The general assembly elects the members of the board of directors for a three-year term of office. Four meetings are held annually. All decisions not assigned to another board are to be taken by the board of directors. These mainly are:

• the approval of budgets as well as of other expenses such as subsidies, investments, regular costs;
• the election / recall of commission members, of boards of trustees or of SAHS delegates in partner institutions;
• the affiliation of new member organisations;
• the definition of SAHS activities, setting priorities in particular;
• the appointment of temporary work groups and of boards of trustees responsible for specific projects;
• the approval of the annual reports of commissions, boards of trustees and institutions which the SAHS is responsible for (at present those are: HDS, SICF, DDS, NWB).