IAPPS Statutes
Name, Site, and Aims/Objectives of the Association
Article 1. The name of the Association shall be the International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences (IAPPS).
Article 2. The site of the Association shall be the professional address of the current Secretary General.
Article 3. The Aims of the Association are:
a) Vision: Production of healthy crops economically and in a healthy environment for the benefit of all.
b) Goal: Stimulate the development and exchange of plant protection information among researchers, extension specialists, industrial scientists, growers, policy makers, administrators, crop protection consultants, and environmental and other interested groups.
c) Mission: Provide a global forum for the purpose of identifying, evaluating, integrating and promoting plant protection concepts, technologies, and policies which are economically, environmentally, and socially acceptable.
Article 4. To Achieve these Aims the Association shall:
a) Promote the application of the integrated pest management approach in research and in the application of the plant protection sciences;
b) Initiate and facilitate the coordination and integration of research and extension in the plant protection sciences on a regional and global basis;
c) Establish eight (8) Regional Networks Centers (RNCs) each managed by a Regional Coordinator under the policy guidance of a Regional IAPPS Council and the IAPPS Governing Board;
d) Organize meetings through the Regional Network Centers to report and discuss collaborative research and extension programs and to plan future research and pilot extension activities;
e) Provide for the organization, management, and oversight of the International Plant protection Congresses (IPPCs) as a major activity for integrating research and disseminating plant protection information and technology;
f) Sponsor a plant protection journal that will feature articles on IPM research and extension;
g) Provide, through special studies and resolutions, counsel and policy guidance for the global plant protection community;
h) Solicit individual, affiliate, associate, and corporate members as a means to effect programmatic integration within the plant protection sciences and to enhance communication among plant protection scientists.
i) Disseminate current regulatory and plant protection information on a global basis through an interactive web site.j) Promote the importance of intensified plant protection programs as a means of reducing the high losses to potential production (40+%) of major crops and increasing productivity to feed the world’s growing population.
Membership Categories
Article 5. The Association comprises three membership categories:
a) Individual Member: Any person engaged or interested in any aspect of the plant protection sciences (at the level of researcher, extension specialist, industrial scientist, private consultant, producer, farmer, etc.) may adhere to the Association through an Individual Membership.
b) Affiliate Member: Any plant protection society, association, federation or congress (international, regional, or national) may adhere to the Association as an Affiliate Member.
c) Institutional Member: Any plant protection research, extension, or educational institution (international, regional, or national) may adhere to the Association as an Associate Member. [The adhering organization may also be a principal scientific academy or research council or any other appropriate institution].
Article 6. The Association adheres to the International Union of the Biological Sciences.
Administration
Article 7: The General Assembly.
a) The General Assembly constitutes the individual members and named representatives of other membership categories with voting privileges as determined when admitted to membership by the Executive Committee.
b) The General Assembly shall convene each four years at a time and place to coincide with the quadrennial International Plant Protection Congresses.
c) The General Assembly has the following functions:
To provide a forum for the discussion of the general policies and programs of the Association;
To consider matters of general interest to the members;
To provide for the presentation of honors and awards;
To approve changes in the Statutes of the Association; and
To provide for the installation of the new officers.
Article 8: The Governing Board.
a) The composition of the Governing Board and the election procedures for its membership are set forth in the By-Laws.
b) The length of service of any individual on the Governing Board shall not normally exceed three, four-year consecutive terms. The term of office of the Past President shall not be counted against this total.
c) The Governing Board may appoint any Committee, Commission, or Working Group that it deems necessary for the administrative and scientific work of the Association.
d) The Governing Board determines the admission criteria and the fees applicable to each of the membership categories.e) The Governing Board may accept and actively pursue financial support from other appropriate sources.
f) The Governing Board shall solicit nominees for and select the recipients of the “Awards of Distinction” to be presented at each IPPC.
