Held at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday 13 July 2019 from 14:30 to 16:30. Chair: Salwa El‐Shawan Castelo-Branco.

The Chair opened the meeting at 14:40.

Apologies for absence

1. Castelo-Branco announced the formal apologies for absence submitted by Mohd Anis Md Nor, Bruno Nettl, Timothy Rice, and Jonathan Stock.
2. Castelo-Branco read the apology for absence sent by Nettl to the Secretariat on 5 February 2019, which is quoted here in full: "Thank you for the ICTM communication. Of course—given that I'm now rather an invalid (and have been for a few years) who will be 89 next month and not even able to leave my home town, to say nothing of traveling—I  can't come to the meeting in Bangkok, but I want to take this opportunity to send greetings to you, and to recall with pleasure and appreciation my visit to Vienna under your auspices in 2009, just ten years ago. It actually seems much longer. Congratulations to you on having taken over the administration of ICTM. Perhaps you can give my greetings to the membership in Bangkok. I haven't been a very faithful member of ICTM, but I may have the record for being the last living member to have attended an early meeting—I was at the 1950 meeting in Bloomington (and have written about it), where I was living at the time. It was a great revelation, and I marvel at how much things have (and haven't) changed in these last 70 years."

In memoriam

3. Castelo-Branco asked the assembled members to raise and offer a minute of silence in memoriam of those members of the ICTM community who had passed away since the previous General Assembly. 

Approval of the minutes of the previous General Assembly

4. Castelo-Branco called for a motion to approve the Minutes of the 43nd General Assembly, as published on the ICTM website. Moved by Ricardo Trimillos, seconded by Wim van Zanten, motion carried.

Business arising from the minutes

5. No additional business arising from the minutes was discussed.

Report of the Executive Board

The Vienna Secretariat (2017–2021)

6. Secretary General Ursula Hemetek started her report by discussing the transition of the Secretariat from Ljubljana to Vienna. Hemetek considered the process had been "smooth," adding that while the seat of the Secretariat is located in Vienna, the Council is registered as a non-profit NGO in Slovenia. She described how she and Executive Assistant Carlos Yoder maintained constant communication via weekly telephone calls, monthly face-to-face whole-day meetings in Vienna, and monthly reports submitted via e-mail. 
7. Hemetek reviewed the four tenets of her mission for the Vienna Secretariat: (1) Socio-political relevance; (2) Transparency and Democracy; (3) Inclusivity; and (4) Historical Awareness. 
8. Hemetek reported on the international symposium “Musics Matter,” held in Vienna in September 2017 to welcome the ICTM Secretariat to the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, were invited papers discussed the socio-political relevance of ICTM. She added that a publication with articles derived from papers presented at the symposium would be presented on 28 November 2019 in Vienna.
9. Hemetek announced that a new Declaration of Ethical Principles, created by an Executive Board (EB) committee chaired by Jonathan Stock and with participation from the ICTM membership, had been recently ratified by the EB and had been uploaded to the ICTM website. Hemetek thanked Stock and the members of the committee for their efforts. 

Membership development

10. Hemetek reported on how the Council's membership base had continued to grow, reaching a new record in July 2019 (1,194 paid members, 204 paid institutional subscribers, and 59 complimentary members).

The 45th ICTM World Conference

11. Hemetek related how World Conferences had been the most representative ICTM events since 1947, adding that the first conference was attended by only 47 members, while the participants of the current conference exceeded one thousand.
12. Hemetek thanked both the Programme and Local Arrangements Committees for playing a crucial role in making the conference a resounding success, adding that Bangkok and Chulalongkorn University were at the moment "the world’s virtual centre of ethnomusicology and ethnochoreology."
13. Hemetek reported that the financial support given to conference delegates had been the largest to date. The travel and/or accommodation expenses of 44 individuals (total: EUR 34,192) had been partially covered by the UNESCO Participation Programme, the ICTM Barbara B. Smith Travel Award, the ICTM Maud Karpeles Fund, and the ICTM Young Scholars Fund. She remarked that in this way the membership fees collected by the Council are "given back to the membership in a strong way."

