United World Wrestling (UWW)

History

United World Wrestling (UWW) is the international Governing Body for the sport of amateur wrestling; its duties include overseeing wrestling at the Olympics.

Olympic Sports

• Greco-Roman Wrestling
• Free Style Wrestling

Non- Olympic Sports

• Grappling and others.

It presides over international competitions for various forms of wrestling, including Greco-Roman wrestling, Freestyle wrestling, Grappling, for men and women, as well as others. The flagship event of UWW is the Wrestling World Championships. It was formerly known as the FILA (French: Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées, lit. ’International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles’), having assumed its current name in September 2014.
UWW is now based in Corsier-sur-Vevey, outside of Lausanne, Switzerland. The official languages are English and French. UWW is governed by a congress made up of representatives from each of the 176 national wrestling federations (the nation’s governing body for wrestling). National federations that at least govern the two Olympic wrestling styles are admitted as affiliate members. Those national federations that exclusively govern traditional wrestling and other styles can be admitted as associated members. Up to three representatives from each federation may attend the conference, and only one may vote. The congress meets at least every two years, usually during the Olympic Games or during the World Championships that meet between Olympic Games. The UWW Congress in turn elects members of the UWW Bureau and the UWW President.
The bureau serves as the directing and administrating body of UWW. The UWW Bureau is composed of the president, four vice presidents, the Secretary General, 12 other elected members (with two seats reserved for women), the presidents of the five Continental Committees, and an Honorary President who advises but has no vote (currently, Milan Ercegan). Honorary members are also in turn elected to the bureau but do not vote. The President, the Vice presidents, and the Secretary General make up the Executive Committee. Each of the members represents himself or herself personally and has an individual vote in the Congress. No two members represent the same nationality (exceptions may be made for the president, the two female members, the Continental Committee presidents, and the Honorary President).
The UWW President manages the day-to-day affairs of the organization. The president represents UWW at international meetings, before the International Olympic Committee, and before the general public. The current interim President of UWW is Nenad Lalovic from Serbia who has served in that role since 2013. Bureau members and the President serve for six-year terms and can be reelected. Usually one third of the Bureau members are up for reelection every two years.
A Secretary General is chosen by the bureau for six years and is the secondary director of UWW behind the President, serves as secretary of both the Bureau and the Congress, and maintains healthy communication between the national federations, the Continental Committees, the Commissions, and all the departments of UWW. The current Secretary General is Michel Dusson from France.
There are also auxiliary bodies of UWW. One group of auxiliary bodies is the Continental Committee, made up of each of the national federations on each continent (currently Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania). The Continental Committees are directed by an executive bureau composed of a president, vice president, and three other members who all serve for a term of four years. Continental Committees meet at least every two years in the year following the Summer Olympics, in which there is usually the Continental Championship.
Other auxiliary bodies include commissions, which are made of a president, vice president, secretary, and four other members who all serve for four years. Commissions include those dealing with Technical issues; Officiating; Medical Safety and Anti Doping; Promotion; and for Athletes. The members of the commissions are nominated and financially supported by the national federations that they originate from and are generally specialists in the field that the commission supervises.

UWW Constitution Clear about Olympic & Non Olympics Federations:
6.1. Affiliated Members any regularly established national federation governing the Olympic wrestling styles and recognized by its National Olympic Committee, which National Olympic Committee shall be recognized by the IOC, (a “National Federation”) may be admitted as Affiliated Members to the Federation. The following conditions shall be met to apply for membership as Affiliated Members: a) a written request, signed by its President and Secretary General, shall be sent by the National Federation to the Bureau, in which the President and the Secretary General shall confirm the autonomy and independence of the National Federation; b) the National Federation shall adhere to the Federation Articles of Association and regulations and recognize the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne as the only external judicial instance; c) the National Federation shall undertake to impose the Federation Articles of Association and regulations on all its affiliated entities and members; d) the National Federation shall undertake to pay any membership fee(s) and due(s) as set forth in the Federation financial regulations (the “Financial Regulations”); e) The constitution and regulations of the National Federation shall be compliant with the Federation Articles of Association and regulations. The National Federation shall attach to the affiliation written request an authenticated copy of its constitution and regulations signed by its President and Secretary General. National Federations have no right to become Affiliated Members. The decision to accept a National Federation as Affiliated Member is within the exclusive and discretionary competence of the Congress. Only one National Federation per country may be affiliated to the Federation as Affiliated Member. For the purposes of the Articles of Association of the Federation, a “country” shall mean an independent State recognized by the international community. Any Affiliated Member governing the Olympic wresting styles and which is not willing to govern any Other Style shall not be entitled to challenge the recognition, by the Federation, as Associated Members of national sports organization governing Other Styles, provided that the requirements mentioned under letter a) to letter e) above are met.
6.2. Associated Members In order to support the development of wrestling at the international and regional level, national sports organizations governing any Other Style may be admitted as Associated Members, provided that such national sports organizations are independent from any Affiliated Member. The conditions for membership are the same as indicated in article 6.1. Associated Members may attend the Congress without voting rights. They may participate in all friendly competitions and wrestling tournaments on invitation. They shall not organize or enter wrestlers for Olympic wrestling championships in Greco-roman, Freestyle and Female wrestling.

6.3. Autonomy of National Federations Affiliated and Associated Members shall run their activities independently. They shall preserve their autonomy and oppose to any political, religious or economic pressures. Governments and other public authorities shall only be entitled to verify the use of their financial grants by the National Federations. Any infringement to this provision shall be reported to the Bureau of the Federation by the President of the relevant Affiliated or Associated Member.