We have the pleasure of inviting the ILS members to participate in the “Rescue 2008 General Assembly and Lifesaving World Championships which will be held in Berlin (Germany) from Friday 18 July

We have the pleasure of inviting the ILS members to participate in the “Rescue 2008 General Assembly and Lifesaving World Championships which will be held in Berlin (Germany) from Friday 18 July to Sunday 20 July 2008.

The tentative programme, draft agenda of the General Assembly, inscription form, information on the nominations and elections and official nomination form are available upon request at the ILS Headquarters.

The following nominations are called:

1) President and Secretary General

Only Full Members may nominate candidates. Nominations for President and Secretary General shall be called by the incumbent Secretary General from those Members who are entitled, and who desire, to nominate persons to this office.

The statutory period for receiving nominations is four months. Because the Board of Directors meeting was held in February this year, the mailing of the nominations was done later than the statutory period of six months. Therefore, and in order to give the ILS membership the appropriate time, the deadline for the receipt of nominations for the ILS President and Secretary General is 19 April 2008.

2) Regional Directors

Nominations for the Regional Vice Presidents and Directors shall be called by the Regional Secretary and may be received as determined by the Region. The nominations for the Regional Directors are managed by the Regions.

3) Functions within ILS commissions/ committees

Nominations are opened for the following Commissions and Committees listed below. One Commissioner will be appointed to each Commission and One Chair for each Committee. Members will be appointed as per their respective Terms of Reference. Each ILS Commission and Committee must include at least one (1) member from each gender

Drowning Prevention Commission

The Drowning Prevention Commission will provide leadership in the global effort to prevent drowning with an emphasis on reducing drowning of children, in developing countries, regions and populations with high drowning mortality and drowning as a result of aquatic disasters.

The Commission will achieve this by leveraging the drowning prevention expertise of the ILS and member federations, providing evidence and information about drowning, leading collaborations that aim to reduce global drowning, advocate for the issues that reduce global drowning and establishing an ILS Global Drowning Prevention Network consisting of the people, products, processes, research, thinking and knowledge.

It consists of the following committees:

ILS Child Drowning Committee

The ILS Child Drowning Committee is responsible for providing leadership in the global effort to prevent drowning in children.

The Committee achieves this by collecting, analysing, and disseminating child drowning related evidence and information, facilitating collaborations and the implementation of evidence based interventions, advocating the issues of child drowning using a range of targeted communication strategies.

The Committees will educate and advocate for global drowning reduction, as a significant contribution to the UN Millennium Development Goals including Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality.

It will leverage ILS and member federation expertise in this area and target drowning reductions across developing and developed countries.

ILS Drowning Research and Information Committee

The ILS Drowning Research and Information Committee is responsible for providing leadership in the global effort to prevent drowning with an emphasis on the epidemiology of drowning mortality and morbidity, identification of drowning risk factors, evidence based intervention strategies and developing countries, high drowning regions and communities.

The Committee achieves this by advocating the issues of global drowning with an emphasis on epidemiology in a range of internal and external forums, promoting a public health approach to the global drowning issue, collecting, analyzing, and disseminating drowning related evidence, identifying and advocating drowning research issues, promoting the urgent need for consistency and standardization of global drowning data collection strategies, facilitating collaborations aimed at extending the drowning related evidence base, promoting the ILS Global Drowning Network as a means of advocating the issues of global drowning and publishing ILS position statements and issue papers aimed at communicating and advocating global drowning issues.

ILS Aquatic Disasters Committee

The ILS Aquatic Disasters Committee is responsible for providing leadership in the global effort to understand the scope and impact of aquatic disaster related drowning.

The Committee achieves this by collecting, analyzing, and disseminating aquatic disaster related evidence, furthering ILS understanding of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery factors in aquatic disasters, facilitating collaborations that aim to extend the drowning knowledge base with an emphasis on aquatic disasters and advocating the issues of aquatic disaster related drowning in a range of internal and external forums.

ILS Collaboration Committee

The ILS Collaboration Committee is responsible for providing leadership in the global effort to prevent drowning with an emphasis on facilitating collaborations and partnerships aimed at ensuring the ILS position as global drowning leaders.

The Committee achieves this by developing and implementing a system to identify, evaluate and secure mutually beneficial collaborations, partnerships and alliances, establishing Collaboration Centres to facilitate and promote the mission and work of ILS in regions or lifesaving organizations.

The ILS Collaboration Committee will support the ILS Board of Directors and Commission in the facilitation of relationships with collaborating organizations.

Lifesaving Commission

The Lifesaving Commission seeks to enhance the quality of lifesaving and drowning prevention activities throughout the world through identification of best practice, development of recommended minimum standards, promoting and encouraging adherence to these standards, and dissemination of lifesaving information in the areas of public education, medical care, rescue, and lifesaver education.

It consists of the following committees:

ILS Rescue Committee / ILS Education Committee

The Rescue Committee and the Education Committee seek to enhance the quality of lifesaving and drowning prevention activities throughout the world through identification of best practice, development of recommended minimum standards, encouraging adherence to these standards, and dissemination of lifesaving information in the areas of rescue and lifesaver education.

ILS Medical Committee

The ILS Medical Committee seeks to reduce the impact of drowning and other aquatic injuries throughout the world by providing leadership on related medical issues and by assisting in positioning the ILS and Member Organisations as the world authorities on drowning and aquatic injury prevention and management.

World Water Safety Conferences Committee

The purpose of this committee is to lead and manage the delivery of a successful ILS World Water Safety Conference series that advances the science of life saving through the provision of opportunities for the exchange display and sharing of the latest advances and developments in water safety and lifesaving.

The Committee will also identify other conferences, seminars, workshops and forums at and in which ILS should participate or partner.

Sport Commission

The purpose of the ILS Sport Commission is to oversee all aspects of ILS sport in the international sport arena. It consists of the following committees:

Technical and Rules Committee

The ILS Technical and Rules Committee shall be responsible for all technical rules – drafting thereof, the revision and research, and the preparation of the necessary manuals relating to ILS sport.

Event Management Committee

The Event Management Committee is responsible for the management, organization and administration of all ILS sporting events.

Sport Development Committee

The Sport Development Committee’s purpose is to develop and extend the ILS Sport of lifesaving in terms of inclusion of groups that has not previously participated. Also the development of the sport into various multi-disciplinary games.

Anti Doping Committee

The Anti Doping Committee has to oversee the ILS anti-doping procedures in accordance with Board approved Anti-Doping Rulers and WADA

Athletes Committee

The Athletes Committee represents the athletes of competitive lifesaving, including masters, national teams, and interClub, and is to build integrity, accountability, and athlete centeredness into the competitive lifesaving sport system at all levels.

All Member Organisations are encouraged to read the ILS Constitution and Bye-Laws before attending the General Assembly on http://www.ilsf.org