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CONSTITUTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL PEDIATRIC ASSOCIATION

Article I. Name
The name of the Association shall be “The International Pediatric Association” (IPA).

Article II. Objectives
The objectives of IPA shall be the promotion of friendship between pediatricians of all countries for the benefit of children everywhere and the promotion of child health throughout the worls.
In its endeavor to achieve these objectives IPA shall:
1. Encourage research in all aspects of pediatrics;
2. Promote the dissemination of pediatric knowledge;
3. Hold an international congress, normally every three years;
4. Cooperate with national, regional and international bodies with similar interests, encourage regional pediatric meetings as well as international and regional meetings of pediatric specialties, sponsoring those meetings approved by the Standing Committee.

Article III. Membership
Membership shall be composed of national pediatric societies representing a whole nation. These Member Societies shall pay dues in relation to their per capita membership, as determined by the Council of National Delegates (the Council) of IPA. Applications for the status of Member Society shall be submitted to the Director General of IPA to be votes on at the following meeting of the Council.
There shall also be Affiliate Societies, which shall include regional multinational societies or associations, composed of Member Societies of IPA, and international societies of pediatric specialties.
Regional societies or associations shall be composed of national societies related by geography, language or other bonds to be defined by the Council.
Applications for the status of Affiliate Society shall be submitted to the Director General of IPA to be voted on at the following meeting of the Council.
Each year, in the month of January, the secretary of each Member Society shall furnish the Director General of IPA with a list of the officers and members of his respective society, and the secretary of each Affiliate Society shall furnish the Director General of IPA with a list of the officers of his respective society.

Article IV. Governing Bodies and Officers
A. Council of National Delegates
The control of policies of IPA shall be vested in a Council, consisting of one delegate from each Member Society. Where there is more than one delegate from a country, each delegate may speak in the discussions, but only one shall have the right to vote. The President of IPA shall preside. Other members of the Executive Committee, the members of the Standing Committee, and one delegate from each Affiliate Society shall also attend the Council meetings and may participate in the discussions but may not vote.

When a country has no Member Society, it may be permitted to send an official delegate to the Council, who may take part in the discussions but may not vote.
The Council shall meet at the time each international congress.
The functions of the Council shall be
1. To consider the joint report of the President and Director General;
2. To receive and review a financial report and audit covering the period since the previous international congress;
3. To approve applications for the status of Member Society and Affiliate Society of IPA.
4. To elect, taking into consideration their geographic distribution, a maximum of ten Affiliate Societies to serve as Affiliate Members, each applicant for the status of Affiliate Member having already informed the Director General of IPA, at least six months before the meeting of the next Council of National Delegates, the name of its respective to serve on the Standing Committee should it be elected as Affiliate Member. Of the ten representatives of the Affiliate Members, six shall be chosen from among the candidates proposed by the Regional Pediatric Societies and four from among the candidates proposed by the International Societies of Pediatric Specialties. If the total number of candidates proposed is less than four, then the number of candidates from the Regional Pediatric Societies shall be increased accordingly to permit the election of a total of ten Affiliate Societies,
5. To elect a maximum of ten as personam members of the Standing Committee from the list of candidates proposed by the Executive Committee. Election of the Affiliate Members and ad pernonam members shall be carried out in two separate balloting;
6. To determinate the location of the following international congress;
7. To elect the President of the following international congress;
8. To elect the President Elect (Vice President) of IPA;
9. To elect, on the proposal of at least ten Member Societies, an Honorary President of IPA, whose status, privileges and functions shall be determined by the Executive Committee from time to time;
10. To deal with any matter which may properly be brought before the Council by a Member Society, Affiliate Society, the Standing Committee or the Executive Committee, including the establishment of dues.

