Statutes and Rules of Procedure

(As revised and adopted by the General Assembly at its meeting on 29 August 2001)

STATUTES

I. Objects of the Union

1. The objects of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences, hereinafter called the "Union" are:

a)      to promote advancement in nutrition science, research and development through international cooperation at the global level;

b)      to encourage communication and collaboration among nutrition scientists as well as to disseminate information in nutritional sciences through modern communication technology.

II. Membership

2. Adherence from a country to the Union as a member is through a principal Academy, or National Research Council, or other appropriate scientific group duly recognised specifically as an Adhering Body by the General Assembly.

3. The term "country" shall be understood to include nutrition scientists representing a defined geographical area (or areas) which has an independent budget for scientific purposes; there shall be only one member representing each such area or scientific community.

4. The General Assembly may accept as Affiliated Bodies appropriate international and regional organizations covering more than one "country" as defined above as well as appropriate international nutrition subspecialty associations or other scientific institutions upon the recommendation of the Council.  The General Assembly shall decide upon the recommendation of the Council, the fees to be paid by affiliated bodies.

5. Each Adhering Body shall be required to pay annual subscription to the Union on a basis proposed by the Council and approved by the General Assembly. Adherence of an accredited scientific community will be established when the body has formally accepted the Statutes of the Union and has paid its initial annual dues.

6. A member desirous of resigning from the Union must give three months' notice of resignation in writing, addressed to the Secretary General.  Adhering Bodies declared in arrears beyond three years will have no voting or nominating rights.  Although scientists from adhering bodies declared in arrears for three years can be members of the IUNS committees, they cannot act as chairpersons of committees or members of the Council until their adhering body regains its voting right.  The officers will decide upon a written application from an adhering body in arrears for three or more years, the amount of unpaid dues to be paid in order to regain its voting rights.

III. Administration

7. a) There shall be:

i)          the General Assembly;

ii)                   the Council;

iii)                 the Officers;

iv)        the Nominating Committee.

b) The composition and functions of these bodies are defined in Sections IV, V, VI and VIII.

IUNS may appoint a manager part time or full time if needed whose terms of reference and responsibilities shall be decided by the Council.

8. A Quorum of half of the qualified members should be present in the meetings of administrative bodies.  In the absence of any provision to the contrary in the Statutes and Rules of Procedure, decisions of these bodies shall be by a majority of the affirmative or negative votes of those present and taking part in the vote. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a deciding vote.

IV. The General Assembly

9. The work of the Union shall be directed by the General Assembly of delegates appointed by the Adhering Bodies. Payment of the appropriate annual subscription entitles the Adhering Body to send one voting delegate. In addition, the Adhering Body is entitled to send a number of non-voting delegates specified according to its category of payment.  Affiliated members have no voting right but can send representatives to the General Assembly.

10.       a) Ordinary meetings of the General Assembly shall be held every four years in connection with international congresses, if not decided otherwise.

            b) The Council, by two-thirds vote, may call extra-ordinary General Assemblies and shall call such assemblies upon request of more than one-half of the Adhering Bodies.

11. Voting at the General Assembly shall be by Adhering Bodies, and each delegate as defined in paragraph 9 will be eligible to vote. Each Adhering Body should make known to the Secretary General of the Union, at least four months in advance of the meetings, the names and addresses of the voting and non-voting delegates.

12. All the Officers and other Members of the Council shall attend sessions of the General Assembly, but as such shall have no right to vote, unless serving as official delegates of an Adhering Body, but the Chairman of the session shall have a deciding vote.

13. An invitation by the Secretary General to send an observer to each ordinary meeting of the General Assembly shall be issued to Affiliated Bodies, and to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Administrative Committee on Coordination/Subcommittee on Nutrition (ACC/SCN), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST), and the United Nations University (UNU); invitations may be sent also to such other organizations and individuals as the Council may deem appropriate.

14. A preliminary agenda for the General Assembly shall be prepared by the Officers and sent to the Adhering Bodies one year in advance of a General Assembly. Adhering Bodies and committees of the Union may propose business to be transacted at General Assemblies. Such proposals shall reach the Secretary General at least four months before the meeting.

15. The agenda of business to be transacted at General Assemblies shall be distributed by the Secretary General to the Adhering Bodies and to their delegates at least three months before the meeting. No question which has not been placed on the agenda shall be discussed or put to a vote unless a proposal to that effect be approved by a two-thirds majority vote at the meeting.

