International conferences

Servas International Conference and General Assembly (SICOGA)

Servas International (SI) is a global federation which organizes the Servas International Conference and General Assembly (SICOGA), where SI Member Groups and individual Servas members can gather.

The Servas International General Assembly (SIGA) is the business part of the conference and the core proceedings of the meeting are stipulated by Servas International Statutes.

Servas International Statutes (2022) (PDF)

The SIGA is Servas International’s highest decision-making body and is modelled on the United Nations’ General Assembly democratic model: one nation, one vote. Between SIGAs, the SI Member Groups can make decisions through the Servas International Distant Vote system (SI DV).

The global board – SI Exco – has an overall responsibility for the planning and execution of SICOGAs, in close collaboration with the Servas Member Group hosting the event at a venue in one country and working together with a large number of Servas volunteers.

Preparations for an upcoming SICOGA go on for several years. It leads up to a conference where participating individual Servas members can meet and discuss matters at workshops and at other forums.

At the conference a lot of emphasis is placed on cultural entertainment where individual members are invited to either perform or attend as an audience.

As of 2022, individual members and SI Member Groups can attend and actively participate at SICOGAs online in real time or watch recorded sessions afterwards.

Voting at SIGAs

At the Servas International General Assembly (SIGA), the Servas International Member Groups vote on proposals called motions that have been submitted by the member groups or by SI Exco.

Everybody attending the SICOGA is able to attend the SIGA business sessions as observers, but only the delegates from the Servas International Member Groups have the right to speak and vote, according to the Servas International Statutes.

During the SIGA, decisions are made by SI Member Groups eligible to vote. Only Servas Groups that have fulfilled their obligations according to the SI Statutes have SI Member Group status and are eligible to vote through their delegates. SI Member Groups are added and removed by decisions made at a SIGA or by SI Distant Vote.

During the business meeting, the SI Member Group delegates also elect SI Officers for SI Committees and other groups for the next mandate period.

All voting and elections at the SIGA are done electronically and are open to both delegates who are physically present or who participate remotely.