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An official website of the Velocity Interoperability Network

History of the Assembly

The Network Assembly of the Velocity Interoperability Network is a young institution, but it did not begin on the day of its establishment. Its delegates were elected, its rules were settled and its Chamber was prepared during the four weeks of the transition period that preceded 6 September 2026. The milestones below record that period and the inaugural sitting, and will be extended as the first session proceeds.

  1. Before July 2026

    Decisions taken by agreement among members

    Before the Assembly existed, rules binding the members of the Network were made by agreement among the member organisations, and there was no single body to which the services of the Network answered. As the number of members grew past three hundred, agreement of every member became impracticable for all but the simplest matters.

  2. July 2026

    Resolution to establish an assembly

    The member organisations resolved that the departments and network services to be established on 6 September 2026 should answer to an elected assembly with the power to make Network law, and that the assembly should be in place on the day of establishment.

  3. 10 August 2026

    Transition period begins

    The Member Registry assigned each of the 312 member organisations to one of twelve member constituencies. The timetable for the election of delegates, the drafting of Standing Orders and the fitting out of the Assembly Chamber at Central Exchange was published.

  4. 11 to 15 August 2026

    First election of delegates

    Member organisations in each constituency elected five delegates from among their nominees. Sixty delegates-designate were declared elected on 15 August 2026.

  5. 18 August 2026

    Preparatory Convention constituted

    The delegates-designate met in convention for the first time, with 58 of 60 present, appointed a Provisional Chair and agreed a timetable of five sessions to settle the Standing Orders and the committee structure before establishment.

  6. 25 August 2026

    Clerk-designate appointed

    The Convention approved the draft Standing Orders in principle and appointed the Clerk-designate, with effect from establishment, to prepare the Office of the Clerk, the Register of Measures and the Official Record.

  7. 28 August 2026

    Standing Orders adopted provisionally

    After a full day's consideration of 41 amendments, the Convention adopted the Standing Orders on a division of 47 to 9. The principal disagreement, over the pattern of sitting weeks, was resolved at the fourth session on 1 September.

  8. 4 September 2026

    Convention dissolved

    The Convention adopted its report to the inaugural sitting by 55 votes to 1, recommending five standing committees, a fortnightly pattern of three-day sittings and the arrangements for public access to the Chamber, and dissolved.

  9. 6 September 2026

    Assembly established; inaugural sitting

    The Network Assembly of the Velocity Interoperability Network was formally established. All 60 delegates took their seats. The Assembly elected a Presiding Officer by ballot on the first round and two Deputy Presiding Officers, confirmed the Standing Orders and established five standing committees.

  10. 6 September 2026

    First measures and the official website

    Five measures received their first reading. The Assembly (Procedure) Measure passed all its stages under the accelerated procedure and was certified as Measure 1 of 2026. The Assembly launched assembly.gov.vin, publishing the Official Record, the Standing Orders and the Register of Measures.

  11. Forthcoming

    First regular sitting week

    The Assembly sits from Tuesday 15 September 2026. Committees hold their first meetings that week and report on the four measures before them by 4 October, with second readings expected in the week beginning 13 October.

  12. Forthcoming

    The citizens' election

    If the Citizens' Representation Measure passes, 24 citizen delegates will be elected in six citizen constituencies in the first quarter of 2027, completing the Assembly's 84 seats.

The Official Record of the Preparatory Convention and of the inaugural sitting is published on this site, and announcements are published in the Newsroom. For the Assembly's present functions, see About the Assembly; for the record of sittings and motions, see Proceedings; for the passage of the Assembly's first measures, see Legislation.