Our structure

Attendees of the 2010 BGM in Penang, Malaysia

Roughly half of the 76 member organizations call themselves "Friends of the Earth" in their own languages; the others use different names. FoEI is democratic: every two years there is a week-long general meeting where the policies and activities of the federation are decided, and in which all members have an equal say.

The Biennial General Meeting (BGM) elects an Executive Committee (ExCom), which meets four times per year. This ExCom is made up of a Chairperson, directly elected by the BGM; a representative of the organization hosting the next BGM; and representatives of up to seven member groups.

The ExCom employs and oversees the work of a small International Secretariat in Amsterdam.

FoEI is an active member of the Environment Liaison Centre International. It participates in a number of issue-oriented networks. It has consultative status with ECOSOC (the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations) and all relevant UN bodies.