Our structure

OneWorld is an international network of autonomous cooperative centres, governed by the OneWorld International Foundation.

Current OneWorld Network

OneWorld's governance structure
OneWorld International Foundation is UK Charity No. 1095287 and a company limited by guarantee. It has no shares. It is controlled by members rather than by shareholders and is governed in accordance with a charitable constitution, its memorandum and articles of association.

How was this structure determined?
OneWorld was first launched in January 1995 - named OneWorld Online - under the aegis of a small British charity, the OneWorld Broadcasting Trust (OWBT). OneWorld Online's success, coupled with the enormous growth of the internet, meant that its expansion was rapid, and it soon outgrew the parent body in size and scope. Both Trustees and Directors felt, by early 1999, that it was becoming a genuinely global organisation, not a British one with an 'overseas' outreach.

OneWorld therefore set up an International Governance Group (IGG) to research and report on the best way forward. The IGG included members from OneWorld teams in Asia, Africa and continental Europe as well as from OneWorld Online and OWBT. Later the IGG was widened to include an advisory group that included OneWorld representatives from South and North America.

Much research was done: for example, IGG studied the expansion processes of Oxfam, the International Save the Children Alliance, Transparency International, WWF and BOND, among others. It also took advice from a range of legal and organisational experts.

The upshot was that OneWorld Online would separate from OWBT: no longer regarding OWBT as its mothership but as a sister organisation. It was agreed by OWBT's Board that OneWorld should adopt the new structure that had emerged collectively through the consensual IGG process. A harmonious separation of the two bodies followed and excellent relations have since been maintained between the two bodies.

The implementation of the new structure
The inauguration of a new body, OneWorld International Foundation, in December 1999 was the first step in the implementation of the new structure. Next, OneWorld International Foundation formally became the owner of OneWorld Online Ltd - which was then renamed OneWorld International Ltd. A major task for OneWorld International was to support the development of the numerous OneWorld centres, enabling them to become stronger parts of the interdependent whole - both at the practical level of technology and through teamwork and knowledge sharing.

In 2002 OneWorld began a further network-wide review of its governance structures and processes to ensure that its internal decision-making is as inclusive, transparent and effective as possible. Involving ongoing dialogue with all internal stakeholders, the review has encouraged greater sensitivity to issues of `who decides what for whom?' across the OneWorld network and a number of modifications to our decision-making.

The governance of OneWorld International Foundation
The OneWorld International Foundation Board of Trustees reflects the diversity of OneWorld's network, as each OneWorld centre nominates a local trustee. Thus the Board is democratically formulated, on the principle of one centre, one trustee.

There are two exceptions to this rule. To guard against unwitting imbalances (for example, every centre could nominate a male trustee), provision was made in the constitution to co-opt up to a third of the Board to redress imbalances in, for example, gender or geographic diversity.

It was also agreed that OWBT would be invited to have a trustee on the Board of the Foundation - just as a Director of OneWorld International would be invited to be on the Board of OWBT.

What is the structure of the network?
The OneWorld network currently consists of twelve OneWorld centres:
OneWorld Africa (Lusaka, Zambia)
OneWorld Austria (Vienna, Austria)
OneWorld Canada (Montr�al, Canada)
OneWorld Netherlands (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
OneWorld Finland (Helsinki, Finland)
OneWorld Italy (Unimondo) (Trento, Italy)
OneWorld Latin America (San Jos�, Costa Rica)
OneWorld South Asia (New Delhi, India)
OneWorld Spain (Barcelona, Spain)
OneWorld UK (London, UK)
OneWorld US (Washington, DC, USA)
OneWorld South Eastern Europe (Sarajevo, Bosnia)

Each of the centres in the network houses a partnership manager who administers partners in the centre's locality. Each centre also houses an editorial team that puts together their local editions and makes available their local partners' material to all of OneWorld's global sections.

The network now brings together a growing international community of more than 2,000 partner organisations (approximately 1,500 text partners and 500-plus radio and TV partners) based in 89 countries. Drawing on the work of all the centres and partners, our internet gateway oneworld.net is the world's most comprehensive and up-to-date news and information resource for people and organisations concerned with poverty, sustainability and human rights.

Who owns and governs these OneWorld centres?
OneWorld centres are owned and governed by not-for-profit entities in their own countries or are entirely independent. For example, OneWorld Spain is owned by Fundacion Chandra; OneWorld Italy (Unimondo) was originally owned by the Fondazione Fontana but is now an independent organisation.

OneWorld South Asia is at present wholly owned by OneWorld International but is working towards self-governance. This office is currently organised as a project of OneWorld International, funded through OneWorld International Foundation by programme and project grants, and staffed by locally based teams.

How do OneWorld centres come about?
A potential centre is admitted into the OneWorld network only if the Board of Trustees agrees that it shares the vision and values of the OneWorld International Foundation, as described in its Guiding Principles. Centres must also sign a Network Agreement with OneWorld International Foundation that defines a set of mutual practical obligations within the network.

OneWorld International is in dialogue and working with a number of organisations around the world with a view to their beginning new OneWorld centres. We welcome approaches from organisations interested in potentially becoming a OneWorld centre.