STATUTES
I. DENOMINATION AND DOMICILE
1. ICNSO : The International Confederation for Nutrition Support Organizations, hereinafter called "ICNSO", is an international non governmental and non profit making scientific organization.
2. The International Confederation for Nutrition Support Organizations (ICNSO) was created in 1997 by a decision of the five major organizations (ASPEN, ESPEN, FELANPE, PENSA, AUSPEN-South Africa ) supported by several other national and scientific organizations. The present legal domicile of ICNSO is in 1070 Brussels (Belgium), C/O Laboratory for Experimental Surgery, U.L.B. - avenue Joseph Wybran, 40.
II. OBJECTIVES
3. The principal objectives of ICNSO are:
a) to encourage and promote international, educational and scientific activities in the field of nutrition and metabolism for the benefit and well being of humanity;
b) to facilitate coordination of educational and scientific activities in the field of nutrition among and in cooperation with its International and National* Members;
c) to stimulate, design, coordinate or participate in the implementation of international interdisciplinary educational (and scientific) programmes;
d) to encourage the strengthening of educational (and scientific) resources world wide with particular emphasis on the developing world;
e) to promote the public understanding of nutritional science and related issues;
f) to engage in any related activities;
g) to apply for becoming a member of the International Council for Science (ICSU).
4. In order to further the attainment of these objectives, ICNSO may whenever appropriate:
a) cooperate with other international intergovernmental or non governmental organizations;
b) provide, through suitable channels, information to interested parties and the public at large about progress in nutritional science and technology and its impact on society;
c) establish and promote programmes either within the ICNSO family or in partnership with others.
III. MEMBERSHIP = societies
5. Each Member has the obligation to support the objectives of ICNSO, and meet its financial obligations as appropriate. Members shall normally adhere to ICNSO in either of two categories:
a) International Scientific Union Members;
b) National Scientific Members.
6. An International Scientific Union Member shall be an international non governmental organization devoted to the promotion of activities in the area of nutrition.
7. A National Scientific Member shall be a scientific organization in charge of educational and scientific activities in the field of nutrition within a definite territory.
8. The nutritionists of more than one nation may form a scientific body for application as an International or a National Scientific Member. Organizations of nutritionists may adhere through more than one national membership.
9. Any other grouping of institutions acceptable to ICNSO may be admitted to membership in category a) or b) on a case by case basis.
* The term "National" as used in these Statutes has no connotation other than denoting a Member admitted under the provisions of Statute 7.
IV. ASSOCIATES
10. Each Associate has the obligation to support the objectives of ICNSO, and meet its financial obligations as appropriate. Such bodies shall not have voting rights.
11. A Scientific Associate shall be an international nongovernmental organization in the natural sciences or an organization in a field cognate to those of ICNSO, such as the humanistic, medical, social and technical sciences, whose association with ICNSO is likely to be of mutual benefit or to advance the cause of nutritional science, and whose scientific activities do not full primarily within the scope of a single Scientific Member.
V. OBSERVERS
12. A Member that has failed to fulfil its financial obligations shall only have Observer status. Observers shall be expected to resume full membership in ICNSO as soon as possible. Normally no Observer shall be allowed to remain so for more than 3 years. Observers shall not have voting rights.
VI. DECISION-MAKING BODIES
13. The decision-making bodies of ICNSO shall be:
a) The Council;
b) The Executive Board.
14. The composition and function of these bodies are defined in Sections VII, VIII and IX below.
VII. COUNCIL
15. The Council is the highest authority of ICNSO and consists of the representatives, of the International Scientific Union Members and of the National Scientific Members. It shall, as appropriate and generally after recommendations from the Executive Board:
a) determine general policy;
b) review the day to day administration of ICNSO as overseen by the Executive Board since the end of the previous ordinary session of the Council;
c) discharge the Treasurer from liability, set the scale of annual dues to be paid by Members and approve the draft budgetary outlines as proposed by the Executive Board for the ensuing period;
d) initiate educational and scientific programmes and decide on future priorities for activities of ICNSO, upon the recommendation of the Executive Board;
e) establish whatever bodies it may deem necessary for the educational, scientific and administrative work of ICNSO, taking into account any relevant recommendations of the Executive Board.
Such bodies shall be established initially for a specific period of time. Extensions of this period may be granted by the Council as a result of reviews of their work;
f) examine and decide on each application for Membership and Associate status, paying due attention to any relevant recommendations of the Executive Board;
g) terminate, if it so decides, the status of any Member, Observer or Associate of ICNSO which has failed to fulfil any of its obligations, or with which the association is no longer appropriate;
h) elect the Officers and the Ordinary Members of the Executive Board;
i) modify the Statutes;
j) deal with any other item that may be referred to it.
16. An ordinary session of the Council shall normally be held at least once a year, at a place and date determined by the Council at the previous ordinary session or, failing that, by the Executive Board.
17. The Secretary General shall inform Members, at least 6 weeks in advance, of the place and date of the next session of the Council.
18. Applications for admission to ICNSO must be received by the Secretary General 6 months before the date fixed for an ordinary session of the Council.