B. Standing Committee
The Standing Committee of IPA shall consist of not more than ten appointees of Affiliate Members, these Affiliate Members having been elected be the Council from among the Affiliate Societies, and not more than ten ad personam members, to be elected by the Council from the list of candidates proposed by the Executive Committee. Nominations for ad personam members must be endorsed by the nominees’ respective Member Societies before presentation to the Council.
The appointees of the Affiliate Members shall not necessarily be members of the administrative committees of their respective Affiliate Societies. The term of office of ad personam members and of the appointees of the Affiliate Members shall be from the end of one international congress to the end of the next. This period shall be known as one three-year term, although the time period may not be exactly equal to three years. No representative of an Affiliate Member shall serve on the Standing Committee in this capacity for more than two three-year terms in succession, and no ad personam member shall serve for more than two successive three-year terms as ad personam member. Members of the Executive Committee shall be ex-officio members of the Standing Committee.
The functions of the Standing Committee shall be:
1. To represent the International Pediatric Association, and during the period between the meetings of the Council of national Delegates and in case of necessity to make decisions on behalf of the Council;
2. To establish policies in accordance with the objectives of IPA, subject to ratification by the Council at its following meeting;
3. To appoint advisory expert panels;
4. To sponsor international and regional pediatric meetings;
5. To approve the budget of IPA on the recommendation of the Executive Committee;
6. To elect a Coordinator and a Treasurer, who may or may not be members of the Standing Committee;
7. To elect two members of the Executive Committee from a list developed in consultation with the Executive Committee.

The Coordinator shall act as deputy Director General and in the event of the Director General’s temporary or permanent incapacity shall serve as Acting Director General for the duration of the said incapacity. The Coordinator, an officer of the Association, shall assist the Director General in the preparation of the provisional agendas of the Council, the Standing Committee and the Executive Committee, and shall also carry out such other functions as may be assigned by the Director General or the Executive Committee. In the absence of the President, Vice President and Director General, the Coordinator shall preside at meeting of the Council and the Committees. The term of office of the Coordinator shall be three years, after which it may be renewed.

The Treasurer, an officer of the Association, shall assist the Director General in the preparation of the budget proposals and in the supervision of the accounts if the Association. The term of office of the Treasurer shall be three years, after which it may be renewed.

C. Officers
The officers of IPA shall be the President, the Director General, the Coordinator and the Treasurer.
The President of IPA shall preside at the meetings of the Council, Standing Committee and Executive Committee and may call the Executive Committee or the Standing Committee to an emergency meeting. At the end of this three-year term of office, the President of IPA shall continue for a further three-year term as Vice President.
The President Elect, after three-year term as Vice President, shall take office as President for one three-year term. In the event of the President’s temporary or permanent incapacity, the President Elect shall serve as Acting President for the duration of said incapacity. In any case the President Elect shall assume the presidency for the following three-year term.
The Executive Committee shall appoint a Director General (Executive Director) who shall be the executive officer of IPA, in charge of technical, administrative and financial affairs of the Association in consultation with the Executive Committee and shall appoint the staff of the Secretariat of IPA. The Director General, along with the President, shall be responsible to the Council of National Delegates and the Standing Committee for carrying out their policies and decisions. The status of the Director General shall be determined by the Council. The term of appointment of the Director General shall be three years each time, after which it may be renewed. The Executive and Standing Committees may delegate such authority to the Director General as may be needed for efficient functioning or IPA.

D. Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall consist of the President of IPA, the Director General, the President Elect, the Coordinator, the Treasurer and the President of the forthcoming international congress together with two members elected by the Standing Committee who may serve for a maximum of two three-year terms.
The functions of the Executive Committee shall be:
1. To carry out the policies of IPA including delegation of certain functions of IPA to members of the Executive Committee;
2. To assist the President of the forthcoming international congress with its preparation and to appoint two persons as members of the Organizing Committee;
3. To recommend the budget of IPA to the Standing Committee for approval;
4. To refer to the Council applications from prospective Member Societies and Affiliate Societies;
5. To propose a list of candidates from which the Council shall elect ten ad personam members of the Standing Committee;
6. To appoint consultants when deemed desirable;
7. To hold seminars as and when possible;
8. To exercise such authority as may be delegated by the Council or Sanding Committee.

Article V. Site of Secretariat
The site of the IPA secretariat shall be decided by the Council of National Delegates or the decision delegate by it to the Executive Committee if deemed desirable.