16. It shall be, in particular, the function of the General Assembly to:

a)        give recognition to each qualified Adhering Body and to accept its selected contribution and membership category;

b)         elect the Officers and other Members of the Council according to the Rules of           Procedure;

c)        elect the eight Adhering Bodies which shall each have one delegate on the Nominating Committee according to the proposal of the Officers; 

            d)         receive from the Council reports of the activities of the Union and its committees;

            e)         consider the financial report of the Treasurer and estimates of likely expenditure;

            f)          on the proposal of the Council, decide the annual dues to be paid by the Adhering Bodies according to the membership categories;

            g)         determine special projects that shall be financed independently of general expenditure;

            h)         determine the general policy, location, and timetable in preparation for the next General Assembly and International Congress.

            i)          on the proposal of the council may appoint an auditor to the Union and decide his fees.

V. The Council

17. The Council of the Union shall consist of:

i)          the Officers, namely the President, the two Vice-Presidents (one of whom is elected as the President-Elect), the Secretary General and the Treasurer and

ii)                   six other Members. 

The Council will meet at least twice between the General Assemblies and be informed of minutes of the officers meetings held between the Council meetings.

18.  The terms of office of the Officers and other Members shall begin at the close of the succeeding regular meeting.  No member remains more than two terms in each office or more than three terms in any office except for the first Vice-President (President-Elect), the Secretary General and Treasurer who can continue for three terms in their office, but no more than four terms in any office.  The Immediate Past President and Secretary General may be invited to attend the meetings of the Officers and Council during the first year after finishing their term but will have no voting rights.

19. The same individual may not hold simultaneously more than one office within the Council membership. Any vacancies that occur among the designated Officers or other Members of the Council between regular meetings of the General Assembly may be filled by a majority vote of the Council to be effective until the close of the next regular meeting of the General Assembly.

20. The Council shall serve as a policy and executive group to facilitate the work of the Union between meetings of the General Assembly, and to take such actions and policies of the General Assembly. The Council shall serve also as an advisory and planning body for the Union and shall present at each meeting of the Assembly a written report of actions taken and recommendations for further activities. The Council shall propose membership categories and dues to the general assembly for adoption.  It may propose an auditor for IUNS to be approved by the general assembly.  A report from each meeting of the Council shall be forwarded promptly to all Adhering Bodies.

21. The invitation issued by the Secretary General to a Council meeting shall reach the Officers and the other Members at least two months before the meeting takes place.

22. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Administrative Committee on Coordination/Subcommittee on Nutrition (ACC/SCN), the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations University (UNU) as well as other organizations accepted by the Council shall be invited to send observers to Council meetings.

23. The President

The President shall serve as Chairman of the General Assembly and of the Council, as the legal representative of the Union in dealing with other bodies, and as a member ex-officio of all Committees of the Union. The President, and the two Vice-Presidents shall decide, with the concurrence of the Council, how they share their duties. In the event of the unavailability of both the President and the President-Elect, the second vice president shall serve as Acting President until the next meeting of the Council which will ratify this.

24. The President, with the approval of the Council, shall have the power between officers meetings to appoint Committees, representatives of the Union on joint Committees and special or standing committees, and may delegate specific powers and duties to other members of the Council.

25. The President will convene the Council to a meeting at least twice between the two general assemblies.  The President will convene the Officers to a meeting twice a year.  Reports of such meetings shall be given at the next meeting of the Council.

26. The President-Elect

The President-Elect shall serve as President for the balance of the term in the event that the President becomes unable to serve. Such an event shall not affect his service for the term for which he has been elected.

27. The Secretary General

Under the general direction of the President and Council, the Secretary General is responsible for conducting the regular business of the Union and for keeping its general records, including minutes of meetings of the Council.

28. The Treasurer

The Treasurer is responsible for the detailed financial records of the Union and shall submit such records for inspection and approval by the officers, and shall assist with the officers in planning annual budgets for approval by the Council.