19. a) in order to ensure equality of votes of the two categories of membership in the Council, each International and National Scientific Member shall have one vote;
b) the vote of each Scientific Union Member or National Scientific Member shall normally be cast at the meeting by the representative of that Member or by a proxy nominated by that Member. This nomination must be submitted in writing to the Secretary General prior to the session at which the proxy is to operate.
20. An Extraordinary Session of the Council may be summoned by the President with the consent of the Executive Board. He or she is obliged to do so if requested in writing by at least one third of the Members of ICNSO.
VIII. EXECUTIVE BOARD
21. a) The Executive Board consists of:
i. five Officers, namely the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary General/ Treasurer and the Chairman of the Educational Committee;
ii. five Members from the International Scientific Union Members. The Members of the Executive Board are designated by their respective Union.
b) Each Officer and each Ordinary Member has one vote; in the event of an equality of votes the President has, in addition, a casting vote.
22. The five Members of the Executive Board shall hold office for a term determined by their respective Union, with a maximum term of 6 years.
23. The Executive Board is responsible to the Council. It oversees the operations of ICNSO; recommends the directions and priorities of ICNSO to the Council, taking into consideration the recommendations of the appropriate Committees; and implements and communicates ICNSO's policies and views between sessions of the Council. It shall meet as often as is necessary and at least once a year. It can be convened by a decision of the President in case of particular urgency, provided at least 30 days' notice is given. Among its duties it shall:
a) prepare the Agenda for the Council;
b) present, to each Council, a report of the educational, scientific and administrative activities of ICNSO since the previous ordinary Council;
c) propose, for consideration by the Council, a draft budgetary outline of ICNSO, and the scale of annual dues to be paid by Members of ICNSO for the ensuing 1 year period;
24. The Executive Board can be assisted by a Secretariat responsible for the execution of the day to day work of ICNSO.
25. In the event of a vacancy among the Ordinary Members of the Executive Board, the Officers shall have the power to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term.
IX. OFFICERS
26. a) The Officers of ICNSO are :
i. the President
ii. the Vice-President
iii. the Secretary General
v. the Treasurer
vi. the Chairman of the Educational Committee
b) The Officers are responsible for the day to day affairs of ICNSO between meetings of the Executive Board. They shall meet as often as is deemed necessary, normally once or twice a year;
c) The President shall hold office for one term of 3 years*, renewable once;
d) The Vice-President shall hold office for one term of 3 years*, renewable once;
e) The Secretary General and the Treasurer shall hold office for terms of 3 years*, renewable once;
f) Should any Officer be appointed initially to fill a vacancy arising from the inability of his or her predecessor to complete a full term, this shall not prejudice his or her eligibility for subsequent election for a full term or terms as specified in Statute 26 c), d), and e) above.
27. The Vice-President shall fulfill the duties of the President should he or she become unable to discharge them. If none of these is able to fulfil the duties of the President, the Executive Board shall decide who is to undertake these.
28. The Executive Board shall also decide who shall undertake the duties of any of the other Officers if they are unable to discharge their duties.
X. EDUCATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC INTERDISCIPLINARY BODIES
29. The Executive Board may recommend to the Council the creation or dissolution of appropriate interdisciplinary bodies to facilitate and coordinate interdisciplinary educational and scientific activities on an international basis (see also Statutes 15. e) and 23. g.).
30. The Executive Board has the right to send an observer to any meeting of the governing body of a body created by ICNSO.
XI. FINANCE
31. The funds of ICNSO are obtained from :
a) the dues of Members;
b) the dues of the Associates and;
c) subventions, donations and other financial support accepted by the Executive Board on behalf of ICNSO.
32. Funds derived from donations accepted by ICNSO shall be used in
accordance with the agreements made with the donors. A donation shall not
be accepted if this could interfere with the independence of ICNSO.
33. In the event of the dissolution of ICNSO, its assets shall be ceded to one or more charitable organizations to be utilized in conformity with the aims of ICNSO.
* The words "3 years" with reference to the periods of office of all elected Officers and Ordinary Members of the Executive board are interpreted as meaning "until the end of the ordinary session of the Council following his or her election".
XII. LIABILITY
34. The liability of each Member of ICNSO shall be limited to the amount of that Member's annual dues, including any dues outstanding.
35. ICNSO and bodies created by it may not incur expenditure in excess of the funds at their disposal.
XIII. LEGAL REPRESENTATION
36. The President, or if he or she is not available, the Vice President, the Past-President or the President Elect, is the legal representative of ICNSO. The President or his or her legal representative may authorize the Secretary General, Treasurer or the Executive Director to represent the President.
XIV. MODIFICATION OF THE STATUTES
37. No change may be made in the Statutes except with the approval of the Council by two thirds of the votes cast by the Members taking part in the vote. Changes to the Statutes are effective at the end of the Council adopting them, unless otherwise specified by a Resolution of the Council.
Y.A. CARPENTIER (President)
L. NIN (Vice-President)
R. MEIER (Chairman of the Educational Committee)
Revised and approved by the Session of ICNSO Council
Held in Dallas (TX), USA, in February 2006