Article VI. International Congress
The Council shall determine the location of the international congress, the exact time to be determined by the President of the Congress after consultation with the President of IPA and the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS). The program and publications of each congress shall be the responsibility of the President of the Congress, who shall have the authority to appoint such committees as are necessary for the conduct of the congress.
The Member Society of the country in which the congress is to be held shall assume full responsibility for its organization and financing and for such arrangements as are necessary with the government of the host country. The President of the Congress accounts, including a detailed report of all registration fee revenues, to the Director General within six months after the Congress has ended.
Attendance at the international congress shall be limited to members of their respective national pediatric associations or of Affiliate Societies, except for the individuals especially invited by the IPA or by the Member Society of the country in which the congress is being held.

Article VII. Notice of Proposed Changes
Any proposal to amend the Constitution or By-Laws or to pass new rules should be sent to the Director General not later than six months before the meeting of the Council and shall appear on the agenda in the form of a motion by a Member Society, by an Affiliate Society, or by the Standing Committee. at the meeting of the Council, the proposed amendment may be accepted without change or may be further amended by proposal of the delegates of at least two Member Societies present at the meeting.

Transitional (Temporary) Articles

The changes in the statutes in connection with the terms of office of the immediate past president and the president of the immediate past international congress shall not apply to those elected or holding office in 1989, since they had been elected according to the previous statutes.

BY-LAWS

1. Presidency
Proposals for candidates for President Elect (Vice President) should be made by at least three Member Societies and be received by the Director General at least three months before the next scheduled meeting of the Council of National Delegates. In election of the President Elect of IPA, rotation of geographic representation shall be observed. In order for a candidate to be eligible for election, that candidate bust be from a region from which ne President Elect has been elected during the two preceding three-year terms.

2. Dues
Dues for Member Societies and Affiliate Societies shall be recommended by the Executive Committee and approved by the Council. They shall normally be based on the per capita membership of each Society and shall be payable in advance in the month of January of each year. The established amount shall not prelude a larger contribution by any Society.
If under exceptional circumstances a Member Society has difficulties with the transfer of dues to IPA, these may be deposited in a bank in the respective country in the local currency and be placed at the disposal of the Director General of IPA.

3. Termination of Membership
Non-payment of dues by a Member Society or an Affiliate Society for two years shall automatically suspend membership until a final decision of the Council is taken at its next meeting.
Membership may also be terminated by decision of the Council.

4. Meetings
a. The Executive Committee shall hold meetings at the site and time of the international congress, and other annual meetings shall be held at the site of the secretariat unless another site has been decided upon by the Committee. In addition to the annual meetings, special meetings may be called at the discretion of the President of IPA. The presence of three members shall comprise a quorum.
b. The Standing Committee shall hold meetings at the site and time of the international congress and at least once between two international congresses. The provisional agenda for the meeting shall be sent to the members of the Standing Committee in advance. The presence of more than half the members of the Standing Committee shall comprise a quorum.
c. The Council shall meet at the time of each international congress. The President of IPA shall preside. Reports of the Director General and the Auditor and the recommendations of the Executive Committee and of the Standing Committee shall be presented to each national delegate at least twenty-four hours before the meeting of the Council. The presence of the delegates of more than half of the Member Societies at a session of the Council shall comprise a quorum. In case quorum is not reached, another immediate meeting shall be held at which no quorum shall be stipulated.
d. International congresses. The site of the succeeding congress shall be proposed by the Presidents of the respective Member Societies, endorsed by the government of the respective country. The invitations must be in the hands of the Director General at least three months before the following meeting of the Council. The invitations shall be considered by the Executive Committee, which shall make recommendations to the Council. The Council shall make the final decision as to the location of the following international congress.

5. Languages
The official languages of IPA shall be English, French and Spanish. Contributions may be made and published in any of these three languages. The international congress shall use these languages and the language of the host country as far as means and facilities will allow. Similar provisions shall be made for simultaneous translation during meetings of the Council of National Delegates.

