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Founders Assembly
Rules of Procedure of the Founders Assembly
Issued by the Secretariat
Chapter I. Purpose, authority and interpretation
These Rules govern the proceedings of the Founders Assembly, its councils, officers, members and Secretariat. They establish a common process for identifying recurring problems affecting small businesses and considering proposed practices to address them.
The Assembly acts through procedures that allow members to contribute privately or publicly, examine evidence, deliberate across time zones and decide proposals by ballot. No provision of these Rules makes the Assembly a regulator, court, trade association for any single company, or representative of a government.
The Founders Charter, RC/A/2026/1, establishes the Assembly and its seven councils. These Rules give effect to that Charter. If a provision of these Rules is inconsistent with the Charter, the Charter governs until amended in accordance with these Rules.
In these Rules, “Assembly” means the Founders Assembly acting in plenary session or by ballot; “council” means one of the seven councils established under the Charter; “member” means a person admitted to participate under Chapter II; “Secretariat” means the Founding Secretariat; and “CEO seat” means a non-member engagement seat associated with the chief executive of an organization whose practice is addressed by a proposal.
“Standard” means a proposed or adopted statement of practice, procedure or commitment addressed to a defined class of organizations. A Standard describes practices and does not make a finding about an individual company. A named CEO may be identified only in relation to an engagement seat or a letter addressed to that CEO.
These Rules shall be applied consistently with anonymity by default, voluntary public identification, equal procedural standing across regions, care in handling reports, and the separation of member deliberation from funder influence.
Headings assist navigation and do not limit the meaning of a rule. A reference to a day means a calendar day unless the rule expressly states otherwise. Where a deadline falls on a day when the Secretariat is not operating, it remains in force unless the Secretariat has announced a procedural adjustment before the deadline.
Chapter II. Membership and participation
Membership is open to founders, owners and operators of small businesses who support the purpose of the Assembly and agree to observe these Rules. A member participates as an individual. Membership does not make the member a delegate of a named business, client, employer, funder or government.
An applicant shall provide the Secretariat with information reasonably necessary to establish eligibility, prevent duplicate accounts, communicate safely and administer participation. The Secretariat may request clarification where an application is incomplete or materially inconsistent. It shall not require a member to publish a personal name or business name.
The Secretariat shall confirm admission in writing and provide the member with a unique membership identifier and a means of accessing Assembly notices, consultations and ballots.The Secretariat shall maintain any identity information separately from public materials, subject to Chapter XII.
Each member has one vote in an Assembly ballot, subject to the eligibility and record-date provisions in Chapter IX. A member may contribute to more than one council, but may not cast more than one vote on the same question. Council participation does not multiply a member’s Assembly voting rights.
Members may choose one of three participation modes: private, identified to the Secretariat only; public, under a chosen public name; or observer, with access to designated proceedings but without voting rights. A member may change modes by notice to the Secretariat. A change does not require a public explanation.
A member may withdraw at any time by notifying the Secretariat. Withdrawal ends access to member-only proceedings and future ballots. It does not automatically remove a report, comment or vote already included in an aggregate record. The member may request correction or removal of personal information in accordance with Chapter XII.
The Secretariat may suspend an account temporarily where there is a credible concern about impersonation, duplicate voting, harassment, disclosure of protected information or material interference with proceedings. The member shall receive written notice of the concern and a reasonable opportunity to respond, except where immediate restriction is necessary to protect another person or the integrity of a ballot. A suspension shall be limited to what is necessary and reviewed promptly.
A decision to refuse admission, suspend a member or terminate membership shall state the procedural ground in writing. The affected person may request reconsideration by a person who was not the original decision-maker. Reconsideration shall normally be completed within 30 days. No adverse decision shall be based solely on a member’s criticism of the Assembly, a council, a Standard or a funder.
Members shall not publish another member’s identity, report, correspondence or contribution without that member’s consent, except where disclosure is required by law or necessary to address an imminent and serious risk. A person who receives such a request shall consult the Secretariat where practicable before disclosure.
