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The General Assembly
The main function of the annual General Assembly is the administrative and statutory management of EHF, but it usually takes place in parallel with important activities (congresses, conferences, seminars on an international or European level) set up by the Federation or by the host humanist organisation. It is therefore an opportunity to meet and exchange information and experience for the representatives of the member organisations.Those entitled to attend are:-
1 Representatives of full member organisations (who alone may vote)
2 Representatives of consultative member organisations
3 Supporting members (individuals)
4 Experts invited by the Board
5 Representatives of the host organisation
6 Individual members of member organisations and other persons at the discretion of the Board.
Details of past General Assemblies
2010:Â Stockholm
The General Assembly and other meetings (including a conference on Women and Religion) were held in Stockholm, Sweden, on 28-29 May.  The full programme is given here.
2009: London
The General Assembly was held in the afternoon of 5 June in Conway Hall, London. The annual report [also available in French]was accepted and three planning papers were also agreed, including a long-term vision for the EHF. The meeting paid tribute to the retiring General Secretary, Georges Liénard, who had steered the EHF through nine significant years of growth and campaigning.
In the morning before the General Assembly there was an open meeting at which there was discussion on the rule of law and on education - the main contributions can be read here.Â
The following day there was a highly successful one-day conference on Darwin, Humanism and Science (programme here), jointly sponsored with the IHEU and with our member organisations the British Humanist Association and South Place Ethical Society. People queued for returned tickets and the hall was packed with all 450 seats sold. Ed Spencer in his blog Ed's Elite Blog gave the conference an enthusiastioc reaction - read it on this site.
Later in the week, after the IHEU General Assembly, there were other events, including a memorial meeting for Harold (H.J.) Blackham (1903-2009), a pioneer of Humanism, founder of IHEU and first director of the BHA, and a two-day IHEU conference on caste and untouchability.
2008: Athens
Before the General Assembly a half-day seminar was held on the EHF's work in the main European institutions.Â
The 2008 General Assembly was held in Athens, Greece on 15 May. The annual report for 2007 was discussed. At a reconvened General Assembly on 10 July in Brussels revised By-laws were approved.
A one-day conference to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was held the next day.
2007: Torino
The 2007 General Assembly was held in Torino, Italy on 15 June. The President, David Pollock, made some introductory remarks. The annual report for 2006 was discussed.
A conference on Secularism was held the next day in collaboration with the Consulta Torinese per la Laicit delle Istitutzioni and the Unione degli Atei e degli Agnostici Razionalisti (UAAR).
2006: Toledo
The 2006 General Assembly was held in Toledo, Spain on 23 June. The annual report for 2005 was discussed.
It was at this General Assembly that Steinar Nilsen retired as President. Werner Schultz paid tribute to his huge services to EHF in a farewell speech.
A symposium on Promotion of Secularism in Spain, Europe and in the EU was held the next day.in collaboration with Europa Laica.
The EHF published a booklet, The EHF in Europe, to mark its first fifteen years.
2005: Berlin
The 2005 General Assembly was held on Saturday June 25 in Berlin, Germany, with Humanistischer Verband Deutschlands (HVD) as our hosts. The annual report for 2004 was discussed.
A Symposium was held on Saturday June 25 on the Limits of Religious Freedom.
2004: London
The 2004 General Assembly was held on Saturday June 19 in London, UK. The annual report for 2003 was discussed. At this General Assembly and all subsequent ones members discussed and approved the working plan for the following year.
2003: Brussels
The 2003 General Assembly was held on Saturday June 14 in Brussels, Belgium. The annual report for 2002 was discussed.
2002 General Assembly -Noordwijkerhout
The 2002 General Assembly was held on Saturday 6 July in Noordwijkerhout in the Netherlands. The annual report for 2001 was discussed.
Earlier General Assemblies were held as follows:
2001: Ostend
2000: Brussels
1999: Ghent
1998: Utrecht
1997: Strasbourg
1996: Utrecht
1995: Oslo
1994: European Parliament, Brussels
1993: Berlin - a report by Paul Kurtz in Free Inquiry (September 1993) started:
The first Congress of the European Humanist Federation convened in former communist country East Berlin on July 25, 1993, focussed on 'Democracy and Human Rights,' and was attended by officials of post-communist Eastern European and Western countries. The political conditions prevailing in the Balkans and the former republics of Soviet Union were criticized, and pessimistic views were aired on the Eastern European countries' transition from communism to democratization. . .
General Assembly 2007 - President's remarks
General Assembly 2006 - tribute to retiring President
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