6. Voting
A simple majority of members present and voting at meetings of the Executive Committee and the Standing Committee shall be valid.
A simple majority of the Member Societies present and voting at meetings of the Council shall be valid. A two-thirds majority of the Member Societies present and voting at meetings of the Council shall be required for changing to Constitution and By-Laws. In the event that the vote is tied, the President shall cast the deciding vote.

7. Reports
The reports of the Director General of IPA as well as the lists of candidates for the Standing Committee (with their curricula vitae) and the comments of the Executive Committee, shall be sent to each Member Society and Affiliate Society at least one month before the next scheduled meeting of the Council.

8. Geographic Representation on the Standing Committee
Geographic distribution of the Standing Committee members shall be decided upon by the Executive Committee to ensure proper geographic representation.

STATUTES OF THE UNION OF MIDDLE-EASTERN AND MEDITERRANEAN PEDIATRIC SOCIETIES
Established in Jerusalem (Jordan) on 3-9-1966

Article I: Foundation – Title
A Union is founded under the title: “THE UNION OF MIDDLE-EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN PEDIATRIC SOCIETIES” (U.M.E.M.P.S.)

Article II: Purpose
The “Union of Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean Pediatric Societies” is a scientific association, whose purposes are:
1. To promote collaboration among pediatric societies of the countries of the Middle-East and Mediterranean basin in order to meet the various pediatric problems of their common interest in a collegiate spirit.
2. To generally diffuse knowledge of pediatric subjects in the above mentioned regions.

Article III: Means
In order to achieve these purposes the U.M.E.M.P.S. must:
1. Organise every year (with the exception of the years in which International Pediatric Congresses are held) the Middle-Eastern Mediterranean Pediatric Congress, to which the Union attaches the highest importance.
2. Organise, in addition to the above Congress, less extended conferences and contacts among the several member Pediatric Societies, such contacts to be in the form of conventions, seminars, “pediatric days” and meetings of all kinds tending to further post-graduate studies in the field of pediatrics, carrying out pediatric research particularly in respect of Mediterranean nosology, medico-social care in the sector of child welfare, and in general to promote cooperation among pediatricians in the countries participating in the Union.
3. Cooperate, as far as questions of a general nature are concerned, with the Secretariat of I.P.A., W.H.O., UNICEF as well as any other organization or institution, which in any way serves the aspirations and purposes of the Union.
4. Encourage the establishment of National Pediatric Societies in the Middle-East and Mediterranean Region.

Article IV: Membership
Members of the U.M.E.M.P.S. are:
1. The National Pediatric Societies of the Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean countries who have established the Union in 1966, viz.: Egypt, Greece, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey.
2. The National Pediatric Societies of the same region who were admitted of the Union after 1966, viz.: Algeria, Bahrein, Cyprus, France, Kuwait, Iraq, Italy, Morocco, Spain, Sudan, Tunisia and Yougoslavia.
3. The National Pediatric Societies of European, Asian and African countries which lie within the regions of the Middle-East and Mediterranean basin, who apply for membership and are accepted as members according to the statutes of the Union.
Admission of new Pediatric Societies to the Union shall be made by written application by each new pediatric society, and a majority of two thirds of the total members of the Union is necessary to admit a new society to the Union.