Chapter III. Councils, officers and administration
The Assembly shall operate through seven councils: Platform, Cashflow, Fair Play, Trade, Resilience, Red Tape and Team. Each council examines patterns within its remit and may recommend a draft Standard to the Assembly. A council may coordinate with another council where an issue crosses remits, but shall identify one lead council for each proposal.
Councils describe practices affecting a class of businesses or a market function. They shall not present an individual member’s allegation as a finding about a named company. Reports and cases used in council work shall follow the anonymization and privacy safeguards in these Rules.
Each council shall have a chair, a vice chair and a rapporteur. The chair leads meetings and ensures that competing views receive fair consideration. The vice chair performs those functions when the chair is unavailable and supports continuity. The rapporteur maintains the council’s procedural record, including decisions, evidence summaries, draft text and unresolved questions.
Council officers shall be elected by eligible members participating in that council. Elections shall be conducted by secret ballot. The candidate receiving the greatest number of valid votes is elected; where there is a tie for the final position, a further ballot shall be held between the tied candidates. The Secretariat shall publish the result without disclosing individual votes.
Officer terms shall be one year, beginning on the date announced with the election result. An officer may stand for re-election. An officer may resign by written notice to the Secretariat. A vacancy may be filled by a special election or, where less than 60 days remain in the term, by an interim appointment confirmed by the council.
A council may remove an officer for persistent failure to perform the role, serious breach of these Rules or conduct that materially obstructs council work. The officer shall receive notice of the proposed motion and an opportunity to respond. Removal requires a majority of valid votes cast in a ballot with the same quorum applicable to council decisions under Chapter VIII.
The Secretariat shall provide procedural support to the councils, maintain membership and meeting records, circulate notices, administer consultations and ballots, and publish adopted documents. It shall not alter a council’s substantive recommendation without the council’s recorded approval.
The Secretariat may issue neutral guidance on how to apply these Rules. Guidance shall not create a new voting threshold, reduce a member’s rights or amend a Standard. The Secretariat shall publish guidance that materially affects participation and shall invite comments from council officers before doing so.
The Assembly may establish working groups for a defined task and period. A working group shall report to the council or body that established it, identify its members’ relevant interests, and keep a record of its recommendations. A working group may prepare text but may not adopt a Standard or make a final pattern-test determination unless the establishing decision expressly authorizes a limited procedural function.
Chapter IV. Sessions and notices
Assembly sessions shall be held in two sittings across time zones: one intended to provide meaningful access to members in Asia-Pacific and one intended to provide meaningful access to members in Europe, Africa and the Americas. The Secretariat shall publish the schedule, access instructions and agenda at least seven days before an ordinary session.
The two sittings form one session for purposes of deliberation and decision. Members may attend either or both sittings. A member who attends both may speak in both, subject to the chair’s reasonable management of time, but may not receive additional voting rights.
The chair shall seek to ensure that each sitting is accessible to members with different levels of connectivity and language proficiency. The Secretariat may provide written summaries or asynchronous opportunities to submit comments where a member cannot attend. Such opportunities do not replace a formal ballot.
The agenda shall identify each item as informational, deliberative or decision-making. A proposed decision shall not be put to a vote unless the notice states the text or question to be decided, the applicable voting threshold and the opening and closing times of the ballot.
Ordinary council meetings shall be convened by the chair, or by the vice chair when the chair is unavailable. A meeting may also be requested by one quarter of the council’s active members. The request shall identify the business proposed. The chair shall respond within seven days and, where the request is procedurally valid, arrange a meeting within 30 days.
Where circumstances require a shorter notice period, the chair may convene an urgent meeting with at least 48 hours’ notice. The notice shall state why the matter is urgent. No urgent meeting may shorten a consultation period or alter a ballot threshold prescribed by these Rules.
Members may submit agenda items to the Secretariat. The chair shall include a timely submission or explain why it is deferred or outside the council’s remit. A member may request that the explanation be recorded. Agenda decisions shall not be used to suppress good-faith disagreement.
The Secretariat shall maintain minutes or an equivalent record of each formal session. The record shall include the date, sitting, participants by public name or member identifier, motions, procedural rulings, outcomes and declared conflicts. It shall not reproduce private testimony in a way that identifies its source without consent.
