The Oceania Football Confederation has adopted new statutes endorsed by the Executive Committee following a process of governance reform.
In April, former OFC President David Chung quit his post after an audit by football's world governing body, FIFA, identified potential fraud in plans for new OFC headquarters in Auckland.
David Chung Photo: OFC via Phototek
A Reform Committee was set up to review the OFC Statutes and made recommendations on the lack of separation of power between various bodies, role confusion in the organisation and a lack of independence and accountability.
The OFC Executive Committee members agreed to implement the recommendations.
The revised OFC Statutes outline the roles of the Congress, the President, the Executive Committee, the General Secretary and the Secretariat in a much clearer manner and introduce new eligibility criteria for all office holders, which will be verified by a yet-to-be formed Eligibility Committee, made up of independent members.
Members of the Ethics, Appeal and Disciplinary Committees will all be independent and qualified lawyers, and an Audit and Risk Committee will be established with five members, three of which are independent.
As part of the reforms, the OFC Congress will now elect the standing committees and judicial body members with the first election under the new criteria to be held in March.
The OFC Congress met in November to approve new statutes. Photo: OFC via Phototek
The Congress has also appointed a new auditor, RSM Hayes, after the firm was approved by the OFC Executive Committee.
The FIFA General Secretary Fatma Samoura attended the congress and congratulated the Confederation for its commitment to improving the governance structure in a manner which increases accountability and transparency.
The OFC President Lambert Maltock congratulated the executive members and the OFC Congress delegates for their support of the reform process.
"We are proud of the changes being made to improve the governance of OFC and to press forward with the development of football which is, and must always be, our primary objective," he said.
