THE ASSEMBLY OF PARTIES is composed of all Representatives of IDLO’s Parties, which are signatories to the Establishment Agreement of IDLO. The Assembly is IDLO’s highest decision-making body and it convenes in Rome at least once a year. The role of the Assembly is to determine the Organization's policies and oversee the work of the Director-General. Its duties include the adoption of the budget, the action plan and the by-laws for the governance of the Organization and the appointment of the Director-General and members of the Board of Advisers.

The parties to IDLO’s Establishment Agreement are currently: 

The following countries are in the process of becoming Parties: 

Afghanistan  Central African Republic Georgia

Lebanon  Madagascar Mauritania Republic of Congo

THE STANDING COMMITTEE provides the link between the Assembly, the Board of Advisers and the Director-General. It includes the President and Vice-Presidents of the Assembly, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Board, and on a rotational basis, a Representative of a Party (ad hoc member), for a one year term. Its main functions are to monitor the proper implementation of the budget, oversee management and report on these items to the Assembly. The Standing Committee meets at least every two months and prepares the meetings of the Assembly.
 
THE BOARD OF ADVISERS includes members elected by the Assembly for a four-year term. Half the members are renewed every two years. All Board Members are selected on the basis of their expertise in the fields of development or law or their experience of the management of international organizations. They serve in their personal capacities and not as representatives of their governments or organizations. Meetings of the Board are convened at least once a year prior to the regular meeting of the Assembly.

The Board contributes to the preparation of the Assembly’s decisions and to their implementation by the Director-General by providing advisory opinions to the Assembly on a number of matters.

The Board of Advisers is currently composed of:

• Ms. Hongxia Liu, former Director of the IDLO Asia-Pacific Centre, Sydney, Australia
• Prof. Gianfranco Lizza, Professor of Economic and Political Geography, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
• Prof. Jan Michiel Otto, Professor of Law and Governance in Developing Countries, University of Leiden, The Netherlands (Vice Chairman of the Board)
• Prof. Roy L. Prosterman, Founder and Chairman of the Rural Development Institute (Landesa) and Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Washington, USA
• Mr. Pascal Roux, Partner, Watson, Farley & Williams, Paris, France
• Mr. Daniel Rowland, Law and Development Advisor, University of Sydney, Australia
• Prof. Alfredo F. Tadiar, Chairperson of the Department of Alternative Dispute Resolution, Philippines Judicial Academy of the Supreme Court, Philippines (Chairman of the Board)
• Dr. Maria Yordanova, Director of Law Program, Center for the Study of Democracy, Sofia, Bulgaria
• Prof. Yuejiao Zhang, Lawyer and Member of the World Trade Organization Appellate Body, China

THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE assists the Assembly of Parties and the Standing Committee in its oversight responsibilities with respect to audit and compliance, financial reporting and maintenance of effective and efficient financial procedures. It includes Representatives of five IDLO Parties that serve the Committee on a rotational basis.

THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL is tasked with the daily administration of the Organization and is responsible to the Assembly for the management of the Organization.

• Governance Documents
• Summary of Proceedings (Assembly of Parties meeting, November 24, 2010)
• Summary of Proceedings (Extraordinary meeting of the Assembly of Parties, 23 March, 2011)
• Summary of Proceedings (Assembly of Parties meeting, November 17, 2011)
• Resolutions adopted by the Assembly at its Annual Meeting of 17 November 2011 

Becoming a Member of IDLO.  IDLO is working to expand its membership base. The advantages of IDLO membership include:

• Opportunity to promote improvements in law and development in pursuit of economic and social development goals
• Access to a multilateral institution capable of contributing to international and national development goals
• Contribute to the development of global public goods, such as knowledge concerning law in the development context.
• For donors, IDLO provides a focused multilateral alternative to bilateral assistance programs
• For developing countries and countries in economic transition, IDLO provides a forum for discussion of national rule of law programs and advocacy for their support
• As an intergovernmental agency, IDLO has access to decision makers in government and can work with a range of partners and intergovernmental agencies to enable change
• IDLO maintains a network of alumni, developed over 25 years of capacity building work, which provides a ready network of partners which the member states can influence
• Member states can influence the course of IDLO’s thought leadership in rule of law matters and thus gain another vehicle for the promotion of the rule of law and best practices