Chapter V. Reports and the five-part pattern test
A report may be submitted by a member or by a person invited to provide evidence. It should describe the practice or barrier, the approximate time and place, its effect on the business, and any supporting material the reporter can safely provide. Reports may be submitted anonymously to the membership, but the Secretariat may request a confidential means of follow-up.
Submission of a report does not establish that the reported practice is unlawful, intentional or attributable to a particular organization. The Assembly uses reports to assess whether a recurring problem merits collective examination. It does not adjudicate individual disputes.
The Secretariat shall assign each report a reference and a council or councils for initial review. It may ask the reporter to clarify or redact information. Reports that concern an immediate safety risk, contain sensitive personal data or fall outside the Assembly’s remit shall be handled under the relevant safeguarding and privacy procedures rather than circulated as ordinary evidence.
Before a council advances a proposed problem to drafting, it shall apply a five-part pattern test: Volume, Frequency, Consistency, Spread and Corroboration. The council shall record its assessment against each part, identify material limitations and state whether the test is passed, not passed or deferred for further evidence.
Volume. Volume asks whether the number of independent reports is sufficient to show that the issue is more than an isolated experience. The ordinary threshold is at least 20 substantially relevant reports. Reports that repeat the same event, originate from the same underlying business incident or are otherwise materially duplicative count as one for this threshold. A council may apply a lower threshold only where the potential harm is severe and the evidence is independently corroborated; it shall give reasons publicly.
Frequency. Frequency asks whether the practice recurs over time. The ordinary threshold is evidence of occurrence in at least three separate months within a rolling 12-month period. A council may find frequency established on a shorter period where reports show repeated events affecting multiple businesses and the timing is inherent in the practice. The council shall distinguish repeated incidents from multiple descriptions of one incident.
Consistency. Consistency asks whether reports describe materially similar conduct, effects or procedural failures. The ordinary threshold is that at least 60 per cent of the reports counted for Volume share one or more defined features relevant to the proposed problem. The council shall state those features before applying the threshold and shall explain significant variation rather than treating every difference as disproof.
Spread. Spread asks whether the issue extends beyond one isolated setting. The ordinary threshold is evidence from at least three countries or, where country-level comparison is not meaningful, from at least three independent regions, sectors or organizational settings. A council may find a narrower problem suitable for a Standard if the scope of the proposed remedy is correspondingly narrow and the basis is explained.
Corroboration. Corroboration asks whether the reported pattern is supported by evidence independent of the reports themselves. The ordinary threshold is at least two distinct forms of corroboration, such as public rules or terms, independently gathered records, published data, expert analysis or documented outcomes. Repetition of a member’s account in a second channel is not independent corroboration. Sensitive evidence may be reviewed confidentially and summarized without disclosure of its source.
A problem passes the pattern test when it meets the ordinary threshold for at least four of the five parts, and Corroboration is one of the parts met. A council may not record a pass by simply counting reports. Its written assessment shall identify the evidence and threshold applied to each part.
Where a threshold is not met, the council may defer the decision and identify the evidence needed to complete the test. It may also close the review with reasons. A deferred problem may be reconsidered when additional evidence is available. Closure does not prevent a member from submitting new information.
Evidence used in the test shall be proportionate to the proposed scope and remedy. The council shall consider evidence that complicates or contradicts the initial account. It shall distinguish direct reports, corroborating material, contextual information and inference in its record.
The test is a procedural threshold for collective drafting, not a finding of legal liability, scientific certainty or universal prevalence. A council shall use cautious language where data are incomplete and shall not describe a pattern as proven solely because the threshold has been met.
Chapter VI. Drafting and review
After a problem passes the pattern test, the lead council may authorize preparation of a draft Standard. The authorization shall identify the problem statement, intended addressees, scope and the evidence record on which drafting will proceed.
A draft shall state the practice sought in clear and operational terms. It shall identify who is expected to act, what action is expected, when it should occur and any limits or exceptions. A draft shall avoid language that depends on a member’s identity or requires a reader to infer an obligation from a general aspiration.
