IASFM Association
Rules
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IASFM Association Rules |
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Member is a natural person accepted according to the rules laid down in section I and not being
expulsed according to section II.Executive Committee is a group of individual members appointed according to the statutes and
the section III (officers). The Executive Committee should be formed out of three mandatory
officers according to the statutes (president, treasurer, acting secretary), a vice president and
one, two or three additional members at large. The Executive Committee shall not exceed the
size of seven members. A newly elected Executive Committee takes over the responsibility with
the approval of the financial report of the former Executive Committee by the General Meeting
according to Art 12, 2 of the statutes.
General Meeting is a meeting of the members convoked according to the statutes and section
III art. 4. The General Meeting shall take place physically at the occasion to the international
conference organized by the IASFM. In between, it should take place electronically by using
WWW and email. In the latter case, a period of two weeks after the convocation shall be defined
to enable members raising movements or proposals for the General Assembly. For voting in an
electronical General Assembly, a period of two weeks before the General Assembly shall be
defined in the convocation giving an opening and closing deadline (day of the General
Assembly).
Letter is a written statement. It should be transmitted regularly by email. If an adressee
temporarily or permanently has no access to email, it will be transmitted by fax or air mail.
However, the latter is applicable only as an exception for which good reasons have to be raised
by the addressee and which may be subject to exclusions due to budgetary reasons.
Vote is an expression of yes or no by an individual member to a proposal raised for voting at a
General Meeting according to the statutes. On an electronical General Meeting, the vote may be
filed until the closing deadline via fax or email to the chair of the meeting appointed by the
Executive Committee. It is encouraged that the member uses electronic signature (PGP) to
prevent eventual fraud.
ADMISSION OF MEMBERS
Membership is open to scholars, fieldworkers and other individual persons who work in
the area of the Study of Forced Migration and who are willing to contribute to the object
and activities of the IASFM.Persons who want to become members of the IASFM shall apply in writing to theExecutive Committee of the IASFM. Information should be given to the Executive
Committee using the application form which should include:
Membership should be recommended by at least two members of IASFM. Applicants for membership of the IASFM shall have access to the membership through the
Executive Committee.Where the criteria are not clearly met, then a membership committee, consisting of three
members of the IASFM shall review the application and make recommendations to the
Executive Committee. This process should not take more than two months after the
receipt of the application for membership.The accepted applicant-member should be notified of the decision of the Executive
Committee in writing by the Secretary. Members of the IASFM shall be informed about
new membership as well.If the application is not accepted, a reason should be stated.
When the application is accepted, the new member will be sent documents of the
IASFM (Articles of Association, Policy and Activities Plan, etc.) in order to function as
a member of the organisation.The new member should pay the membership fee and contribute to the pursuance of the
organisation's objectives. Registration as a member of IASFM shall be definitive after
the fees have been received by the treasurer of the Association. The Executive
Committee may waive or reduce the membership fee for certain members (members
from countries with non-convertible currencies, students).
Upon request by the member, the Executive Committee issues an optional membership
card to accepted members of the IASFM.Any decision of the Executive Committee regarding membership may be subject to
review and discussion by the General Meeting if at least 4 members give reasons and
request an inquiry.The Executive Committee's decision may be overturned by the General Meeting in its
regular meeting in a manner provided for by Article 15. The Executive Committee and
the four members who have inquiries shall present their arguments at the regular General
Meeting.
EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
As provided for in Article 5 Section 5, expulsion from membership occurs by the
General Meeting on the advice of the Executive Committee. This will occur when the
member acts in conflict with the articles of association, the rules or decisions of the
association or prejudices the association in an unreasonable way.Any recommendation for expulsion of a member must be filed by any member of the
Association in writing to the Executive Committee giving the reason for such motion.
The Executive Committee will act on the recommendation only when there is an
endorsement of at least five (5) other members of the Association.The Executive Committee shall inform the member regarding the recommendation for
expulsion and the reason for such in writing, not later than two weeks after receipt of the
recommendation. All other members of the Association shall also be furnished a copy of
the letter and encouraged to give comments or views regarding the issue.The member involved and all other members of the Association shall submit to the Executive Committee in writing their views regarding the issue which should be
received by the Executive Committee not later than one month after its letter to the
members.The Executive Committee shall deliberate on the issue and should come up with a recommendation within one month after receipt of the responses of the members.
The Executive Committee will notify the General Meeting of its motion, not later than
two weeks after its decision. The General Meeting shall resolve the issue, at a regular
meeting or at a Special meeting, in a manner as provided for in Article 13.