VI. Officers

29. The officers of the union consist of:

The President, the two Vice Presidents, the Secretary and the Treasurer. They shall meet at six monthly intervals and shall be given the following responsibilities:

a)   To act as monitoring, evaluating and executive body to follow up IUNS activities and report to the council in its next meeting.

b)   To assist the Treasurer in preparing an annual budget including the core budget, as well as extra budgetary financing to be presented to the next council meeting for adoption.  They will also advise the Council on the financial status of the Union as well as the value of membership category dues.  They shall accept donations or contributions provided they are within the rules and Guidelines of IUNS.

c)  To establish and terminate committees and assign their objectives and time span and review the report of the committees before being presented to the Council.

d)  To propose to the General Assembly the names of the eight adhering bodies to be members of the nominating committee, taking into consideration the category of membership, the dues, the geographical distribution and rotation.

e)  To prepare the preliminary agenda to the General Assembly to be sent to the adhering bodies.

f)    To review documentation of the applications for the next congress and identify any comments to be presented to the General Assembly.

g)   To decide the payments to be received from the next congress host adhering body for registrants and trade exhibit.

h)   To act as advisory body to the President, Council or General Assembly in matters referred for its advice.

i)    To decide on urgent matters between council meetings.

VII. Finance

30. Categories of membership and number of delegates shall be decided by the General Assembly upon recommendation by the Council.

31. Each Adhering Body shall be responsible for the annual payment of its membership dues.

32. The Treasurer shall notify each Adhering Body of the payment due for the subsequent year in December, and the dues must be paid by 1 June or the member is declared in arrears. Any member in arrears beyond three years shall have no voting rights at General Assemblies.

33. The Treasurer will advise the officers on all financial matters.  The Treasurer will prepare a proposed annual budget including the core budget and possible extra budgeting resources and present it to the officers.  The financing of special projects of the Union may be kept distinct from general expenditure, and an Adhering Body shall be pledged only for the amount of its annual subscription in its category of membership.

VIII. Nominating Committee

34. The immediate Past President will act as Chairman of the Nominating Committee, which will be composed of representatives of eight Adhering Bodies approved by the General Assembly upon recommendation of the officers in conformity with article 29,d of the Statutes.  He/She shall ensure that a list of proposed candidates is presented via the Secretary General to the General Assembly according to the Rules of Procedure.

IX. Committees

35. The officers will appoint committees of the Union.  The committees will be given a specific objective to fulfill within a limited time span.  The officers will decide when to terminate committees.  The committees may co-opt further members and shall have full freedom in arranging their internal structure and work. They may formulate their own procedures within the framework of the Statutes, Rules of Procedure and Guidelines of the Union. They are encouraged to raise funds from appropriate sources with the approval of the President or designated Officers and make their own arrangements to further the work of the Union. In accepting funds the principles of academic freedom shall be respected. Committees are requested to present a yearly report to the officers for evaluation.  The report will include scientific achievements, collaborating organizations, recommendations, as well as the financial support the committee has raised.  A report on the use of all funds shall be submitted to the Treasurer.

36. The Officer responsible for each committee shall furnish a written report of activities to the ordinary meeting of the General Assembly. This report shall reach the President four months before the meeting and shall be dispatched by the Secretary General to the Adhering Bodies three months before the meeting.

37. The routine for approval, registration, publication, and the financing of committee reports shall follow the rules given in the Rules of Procedure.

X. Modifications of the Statutes

38. Changes in the Statutes may be proposed by the Council of the Union or by any of the Adhering Bodies. Notice of such proposed changes shall reach the President at least four months before a General Assembly and shall be dispatched by the Secretary General to the Adhering Bodies three months before the meeting. No change shall be made in the Statutes except at a General Assembly and with the approval of two-thirds of the votes of the Adhering Bodies represented.

39. The English text of the Statutes shall be considered the authoritative one.

Enabling Clause: The validity of these Statutes shall not be vitiated by any error of a formal or accidental nature.

Note

The categories and the dues of membership should not be part of the constitution or rules of procedures to allow flexibility, but will be decided by the General Assembly upon the proposal of the Council.

Rules of Procedures

I. Election of Council

1.  The General Assembly will elect eight adhering bodies, each of which shall have one delegate on the Nominating Committee upon the recommendation of the officers in conformity with article 29, d of the Statutes.

2. One year before the General Assembly the Chairman of the Nominating Committee shall invite all the Adhering Bodies of the Union to put forward names of candidates for Officers and other Members of Council.  Each Adhering Body may propose one name for each Officer, six names for other Members.

