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Statutes

As adopted by the Council Madrid, Spain, on 9 September 1975
Incorporating additions and amendments approved

 

S1 Definition of the Union

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) (hereafter referred to as "the Union") is a voluntary, nongovernmental, nonprofit association of organizations each representing the chemists of a member country, a member country being a country whose Adhering Organization has joined the Union.

S2 Objectives

The objectives of the Union are:
S2.1 to promote continuing cooperation among the chemists of the member countries;
S2.2 to study topics of international importance to pure and applied chemistry which need standardization or codification;
S2.3 to cooperate with other international organizations which deal with topics of a chemical nature;
S2.4 to contribute to the advancement and understanding of pure and applied chemistry in all its aspects.
S2.5 In pursuing these objectives the Union will observe the basic policy of political nondiscrimination and affirms the rights of chemists of any country to adhere to or to associate with international activity in the field of chemistry without regard to race, religion, or political philosophy.

S3 Membership

S3.1 A country may join the Union through only one national organization representing its chemists. This Adhering Organization may be a national chemical council, a national society representing chemistry, a national academy of science, or any other institution or association of institutions representative of national chemical interests.
S3.2 The Adhering Organizations are the Members of the Union.
S3.3 A country requesting admission to the Union shall provide full information about its proposed Adhering Organization.
S3.4 An Adhering Organization may withdraw from the Union provided that it has fulfilled its financial obligations, or may be removed from the Union for failure to fulfill such obligations.

S4 Organization

S4.1 The organization of the Union comprises its Council, a Bureau, an Executive Committee, Standing Committees, Divisions, Sections, Commissions, and other appropriate bodies as determined by the Council.
S4.2 A General Assembly of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry shall be held normally each second year, beginning with 1963, and shall consist of a set of meetings of the Council and such other bodies of the Union as the Bureau shall decide. Where the duration of office of Officers of the Union, Elected Members of the Bureau, and Titular Members and Associate Members of Division and Section Committees, Commissions, or other bodies of the Union is referred to in these Statutes, it shall begin on 1 January of the year following their election at a General Assembly and shall end on 31 December of the year when the appointment is due to terminate. In the filling of casual vacancies the Bureau may authorize an appointment to Division and Section Committees, Commissions, and other bodies of the Union except for the Executive Committee and Bureau to begin at an intermediate date. Any such appointment should be regarded as dating from 1 January of the year following the previous General Assembly in respect of the period of office for Division and Section Committees, and Commissions. No person shall hold more than three appointments to bodies of the Union, except at the discretion of the Bureau in respect of membership of a subcommittee or acting as an official representative within or outside the Union.
S4.3 The official headquarters of the Union shall be in Zürich (Switzerland) until otherwise decided by the Council. Any change in location requires the approval of two-thirds of the total number of votes assigned to the Adhering Organizations.
S4.4 The legal domicile of the Union is accepted by Finanzdirektion des Kantons Zürich as an Association under Swiss Law and for legal purposes the Union will act in accordance with Articles 60 and following of the Swiss Civil Code and by the present Statutes.

