Acapulco, Mexico, January 27, 2004 – The FIVB Board of Administration discussed the necessity of expanding the FIVB headquarters in Lausanne by the construction of a new building. The Board members agreed to this, but plan this course of action only if the city of Lausanne accepts to sell the plot of land adjoining the current offices.

If not, the Board suggested the possibility of moving its administrative centre and even to leaving Lausanne, should the conditions for purchasing the property as well as for functional operations of its headquarters be more favourable elsewhere.

The Board of Administration confirmed the nomination of a special commission headed by the FIVB General Manager, Mr. Jean-Pierre Seppey, and composed of Mr. Wei Jizhong (China), 1st Vice-Ppresident of the FIVB, and Mr. Philip Berben (Belgium) and Mr. Habu Ahmed Gumel (Nigeria), both Board Members, in order to gather the information required for a file on this matter.

‘The FIVB now needs to own its own offices. We would like to stay in Lausanne, but if the conditions are not in the best interests of the FIVB we should move, even to another country,’ said Mr. Seppey, still hoping that an agreement can be reached with the Municipality of Lausanne.

The present offices are now too small. Twenty-three employees work full-time in Lausanne and the FIVB continues to recruit staff to meet its administrative requirements and fulfil its mission.

For more details contact:

Richard Baker – FIVB Communications
Phone: +41 21 345 35 35
Fax: +41 21 345 35 45
press@fivb.org