The drafting group shall consider feasibility, proportionality, cross-border application, foreseeable unintended effects and the position of smaller organizations within the proposed addressee group. It shall explain the relationship between the remedy and the pattern identified. Where relevant, it shall distinguish a minimum procedural safeguard from a preferred practice.
Drafting shall not name a company as the subject of an accusation. A Standard may describe a category of service, buyer, intermediary, employer or other practice. Names of organizations may appear in a separate CEO engagement record only in accordance with Chapter X.
The council shall maintain a version history. Each draft circulated beyond the drafting group shall carry a document symbol, date and version designation. A revision shall identify substantive changes and, where practicable, the consultation comments or evidence that prompted them.
Before consultation opens, the council shall approve the draft for consultation and publish an explanatory note. The note shall summarize the problem, the pattern-test result, the intended effect of the proposal, the principal alternatives considered and the questions on which specific input is sought.
The Secretariat shall conduct a procedural and clarity review before publication. It may identify ambiguity, privacy risk, unsupported factual statements or a conflict with these Rules. The council retains responsibility for the proposal’s substance and shall decide whether and how to respond to the review.
A draft that fails to identify a clear addressee or asks for action beyond the evidence record shall be returned to the council for revision before public consultation. The reason for return shall be recorded. A return for revision is not a rejection of the problem or of the council’s authority to proceed.
Chapter VII. Public consultation
Every draft Standard shall be subject to public consultation for at least 30 calendar days. The consultation notice shall state the opening and closing dates, the draft text, the explanatory note, how to submit comments and how comments will be used. The Secretariat may extend a consultation, but shall not shorten the minimum period.
The consultation shall be open to members and non-members.The Secretariat shall not imply that anonymous comments have been independently verified.
The notice shall invite input on the proposal’s clarity, feasibility, likely effects, evidence, alternatives and implementation. It may ask focused questions, but shall not limit contributors to those questions. A contribution shall not be excluded merely because it disagrees with the draft.
The Secretariat shall acknowledge submissions where a contact method is provided. It may remove personal information, confidential material, threats, spam, duplicate material or content that presents a credible risk to a person. Any removal shall be limited to the material necessary and recorded in an internal moderation log.
Consultation comments shall be grouped and analyzed by issue, not merely counted as support or opposition. The council shall consider material comments from members, businesses, experts and other contributors. It shall publish a response summary that distinguishes accepted changes, rejected suggestions and matters requiring further work.
A contributor’s name, business identity, contact details or identifying narrative shall not be published without permission. A contributor may consent to publication of a comment while withholding identifying information. The Secretariat shall make that distinction clear in the submission process.
After consultation, the council may revise the draft, return it for additional evidence, open a further consultation or recommend that it not proceed. A further consultation is required where revisions materially change the addressee, central obligation, scope or expected effect. A further consultation shall also last at least 30 days.
The final recommendation shall include the revised text, a consultation summary, a record of material changes and a statement of remaining uncertainty. It shall be circulated to members at least seven days before the Assembly ballot, unless the ballot notice itself provides a longer period.
Chapter VIII. Quorum and conduct of proceedings
A formal decision of a council requires a quorum of one quarter of its active voting members, rounded up, with a minimum of five members. If a council has fewer than five active voting members, a majority of its active voting members constitutes a quorum.
A formal decision of the Assembly requires a quorum of 20 per cent of eligible members, rounded up, provided at least 25 eligible members participate. If the total number of eligible members is fewer than 25, a majority of them constitutes a quorum.
For quorum, participation means a valid vote cast during the ballot period or attendance recorded for a decision taken at a meeting. A person who observes, submits a comment or attends without voting rights does not count toward voting quorum.
The chair shall announce whether a quorum is present before a formal decision. If a quorum is lost during a meeting, no further decision may be taken until it is restored. A procedural discussion may continue, but its outcome shall not be represented as a binding decision.
Members shall address the matter before the meeting, avoid personal attacks and respect the confidentiality choices of other participants. The chair may set speaking limits, invite members who have not spoken, and pause discussion where necessary to restore orderly participation.
