IUNS Council prepared and approved Guidelines for Funding of Activities at the General Assembly meeting in Montreal (1997).  We recommend our Adhering Bodies to follow these Guidelines.

IUNS Guidelines for Funding of Activities:

1. In principle, IUNS welcomes external funding from all possible sources, provided that the funding arrangements are supportive of the objectives of the Union.
2. There shall be full declaration at all times of funding sources and their use.
3. The funding source should not regard the funding exercise as an opportunity to use the name or reputation of the IUNS for promotional or commercial purposes. IUNS must maintain full control over whether or not the results of a meeting or project are published using the IUNS Logo and the contents of such publications must be reviewed by IUNS prior to publications.
4. Whenever possible ethical issues should be guided by reference to internationally accepted codes of practice, such as those of WHO.
5. Funds may be accepted for support of various aspects of a particular meeting or project, but IUNS has responsibility over how the funds are utilized. For example, industry support would be acceptable only if it is non-designated, i.e., there would be no association, in the conference materials, between a given contribution and any specific symposium or any individual speaker or chairperson.
6. Where sufficient doubt exists about the acceptance or use of external funding, the matter should be raised with IUNS Council. When IUNS Council is unable to resolve the issue, it may be further referred to an Ethics Committee appointed by the Union as needed.

These guidelines will be routinely available to all adhering bodies and potential funders.

At the IUNS Council Meeting in Osaka, Japan (March 2002), Conflict of Interest Guidelines were prepared and approved.

Conflict of Interest Guidelines (CIG):

1.  Officers, Council Members, Committee Chairs and Members and all who assume responsibilities for IUNS, should actively consider where conflict of interest might occur and declare it.

2. The IUNS Statutes and Rules of Procedures, including those to do with Funding, should be familiar to all who have responsibility within the Union.

3.  For each meeting convened by or in the name of IUNS, a Conflict of Interest item should be included in the agenda, so that participants can declare their interest in any agenda item. The potential conflict of interest will be considered by the meeting, usually in the absence of the affected participant and a decision made about that participants’ status during the discussion and decision-making on that agenda item.

4. In matters or activities outside of the IUNS agenda, where there is potential or perceived conflict of interest, Officers, Council Members, Committee Chairs and other representatives of IUNS need to indicate that they do not represent the IUNS or its views. 

5.  IUNS “Conflict of Interest” procedures are not intended to reduce or inhibit collaboration, partnerships or networks, but rather to encourage transparency and integrity-in decision making.

6. Where there is uncertainty or doubt about a matter of conflict of interest, the IUNS council has established a mechanism of review by the IUNS President and the Ethics sub-committee of Council.