Present statutes and by laws are shown in black

IAG STATUTES

As adopted at the Extraordinary Meeting of the Council, Sept. 8, 2001

Table of Content: Page

The International Association of Geodesy
Mission Statement
Objectives of the Association
Structure
Administration

Membership
The General Assembly
Council

Constitution
Voting in the Council

The Bureau and the Executive Committee

Bureau
Executive Committee

Changing the Statutes and Bylaws
Dissolution of the Association

1. The INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GEODESY, hereafter called the Association or the IAG, is a constituent Association of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, hereafter called the Union or IUGG, and is subject to the Statutes and Bylaws of the Union as well as to these Statutes.

2. The MISSION of the Association is the advancement of geodesy, an earth science that includes the study of the planets and their satellites. The IAG implements its mission by advancing geodetic theory through research and teaching, by collecting, analyzing, and modeling observational data, by stimulating technological development and by providing a consistent representation of the figure, rotation, and gravity field of the earth and planets and their temporal variations.

3. The IAG shall pursue the following OBJECTIVES to achieve its mission:

Study, at the highest possible level of accuracy, all geodetic problems related to the following:

	Definition, establishment, and maintenance of global and regional reference systems for interdisciplinary use.
	Rotation of the Earth and Planets.
	Positioning and deformation studies.
	Gravity field determination.
	Ocean and sea level.
	Time transfer.
	Signal propagation through the planets’ atmospheres.

Support the maintenance of geodetic reference systems for continuous, long-term observations and archival of results.
Provide observational and processed data, standards, methodologies, and models in a form that ensures the broadest possible range of research and application.
Stimulate development and take advantage of emerging space and other technologies to increase the resolution and accuracy of geodetic data and products in order to advance geodetic and interdisciplinary research.
Initiate, coordinate, and promote international cooperation and knowledge exchange through symposia, workshops, summer schools, training courses, publications, and other means of communication.
Foster the development of geodetic activities and infrastructure in all regions of the world, taking into consideration the specific situation of developing countries.
Collaborate with the international science and engineering community in supporting the application of geodetic theory and techniques and the interpretation of results.
Cooperate with national and international agencies in establishing research goals, missions, and projects.

4. The Association's STRUCTURE shall comprise of a small number of components: Commissions, Services, IAG Projects and a Communication and Outreach Branch. Sub-components, such as Sub-commissions, Commission Projects, Inter-commission Committees, and Study Groups may be formed as provided for in the Bylaws.

5. The ADMINISTRATION of the IAG comprises of the General Assembly, the Council, the Bureau and the Executive Committee.

5.1 The MEMBERSHIP of the IAG shall comprise of countries and individuals.

Any member country of the IUGG shall be regarded as a National Member of the IAG and may, through its adhering body, appoint a National Delegate to the Association. National Delegates represent their countries in IAG Council meetings and act as correspondents for their countries between General Assemblies.

Individual scientists may become Members, Candidate members, or Fellows as provided for in the Bylaws.

The IAG GENERAL ASSEMBLY shall consist of the Fellows, Members, and Candidate Members.

5.3 Responsibility for the direction of the Association affairs shall be vested in the COUNCIL. Decisions of the Council shall be reported to the General Assembly. In the case that the majority of those present at a General Assembly meeting disagree with the decisions of the Council, the Council shall reconsider the question, and make a decision, which shall be final.

5.3.1 The COUNCIL CONSISTS of the National Delegates, formally accredited by the adhering body of the member countries, on the basis of one delegate per country. The delegates must have participated in IAG activities. The President of the Association shall preside over the Council meetings, without vote, except in the case of a tie as provided in Article 5.3.2 f) hereafter.

5.3.2 VOTING IN THE COUNCIL shall follow the following rules:

a) Each National Delegate may represent only one member country. A member country which is not represented at a Council meeting may vote by correspondence on any specific question, provided that the matter has been clearly defined on the final agenda distributed in advance, and that the discussion thereon has not produced any significant new considerations or change in its substance, and that the said vote has been received by the President prior to the voting.

b) In order that the deliberations of the Council shall be valid, the number of National Delegates present must be at least half of the member countries represented at the General Assembly of the IUGG. If the meeting is not held at the same time as an IUGG General Assembly, the number present at the most recent IUGG General Assembly is used.

c) On questions not involving matters of finance, the voting in Council shall be by member countries, each having one vote, provided that its IUGG subscriptions shall have been paid up to the end of the calendar year preceding the voting.

d) On questions involving finance, the voting in Council shall be by member countries, with the same provision that a voting country shall have paid its IUGG subscriptions up to the end of the calendar year preceding the voting in Council. The number of votes allotted to each member country shall then be equal to the number of its category of membership as defined by the IUGG.

e) Before a vote in a Council meeting, the President shall decide whether or not the matter under consideration is financial in character and whether the procedure of voting by correspondence applies.

f) Decisions of the Council shall be taken by a simple majority, except as otherwise specified in these Statutes. If a tie should occur in a Council vote, the President shall cast the decisive vote. Simple and two-thirds majorities are determined by the proportion of affirmative votes to the sum of all votes (affirmative, negative and abstention). Blank and invalid ballots and votes not cast by delegates present are counted as abstentions.

g) Except as otherwise provided in the Statutes or Bylaws, meetings of the Council as well as those of other IAG administrative bodies shall be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order.

5.4 Between meetings of the Council, the direction of the affairs of the Association shall be vested in the BUREAU and the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, the respective composition and responsibilities of which are defined hereafter.

5.4.1 The Bureau of the Association shall consist of the President, the Vice-President, and the Secretary General, all of whom shall be elected by the Council. The duties of the Bureau shall be to administer the affairs of the Association in accordance with these Statutes and Bylaws and with the decisions of the Council and the Executive Committee. No member of the Bureau of the Association shall serve as a delegate of a country.

5.4.2 The Executive Committee shall consist of the Bureau, the immediate Past President, the Presidents of the Commissions, three representatives of the Services, the President of the Communication and Outreach Branch, and two Members-at-Large to improve geographical and organizational balance.

Presidents of the Inter-commission Committees, Chairs of the IAG Projects and the Assistant Secretaries shall attend any meeting of the Executive Committee, with voice but without vote.

The Past Presidents and past Secretary Generals may attend any meeting of the executive committee, with voice but without vote.

The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to further the objectives of the Association through effective coordination and through the formulation of general policies.

The members of the Executive Committee shall attend meetings of the Council, with voice but without vote.

6. CHANGES IN THE STATUTES AND BYLAWS shall be made as follows.

The Association shall review the Statutes and Bylaws to ensure an up-to-date structure of its scientific organization every eight years. To achieve this goal a Review Committee will be appointed by the Executive Committee at its first meeting after the General Assembly in periods where a review must be performed. Proposals for a change of any article of these Statutes must reach the Secretary General at least six months before the announced date of the Council meeting at which it is to be considered. The Secretary General shall notify all member countries of any proposed change at least four months before the announced date of the Council meeting.

6.2 The Statutes may not be modified except by the approval of a two-thirds majority of votes cast at a Council meeting, and shall come into force at the close of the meeting.

6.3 The Council shall have the power to adopt Bylaws within the framework of the Statutes.

The Bylaws may be modified by a simple majority of votes cast at a Council meeting, and shall come into force at the close of the meeting.

In the event of the DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION, its assets shall be ceded to the IUGG.