Preamble
The International Geological Congress (IGC) has, since its beginnings,
adhered to rules which were at first adapted
from those developed by similar organizations, and later refined to
meet its changing needs over the years.
Permanent statutes and by-laws were first proposed in 1913 and, in
1922, Statutes which essentially ‘codified tradition’ were
adopted. These, with minor modifications, remained in force until
the formation of the International
Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) in 1961 made a major modification
necessary. A committee was appointed at
the 22nd Session (1964) to make recommendations for amending the Statutes.
The recommendations were adopted
at the 23rd Session; but, not surprisingly in view of the major changes
which had to be incorporated, when first
implemented at the 24th Session they were found to contain anomalies
and uncertainties to the extent that a
Commission was appointed in Montreal to make recommendations for further
revisions to the Statutes.
This Commission included officers of IUGS as well as those of several
Sessions of the Congress. The recommended
revision was widely promulgated before the 25th Session, and was there
adopted and put into practice. More
recently, in the light of perceived ambiguities, further minor modifications
have been incorporated. These Statutes
differ extensively in format from those they replace, but in content
still serve to codify tradition and respond to
perceived needs. They also more clearly define the relationship with
IUGS, and are consistent with its Statutes
agreed to by its Council in 1980.
The Strategic Plan of IUGS, approved during the 31st IGC in Rio de
Janeiro in the year 2000, noted that IGC is
the premier forum for presentation of results from IUGS programs and
provides a vital venue for IUGS committees,
commissions and programs.
In March 2002, following the recommendations of the IUGS Strategic
Planning Committee, the IUGS Executive
Committee approved a proposal for the merger of the IUGS and IGC.
One of the envisaged advantages should be a clear and simple representation
of the geological world by a unified
body. Another advantage will be a more effective management of both
IUGS and IGC.
The matter was discussed by the IGC Steering Committee in Florence
in October 2002.
It was decided to ask immediately by mail the IGC member countries
(national bodies that can be identified) about
their feeling on the recommendations for the integration of IUGS and
IGC. These new Statutes take into account some of the IUGS proposals,
the suggestions of the IGC Steering Committee and the responses received
from the National Committees. The Statutes of the IGC entered into
force immediately after adoption by the Council and the General Assembly
of the IGC and the Council of IUGS in (date) August 2004 in Florence,
Italy. The Council and the General Assembly of the IGC ceased to exist
after the close of the respective meetings of the Council and General
Assembly of the IGC.
Definitions
Appropriate Authority (5.5.3) is, in countries represented in the
Council of IUGS, the Adhering Organization of
IUGS appointed by that country. In other countries it is the national
(science) academy, the national Geological
Society, or the Geological Survey, preferably if recognized by the
International Council for Science (ICSU).
Organizing Committee is the body appointed by the appropriate Authority
in the host country or group of countries
for the forthcoming Session of the Congress. The term of office of
an Organizing Committee shall be from the
termination of the period of office of its predecessor until one year
after the closure of the Session for which it was
appointed.
Preparatory Committee is the body appointed by the appropriate Authority
in the host country or group of countries
for the next but one Session of the Congress, if decided by the Council
eight years in advance of the Session.
It shall become the Organizing Committee after the termination of
the period of office of the previous Organizing
Committee.
A Session of the Congress lasts from the beginning of the first excursion
until the end of the last one. The IGC
Committee fulfils the functions set out in many different parts of
the Statutes. In addition, it may be called upon
by the Organizing Committee for advice, or to resolve any problem
which would normally be referred to the
Council but whose resolution could not be deferred without risk to
the well-being of the Congress.
Articles
1. Aims
1.1. The aims of the IGC are:
1.1.1. to contribute, in collaboration with and under sponsorship
of the IUGS, to the advancement of fundamental and applied research
in the geological sciences.
1.1.2. to provide a venue for geologists to exchange ideas and information.
1.1.3. to provide the opportunity, by way of geological excursions,
to examine geological problems and features
in the field.
2. Membership
2.1. There is no permanent membership of the IGC. Application for
membership of a Session is made to the
Secretary General of the Organizing Committee for that Session.
2.2. No professional title is required to support a request to register.
2.3. Classes of membership normally are Members, Accompanying Members
and Student Members. Fees and
privileges of the different classes of members and definition of Student
Member are determined by the
Organizing Committee of the Session.
3. Sessions
3.1. The Sessions of the Congress are normally called every fourth
year and are open only to members of the Session.
3.2. The scientific program and business meetings of the Session normally
last for 7 to 10 days, during which the Council shall meet.
3.3. The scientific program of the Session is preceded by the Opening
Ceremony and followed by a Closing Ceremony, the first of which is
opened by the President of the previous Session, or the President’s
representative, who resigns the Chair and announces the appointment
of the President of the current Session.
3.4. The affiliated bodies of the IUGS are invited, and other geological
organizations may apply, to hold
scientific and business meetings as part of the Session, provided
that they accept the regulations of the
Organizing Committee with regard to registration fees, schedules,
publications, and costs.
3.5. Business meetings are arranged to avoid, so far as is possible,
conflict in timing with scientific meetings.
4. Excursions
4.1. Each Session includes a number of geological field excursions
that are an important feature of the
Congress. They normally both precede and follow the scientific program
and business meetings.
