as follows :
A/ founding members : ten votes each.
B/ ordinary members :
- international associations : ten votes each.
- national bodies: five votes for the whole of national organizations from the same country.
- individual members: one vote each, with a maximum of 5 votes for nationals from the same country.
C/honorary members : one vote each.
D/ members of the Bureau : one vote each.
Benefactor members shall have advisory capacity. Members of the Board of Directors shall be elected by the General Assembly on a secret ballot. The General Assembly shall take all its decisions by an absolute majority of present or represented members.
Only members who are unable to attend the General Assembly may be represented by proxy by another member. Minutes of each session shall be kept , and signed by the President and Secretary General.

The President

The President shall be elected by secret ballot by the Board of Directors for a four-year period.
He may seek re-election.
The President shall be ex-officio Chairman of the Board of Directors and of the Bureau.
Expenses must be authorized by the President.
The President represents the Association in all civil and legal activities.
The President may delegate part of his authority to members of the Administration Council and Bureau, or to any person specifically nominated by the Bureau.
When the President is absent or cannot attend, and has been unable to delegate a member of the Bureau to carry out his functions in his absence, the Board of Directors shall meet and nominate a deputy for the duration of his absence.

Administration Council

a / The Association is run by a Board of Directors comprising thirty members. The Board of Directors is composed as follows :
- twenty-eight members elected by secret ballot for a four-year period by the General Assembly.
- one representative nominated by each of the two founding members.

Members of the Board of Directors shall be renewable by ha1f every two years. Outgoing members may seek re-election.

In case of vacancies, the Board of Directors may provisionally fill the vacancy/vacancies of elected member(s). Such replacements shall become final through decisions by the next General Assembly. The mandate(s) of member(s) so elected shall expire at the time the mandate(s) of the member(s) replaced would normally have expired. expired.

b / The Board of Directors undertakes any appropriate actions to foster fair play...

Bureau

The Board of Directors shall elect a Bureau every two years by secret ballot from among its members. The Bureau will be be composed of :
- one or several Vice-Presidents.
- one Secretary General who shall, in agreement with the President, discharge in particular the executive functions of the Association and shall on behalf of the Administration Council present to the General Assembly at each of its sessions the Report on the Assocition's activities.
- one Treasurer who shall, in agreement with the President and the Secretary General, supervise the financial administration of the Association, and shall on behalf of the Board of Directors present to the General Assembly at each of its sessions the Report on this financial administration. He shall also submit to the General Assembly's approval the final balance for the period covered as well as a draft budget.

Meetings of the Administration Council and Bureau

The Board of Directors shall meet once a year upon the President's notice. The Board of Directors shall in particular be responsible for selecting laureates for the Fair Play Trophies and for awarding any other prizes or distinctions.
The Bureau shall meet twice a year and each time it will be deemed necessery by the President,upon his notice.

Fees

Members shall pay a yearly fee the amount of which shall be determined by the General Assembly.

Amendments to the Statutes

Proposals to amend the Statutes may be submitted in writing by any member of the Association; they must be received by the Secretary General at least three months before the date of the General Assembly. Drafts for amendments must be annexed to the Notice of assembly. Any amendment shall require approval by Two-thirds of present or represented members of the General Assembly to be adopted

Official Languages

The official languages of the Association are French and English. In case of diverging interpretations of the Statutes, the authentic French Statutes shall prevail.

Dissulution

The General Assembly may decide the dissolution of the Association by a majority of two-thirds of its present or represented members and the allotment of its assets to organizations with similar aims in the field of sport.

Bye-Laws

By-Laws, to be laid down by the Board of Directors and approved by the General Assembly, shall specify any details of procedure not provided for by the present Statutes.

1. In agreement with Article 5,letter a/ of the Statutes of the International Committee for Fair Play, the Board of Directors of the Association may admit as an individual ordinary member any person who applies for such admission and meets the following criteria :
- the person must be well-known for his/her sports activities and sportsmanship.
- the person must declare to uphold the statutory aims of the Association.
- the person must pledge him/herself to defend and promote fair p1ay in sport.
Applicant members may be introduced by one or several members of the Association.

2. Individual members have the same duties and rights as other members of the Association. However, in ballots, they have only one vote.

3. Not having attended two consecutive General Assemblies without due reason or not regularly taking part in the activities of the Association may result in the loss of individual membership. Exclusion may also result from any serious breach of ethics. Exclusion shall be decided by a majority of present members of the Board of Directors of the Association.

4. The annual fee is determined by the Board of Directors. Payment of the fee is due at the beginning of each year.

5. Distinctions to be awarded each year by the Association
are as follows:
*Pierre de Coubertin International Fair Play Trophies.
* Honorary Fair Play Diplomas.
* Letters of Congratulations.
The former shall be awarded by the Board of Directors to athletes, officials or organizations for their acts, careers or long-standing action in favour of fair play.

6. The Fair Play Trophies and Diplomas shall be presented to the laureates by the President of the International Committee for Fair Play on the occasion of an official ceremony. The Association shall seek to confer the greatest possible prestige to the ceremony,to which will also be invited the athletes and national organizations of the host country.
   
   
All rights withheld. International Fair Play Committee