Regional and Intercontinental Regional Federations

Under the current IWF By-laws, a Regional Federation may be established by IWF Member Federations belonging to one continent, while an Intercontinental Regional Federation may comprise IWF Member Federations belonging to more than one continent.

Regional Federations must first be affiliated to and/or recognised by the respective Continental Federation in order to be officially recognised by the IWF. Intercontinental Regional Federations are subject to recognition by the IWF. Both Regional and Intercontinental Regional Federations must comply with the IWF Constitution, IWF policies and decisions, and the applicable governance requirements.

In accordance with Article 5.3 of the IWF Constitution, the list of recognised Regional Federations is published on the IWF website and may be updated from time to time by the IWF Executive Board.

Regional Federations are also referred to in the current IWF Technical and Competition Rules & Regulations (TCRR, as of 5 November 2025), including provisions concerning sport equipment at Continental and Regional Championships and Multisport Games (3.3.1.1), the organisation and supervision of Continental and Regional Multisport Games (5.4.1 and 5.4.3), Regional records, non-qualifying IWF Events (Regulation to 5.1(b)), and procedures recommended for Continental and Regional events (Regulation to 5.2, point 6.13.5).

A number of Regional and Intercontinental Regional Federations conduct activities involving IWF Member Federations from Europe. These organisations are distinct from the EWF's national Member Federations. Where applicable, Regional Federations operating within Europe are affiliated to and/or recognised by the European Weightlifting Federation in accordance with the IWF By-laws.

The EWF strongly supports regional cooperation and values the contribution of Regional and Intercontinental Regional Federations to the development, promotion and organisation of weightlifting.