S5 Council

S5.1 The Council, to which the Bureau, Executive Committee, Standing Committees, Divisions, Sections, Commissions, and all other bodies of the Union are responsible, is composed of the Delegations of the Adhering Organizations. Each Delegation shall be assigned a specific number of votes/Delegates (1-6) according to principles decided by the Council. Each Adhering Organization shall appoint its Delegates for every Council meeting.
S5.2 Regular meetings of the Council shall take place every two years as part of a General Assembly, special meetings may be convened by the President of the Union and shall be convened by the President at the request of one-third of the total number of Adhering Organizations, which shall specify the reason for such requests.
S5.31 No decision of the Council shall be valid unless taken at a meeting of the Council at which at least one-half of the maximum number of votes are represented. For nonscientific matters this maximum refers to the full complement of Delegates from all Adhering Organizations.
S5.32 For all voting by the Council abstentions shall not be recorded as votes.
S5.33 The voting procedure to be adopted is different according to whether a proposal is a scientific or nonscientific matter. The Presiding Officer shall decide whether for the purpose of voting a matter shall be considered to be of a scientific or nonscientific nature and that decision shall be final. The method of voting shall be specified in the Bylaws.
S5.34 There shall be no voting by proxy.
S5.4 Functions of the Council not mentioned in other Articles of these Statutes shall be:
S5.401 to elect the Officers of the Union and the Elected Members of the Bureau;
S5.402 to discuss and determine the general policy of the Union;
S5.403 to approve the Bylaws of the Union and changes therein;
S5.404 to approve the terms of reference of the Bureau, Executive Committee, Standing Committees, Divisions, Sections, Commissions, and all other bodies of the Union as prescribed in the Statutes and Bylaws;
S5.405 to determine every four years, beginning in 1963, the one language in which the official records of the meetings of the Council, Bureau, and Executive Committee shall be kept and published;
S5.406 to receive and consider reports
(i) by the President on the state of the Union,
(ii) by the Bureau, Executive Committee, Division and Section Presidents, and other bodies of the Union;
S5.407 to ratify decisions taken by the Bureau and Executive Committee between General Assemblies,
S5.408 to consider and adopt or reject the accounts of the Union;
S5.409 to examine and establish the budget of the Union for the next two financial years;
S5.410 to determine the dates and place of General Assemblies;
S5.411 to take such other actions as are required in the exercise of its authority under the Statutes and Bylaws.
S5.5 The official text of a report shall be in the language in which the report has been presented by that body of the Union responsible for it.

S6 Officers

S6.1 The Officers of the Union shall be the President, the Vice-President, the Past-President, the Secretary General, and the Treasurer.
S6.21 The President shall hold office for two years and shall not be reelected.
S6.22 The President is the administrative head of the Union, shall preside at the meetings of the Council, of the Bureau, and of the Executive Committee and shall be ex officio a member of all bodies of the Union. The President may delegate power as chief representative of the Union and to preside at meetings to the Vice-President, to another Officer of the Union, or to an Elected Member of the Bureau. When neither the President nor the Vice-President is able to perform the functions of the office of President, the immediate Past-President or, if absent, an Elected Member of the Bureau, chosen by the Bureau, shall assume temporarily the office of President.
S6.23 The President shall submit to each regular meeting of the Council a report on the general state of the Union.
S6.31 The Vice-President, designated as President-Elect, shall assume the office of President in the event of the President being unable to perform the functions of that office, without prejudice to the forthcoming period of office as President.
S6.32 The Vice-President shall submit to the Bureau biennially a critical assessment of the programmes and the projects of all IUPAC bodies.
S6.41 The Secretary General shall carry out the business of the Union as specified by the Council, by the Bureau, by the Executive Committee, or by the President, and be responsible for keeping its records and for the administration of the Secretariat.
S6.42 The Secretary General shall be elected for four years and be eligible for reelection up to a maximum of a further four years.
S6.51 The Treasurer shall be responsible for the accounts of the Union, shall prepare a budget for approval of the Bureau and the Council, shall approve expenditures from the funds of the Union, and, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, shall be responsible for the investment and custody of the funds of the Union. The Treasurer shall ensure that an appropriate record of all financial authorities and transactions is maintained.
S6.52 The Treasurer shall be elected for four years and be eligible for reelection up to a maximum of a further four years.
S6.6 To assist in the administration of the business of the Union there shall be appointed an Executive Director responsible to the President and Executive Committee (Bureau, Council) through the Secretary General and in financial matters through the Treasurer.