The invitation shall include an appropriate excerpt of the Statutes and a list giving the names of the Officers and of other Members of Council during the last three terms.  The following shall be indicated in the covering letter:

a)   It is not essential for the Adhering Bodies to submit names for all the Officers and Members of the Council. They are merely invited to do so if they so wish.

b)   Each Officer is eligible for election to the offices of any of the other Officers.

c)   The candidate for President-Elect shall be chosen from among Members of the Council.

d)   It shall be made clear whether the Secretary General is or is not eligible for re-election for another term. The same shall be done for the Treasurer.

e)   It shall be made clear which Members of Council are eligible for re-election for a further term, according to article 18 of the Statutes.

f)    All candidates must be from countries in which there are Adhering Bodies eligible for election in conformity with article 6 of the Statutes.

g)   Representation of different geographical regions should be taken in consideration, especially for the two Vice Presidents (the President elect and the second vice president).

3. Replies from Adhering Bodies to this invitation must reach the Chairman of the Nominating Committee within six months at the latest. If by the end of that period an Adhering Body has not replied, it will be assumed that it does not wish to submit any suggestions.

4. Each of the eight Adhering Bodies, elected by the General Assembly to have one representative each on the Nominating Committee, shall send the name of its representative to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee together with the proposals it may wish to make in reply to the invitation referred to in paragraph 2 above.

5. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a list with one or more names for each Officer, six or more names for other Members of Council.  In order to prepare this list, the Nominating Committee shall consider all the names submitted by the Adhering Bodies, together with any names that the Nominating Committee itself may feel ought to be considered. The Nominating Committee shall have received assurances from all the candidates in its list that they have agreed to serve if elected.

The Nominating Committee shall pay special attention to the suitability of the candidates, their geographical distribution, scientific fields, their health, age, and capability of travelling. Members of the Committee may work by correspondence until they meet at least three days before the General Assembly to make the final decisions about their list.

The Chairman of the Nominating Committee shall notify adhering bodies of the nominees from their territory informing them that they have the right to object to such nominees within one month.  They shall be asked to delegate this authority to their recognized representative at the General Assembly meeting for those candidates who will be nominated during the General Assembly.

6. The Nominating Committee shall give the list of proposed candidates to the Secretary General not later than three days before the General Assembly.

7. The Secretary General shall officially announce the list in a suitable way for all to see, at least two days before the General Assembly.

8. At the General Assembly:

a)      The list mentioned above in paragraph 7 shall be distributed among the voting members and observers. A list of all suggestions received from the Adhering Bodies shall also be available during the meeting.

b)      The Chairman of the Nominating Committee shall give some brief comments on the list as drawn up by his Committee.

c)      The General Assembly shall be given an opportunity to nominate further candidates from the floor, provided that such candidates have agreed to serve if elected and his/her adhering body did not object to his/her nomination.

d)      Sufficient time will be allowed for a free discussion of the names.

e)      The elections by secret ballot shall then take place in the following order:

1.      the President-Elect; (first vice president)

2.      the second Vice-President, Secretary General, and Treasurer;

3.      the other Members of the Council.

9. All the elected Officers and other Members of the Council shall be deemed to have entered their duties from the close of the General Assembly.

II. International Congresses of Nutrition

10. An International Congress of Nutrition should be organized every four years.

11. The host Adhering Body for a Congress should be selected by the General Assembly eight years in advance and confirmed four years in advance.

12. Changes in the place and dates of an International Congress required by circumstances unforeseen at the time of the General Assembly can be approved by the Council.

13. The scientific programme and the selection of speakers for IUNS- sponsored International Congresses of Nutrition are the responsibility of the Congress Programme Committee of the host Adhering Body in agreement with the IUNS Council through continuous consultation initiated in the early planning stages.

14. To support its activities IUNS shall receive a payment for each registrant at an International Congress of Nutrition, as well as a certain percentage of the income from the trade exhibit, the amount to be determined jointly by the Officers and the host Adhering Body.  Funding of International Congress of Nutrition should conform with IUNS Guidelines for Funding Activities.

III. IUNS Reports

15. When a Committee has produced a report approved by its members, the Chairman of the Committee, having consulted the responsible Vice- President, shall send 4 copies of it to the Secretariat so that the President and the appropriate Officers can decide on the further action to be taken. At the same time, the Chairman of the Committee shall give the Committee's suggestions for the publication, distribution, and financing of the report. No further action should be taken until this decision is made.

