Hello,

We want to update Wikimedia movement affiliates on the progress of the Universal Code of Conduct, one of the recommendations of the Movement Strategy process that many of you are familiar with. The UCoC draft of a “binding minimum set of standards across all Wikimedia projects" was developed by volunteers, affiliate staff, and Foundation staff in 2020. As you may have seen announced earlier this week, the draft was approved by the Board of Trustees on February 2, covers policies for in-person and virtual events, technical spaces, and all Wikimedia projects and wikis. 

The implementation and enforcement of the UCoC requires the continuous cooperation of international communities to define clear definitions of enforcement pathways and processes. This needs to be done in a way that does not contradict with the internal bylaws and codes of conduct currently in place, but rather to support them and complement their deficiencies, if any.

We invite you to play an active role in bringing about this change; this is a common goal that cannot be done by one or a few parties. The change is global, and will affect all participants of the Wikimedia movement, individuals and communities. We need to hear your voices, to learn from your experiences and benefit from your ideas for solutions. 

We will reach out to you over the month of March to discuss your thoughts and concerns about the enforcement of the UCoC. Please look forward to hearing from us soon!