Hello everyone,
[A short version of this message *translated *into additional languages is available on Meta-wiki. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/Revised_enforcement_guidelines/Announcement_-_Board_ratification ]
As some of you may know, the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees met earlier this month in New York. A full report is coming up shortly, but in the meantime we wanted to share that the Board has resolved to ratify the Universal Code of Conduct Enforcement Guidelines (EG) https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Approval_of_Universal_Code_of_Conduct_Enforcement_Guidelines .
To recall, last year on March 2022, the community votes on the EG showed a slim majority agreeing that the EG was ready to be implemented, with 58.6% voting in support of the EG. The comments added to the votes revealed concerns regarding four areas, and the Board requested Foundation staff to address these concerns.
After the work done by the UCoC Revisions committee and the ongoing input from the community facilitated by the support of Wikimedia Foundation staff, confidence in the EG increased, with 76% of voters supporting the EG in January 2023. Vote statistics are available on Meta-wiki https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/Revised_enforcement_guidelines/Voting_statistics.
This increase in confidence is remarkable and reflects the thoughtfulness and care of the global Wikimedia community on this important topic. The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees has voted to ratify the Enforcement Guidelines. You can read more about the process behind the 2023 Enforcement Guidelines review on Diff https://diff.wikimedia.org/2023/03/21/the-enforcement-guidelines-received-strong-support-from-the-community-what-happens-next/ .
We are now one step closer to having a fully functioning Universal Code of Conduct, but the journey will never be truly over. The Universal Code of Conduct and its Enforcement Guidelines will need regular community review and improvement as our movement grows and as the world changes around us. As called upon in our collective Movement Strategy, we will need to iterate and adapt as we learn, and we will evolve our best practices for how we work in our shared spaces. For now, there are some next steps to take with the important recommendations provided by the Enforcement Guidelines. More details will come in the next few weeks about timelines.
Sending a special {{Thank you}} and {{WikiLove}}) to all the volunteers and staff members who joined forces to make this a reality, and hope that you join us in recognizing this significant milestone in creating a safer, more welcoming space, for all participants and contributors to our projects .
Best,
Shani, on behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees.
Shani Evenstein Sigalov https://wikimediafoundation.org/profile/shani-evenstein-sigalov/
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
Chair, Community Affair Committee
Wikimedia Foundation https://wikimediafoundation.org/