RULES IN RESPECT OF THE ANNUAL REPORT, STATEMENT OF THE
ACCOUNT AND APPROVAL BY THE GENERAL MEETINGThe executive committee shall be obliged to keep notes of the financial position of the association, enabling to be at any time informed of its rights and undertakings (Statutes article 12.1) The General Meeting designates the position of the Treasurer (article 7.1).The Executive Committee appoints an officer who, in case of absence of the Treasurer
due to circumstances as stated in article 8.2 of the Statutes, acts as Treasurer.The Executive committee delegates its tasks concerning the keeping of notes of the
financial position of the association to the Treasurer. The Treasurer may with the
approval of the Executive committee delegate tasks to other officersThe Treasurer opens, together with the officer as described in point 3, (a) bank
account(s) on behalf of the Association. If deemed appropriate another officer of the
Executive committee may also open a bank account on behalf of the Association, but
only after authorisation by the Treasurer.Any financial transactions of the Association should be executed or authorised by the
Treasurer.The Treasurer keeps together with the Secretary of the Association a register of its
members, their address information and their email address.The Treasurer acquires financial means, subsidies and funds from international
organisations and other institutes, the objects of which are not in conflict with the object
and the means of the association.The books concerning the budget of the Association should be held separately from the
books concerning the organisation of the International Conferences.Every three months and before every meeting of the Executive Committee, the Treasurer
sends a Financial Report of the Association to all members of the Executive committee.Any member of the executive committee may ask for clarification of the Financial
Report.Within six months from expiry of the official year the Treasurer, provides the executive
committee with a balance sheet and a statement of assets and liabilities with an
explanation.The Executive committee shall publish within six months from expiry of the official year its Annual Report on the course of business of the Association and on its conduct of affairs. It shall submit the balance sheet and a statement of the assets and liabilities with an explanation to the General Meeting for approval The period of the publication of the Annual Report may be prolonged by the General
Meeting.The Annual Report shall be signed by all members of the Executive committee. Missing
the signature of one or more of them, this should be mentioned stating reasons.Together with the Annual Report the Executive committee shall furthermore submit a
budget for the coming official year to the General Meeting for approval.After expiry of the period, as mentioned in point 1 or 2 of this rule, each member of the
Association can rightfully claim of the Executive committee that they fulfil these
undertakings.The Treasurer keeps separate notes and books about the financial transactions for the organisation of the International Conferences. The accountability of the Treasurer towards the Executive committee is as described in
article 1 of these rules.Three months after the International Conference the Treasurer submits to the Executive
committee the Financial Report of the organisation of the conference.When the Financial Report has been approved by the Executive committee it will be sent
to a registered accountant for approval.With the approval of a registered accountant it will be submitted to the funding agencies.It will be sent to the General Meeting for approval in the first year after the conference
together with the Annual Report of the Association.The period of time as described under point 3 of this article and the form in which the
Financial Report of the organisation of the International Conference is published is
dependent on the requirements of the funding agencies.The General Meeting shall be held during the International Conferences, and yearly, at the latest six months from expiry of the official year, as well as often as the Executive committee shall so deem fit. A General Meeting shall be convoked by the Executive committee.The Executive committee can resolve without meeting, provided all members have
pronounced them in favour of the proposals in writing. Resolutions shall be taken by the
absolute majority of the votes cast. Blank votes are deemed not to have been cast.The convocation of a General Meeting takes place in writing to the addresses of the
members according to the Register of Members. The term of convocation is at least one
month, the day of convocation and that of the Meeting not included. If deemed necessary
facsimile or express mail will be used.On convocation the subjects to be discussed at the Meeting will be mentioned.The General Meeting shall be governed by standard parliamentary procedures such as
laid out in the Robert's Rules of Order.At the General Meeting during International Conferences a policy plan and budget for
the period between the conferences will be submitted by the Executive committee for
approval as well as other subjects to be discussed at the Meeting.For the period of two years, between the International Conferences, the Executive
committee of the Association is bound to the task and activities of the Association as
described in the policy plan and approved by the General Meeting.At the annual meetings of the General Meeting the Annual Report and budget for the
coming year are submitted for approval. They shall relate to the approved policy plan, as
mentioned in point 7 of this article.On convocation for the annual meeting a written approval of the Annual Report, budget
for the year to come and other subjects is proposed. If at least such number of members
as are entitled to cast one/tenth of the votes request a meeting, the General Executive
committee is obliged to convoke a General Meeting within a period of no longer than
four weeks.The Executive committee is also obliged to convoke an annual meeting if it wants to
make a change in activities other than laid down in the policy plan and approved by the
General Meeting during the International Conferences.If, on request of the members, an annual meeting is taking place, the Executive
committee should see to it that this meeting coincides with the annual meeting of the
Executive committee.Resolutions on the Annual Report, budget and other subjects are taken as put down in
article 15 of the Statutes and rules on right of voting and resolving. When the Meeting has approved the annual report, the Executive committee therewith
will be discharged.The General Meeting shall during the International Conference appoint out of the common members a Financial audit Committee of at least two persons who may not be Executive committee members (article 12.3). The Financial audit Committee will act as such for the period of two years, with
exception of the resignation of one of the members in that period. If one of the members
resigns the General Meeting should elect another member.This Committee will examine the documents mentioned in article 2.1 in these rules and
shall report on its findings to the General Meeting.This report, with the signatures of the members of the Financial audit Committee, shall
be added to the convocation for the annual meeting of the Meeting, as mentioned in
article 4.9 of these rules.The Executive committee is obliged to provide the committee with all information it
may desire, to show cash and values on request and to give the books and documents of
the Association for inspection.If the examination of the Statement of Accounts should require special knowledge of
bookkeeping, the Financial audit Committee may, provided with the approval of the
Executive committee, have assistance from an expert, for the account of the Association.
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