Article V: Organs
1. The National Delegates of the Societies, members of the Union of Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean Pediatric Societies, constitute the “General Assembly” of the Union.
2. Each National Pediatric Society member in the Union is represented at the meetings of the General Assembly by one duly authorized Delegate for each country who will have the right to vote.
3. The General Policies of the Union are determined by the General Assembly of its members, which is the supreme administrative organ.
4. The General Assembly will meet at the place and time of the Middle-Eastern Mediterranean Pediatric Congress organized by the Union.
5. The President of the forthcoming Pediatric Congress of the Union shall be the President of the Union, and will stay so from the time he is elected as President of the Congress by his Society, until the time another President is elected in the same way for the next Congress. A written document shall be sent by the inviting country nominating the President of the Congress in that country, within one month from the meeting in which the next Congress is decided.
6. The President of the preceding Congress becomes automatically Vice-President of the Union, as soon as the President of the forthcoming Congress is elected.
7. The General Assembly elects a Secretary General, a Treasurer and five Counselors, and together with the President and the Vice-President, they constitute the Executive Committee of the Union. Members of the Executive Committee shall not necessarily be from among the National Delegates attending the General Assembly.
8. The period of office of the Secretary General and Treasurer shall be three congress terms. The General Secretary and the Treasurer may be re-elected.
9. The period of office of the five Counselors extends through three consecutive congress terms. They may be re-elected only once more for more congress terms.
10. The General Assembly examines the report submitted to it by the Secretary General as well as the annual report submitted by the Treasurer of the Union. It determines the sites where the next two Middle-Eastern Mediterranean Pediatric Congresses are to be held, approves the budget of the Union and examines any subject presented to the Assembly by any society-member. It may also elect a Coordinator from among the Executive Committee members.
11. The President and the Secretary General are responsible for the execution of the decisions of the General Assembly.
12. The decisions of the General Assembly are taken by a majority vote among the national delegates of society-members of the Union who are present at each assembly.
13. The Secretary General of the previous congress will act as ex-officio member of the organizing committee of the next congress. In the capacity, he may be called upon for advice in the interim period.
14. Any modifications of these statutes require two thirds of the Assembly of Members of the Union.

Article VI: Bureau of the Union
1. The “Bureau” of the Union is composed of:
The President, the Secretary General and the Treasurer of the Union
2. The seat of the Secretariat of the Union will be the town where the Secretary General resides.
3. The Secretary General and the Treasurer deal with all matters concerning the Union, whether administrative or concerning organization.
4. The Treasurer is responsible for financial matters, and must present the Budget to the General Assembly Meetings.
5. The Secretary General submits to the approval of the General Assembly of the members of the Union, the regulations concerning the organization and operation of the Middle-Eastern Mediterranean Pediatric Congresses, as well as of all conferences, seminars, “pediatric days” and round table discussions referred to under Art. Ill para. 2; he further submits to the approval of the General Assembly such modifications of the regulations as may envisaged.
6. The Secretary General keeps in close contact with the Secretary of the I.P.A. to which he submits activity reports about the Union at regular intervals, he must further keep in contact with the W.H.O., UNICEF, the Geneva Union and other International Organizations, in connection with all matters relating of Pediatrics and Child Welfare.
7. The Secretary General will send Newsletters to all member-societies of the Union, and will prepare to publish a “Bulletin” in the name of the Union.

Article VII: Executive Committee
1. The Executive Committee of the Union is composed of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary General, a Treasurer and five Counselors.
2. The President of the next Middle-Eastern Mediterranean Pediatric Congress is automatically the President of the Executive Committee and of the whole Union.
3. The President of the previous congress becomes automatically the Vice-President of the Executive Committee and of the Union.
4. The Secretary General, the Treasurer, the Coordinator and the five Counselors are elected by the General Assembly. They are not necessarily members of the Assembly of Delegates.
5. The period of office of the President and the Vice-President extends from the end of the current Congress to the next Congress.
6. The Secretary General and the Treasurer may be re-elected.
7. The five Counselors may be re-elected only once more for three more congress terms.
8. The terms of reference of the Executive Committee are the follows:
a- To examine and approve, in principle, applications for membership in accordance with Article IV of these statutes, and refer these applications for final approval by the General Assembly,
b- To advise the General Assembly of Delegates of the Union in connection with policies to be adopted by the Union,
c- To assist the President and the Secretary General in the exercise of their functions,
d- To aid the Treasurer in establishing the Budget of the Union,
e- To present reports on their activities and recommendations to the General Assembly during the annual meetings.

Article VIII: Membership Fees
1. The amount of membership fee to be paid by each society-member in the Union
is 100 U.S. dollars every year.
2. Membership fees can be modified by a simple majority of the Council of Delegates in an ordinary Meeting of the General Assembly of the Union.
“These Statutes have been amended in Athens (1969), in Teheran (1970), in Barcelona (1972), in Khartoum (1979), in Tunis (1981) and in Kuwait (1982)”