Annual General Meeting of Amnesty International United Kingdom Section

Overview   

The next Annual General Meeting of Amnesty International UK Section will take place 5-6 July 2025, at The Oculus Building, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL. The AGM starts at 11am on 5 July and ends at 4pm on 6 July. 

The 2025 AGM will be taking place over the course of a weekend as part of a wider weekend of activities to celebrate our movement, our democracy and to meet, plan and network together.

The Amplify Summit and AGM will include all of the usual AGM business but will also feature additional sessions to inform, motivate, entertain, build skills and spark conversation. It will be a fantastic chance to meet and socialise with a group of people who share a commitment to human rights.

The event will be open to AIUK Section members and activists, only. The official notice of the AGM (and containing the resolutions) may be viewed and downloaded from the bottom of this page. Further information about the AGM and the Amplify summit will be posted on the website as we move towards the event.

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What happens at the AGM?

The AGM will receive written and verbal reports from the Board Chair, the Treasurer, the Chief Executive, Returning Officer and Nominations Sub-Committee. It will receive the accounts for the previous year and appoint the Section’s auditors, as well as electing the AGM Chair, Standing Orders Committee and Members and Directors Appeals Committee (see “Get Involved” below).

A feature of the AGM is the debate and voting on resolutions that are submitted by the Board and by members of the UK Section. The official agenda and the resolutions are set out in the Notice of the AGM, which can be viewed and downloaded at the bottom of this page. 

How to vote in the AGM

We hope that you will be able to join us at the University of Warwick, or online, but if you are unable to participate on the day, you can still have your say by appointing a proxy to vote for you at the meeting. We refer to this as proxy voting. 

To appoint a proxy/vote ahead of the meeting, you can:

• 1.    Visit www.amnesty.org.uk/vote and enter the Voter Reference Number and PIN, which should have been sent to you separately (from 16 May). Should your session time out or if you are prompted, enter the Control Number 920768.
   
• 2.    Download a copy of the proxy form, available at the bottom of this page, and follow the instructions on the form. Please include your name and Voting Reference Number on the form when returning it.

Proxy voting and appointment opens on 16 May 2025. The submission deadline is 9am on 3 July 2025.

How to take part

We hope that you will join us in person at the University of Warwick. If you are worried about the cost of attending, a limited number of travel bursaries are available for members who need financial support to attend the event. Please contact activistevents@amnesty.org.uk. The event itself is free.

If you can’t get to the University of Warwick, you can participate on the day through your computer, tablet or smartphone. If you choose to participate online, you will be able to view a live webcast of the meeting, comment, ask questions and vote on the resolutions in real time. 

To take part go to www.amnesty.org.uk/AGMLive. You will need the latest version of Chrome, Edge or Firefox. Please ensure your browser is compatible. You will need your Voter Reference Number and PIN, sent to members separately (from 16 May). Please read the Members Online Meeting Guide, available below, for further information. 

Get involved - stand for election at the AGM 

Our AGM elects an AGM Chair, the AGM Standing Orders Committee and the Members and Directors Appeals Committee. These are really important posts for the UK Section’s democratic functioning and we urge members to consider submitting a nomination.

The AGM Chair, elected for one year, is responsible for making sure that the business of the AGM is conducted in an efficient and orderly way. It is the most important role at the AGM but they get lots of support from the Standing Orders Committee and our staff.

The Standing Orders Committee helps the AGM Chair to run the meeting by advising on the AGM rules (known as Standing Orders). They also advise members on the wording of resolutions and ensure that resolutions meet the requirements of Standing Orders. Members of the SOC serve a three-year term.

The Members and Directors Appeals Committee (MDAC) are responsible for considering an appeal made by an individual who has been expelled from the membership, or a Board member removed from office due to an act of serious misconduct or bringing the Section into disrepute. Thankfully, the Committee is rarely needed. Members of the MDAC serve a three-year term.

In 2025, we are looking for nominees for election to the following roles:  

• AGM Chair (for the 2025 AGM) one position 
• Member of Standing Orders Committee (two positions)  
• Members of the Members and Directors Appeal Committee (three positions) 

If you are interested in playing a vital role in the UK Section’s democracy, role descriptions and nomination forms can be downloaded at the bottom of this page. 

As we have not received sufficient nominations for these roles, the deadline for nominations has been extended to 23:59pm on 30 June 2025.

For an informal conversation about any of these roles contact the Nominations Committee by emailing nomcom@amnesty.org.uk. 

Ask the Board a question

On Sunday 6 July, there will be a question and answer session, when the Board and Chief Executive will answer questions from members. If you are asking a question to the Treasurer about AIUK’s finances, you must submit your question not less 48 hours before the start of the AGM, so the deadline is 11am on 3 July 2025. 

Non-financial questions may be submitted by email until 5pm on 5 July, or asked during the Q&A session itself. 

For both financial and non-financial questions, please use the “Questions to the Board and CEO Form”, which is available to download at the bottom of this page.

Emergency resolutions

The deadline for submitting a resolution has now passed. However, members may still submit an emergency resolution. To qualify, it must not have been possible to formulate the resolution and submit it in writing before the original deadline of 7 March 2025. 

Emergency resolutions may be submitted by using the template resolution form, below (disregarding the original deadline). They must be submitted to agm@amnesty.org.uk by 11am on 5 July 2025. However, advanced notice is appreciated.

If your resolution is country-related, you are strongly advised to consult with the relevant AIUK Country Coordinator. Contact details can be found at https://www.amnesty.org.uk/country-coordinators. 

It can also be useful to consult with the Standing Orders Committee to avoid any last-minute problems, or if you need any clarification or information. Please contact soc@amnesty.org.uk.

As many matters can be resolved without a formal AGM resolution, please consider an informal approach to the Section Board by emailing agm@amnesty.org.uk.