The General Conference is competent to make all essential decisions and elects the Steering Committee for a period of 2 years. Regular annual General Conferences must be held.

The regular annual General Conference is exclusively competent in the following matters:

• Adoption of the budget and the annual accounts
• election of the Steering Committee, except of permanent members
• formal approval of the actions of the Steering Committee
• changes to the Association's articles
• dissolution of the Association
• approval of the annual working agenda
• hearing of the activity report presented by the Steering Committee
• exclusion of members of the Association

This year's General Conference will be held in Ghent (Belgium) from 24 to 25 November 2011. In this context the Closed Session of Member Cities will take place on 23 November 2011.