First General Survey of ICTM Members

14. Hemetek related how the First General Survey of ICTM Members had been conducted in November–December 2018, and how the results had been communicated on 15 May 2019.
15. Hemetek explained how the survey's results had shown that the most important type of scholarly events for ICTM members were the symposia of ICTM Study Groups.

Study Groups

16. Hemetek presented a list of the 24 Study Groups, and congratulated all involved for "doing such successful work fo ICTM." 
17. Hemetek introduced a new ICTM Study Group Allowance that would support the participation of delegates of Study Group symposia from underrepresented regions. She added that the Allowance would be fully detailed during the next Assembly of Study Group Chairs, which would be held later during the conference. 

Fora and Colloquia

18. Hemetek mentioned the "very successful" 3rd ICTM Forum, held in July 2018 at the Central Conservatory of Music, Bejing, China, on the topic "Approaches to Research on Music and Dance in the Internet Era."
19. Hemetek mentioned the 25th ICTM Colloquium, held in November–December 2018 at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Shanghai, China, on the topic "Double Reeds of the Silk Road: The Interaction of Theory and Practice from Antiquity to Contemporary Performance."

Transparency and Democracy

20. Hemetek reported how 2% of the survey's respondents had not been satisfied with the transparency of elections and the communication of its results. To address that small but important minority a new method of running the ICTM elections had been found and implemented, which would not involve the Secretariat in any way. She added that the new method had been embraced by the membership, as the participation in the 2019 elections had been the highest ever recorded. 
21. Hemetek showed a slide illustrating how the survey's respondents had not clearly favoured one particular new name for the Council. However, there were clear signs that the word "dance" should be included in the Council's name in the future. 
22. Hemetek summarized how the Executive Board operates as the decision-making body of the Council, and showed the times the EB had met since the latest General Assembly. 
23. Hemetek presented the list of special-purpose EB committees, and explained their importance in carrying out tasks (e.g., publishing the Bulletin, digitizing the ICTM Archive, revising the Statutes), overseeing areas of the Council (e.g., Study Groups, Colloquia, and implementing policies (Outreach with Africa, Outreach with Museums & Archives).

World Network

24. Hemetek related how since the previous General Assembly the Council had created a new agreement establishing the terms governing the relationship between ICTM and its Liaison Officers. As a result, the Council was officially represented in 129 countries or regions at the time.

Transition of Yearbook for Traditional Music to Cambridge University Press

25. Hemetek reported on how the EB had decided to explore the possibility of publishing the Yearbook for Traditional Music with a commercial, not-for-profit university press in 2016, resulting in the signing of the contract with Cambridge University Press (CUP) on 26 June 2018. She added that the transition had been "smooth," and that the first volume of the Yearbook to be published by CUP would be Vol 51 (2020).

26. Hemetek reminded the assembled how since March 2019 all members in good standing could access the full run of the Yearbook  for Traditional Music and its predecessors (1969–2018) online via Cambridge Core.

27. Hemetek reported that in 2019 more than 1,100 new institutions had subscribed to the Yearbook via CUP’s consortia programme already, and that it was expected the number to rise up to 2,200. Additionally, more than 6,000 institutions had gained access to the Yearbook via CUP’s Aid & Donation Programme.

Finances

28. Hemetek reported that in 2017, the total of revenues had exceeded budgeted figures by more than EUR 6,000, while the total of expenditures fell short of budgeted figures by EUR 7,500. Therefore, in 2017 the Council generated a surplus of operations of almost EUR 14,000, which had been subsequently transferred to the Young Scholars Fund.
29. Hemetek added that in 2018, the total revenues had exceeded budgeted figures by almost 13,000 EUR, while the total expenditures exceeded budgeted figures by almost EUR 1,000. Therefore, in 2018 the Council generated a surplus of operations of more than EUR 12,000, which had been subsequently transferred to both the Maud Karpeles Fund and Young Scholars Fund. 
30. Hemetek stressed that the yearly operational surplus was directly used to support attendance to the 2019 World Conference and several Study Groups symposia in 2018. 
31. Hemetek concluded with the estimates for 2019, expressing that expenditures had been so far lower than budgeted and revenues higher than anticipated. She warned that the final evaluation for 2019 would be carried out only after the results of operating with CUP for a whole year were available. 