Article 9: The Executive Committee.
a) The Executive Committee consists of the President, Secretary General, Treasurer, Past President, the Vice-President, and a representative from the Global Crop Protection Federation (GCPF).
b) The Executive Committee, to the extent practical, shall be representative of the main scientific interests of the Association. It shall conduct the affairs of the Association in accordance with decisions of the General Assembly and the Governing Board.
c) If either the Secretary General or the Treasurer should cease to be able to serve during their term of office, the President (in consultation with the Executive Committee) is empowered to appoint an acting officer until the next meeting of the Governing Board. Such an acting appointment would neither prejudice the elections for that office at the subsequent Governing Board meeting nor would it count against the total time of service on the Governing Board.
d) The Executive Committee decides on the admission of Affiliate, Associate, and Corporate Members.
Article 10: Standing Committees
a) The Governing Board is authorized to establish such standing committees as it deems necessary for the effective and efficient operation of the Association.
b) Standing committees which may be among those considered necessary by the Governing Board are cited in the By-Laws.
Regional Organizational Structure of the Association
Article 11: The Association shall comprise fifteen (15) geographic regions as follows:
- Region I – West Europe
- Region II – Eastern Europe
- Region III—North Africa
- Region IV – West/Central Africa
- Region V – East Africa
- Region VI – Southern Africa
- Region VII – West Asia
- Region IIX –South Asia
- Region IX– Central Asia
- Region X – Northeast Asia
- Region XI- Southeast Asia
- Region XII – Oceania
- Region XIII- North America
- Region XIV – Central America/ Caribbean
- Region XV – South America
Article 12: Administration of Geographic Regions.
a) A Regional Network Center (RNC) will be established in each geographic region and hosted by either an affiliate or associate member of the Association.
b) Each hosting entity for the Regional Network Centers shall nominate a candidate for the position of Coordinator. With approval by the Executive Committee, these individuals will serve as members ex officio (with vote) of the Governing Board.
Finances
Article 13: An Association Member of any category which is more than three months in arrears in payments to the association shall be considered resigned from membership in the Association.
Article 14: The Association’s funds are in the care of the Treasurer. Expenditure is authorized by the Secretary General, acting in consultation with the President, for sums above a limit set by the Governing Board.
Article 15: An audit procedure shall be developed by the Executive Committee with the consent of the Governing Board. The Treasurer shall prepare accounts for each calendar year and forward them to the Executive Committee. The audited accounts shall be submitted to the Governing Board, reported to the General Assembly, and published.
Voting Power
Article 16: Each delegate to the General Assembly has one vote, regardless of delegate constituency or nature of the question. A delegate is defined as any individual who is a member of the Association in good standing under any of the membership categories cited above in Article 5.
By-Laws
Article 17: Within the framework of these Statutes, the Governing Board may draw up a system of by-laws, which can be approved and/or modified by two-thirds majority vote of the Governing Board.
General Provisions
Article 18: No changes shall be made in the Statutes unless a proposal to that effect is approved by the Governing Board and placed on the Agenda at least three months before the date of the General Assembly meeting and unless it is approved by two- thirds of the General Assembly Delegates present at the time of the vote.
Article 19: The International Plant Protection Congresses (IPPCs) are the main scientific meetings sponsored by Association. These congresses shall be held each four years at a site approved by the Governing Board. The Governing Board shall either exercise or delegate oversight responsibility for the congresses. The host country Organizing Committee has responsibility of generating the funds for each congress and assumes this obligation with the understanding that the Association bears no fiscal liability for the congresses. Participation in the IPPCs is open to both members and non-members of the Association (the registration fee may favor members).
Article 20: The English language shall be accepted as authoritative in the interpretation of these Statutes.
Article 21: The interpretations of the Statutes and By-laws by the Governing Board are final. The Governing Board promulgates and amends the By-laws where this is needed to clarify the Statutes or to improve the operations of IAPPS.
IAPPS By-Laws
Financial year and Modes for Conducting Official Business.
Article 1: The fiscal year of IAPPS is July 01 to June 30.
Article 2: The official business of IAPPS, including administrative components, may be conducted by telephone and/or by correspondence transmitted by e-mail, fax, or postal mail as, appropriate. Such correspondence may include ballot votes on issues that are brought before the Governing Board, the Executive Committee or other constituent bodies.
