At its recent meeting in Chaumontel, France, the IOF Council approved the application for associate membership from Colombia. The decision is to be ratified by the 2000 IOF General Assembly.

At the 1998 Congress in Portugal, three countries, i.e. India, Moldova and Chinese Taipei were admitted to membership, thus increasing the number of members from 48 to 51. Since then, Uruguay, Venezuela, Greece and Jamaica have joined the IOF. Colombia included, the IOF family now counts 56 members. This means that the membership has increased by some 17 % in two years.

Following up on the discussion held at its previous meeting, Council deliberated on the future route to take with regard to the IOF Internet web site. It was agreed that the issue of what to do with the site had largely become a question of marketing the sport. Digital TV and the Web are coalescing fast and will together provide the TV of the future. Having deliberated on the various options, Council decided to enter into a cooperation agreement with WorldSport Networks Limited. Joining this multi-sports web site was believed to provide the IOF with the best available possibilities for marketing and raising the profile of orienteering.

WorldSport Networks is the media partner of GAISF (The General Association of International Sports Federations). The aim is to promote each GAISF member's sport, facilitate increased communication and information sharing and develop harmonised systems for cooperation across the world's sporting community.

Detailed information about the agreement will be communicated to the national federations in early 2000.

From 2001 onwards, the World Cup in ski orienteering will again be organised only every two years instead of every year. This is one of the most significant changes included in the revised overall strategy for the development of ski orienteering now endorsed by Council. The strategy incorporates a number of important measures to enable the sport to develop further. One of the main efforts is to make ski orienteering more simple and more media- and spectator-friendly, whilst remaining a highly demanding sport at all levels.

Classic distance with individual start will remain part of the competition programme in places with suitable conditions. More and more emphasis will, however, be given to newly developed forms of ski orienteering - classic or medium distance with mass start, and short and super-sprint distances.

Other issues on the Council meeting agenda were an initial discussion on a strategy for the development of trail orienteering, an intermediate report on the elite events programme revision work, and various discipline and committee matters. It was noted that the work on the international rules for mountain bike orienteering (MTBO) events is just about to be finished, and that these rules incorporate environmental guidelines.

The next Council meeting will be held in Helsinki, Finland, on 28-30 April, 2000. Council has also decided to hold three meetings in conjunction with the Congress week in Graz, Austria, in early August.