Conclusion

32. Hemetek reminded the assembled of the importance of reading the Bulletin of the ICTM and periodically checking the ICTM website, and thanked the President, Vice President, EB members, and Executive Assistant for their work during the past two years. 
33. Finally, Hemetek thanked the membership for their support and "willingness to actively contribute to the democratic process by voting and participating in the survey."  

Proposal for a new Honorary Membership

34. Executive Board member Don Niles proposed that the General Assembly awards an ICTM Honorary Membership to Stephen A. Wild. Niles detailed Wild's involvement with the Council over five decades, including being Secretary General (2006–11), Vice President (2001–5, 2011–15), Ordinary Member of the Executive Board (1989–97), Editor of the Yearbook for Traditional Music (guest editor, 1995; general editor, 2001–5), Chair of the Study Group on Music and Dance of Oceania (2001–5), Convener of the 33rd World Conference in Canberra (1995), and first Chair of the National Committee for Australia (1988–97).
35. The Honorary Membership was awarded by acclamation, after which Wild expressed his gratitude to the Executive Board and the General Assembly for bestowing the Honorary Membership.

Report of the General Editor of the Yearbook for Traditional Music

Changes in personnel

36. General Editor Lee Tong Soon announced that Alexander Cannon, Book Review Editor, would step down after the completion of the 2019 Yearbook, and that Hsin-chun Tasaw Lu (Academia Sinica, Taiwan) would be the new Book Review Editor.
37. Lee reported that Terada Yoshitaka, who had completed five years as the Yearbook's Film and Video Review Editor, had stepped down with the 2018 volume. He added that the current Film and Video Review Editor is Giorgio Biancorosso (University of Hong Kong).
38. Lee announced that Deirdre Morgan had stepped down as Book Notes Editor with the 2019 volume, and that her position would not be replaced. 
39. Lee reported that Kirsty Gillespie, Audio Review Editor, would step down after the completion of the 2019 Yearbook, and that a search for a successor was currently ongoing. 
40. Lee announced that Lónan Ó Briain had been the Website Review Editor since the 2018 volume.
41. After thanking all the previous and current editors for their efforts, Lee especially thanked Luo Ai Mei for her work as the Yearbook's Editorial Assistant.

2018 volume

44. Lee reported that the 2018 volume, his first as General Editor, had been initially conceptualised by Rebecca Draisey-Collishaw, Margaret Sarkissian, former General Editor Kati Szego, Mohd Anis Md Nor, and J. Lawrence Witzleben.
45. Lee thanked the Guest Editors of the 2018 volume, Draisey-Collishaw and Witzleben, for their work and guidance, as well as Salwa El-Shawan Castelo-Branco, Secretary General Ursula Hemetek, Executive Assistant Carlos Yoder, former Guest Editor Svanibor Pettan, and former General Editor Don Niles for their "tireless encouragement" during the previous year. 

2019 volume

46. Lee reported that the 2019 volume would be the first Yearbook to be published on ICTM's behalf by Cambridge University Press. He thanked members for their support by sending their best work to the Yearbook for publication, and encouraged them to continue to do so.
47. Lee announced that Holly O'Neill, a representative from CUP, would be joining the conference and meeting with him and other editors, and that she would also present a report on the transition during the Executive Board meeting that would take place a day after the conference's Closing Ceremony. 

2020 volume

48. Lee announced that the 2020 volume, dedicated to the themes of the 2019 World Conference, would be guest edited by the conference's Programme Co-chairs, Keith Howard and Tan Sooi Beng. 

Introduction of the Programme Committee for the 2021 World Conference

49. Susana Sardo and Kati Szego, Programme Co-Chairs of the 2021 World Conference, communicated the names of the members of the Programme Committee: José S. Buenconsejo (Philippines), Catherine Grant (Australia), Susana Moreno Fernandez (Spain), José Alberto Salgado (Brazil), Urmimala Sarkar Munsi (India), Margaret Sarkissian (USA), Nicholas Ssempijja (Uganda), Velika Stojkova Serafimovska (North Macedonia), João Soeiro de Carvalho (ex-officio, Portugal), Ursula Hemetek (ex-officio, Austria).
50. Szego invited the assembled members to place suggestions for conference themes in a box located at the registration area. 