A ruling by the chair may be challenged by a member. The challenge shall be put to a vote without extended debate. A majority of valid votes cast shall uphold or reverse the ruling. The challenged ruling remains in effect until the vote is completed.
Meeting decisions shall ordinarily be made by consensus where the chair determines that no material objection remains. If a member requests a vote, or the chair considers that the views are divided, the matter shall be decided by ballot or recorded vote under the applicable threshold.
Consensus does not mean that every member agrees. The record shall state whether a decision was reached by consensus or by vote and shall note any substantial reservations submitted for inclusion. No member shall be described as supporting a proposal solely because the member attended a meeting.
Chapter IX. Ballots and adoption
Assembly ballots shall be administered by the Secretariat through a process that allows one eligible member to cast one vote, preserves the secrecy of individual choices and permits an aggregate result to be checked. The Secretariat shall publish the question, voting options, eligibility record date, opening and closing times, quorum and required majority.
Unless a specific provision of these Rules requires a different threshold, a ballot is valid only if the applicable quorum is met. Abstentions may be recorded but do not count as votes for or against a proposal. Invalid or duplicate ballots shall be excluded from the count.
A Standard is adopted by a majority of valid votes cast for or against it, provided the Assembly quorum is met. Where a ballot offers more than two substantive options, the notice shall state the method for determining the result. The Secretariat shall not introduce a new option after voting opens.
Amendments to these Rules require a two-thirds majority of valid votes cast for or against the amendment and participation by at least one third of eligible members. Adoption of an amendment does not retroactively invalidate a completed ballot unless the Assembly expressly decides otherwise and the rights of participants can be protected.
The ordinary ballot period shall be at least seven days. A ballot notice shall be sent to all eligible members through the contact channel on file. The Secretariat shall send at least one reminder during the ballot period and shall provide a means to report access or technical difficulties.
The eligibility record date shall be stated in the notice and shall be no earlier than the date on which the final ballot text is circulated. A person admitted after the record date may participate in discussion but may not vote in that ballot. No member may be removed from the eligible list solely because the member has expressed a view on the proposal.
The Secretariat shall publish the number of eligible voters, ballots received, valid votes for and against, abstentions, any invalid ballots, turnout and whether the required quorum and majority were met. It shall not disclose individual votes. If the ballot is invalid because quorum was not reached, the proposal is not adopted and may be resubmitted after the reason for low participation has been considered.
A member may raise a procedural challenge within seven days after publication of the result. The challenge shall identify a material failure that could have affected eligibility, ballot secrecy, vote counting or the application of the announced threshold. The Secretariat shall review the matter and publish its determination. A new ballot shall be held only if a material failure is established and cannot be remedied by correction of the record.
The adopted Standard shall receive a final document symbol and publication date. The published record shall include the ballot result and the version adopted. Editorial corrections that do not change meaning may be made by the Secretariat with notice. Any substantive change requires a new council recommendation and Assembly ballot.
Chapter X. CEO seats and external engagement
Following adoption of a Standard, the Assembly may authorize letters to CEOs able to adopt or implement the practices addressed by it. A letter shall identify the adopted text, state the requested action and invite a response. The letter shall not assert that the recipient has agreed, replied or adopted the Standard unless the Assembly has a reliable record of that fact.
A CEO seat is an engagement mechanism, not an Assembly membership, council office or finding of responsibility. It does not confer a vote, access to member identities or a right to direct the Assembly’s work. A CEO or representative may provide a response on the organization’s practices, explain constraints or indicate whether the organization is willing to consider the Standard.
Before a CEO seat is publicly listed or a letter is issued, the intended recipient shall receive at least 14 calendar days’ notice of the proposed engagement, the relevant adopted Standard and the intended form of public tracking. The notice shall provide a contact for correction of factual errors and for requesting an accommodation. The notice period is intended to provide a fair opportunity to receive and assess the request; it does not require a response.
Where a public safety concern or a time-sensitive risk requires a shorter period, the Secretariat may seek a waiver from the Assembly. Any waiver shall be reasoned and recorded. A shorter notice period shall not be used merely to create pressure or to imply that a recipient has been given an opportunity that was not in fact provided.
