Movement Charter/Supplementary Document/Amendment Process

These supplementary documents are provided by the Movement Charter Drafting Committee for information purposes, and to provide further context on the Wikimedia Movement Charter’s content. They are not part of the Charter, and therefore are not included in the ratification vote, but they have been developed during the course of the MCDC’s research and consultation process. They include several types of documents:

Information on topics related to the Charter.
Suggestions for policy or process development or consideration by the Global Council after the Charter is ratified.
Processes related to the Charter ratification vote.

Alongside the publication of the final Movement Charter version on June 10, 2024, these supplementary documents were updated on June 18, 2024.

The amendment process follows a structured sequence, ensuring thorough consideration, community input, and final decision-making for amendments in Categories 2 and 3.

Notice of Upcoming Changes:

Initial communication from the Global Council (GC) or relevant committee regarding upcoming changes.
Provides stakeholders with early notification and context for the proposed amendments.

Internal Work and Proposed Draft:

The GC liaisons and GC staff engage in internal discussions and draft proposed amendments.
The proposed draft is reviewed, refined, and then presented to the GC for approval to publish for community comments.

Call for Comments:

GC-approved proposed amendments are published for community-wide feedback.
A dedicated call for comments allows stakeholders to review, discuss, and provide input on the proposed changes.

Work with Comments:

A collaborative phase involving the GC, GC staff, and the community to address, analyze, and incorporate feedback received during the comment period.

Resolution on Changes:

The GC, informed by community feedback and internal deliberations, passes a resolution to adopt the final amended Wikimedia Movement Charter.

Voting phase:

For Category 3 amendments, a voting process similar to the ratification process will be carried out to determine adoption of amendments. First, the GC has to vote in favor of a recommendation to adopt the amendment. Then, it will proceed to the voting phase, which includes votes from the community, affiliates, and the Wikimedia Foundation.
Similar to the ratification methodology, all three groups must vote in favor of the amendment for it to be formally incorporated into the charter.

Category 4 Amendment Proposals

Category 4 amendments are introduced by the Wikimedia Movement and must meet certain criteria in order to trigger the amendment voting process:

The proposal must specify the section of the Wikimedia Movement Charter to be amended, and the reason for the proposed amendment.
The proposal must be posted on Meta in a designated space. Modifications to the proposal must be made there. Public confirmation of support must appear on the Meta page.
The proposal must receive the publicly confirmed support of a minimum of 50 individuals who are eligible to vote, and the proposal must receive the publicly confirmed support of a minimum of 5% of affiliates eligible to vote.
The proposal will remain open for a maximum of 100 days from the time it is posted. If the required publicly confirmed support is not received during that period, the proposal will be closed without further action, and archived as “historical”.

This structured amendment and implementation process ensures a balanced approach to governance, incorporating both Global Council expertise and community input. The Wikimedia Movement Charter strives to uphold transparency, inclusivity, accountability, and sustainability within the Wikimedia Movement by delineating categories of amendments and the corresponding approval processes.