16. If the President and Treasurer decide that the cost of publishing is to be met wholly or in part, from the grant that the IUNS receives from the UNESCO Subvention to ICSU, 10 copies of the report shall be reserved for UNESCO, and the following statement shall appear on every copy of the report:

"Published by the International Union of Nutritional Sciences with the financial assistance of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization".

17. The Chairman of the Committee shall prepare a short summary of the report (a maximum of 20 typed lines), and he shall send it to the Secretary General for publication in an IUNS Newsletter and in other appropriate journals that may be willing to publish it, together with the full title of the report, place of publication, and the address from which reprints or copies can be obtained.

18. These guidelines shall be brought to the attention of all new members of Committees, and the Secretariat shall send a copy of them once every year to all Committee Chairmen.

IV. Modifications of the Rules of Procedure

19. Changes in the Rules of Procedure may be proposed by the Council of the Union or by any of the Adhering Bodies. Notice of such proposed changes shall reach the President at least four months before a General Assembly and shall be dispatched by the Secretary General to the Adhering Bodies three months before the meeting. No change shall be made in the Rules of Procedure except at a General Assembly and with the approval of two-thirds of the votes of the Adhering Bodies represented.

V. Working Guidelines for IUNS Council.

A. IUNS Guidelines for Involvement in Meetings

With regard to IUNS sponsorship of meetings, the following guidelines have been formulated:

-     IUNS should be involved early in the planning of the programme of meetings preferably through Council members or chairpersons of IUNS committees.

-     Reputable scientists should be invited to participate in the scientific programme and the presentation of the nutrition science should be balanced.

-     In principle, the programme should appeal to scientists from throughout one region or from more than one region and speakers and participants should also be drawn from a wide geographical area.

-     The level of IUNS cooperation may differ for different meetings: for example IUNS may have liaison status or the status of a sponsor or supporter.

-     Request for IUNS involvement should reach the Secretary General of IUNS at least six months before the meeting.

-     Conferring of IUNS support for a meeting does not imply that IUNS will contribute financially to the meeting.

The name of IUNS can be used on a publication of the proceedings of a meeting in which IUNS is involved only when the Council of IUNS or a representative appointed by it has reviewed and agreed on the contents of the publication.

B. IUNS Guidelines for Selection of Recipients of IUNS Awards

1.      The Award will be given for outstanding contributions to nutrition of regional or global significance by an individual working in a developing country.

2.      The President will appoint a chairperson and a committee of not less than 5 members of IUNS to consider nominations for IUNS Awards. The committee will have geographic representation and will be anonymous.

3.      The Secretariat will circulate to all adhering bodies and widely among international nutrition groups at least 12 months prior to selection a description of the award, qualifications of recipients and procedures for nomination.

4.      Nominations shall be received by the IUNS Secretariat at least 6 months in advance of selection. The Secretariat will circulate all qualifying nominations and supporting documents to the chairperson and members of the selection committee.

5.      The Chairperson of the committee will be responsible for correspondence with the committee and their deliberations in evaluating candidates to be recommended to the President. The committee will rank all nominations and make a recommendation of one nominee to the President for each award.

6.      The recipient(s) of IUNS Awards will be made at the General Assembly meeting and announced widely among international nutrition groups.

7.      Current IUNS Council members are not eligible for an IUNS Award.

C.  IUNS Guidelines, Rules and regulations for Selection of  F.I.U.N.S. (Fellow International Union of Nutritional Sciences)

Rules and regulations:

1.      Names of candidates for fellowship can be proposed by:

i)    Adhering bodies of IUNS;

ii)   National Science Academies and Nutrition Institutions;

iii)   IUNS Fellows.

Candidates cannot apply on their own behalf.

2.      Applications should be submitted along with a short curriculum vitae, scientific achievements and list of publications.

3.      The selection of Fellows shall be done by the IUNS Council based on nominations received from the bodies mentioned above.

4.      The candidates selected shall be nutrition scientists who in the opinion of IUNS Council, have rendered outstanding service to the cause of nutrition.

