FIVB World Congress   FIVB World Congress votes to strengthen its Code of Conduct Porto, Portugal, May 13, 2004 - The FIVB World Congress in Porto on Thursday voted to strengthen its Code of Conduct and to require all National Federations to integrate the FIVB Constitution and Code of Conduct into their own constitutions, and to require all clubs, officials and registered players to adhere to the code. It was agreed that FIVB rules and regulations should prevail in all cases and that in matters relating to Volleyball these should be accepted by national courts. The FIVB Congress approved over 20 detailed changes to its Constitution and Code of Conduct including: • When the Executive Committee and/or Board are not in session, the President may take all actions and/or decisions including disciplinary actions; these decisions must be notified to the Board within one month and ratified at its next meeting • Confederations and National Federations may not oppose their legal personality to the FIVB Constitution, Code of Conduct and decisions • FIVB members may fully express their opinion on any decision of FIVB institutions, but they must refrain from making declarations that may bring Volleyball into disrepute before organisations foreign to Volleyball or through the media • In the Code of Conduct an “institutional offence” is defined as “a violation of the image of Volleyball and the FIVB and/or the corporate identity of the FIVB, constituting a serious offence that is subject to suspension or expulsion.”