Members
Article 3: The three membership categories of IAPPS (individual, affiliate, and associate) are set forth and described in Article 5 of the Statutes.
Article 4: Membership Applications.
a) Applications for membership in all membership categories shall be sent to the Secretary General.
b) An application for membership categories other than “individual” requires approval by the Executive Committee.
Article 5: Any organization adhering as a member shall designate an official IAPPS Liaison. The Liaison shall be the responsible intermediary between the adhering entity and the IAPPS Secretariat and should disseminate information on IAPPS aims and programs within the organization.
Article 6: Individual members, associate members, affiliate members, and corporate members shall be informed of IAPPS activities and related matters through the “IAPPS Newsletter” in the official journal of IAPPS (CROP PROTECTION) which is published by Elsevier and which will be available to all IAPPS members in electronic form as a part of their membership package. (Members may also receive the print version of CROP PROTECTION upon payment of an additional subscription cost.)
The General Assembly
Article 7: In accordance with and in addition to the functions set forth in Article 7 of the Statutes, the General Assembly shall be convened to receive:
a)Reports of the work of IAPPS submitted by its officers, committees, and boards.
b) Audited accounts of IAPPS submitted by the Treasurer with approval of the Governing Board.
c) Reports of additions or alterations to the By-Laws implemented by the Governing Board in the period between congresses or of any proposals for changes in the Statutes submitted in accordance with Article 18 of the Statutes.
Article 8: The President of IAPPS shall normally preside at each meeting of the General Assembly. If the President cannot do so, the Vice-President or another member of the Executive Committee designated by the Governing Board shall preside.
The Governing Board
Article 9: The Governing Board shall comprise 16 members as follows:
a) The President
b) The Vice-President;
c) The Past-President;
d) The Secretary General;
e) The Treasurer;
f) One from each of the fifteen (15) geographic regions;
g) One industry representative (nominated by the Global Crop Protection Federation);
h) One from the country hosting the next congress;
i) The News Editor (Ex Officio with vote).
Article 10: The IAPPS Officers shall be nominated by a Nominations Committee and shall be elected by the Governing Board. Officers shall represent as many countries as is practical and will take office at the end of a congress.
a) Two years before the congress, the Executive Committee will appoint a Nominations Committee comprising the past president (chair) and 5 members of the Governing Board chosen on a geographical basis.
b) The Nominations Committee will invite IAPPS members to nominate candidates for the positions of president, vice-president, Secretary General, and Treasurer, and to provide evidence of that person’s willingness to serve if elected.
c) The Nominations Committee will consider the nominations submitted and select a nominee and a reserve nominee for each office. These nominations will go to the Governing Board for ratification.
d) The President will invite each nominee to serve. If the nominee is unable to serve, the reserve nominee will be invited.
Article 11: The functions of the Governing Board relating to Article 8 of the Statutes shall be:
a) To direct the Executive Committee in matters of policy and management;
b) To determine the place and date of the next congress based upon the recommendation of the IPPC Liaison Committee;
c) To evaluate societies, congresses, research organizations, and private sector entities for membership in IAPPS;
d) To elect the officers;
e) To establish committees and to approve committee memberships; and
f) To review and approve, or when deemed necessary to amend, reports prepared by the Executive Committee before they are presented to the General Assembly.
Article 12: Only members of the Governing Board or their designated alternates may vote at each meeting. Each member of the Governing Board shall have one vote. In the event of an equality of votes in a ballot, the President of IAPPS shall have a second and deciding vote.
Executive Committee
Article 13: The officers of IAPPS (President, Vice President, Past-President, Secretary General, and Treasurer) and a representative from industry (nominated by the Global Crop Protection Federation) shall constitute the Executive Committee.
Article 14: The Executive Committee should meet at least twice between consecutive Assemblies. It decides the next place of the meeting, giving consideration to the fact that, in time, a reasonable geographical distribution is achieved.