5.      Election of Fellows will take place once in 4 years, during the International Congress of Nutrition.

6.      Each time, the number of fellows elected shall not exceed one-third of adhering bodies.

7.      Persons of all nationalities are eligible for Fellowship.

8.      Current IUNS Council members are not eligible for a Fellow-IUNS.

9.      Before admission, every Fellow has to subscribe the Obligation in the following words: "As a Fellow of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences, I shall follow the code of scientific ethics, maintain integrity in research, publications and public activities, uphold the cause of Nutrition and the dignity of the Union, endeavour to be objective in judgement and strive for the enrichment of human values and thoughts".

Privileges of Fellows:

The Fellows will receive a certificate of FIUNS. In addition, they shall be entitled to the following rights and privileges:

i)    to propose and recommend candidates for Fellowship

ii)   to suggest names for IUNS Committees/Commissions

iii)   to represent IUNS in regional meetings

iv) to receive gratis publications of IUNS.

Guidelines for Selection of Fellows

1.      Outstanding nutrition research:

a)   contributions to advancement of knowledge;

b)   scientific publications in reputed international journals;

c)   academic achievements.

2.      Development of nutritional science:

a)   establishment of nutrition centres;

b)   human resource development

c)   undertaking national projects;

d)   formulation of national nutritional policies and programmes.

3.      National recognition in terms of awards/prizes/honours.

4.      Contributions to IUNS and other international organizations in the field of nutrition.

D. IUNS Guidelines for Selection of a Congress Venue

The General Assembly is responsible for selection of the location of congresses. To assist them in this procedure, adhering bodies that wish to be considered should forward a formal letter of invitation to the IUNS Secretariat together with supporting documents at least nine months in advance of the next meeting of the General Assembly. Supporting documents should include the following:

-     Assurance of adherence to the rules of ICSU regarding free entry to all delegates irrespective of country of origin;

-     Evidence of adequate facilities to accommodate the housing, administrative, and program needs of the congress;

-     Documentation of support by government and national scientific organizations of the country offering the invitation;

-         Evidence of adequate financial guarantees to cover the pre-congress preparatory expenses and any subsequent shortfalls should such occur.

-         Evidence of awareness of and willingness to follow Rules of Procedure II, paragraphs 10-14.

The IUNS Secretariat, upon receipt of the above information will distribute the relevant documentation to Officers in advance of the General Assembly meeting. The Officers will examine the documentation and bring to the attention of the Secretariat significant issues that could cause a specific site to be inappropriate. The Secretariat will inform Council members and alert the appropriate adhering body of these concerns in advance of the General Assembly meeting.

At the General Assembly meeting, the procedure for site selection will be held in two parts separated by a period for informal discussion. In the first part a representative from each adhering body who has submitted a formal invitation will make a brief presentation. When all presentations have been completed, the President will make known any outstanding issues identified by Council that could influence the decision. The respective representative will be given opportunity to respond to the concern and the floor will then be open for discussion by delegates. Discussions will be closed by motion of the delegates.

During the period for informal discussion prior to taking the vote, the countries offering invitations will be provided a list of eligible adhering bodies present. They will be provided a formally designated and controlled space in which to mount displays, distribute materials or inform the delegates and attendees of attributes favorable for selection of that location as the site of a future congress. All promotional activities should be restricted to the designated controlled site.

Voting on the applicants will occur in the second part.

A teller committee consisting of three members will be elected by the delegates. A written ballot will be taken; each adhering body in good standing will have one vote. Ballots will be counted by the tellers. The invitation receiving the majority vote will be presented to the delegates. The following rules will determine a majority vote:

-     If all eligible voting members are present and have cast their vote or abstained, a simple majority will be decisive. A simple majority vote is a vote when the inviting adhering body gets more than fifty percent of the votes.

-     If all eligible voting members are not present, for the purpose of this vote a majority vote is to be taken as a number of positive votes that represent more than 50% of the eligible votes as determined by the number of eligible adhering bodies, each of which has one vote.

If no simple majority is reached the voting will continue by preferential ballot by the eligible adhering bodies present. Where there are more than two invitations of IUNS adhering bodies then two preferential ballots should be held. The first preferential ballot will discriminate between the two invitations which are preferred most and the other ones. The second preferential ballot should take the decision which of the two remaining adhering bodies will become responsible for the location of the IUNS congress concerned.

In the event that a tie vote occurs, up to three revotes will be taken. If the issue remains unresolved, the chairperson of the Assembly will decide the issue by toss of coin.

E.  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 projects 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 the 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 should be acceptable only if it is non-designated with respect to the scientific program, 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.