The 2023 IFMGA General Assembly was held on the 24th of November in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The IFMGA President, Urs Wellauer, opened the General Assembly by extending a warm welcome to all Delegates. He expressed gratitude to the KMGA for their exceptional organization of the event, with special appreciation for Misha Danichkin and Pavel Vorobiev.

These are some of the highlights from the meeting: 

1. The president made the review of the previous Assembly, highlighting key decisions from the 2022 General Assembly, including motions, elections, and their unanimous acceptance and reviewed the annual Report. The Treasurer then presented the financial report, which was accepted by the Delegates. The Board was discharged of its financial responsibilities unanimously.
2. Workshops Overview: Reports from various workshops discussed sustainability projects, professional development, international collaborations, and initiatives in various countries.
3. Budget Approval: Membership fees and budgets for the upcoming year were unanimously approved.
4. New Board Member Election: Michael Lentrodt from VDBS, Germany, was elected for a 3-year term.
5. Elections for Vice Presidents: Javier Garrido and Angela Hawse were elected as Vice Presidents. Kurt Walde replaced Hervé Qualizza as President of the Technical Commission due to health reasons.
6. Motion ESAC: The Motion of the Environmental and Sustainable Access Committee (ESAC) was presented during the Workshops by Carl Lundberg. In this motion, several topics were discussed regarding the work the commission is doing. 
7. Future Meetings and Competitions: The next Spring Technical meeting is scheduled from 20th to 24th of May in Chamonix. Several dates for climbing and ski events in 2024, 2025 and 2026 were also presented.
8. The next General Assembly is proposed to take place in Prague, Vienna for 03.11. – 09.11.2025 but the date needs to be confirmed.
9. Board Motion re Honorary Member: the Board proposes Juliana Garcia, having given outstanding services to the IFMGA, an elected Honorary Member. The Delegates accepted this unanimously and gave her a standing ovation. Juliana became the first woman to occupy a seat on the board, and the first person outside the European continent to be in this position.

Closing Words: 

The President reminded the Delegates that in one year, at the next General Assembly, a President Elect and a President Elect of the Technical Commission must be elected. 

He thanked the Managing Committee for the great work in the past year and wished all the best to Michael Lentrodt and to the Technical Committee.