CEO seat status shall be tracked using the following categories: Proposed; Letter sent; Delivered; Replied; Signed; and Empty chair. “Proposed” means an engagement has been authorized but the letter has not been sent. “Letter sent” means dispatch has been recorded. “Delivered” means delivery has been confirmed. “Replied” means a response has been received. “Signed” means a public commitment to the relevant Standard has been documented. “Empty chair” means no reply is on record as of the date stated.
A status shall change only when the relevant event is documented. A reply is not a signature; a meeting is not a commitment; and a delivery confirmation is not evidence that the letter was read or accepted. A published status report shall show the date on which it was checked.
External engagement shall use the same factual standard as Assembly documents. The Secretariat shall not invent quotations, attribute views without verification or characterize silence as agreement or opposition. If a recipient disputes a factual statement, the Secretariat shall review the claim and correct the record where warranted.
Members may assist with letters or public engagement only under an authorization that preserves the Assembly’s approved wording. No member may represent a personal communication as an official Assembly position unless designated to do so.
Chapter XI. Conflicts of interest and independence
A member, officer, Fellow, staff member or invited contributor shall disclose an interest that could reasonably be perceived as affecting the person’s participation in a particular decision. Relevant interests may include employment, a paid advisory role, a material investment, a current commercial dispute, a leadership role in an affected organization or direct financial support connected to the proposal.
A disclosure shall be made to the Secretariat as early as practicable and, in any event, before the person participates in a decision on the affected matter. The Secretariat shall keep a confidential register and shall publish a concise disclosure where necessary to allow members to assess the decision. Sensitive details shall not be published unless needed for that purpose and lawful to disclose.
A conflict does not automatically disqualify a person from contributing evidence or taking part in discussion. The chair, after hearing the person concerned, shall decide whether the person may vote, lead drafting, review a submission or perform another function. The decision shall be proportionate and recorded with reasons.
A person may challenge a conflict determination by asking the Secretariat for review by an uninvolved officer or designated reviewer. The review shall be completed before the affected vote where practicable. If it cannot be completed in time, the person may participate in discussion but shall not cast a vote on the affected question pending review.
Financial support shall not purchase votes, seats, privileged access to member reports, control over a council’s conclusions, advance approval of text or a right to veto publication. The Secretariat shall maintain a funder firewall separating fundraising and grant administration from evidence assessment, drafting, consultation moderation and ballot administration.
Funders and partners may provide technical information through the same relevant channels available to other contributors. Their submissions shall be identified as such where they are published. A funder shall not select the reports used to pass the pattern test or determine how consultation comments are summarized.
The Secretariat shall disclose material institutional funding and in-kind support in an annual or periodic public account, subject to legal and privacy constraints. A funding relationship shall not be hidden where it could reasonably affect public understanding of the Assembly’s independence.
No member or officer shall promise a result to a funder, external organization or individual before the relevant process is complete. Any attempted interference shall be reported to the Secretariat and recorded. The Assembly may suspend an engagement or disclose the attempted interference where necessary to protect the integrity of proceedings.
Chapter XII. Languages, translation and data privacy
English is the working language for official Assembly documents unless the Assembly decides otherwise. Members may submit reports and consultation comments in another language. The Secretariat shall make reasonable efforts to arrange translation or summary sufficient for substantive review.
Where a translated version is circulated, the Secretariat shall identify the language, the version date and whether the translation is authoritative or provided for convenience. If translated texts differ, the English text governs unless the Assembly has expressly adopted another controlling text. A member may request correction of a material translation error.
Interpretation, translation and accessible formats shall be arranged according to available resources and the importance of the proceeding. The Secretariat shall prioritize materials required to understand a ballot, report a serious concern or take part in a consultation. Members shall be informed where a translation is delayed and shall be given a reasonable opportunity to respond after it becomes available.
The Secretariat shall collect only information reasonably needed for membership administration, evidence assessment, safeguarding, communication and process integrity. It shall not request a member’s business name for publication or require disclosure of commercially sensitive information when a less identifying description will serve the purpose.
