Delegates from 36 nations participated in the 23rd IOF Congress and Ordinary General Assembly held in conjunction with the recent World Orienteering Championships in Aarhus, Denmark.

Norway was appointed organiser of the 2010 World Orienteering Championships (WOC) and the World Trail Orienteering Championships (WTOC) and the 2011 WOC and WTOC was awarded to France.

Israel and Portugal were appointed organisers of the World Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

Åke Jacobson (SWE) was re-elected President of the IOF for the Congress period 2006-2008, and Hugh Cameron (AUS), Marcel Schiess (SUI) and Edmond Szechenyi (FRA) were re-elected Vice Presidents. Leho Haldna (EST), Heikki Kauppinen (FIN), Shin Murakoshi (JPN), Brian Porteous (GBR) and Laszlo Zentai were appointed Council members.

The delegates approved the IOF Strategic Directions 2006 – 2012, and the activity plan and the budget for the Congress period 2006 – 2008. Further, the General Assembly ratified Council’s decision to approve membership applications from three countries. The former associate member DPR Korea was admitted to full membership, and Georgia and Kenya were granted associate membership. The IOF has 67 member countries of which 48 are full, and 19 associate members.

New procedure for the appointment of WOC organisers

The General Assembly delegates approved Council’s proposal for a new procedure for the appointment of WOC organisers. In future, the organisers will be appointed annually, 4 years ahead of each event for foot orienteering and trail orienteering and three years for mountain bike orienteering. Appointments in even years will be made by the General Assembly, as at present. In odd years, the appointments will be made by Council. If World Championships in ski orienteering become annual, the organisers will be appointed according to the same principle as for the other disciplines. Until then, the appointment will continue to be made by the General Assembly.