Report of the Nomination Committee for the 2019 elections

51. Castelo-Branco asked Made Mantle Hood, the Convener of the Nomination Committee of the 2019 elections, to present his report.
52. Hood, on behalf of the Nomination Committee (consisting of himself, Naila Ceribašić, and Alvin Petersen), summarized the positions on the Executive Board that would become vacant at the present General Assembly of Members: one Vice President and three Ordinary Members. 
53. Hood explained that the Nomination Committee had prepared a roster of eight candidates, consisting of six nominations for the three vacant Ordinary Members and two nominations for the position of Vice President. The proposals had been made by either an ICTM National or Regional Committee, or by two or more individual ICTM members in good standing from different countries. 
54. Hood considered that outsourcing the elections to the third-party voting platform Election Runner had been "very effective," as proven by the high level of participation. He added that in the previous ICTM elections of 2017, 420 ballots had been counted (or 38% of the eligible electorate), comparing it with the 603 votes (or 49% of the 1,228 eligible voters) received in 2019; this 44% increase in voter turnout had made the 2019 elections the most participative in the recent history of the Council.
55. Hood then announced the names of the newly‐elected candidates:

For Ordinary Members of the Executive Board: Brian Diettrich, Marcia Ostashewski, and Louise Wrazen.
For Vice President: Don Niles

56. Hood extended the committee’s deep gratitude to all candidates for their willingness to serve the Council, and asked for a round of applause for all candidates.
57. Castelo-Branco thanked all the outgoing EB members for their commitment to the Council and their hard work, which had resulted in many important steps taken during the previous two years.

Meetings to be held during the remainder of the conference

58. Castelo-Branco reminded all present about the Assembly of National and Regional Representatives (to be held on 15 July 2019 at 17:00) and the Assembly of Study Group Chairs (to be held on 16 July 2019 at 17:00) and their importance. 
59. Castelo-Branco remarked that all Study Group meetings were open to all ICTM members, even to those doing research in different fields. She added that the Study Group on Music and Dance in Latin America and the Caribbean would hold their business meeting on 15 July at 13:00 in room 311.
60. Castelo-Branco invited all to attend the Closing Ceremony (17 July at 17:00), where the venue of the 2021 World Conference would be revealed. 

Other Business (by leave)

61. Gerda Lechleitner, on behalf of Dietrich Schüller (former Director of the Phonogrammarchiv in Vienna), introduced the Magnetic Tape Alert Project, a project conducted by the Sound Archive of the British Library (headed by Janet Topp Fargion) and joined by the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA) and the Working Group on Information Preservation of UNESCO's Information for All Programme (IFAP). She urged the assembled to participate in the project by any means possible. 
62. Filip Petkovski, on behalf of the Student and Early Career Researchers Group, related how the idea to form a student organization within the Council was born during the 2017 World Conference, causing a "very big interest."
63. Petkovski detailed how in the intervening two years the members of the group had discussed what would be the best way for the group to operate, including being a Study Group, a subsection of ICTM that would meet during World Conferences, etc. He added that the group had also met the previous day. 
64. Petkovski considered that the group was still in an "initial phase," but announced that later in the year the group would proceed to hold elections for a representative that would join the Executive Board as a co-opted member. 

Expressions of gratitude

65. Castelo-Branco thanked Hemetek and Yoder for their constant hard work during the past two years in making the conference a success.
66. Castelo-Branco acknowledged how former Secretary General and current Vice President Svanibor Pettan had been the first EB member to travel to Chulalongkorn University, and who had over the years wholeheartedly advocated for holding an ICTM World Conference there.
67. Castelo-Branco, on behalf of the Council, presented gifts as symbolic tokens of gratitude to Bussakorn Binson, Paphutsorn "Koong" Wongratanapitak, Pornprapit "Ros" Phoasavadi, and Sirada "Air" Angkasith, to a standing ovation. 

Adjournment

68. Castelo-Branco called for a motion to adjourn the 44th General Assembly of the ICTM at 15:56. Moved by Ricardo Trimillos, seconded by Tina K. Ramnarine, motion carried.