Personal data and source-identifying details shall be accessible only to personnel who need them for an authorized function. Reports shall be de-identified before routine circulation to councils. The Secretariat shall separate contact details from substantive evidence wherever practicable.
Members shall be told what information is collected, why it is collected, who may access it and how to request correction or deletion. The Secretariat shall establish retention periods and secure deletion practices consistent with applicable law and the Assembly’s need to preserve an auditable procedural record.
A member may request correction of an inaccurate personal detail or ask that information be removed from public materials. The Secretariat shall respond promptly and explain any lawful or procedural reason why a record must be retained. Requests shall be handled without retaliation or adverse inference.
Where disclosure is required by law, the Secretariat shall, where lawful and practicable, notify the affected person before disclosure and limit the material disclosed to what is required. The Secretariat shall not promise absolute confidentiality where it cannot guarantee it.
Aggregate statistics may be published if they do not reasonably permit identification of a member or reporter. Small counts, distinctive combinations of facts and narrative details shall be reviewed for re-identification risk before publication. The Secretariat may combine, suppress or generalize data to reduce that risk.
Chapter XIII. Records, publication and accountability
The Secretariat shall maintain an official register of adopted Standards, procedural decisions, ballot results, consultation notices and approved meeting records. Each official document shall carry a symbol and date sufficient to identify its status and version.
Drafts, notes, submissions and opinions shall be labeled according to their procedural status. A draft shall not be presented as adopted. A submission shall not be presented as an Assembly finding. An opinion shall be attributed to its authoring body and shall not be represented as binding on members unless adopted by ballot.
Public reports shall use aggregate information and anonymized cases unless an individual has chosen to speak publicly and has consented to the relevant use. Members’ stories shall not be linked to a named business without the member’s express consent and a separate review of privacy and safety risks.
The Secretariat shall publish a periodic account of membership, reports received, council activity, consultations, ballots and adopted work. Statistics shall identify the relevant date and counting method. The Secretariat shall correct a material error promptly and preserve a note of the correction.
Members may request access to procedural records that concern their participation, subject to privacy, security, confidentiality and the rights of other persons. The Secretariat may provide a redacted version where full disclosure would expose another person’s protected information.
Official records shall be preserved for a period sufficient to verify the process and explain the basis of adopted work. The Secretariat shall not retain unnecessary personal data merely because a related document is kept in the public register.
Chapter XIV. Amendments, review and commencement
A proposed amendment to these Rules may be submitted by a council, the Secretariat or at least 20 members. The proposal shall identify the rule to be changed, provide replacement wording and explain the reason for the change.
The Secretariat shall publish a valid amendment proposal and invite member comments for at least 30 days. The proposal, comments summary and final text shall be circulated at least seven days before the ballot. The amendment ballot shall meet the threshold in Chapter IX.
Where a proposed amendment is consequential to a court order or mandatory legal requirement, the Secretariat may publish an interim compliance notice. Such a notice may not create a permanent substantive rule. The amendment shall be put to the Assembly as soon as reasonably practicable.
The Secretariat shall review these Rules with council officers at least once each year. The review shall consider whether members can participate fairly across time zones and languages, whether thresholds are being applied consistently, whether privacy safeguards are effective and whether the ballot process is accessible and auditable.
A review does not itself amend these Rules. Any proposed change shall follow the amendment process. The Secretariat shall publish a summary of the review and identify any unresolved procedural concerns.
These Rules enter into force upon adoption by the Assembly. They apply to proceedings begun after adoption. A proceeding already under way shall continue under the former procedure only where changing the procedure would materially prejudice participants; the Secretariat shall record the basis for that determination.
These Rules were adopted by ballot on 19 March 2026. The Secretariat shall preserve the adopted text as the authoritative record.
Adoption record
Document: RC/A/2026/2
Kind: Rules
Status: Adopted
Date: 19 March 2026
Issued by: The Secretariat
This document has no standing until adopted under the Founders Charter. Reseated Councils is not affiliated with the United Nations.