Article 15: At least three members of the Executive committee qualified to vote must attend for decisions to be valid. Decisions shall be made by simple majority of the votes cast. In the event of an equal vote, the president may cast a second and deciding vote. If there is no quorum, the decisions of that meeting must be ratified by a postal vote of the Executive committee or at a subsequent meeting.
Article 16: In cases of extreme urgency between meetings, the Executive Committee may delegate all or part of its powers to an Emergency Committee consisting of the President and two other members.
Article 17: The Executive committee is responsible for putting into effect programs adopted by the Governing Board and for promoting the activities of IAPPS during the years intervening between congresses. For this purpose it may appoint such committees or working groups as it may deem appropriate.
Article 18: The services of the members of the Executive committee are unpaid. Expenses incurred by any member may be reimbursed, subject to the availability of funds.
Article 19: The President has the duty of taking all appropriate steps to implement, through the Executive Committee, the decisions of the General Assembly and the Governing Board and of directing the activities of IAPPS in collaboration with the Secretary General.
Regional Network Centers
Article 20: Consistent with the regional structure of IAPPS described in Article 11 and Article 12 of the Statutes, these guidelines are set forth for the establishment and management of the regional networks. These guidelines are not intended as a mandate to the Regional Coordinators, but are intended to provide a framework within which a RNC should be established.
a) Leadership: The Regional Coordinator should be a well known individual who is highly regarded as a scientist, have communication skills, and a willingness to devote attention to the furtherance of IAPPS’ visibility, programs, and interests in the region.
b) An inventory of the IPM research and extension organizations in the region should be developed including Non-Government Organizations (NGOs).
c) An objective must be to attract grants and other direct support from various multi- and bi-lateral international development agencies. The IAPPS Secretariat should be kept informed of such activities, and could possibly facilitate the process.
d) The plant protection problems that are of region-wide importance should be identified and efforts should be promoted to develop research/extension projects that would address these problems. If such projects focus on truly critical regional problems that are in need of support, funding should be sought through multi- and bi-lateral aid agencies.
e) A Regional IAPPS Council should be established with a broad constituency that would work with and advise the Regional Coordinator.
f) Where NGOs are important as implementors of multi- and bi-lateral development assistance programs, the RNCs should seek to forge collaborate relationships with such organizations.
Standing Committees
Article 21: IAPPS Standing Committees or Ad Hoc Committees are appointed by the Governing Board. It is suggested that the Governing Board give consideration to the establishment the following committees along with others that it may deem essential.
a) Nominations Committee
b) IPPC Liaison Committee
c) Audit Committee
d) Newsletter Committee
e) Awards and Resolutions Committee
General Provisions
Article 22: IAPPS has the following sources of income, which are administered by the Treasurer:
a) Annual dues from all classes of members
b) Income from sources generated by IAPPS including grants and/or contracts obtained in the name of IAPPS.
Article 23: Officers and other members of the Governing Board will not receive remuneration for their personal services. It is anticipated that employing institutions will be willing to defray partially or wholly the expenses of their professional employees who serve as members of boards, committees and commissions of scientific organizations. It is customary for institutions in the industrialized countries to provide such support on behalf of scientific societies, associations, and congresses. The Nominations Committee should assure that nominees have such a commitment from their employer.
Article 24: The Treasurer is responsible for the finances of IAPPS in accordance with the decisions of the Executive Committee.
Article 25: The Treasurer and the Secretary General may receive reimbursement for direct expenses necessarily incurred by them on behalf of IAPPS, subject to the availability of funds.
Article 26: The Treasurer’s accounts shall be audited after the end of the calendar year by an IAPPS Audit Committee and the latter shall present an annual report to the Governing Board and to the General Assembly when in session. The audited financial report shall also be published in the IAPPS newsletter.
Article 27: The Secretary General is responsible for the Association’s official correspondence on matters of general policy and for implementing the decisions of the Executive Committee.
Article 28: These By-Laws may be amended by the Governing Board with a two- thirds vote. Such changes shall be reported to the membership through the IAPPS Newsletter published regularly in the CROP PROTECTION Journal.