4.2. The excursions give members every possible facility to study
geological features of the country or region in
which the Session is being held.
4.3. Excursions are arranged with due regard to keeping costs to both
the participants and host at a reasonable
level. They are directed by competent leaders, and the geological
features to be visited are described in
guidebooks made available to participants.
5. Administration
5.1. The responsibility for administration of the Sessions of the
Congress passes from one Organizing Committee
to another. The Secretary General of the Session provides the Secretary
General of the incoming
Organizing Committee for the next Session with all pertinent information
and documentation.
The permanent interests of the Congress shall be looked after by the
IGC Committee in close collaboration
with the incoming Organizing Committee.
5.2. Any country or group of countries wishing to host a Session of
the Congress informs the IGC Committee of its proposal. Invitations
to hold the next Session are decided by the Council.
5.2.1. If a given invitation is considered adequate and desirable,
Council may consider the possibility of deciding
a venue as early as 8 years in advance of the Congress date.
5.2.2. A regional rotation system, with an agreed ordered sequence
of continents, shall be implemented in order
to ensure the global character of the Congress.
5.3. As soon as practicable after the termination of a Session, the
Organizing Committee of the next Session shall
make its address known to the geological community.
5.4. During the Session, the Organizing Committee refers to the Council
through the IGC Committee, matters requiring discussion other than
those directly concerned with the administration of the current Session.
5.5. The Organizing Committee is, in addition to the foregoing, responsible
for:
5.5.1. preparing a program for the forthcoming Session of the Congress
in collaboration with the IUGS and its
affiliated organizations, and publishing and distributing it to members
in advance of the scientific and
business meetings.
5.5.2. organizing excursions as defined in Article 4.
5.5.3. inviting the appropriate authority in each country to nominate
Delegates to the Council.
5.5.4. inviting Academies, Geological Surveys, International and National
Geological Societies, Universities and
other appropriate institutions to send representatives to the Session.
5.5.5. preparing and giving wide distribution to circulars concerning
plans for the forthcoming Session and
information for prospective members.
5.5.6. publishing, in advance of the Session, summaries of papers
which have been accepted by the Organizing
Committee.
5.5.7. promoting publication of presented contributions that are of
appropriate scientific standard.
5.5.8. preparing and distributing to Members a volume of General Proceedings
of the Session as soon as practicable after its conclusion.
5.5.9. providing meeting rooms and other facilities for the scientific
and business meetings which it has
accepted for inclusion in the program.
5.5.10. introducing its nominees for President and Secretary General
for the Session for adoption by the Council.
5.5.11. negotiating with the IUGS the amount to be included in the
registration fee as an income for the IUGS.
5.6. The IGC Committee consists of:
(a) the President and the Secretary General of the ongoing Organizing
Committee;
(b) the President of the immediate past Session;
(c) the President, the Secretary General and the Treasurer of IUGS;
(d) the Secretaries General of the three immediate past Sessions.
As observers may be invited the President and the Secretary General
of the Preparatory Committee of
an eventual next but one IGC and up to three congress organizing experts.
5.6.1. The IGC Committee is co-chaired by the President of IUGS and
by the President of the immediate past
Session or their representatives.
5.6.2. A quorum of the Committee shall consist of five members. Voting
may be made in person, or in writing,
including by Fax or electronic mail. Decisions are made by simple
majority of members having voted.
5.6.3. The IGC Committee draws up the agenda for the Council meetings
regarding IGC matters.
5.6.4. The IGC Committee also determines any contentious matter which
cannot be resolved by Council, and
may appoint ad hoc committees for this purpose; it further determines
any dispute concerning the
interpretation of these Statutes.
5.7. The Council for matters regarding the IGC includes
(a) all the members of the IGC Committee;
(b) Delegates of all countries represented at the Session, the number
of Delegates from each country cor
responding to the category of its membership of IUGS, but countries
which are not members of IUGS may
accredit one Delegate;
(c) other members of the Executive Committee of IUGS;
(d) other members of the Session as Council decides to co-opt.
For matters regarding the IGC the Council holds office for the duration
of the Session.
5.7.1. All Members of the Council must be participants at the Session,
and all Members of the Council may take
part in discussions and vote, on matters regarding the IGC, at Council
meetings. One delegate from a
country may vote all votes allotted to that country, or the votes
may be distributed among all delegates
present from that country.
5.7.2. A quorum of the Council, for matters regarding the IGC, shall
consist of fifty percent of the member
countries which submit delegates to the Congress.
5.8. Congress policy is discussed by the IGC Committee and by the
Council.
6. General Provisions
6.1. The Congress may award prizes for works of merit in the various
fields of Geology.
6.2. Any proposals to modify the Statutes of the Congress must be
submitted in writing to the IGC Committee
at least 9 months before the beginning of the next Session.
6.2.1. Such proposals shall be transmitted by the Secretary General
of the Organizing Committee of the current
Session to the IUGS adhering organizations and the National Contacts
for the Congress.
6.2.2 After consolidation of the received amendments by the IGC Committee,
the final proposal shall be
submitted to Council, and to be approved must receive the votes of
at least two thirds of the members of
Council present and voting.
6.3 The English text of the Statutes shall be considered to be the
authoritative text for their interpretation.