S7 Bureau

S7.1 The Council shall establish a Bureau to act for the Union during intervals between meetings of the Council, except on matters specifically excluded from its delegated authority. The Bureau shall normally meet once a year and at other times when the President considers it to be desirable. In a year when the General Assembly meets, a meeting of the Bureau shall take place during the General Assembly.
S7.2 The Bureau shall consist of the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary General, the Treasurer, the immediate Past-President, and Presidents of Divisions and Sections, together with not less than ten other members elected by the Council who shall be known as Elected Members. The period of service of these Elected Members of the Bureau shall be four years. The periods of service shall be arranged in such a way as to ensure continuity. These Elected Members are eligible for reelection to the same office for one more period of four years. No President of a Division or Section may be simultaneously an Elected Member of the Bureau. Unless exceptional circumstances are established and special permission of the Council is granted, no Adhering Organization shall have more than one Elected Member on the Bureau, and the principle of fair geographical representation of Members shall be taken into account. The Council shall specify those bodies of the Union whose Chairmen shall be designated ex officio Members of the Bureau; such ex officio Members shall have no voting powers.
S7.3 In case of an emergency, which prevents the holding of elections, the Officers of the Union, the Elected Members of the Bureau, and the Presidents of the Divisions and Sections will continue to serve until statutory elections can be held.
S7.4 The principal duties of the Bureau, subject always to the Statutes and Bylaws, are:
S7.41 to ensure the strict observance of Statutes and Bylaws;
S7.42 to prepare the agenda for meetings of the Council and in particular to make provision for elections;
S7.43 to make recommendations thereon to the Council;
S7.44 to attend the meetings of the Council;
S7.45 to implement the decisions of the Council and execute the programme of the Union as directed by the Council;
S7.46 to take steps to ensure that International Congresses of Pure and Applied Chemistry are held;
S7.47 to take decisions about the holding of scientific meetings as proposed by the Division and Section Committees;
S7.48 to take all other steps necessary for the good conduct of the affairs of the Union.
S7.5 The Bureau may not elect Officers of the Union nor admit nor remove Members of the Union, but it may fill temporarily vacancies among the Officers pending the next regular meeting of the Council, when the Council shall fill such vacancies.
S7.6 The Bureau may fill casual vacancies in accordance with Statute 4.2.

S8 Executive Committee

S8.1 The Bureau shall establish an Executive Committee to act for it in ensuring an orderly discharge of the functions of the Union. The Executive Committee may formulate standing orders to facilitate its discharge of the foregoing functions.
S8.2 The Executive Committee shall be limited to eight members and shall include the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary General, the Treasurer, and the immediate Past-President. The other members shall be elected by the Bureau from among its Elected Members: the ballot shall be written and secret and the Elected Members obtaining the most votes recorded shall be elected. Such ballots shall be conducted in accordance with a procedure to be determined by the Bureau. The period of service of an Elected Member shall be four years or until the end of the term as a Bureau Member, whichever is the shorter. An Elected Member is eligible for reelection to the same office for one more period of four years. Terms of office shall be arranged such as to ensure continuity.
S8.3 The Council shall establish Standing Committees to advise the President and the Executive Committee; such bodies shall include a Finance Committee and Publications Committee.

S9 Finance

S9.1 Each Adhering Organization shall pay an annual subscription to the Union, due 1 and payable before 31 December in each year. The minimum amount of this annual subscription shall be decided from time to time by the Council.
S9.2 Any Adhering Organization in arrears with its subscription for a period of twelve months from the due date, shall be warned, shall be deprived of its voting rights, and all publications of the Union shall be withheld from it. Any Adhering Organization in arrears for a period of twenty four months from the due date shall automatically cease to be a Member of the Union. Partial payment of the subscription shall be regarded as nonpayment, unless the Union exceptionally waives the outstanding subscription. Membership of bodies of the Union of all persons belonging to an Adhering Organization, which ceases to be a Member, shall continue at the discretion of the Bureau to the end of the period of service.
S9.3 Any Adhering Organization which shall withdraw (see also Statute 3.4) or cease for any reason to be a Member of the Union shall forfeit claims upon the funds of the Union.
S9.41 In addition to the annual subscription, the Union may receive financial contributions from other sources, such as gifts, bequests, and legacies. The Executive Committee may set up any auxiliary bodies to the Union which will enable such financial contribution to be received.
S9.42 None of the constituent bodies of the Union (e.g., a Division) may solicit funds for Union purposes from organizations other than the Union until the specific approval of the Bureau of the Union has been obtained. The disposal of any such funds shall be only with the approval of the Bureau.
S9.5 Any expenditure from the funds of the Union shall require authorization from the Treasurer, acting on behalf of the Bureau. The Treasurer may delegate to the Executive Director the expenditure of limited amounts from the funds of the Union.

