The conference of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (LCY) refers to three different institutions: the Territorial Conference that convened prior to the LCY seizing power, the annual Conference of the LCY which replaced the LCY Central Committee in the period 1969 to 1974, and the national party conference which could be convened either by a decision of the LCY Central Committee or on the suggestions of the LCY branches.
The 9th LCY Congress, held on 11–15 March 1969, abolished the LCY Central Committee and delegated most of its powers to the new LCY Presidency and the new body, the "Conference of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia". Unlike the previous institution known by that name, until 1969, this body was to meet annually, which it failed to do. According to scholar Helen Hardman, "the conference appears to have been designed for the purpose of crisis management." The conferences were convened to discuss rising nationalism in the republics, economic difficulties, and failure of implementation on agreed policies. Regarding the implementation of policy, Tito told the 3rd Conference, held on 6–8 December 1972, "I would not like this resolution to suffer the same fate as the resolution of the Ninth Congress and of the First and Second LCY Conferences, to which many people did not pay any attention, nor did they respect them." This failure was felt in other bodies as well, and the Executive Bureau also failed to reconcile competing republican interests. As such, the 10th Congress, held on 27–30 May 1974, abolished the conference and reestablished the LCY Central Committee. A new institution, also named "Conference of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia", was established by the 12th Congress, held on 26–29 June 1982. This institution shared several characteristics with the pre-1969 conference and with communist party conference institutions of other ruling communist parties.
The last incarnation of the LCY Conference was convened once, on 29–31 May 1988, as the "Conference of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia for Consolidating the Political Ideology of the Party's Leading Role and for the Unity and Accountability of the LCY in its Struggle to Get Out of the Socio-Economic Crisis". This institution was to be convened between two party congresses on the orders of the LCY Central Committee. The LCY Central Committee had the sole right to convene the conference. The LCY Presidency, a republican branch central committee and the provincial committee of an autonomous province had the right to propose the convocation of a party conference to the LCY Central Committee, which it could either accept or reject. The 13th Congress, held on 25–28 June 1986, amended the party statute to state that the conference was to "seek the input of the membership, the primary party organisations and other organs of the LCY in reviewing and deciding the position and policy of the LCY on significant ideological-political, socio-economic and other issues between two congresses, the CC of the LCY may convene as necessary, but only once during a term of office, the conference of the LCY." The 13th Congress also clarified that the LCY Central Committee, and not its branches, was responsible for organising the election of delegates to the conference.
| Date | Length | Delegates | Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Convocation | 3–17 July 1922 | 15 days | 22 | Vienna, Austria | ||
| 2nd Convocation | 9–12 May 1923 | 4 days | ? | Vienna, Austria | ||
| 3rd Convocation | 1–4 January 1924 | 4 days | 35 | Belgrade, Yugoslavia | ||
| 4th Convocation | 24–25 December 1934 | 13 days | 25 | Ljubljana, Yugoslavia | ||
| 5th Convocation | 19–23 October 1940 | 6 days | 105 | Dubrava, Yugoslavia |
| Date | Length | Delegates | Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Convocation | 29–31 October 1970 | 3 days | 280 | Beograd, Yugoslavia | ||
| 2nd Convocation | 25–27 January 1972 | 3 days | 367 | Beograd, Yugoslavia | ||
| 3rd Convocation | 6–8 December 1972 | 3 days | 367 | Beograd, Yugoslavia | ||
| 4th Convocation | 10–11 May 1973 | 2 days | 345 | Beograd, Yugoslavia |
| Date | Length | Delegates | Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Convocation | 29–31 May 1988 | 3 days | 784 | Beograd, Yugoslavia |