- The ultimate responsibility and authority for OA world services reside in the collective conscience of our whole Fellowship.
- The OA groups have delegated to the World Service Business Conference the active maintenance of our world services; thus, the World Service Business Conference is the voice, authority and effective conscience of OA as a whole.
- The right of decision, based on trust, makes effective leadership possible.
- The right of participation ensures equality of opportunity for all in the decision-making process.
- Individuals have the right of appeal and petition in order to ensure that their opinions and personal grievances will be carefully considered.
- The World Service Business Conference has entrusted the Board of Trustees with the primary responsibility for the administration of Overeaters Anonymous.
- The Board of Trustees has legal rights and responsibilities accorded to them by OA Bylaws, Subpart A; the rights and responsibilities of the World Service Business Conference are accorded to it by Tradition and by OA Bylaws, Subpart B.
- The Board of Trustees has delegated to its Executive Committee the responsibility to administer the OA World Service Office.
- Able, trusted servants, together with sound and appropriate methods of choosing them, are indispensable for effective functioning at all service levels.
- Service responsibility is balanced by carefully defined service authority; therefore, duplication of efforts is avoided.
- Trustee administration of the World Service Office should always be assisted by the best standing committees, executives, staffs and consultants.
- The spiritual foundation for OA service ensures that:(a) no OA committee or service body shall ever become the seat of perilous wealth or power;
(b) sufficient operating funds, plus an ample reserve, shall be OA’s prudent financial principle;
(c) no OA member shall ever be placed in a position of unqualified authority;
(d) all important decisions shall be reached by discussion, vote and, whenever possible, by substantial unanimity;
(e) no service action shall ever be personally punitive or an incitement to public controversy; and
(f) no OA service committee or service board shall ever perform acts of government, and each shall always remain democratic in thought and action.