S10 Divisions, Sections, and Commissions

S10.1 The scientific work of the Union shall be undertaken by the Divisions and Sections which shall be responsible to the Bureau and which shall represent within the Union the branches of chemistry indicated by their Divisional or Sectional titles, and by such other bodies as are appointed by the Council.
S10.2 Divisions and Sections may be created and existing ones may be dissolved or modified by the Council. The initial Members of Division and Section Committees shall be appointed by the Council.
S10.3 The procedures of each Division and Section shall be governed by the Bylaws but a Division and Section may also adopt rules which shall be in accord with the general policy of the Union, its Statutes and Bylaws, and which shall be subject to the approval of the Council.
S10.4 Each Division and Section may include such Commissions as are approved by the Council.
S10.5 Joint Commissions between Divisions and/or Joint Commissions between the Union and other international scientific bodies may be attached to one of the Divisions or Sections or to the Bureau of the Union as decided by the Council. Rules for such joint bodies shall if necessary be set up by the Division or Section Committee or by the Bureau, as the Bureau shall decide.
S10.6 A Division or Section Committee may appoint such subcommittees as are appropriate to the work of the Division or Section and its Commissions.

S11 Associated Organizations

The Council may decide to associate with existing international organizations whose aims and activities are in harmony with those of the Union. Their international scope of activities, with no a priori limitation to a part of the world, shall be explicit in their title or statutes. In the case of apparent competition with another international organization already associated with IUPAC, the Council shall make a choice and decide with which organization IUPAC wishes to be associated, while avoiding to associate with both at the same time. These organizations shall then be known as Associated Organizations of the Union.

S12 Company Associates

Organizations such as industrial companies, research and development institutions and laboratories, scientific societies, or any other bodies interested in the activities of the Union may become associated with it as Company Associates. The conditions under which such association shall occur or continue, including the determination of the minimum amount of annual subscription or donation, shall be decided by the Council on the recommendation of the Bureau.

S13 Congress and Other Scientific Meetings

S13.1 At suitable intervals International Congresses of Pure and Applied Chemistry shall be organized under the auspices of the Union. These Congresses shall comprise one or more branches of chemistry represented by the Divisions and Sections of the Union. The Council shall approve the scope of each Congress on the recommendation of the host country, with a view to achieving, by suitable rotation, the coverage of all branches of pure and applied chemistry. The Council shall also decide upon the place and dates of the Congress. The arrangements for such a Congress shall be entrusted to a committee set up in the host country. This committee shall cooperate with the Bureau, the Officers of the Union, and the appropriate Division and Section Committees.
S13.2 Cooperation of the Union in the organization of a Congress shall not involve the Union in financial responsibility.
S13.3 The Council may organize other scientific meetings or may offer the collaboration of the Union in the planning and arrangement of scientific meetings initiated by other organizations.

S14 Adoption, Changes, and Interpretation of Statutes

S14.1 The Statutes shall take effect immediately after their adoption by the Council.
S14.2 The English text of the Statutes shall be used exclusively as the authorized text for the interpretation of the Articles of the Statutes and Bylaws, but the Council may approve the Issue by the Union of versions in other languages.
S14.3 Changes in the Statutes may be proposed by the Bureau or any Adhering Organization. Notice of changes so proposed shall reach the Secretary General at the Secretariat in writing at least ten months before the meeting of the Council at which the proposal is to be considered. No change shall be made except at a meeting of the Council and with the approval of two-thirds of the total number of votes assigned to the Adhering Organizations.
S14.4 In all cases where the Statutes are not clear or do not give a decision, the President's ruling shall be decisive.

S15 Duration

The Union shall not be dissolved except at a meting of the Council convened specifically for this purpose by notice given three months in advance. At such a meeting, more than three- quarters of the maximum possible number of votes of the Adhering Organizations must be represented and cast, and two-thirds of the votes recorded shall be required for dissolution. If three-quarters of the maximum possible number of votes are not represented, the Council shall be convened again after a period of at least six months and at this second meeting the Union may be dissolved if the proposal for dissolution receives two-thirds of the votes recorded. In the case of dissolution of the Union, the Council shall appoint three trustees to carry out the liquidation of the assets of the Union. The net assets shall be transferred to one or more international scientific organizations.

 

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