Article 3.12.3.12, Annex "AC"
Athletes' Committee
AC.1.0	AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ATHLETES' COMMITTEE
AC.1.1	To gather information and opinions from athletes on their needs and problems with regard to the Olympic Games and ISSF supervised championships.
AC.1.2	To voice opinions and make recommendations on these topics and forward them to the relevant bodies of the ISSF.
AC.1.3	To establish contact and coordinate activities with the Athletes Committees of other international federations.
AC.1.4	To participate in working groups, to ensure the best possible conditions for the training, accommodation and living conditions for the athletes as well as for the conduct of the competitions at the major international championships.
AC.1.5	To support the fight against drugs and doping.
AC.1.6	To establish a direct link with the athletes within the ISSF.
AC.2.0	STRUCTURE
AC.2.1	The ISSF Athletes' Committee must be composed of seven members, four of them elected by the athletes participating in the ISSF World Championships which are held every four years and three members appointed by the ISSF Executive Committee.
AC.2.1.1	In addition to the four elected athletes, three additional athletes will be appointed by the ISSF Executive Committee as equal members of the committee in order to guarantee a balance between continents, genders and disciplines.
AC.2.2	The election of the four committee members was organized during the ISSF Pre-Olympic Test Event and the World Cup in April of 2004 in Athens, Greece. This transition period will only last two years until the World Championships 2006.
AC.2.2.1	The following elections will be held during the World Championships.
AC.2.2.2	The appointment of three additional members by the ISSF Executive Committee will follow in a meeting after the athletes have elected the four committee members.
AC.2.3	To qualify as a candidate, an athlete must never have been found guilty of a doping offence and must have participated in either the last Olympic Games or in the previous or present World Championships.
AC.2.4	The chairman of the ISSF Athletes Committee will be elected by the ISSF Executive Committee in its meeting following the election of the committee members.
AC.2.5	The term of office is four years, and all members may be re-elected, subject to AC.2.3. A member can serve on the committee for no longer than four years after his/her retirement from international competition. The first term of office however is only two years from 2004 until 2006.
AC.2.6	The elected chairman will become a member of the Executive Committee and will participate in all meetings of the Executive Committee as a representative of the athletes with full voice and vote.
AC.2.7	The ISSF Athletes' Committee may hold one or two meetings per year.
AC.3.0	ELECTION PROCEDURE
AC.3.1	The ISSF Member Federations may present a candidate for the ISSF Athletes' Committee according to the Guidelines to the Constitution, but not earlier than two months before and not later than 15 days before the day of the opening ceremony.
AC.3.2	The ISSF Headquarters will establish a list of all nominated candidates including a brief biography. This list will be published on the ISSF website.
AC.3.3	With the accreditation of all participating athletes in the World Championships, each athlete will be issued a voting paper showing all candidates and the information on the voting procedure.
AC.3.4	Each athlete may only vote for a maximum of four candidates from the voting ballot.
AC.3.5	The four athletes, who have received the highest number of votes, will be considered elected as members of the ISSF Athletes' Committee.
AC.4.0	APPOINTMENT OF THREE ADDITIONAL MEMBERS
AC.4.1	The ISSF Executive Committee will appoint three additional members to the Athletes' Committee at its next meeting following the election of athletes.
AC.4.2	The appointment will be conducted by a selection using the list of all candidates for the election.
AC.4.3	In the same meeting, the Executive Committee shall elect the chairman of the Athletes Committee.
AC.5.0	FINANCIAL SITUATION OF THE COMMITTEE
AC.5.1	In general, the ISSF Member Federation that nominated the elected member has the responsibility of supporting the athlete’s participation in committee meetings according to the Guidelines to the Constitution.
AC.5.2	The ISSF Executive Committee will decide on any financial support for the purpose of the meeting and will fix the amount of the daily allowance for each athlete participating in the meeting.
AC.6.0	METHOD OF COMMUNICATION
AC.6.1	There will be an official website for the ISSF Athletes' Committee within the framework of the ISSF website. The internet can be one of the communication tools.
AC.6.2	Announcements will be made in the ISSF NEWS magazine.
AC.7.0	REMARKS
AC.7.1	Athletes elected or appointed to the Athletes' Committee must be aware of their responsibilities as representatives of the athletes.
AC.7.2	They must make every effort to attend all meetings.
AC.7.3	They should be motivated to contribute to the shooting sport and the Olympic movement.
AC.7.4	They should also be responsible for the education of young athletes.
AC.7.5	They should be educated in respect of positions as representatives, or officials, in both international and national federations during the duration of their appointment as members of the Athletes Committee.
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