IFCPC Bylaws

Section I Membership

Section II Contributions

Section III General Assemblies

Section IV The Executive Board

Section V Standing Committees

Section VI Relations with other International Organizations

Section VII World Congresses

Section I Membership

1. Article III, Section A of the Constitution states: The membership of the Federation shall include the national Society or national Federation of any country representing the specialists in colposcopy and cervical pathology of that country. Each year the chief correspondence officer of each of the affiliated Societies shall send to the Executive Secretariat contact details of their National Society which shall include the name, address, email, phone and internet connectivity of the members of their Executive Committee and a list of the paid-up members of the Society.
2. The National Society shall also nominate one of their members to be the liaison officer to the IFCPC and provide the Executive Secretariat with the liaison’s full contact information. This officer may or may not be the Secretary of the national society.
3. Article III, Section C of the Constitution provides that: The decision as to the granting or refusal of membership shall be made by the active and eligible members of the General Assembly; the General Assembly shall not be required to state the reason for its decision. A national Society or Federation which submits an application for affiliation to the Secretary General of the Federation between two General Assemblies may be admitted provisionally, with the ability to be seated in the Assembly but ineligible to vote, subject to final approval at the next General Assembly.
4. Article III, Section C of the Constitution provides that: Membership of the Federation shall be terminated by withdrawal, subject to a period of notice to be fixed by the Bylaws. Notice of withdrawal shall be given to the Secretary General six months before the end of the fiscal year. Withdrawal shall become effective only on the expiration of this period of notice. Contributions shall remain due until the expiration of the period of notice.
5. Article III, Section C of the Constitution stipulates that: Membership of the Federation shall be terminated by defaulting in the payment of contributions to the Federation over a period of time to be fixed by the Bylaws. Loss of membership by default in the payment of contributions occurs only when arrears of contribution exceed two fiscal years.

Section II: Contributions

1. Article IV of the Constitution stipulates that: Each national Society shall pay to the Federation a yearly contribution in proportion to the number of regular paid-up members of each Society, the amount of which shall be fixed by the General Assembly. Each affiliated Society shall pay an annual contribution per active (paid-up) member and shall report to the Executive Secretariat the number of its paid-up members. This number shall be used to calculate the number of votes allotted in the General Assembly. The contributions shall be paid in US dollars to the Federation no later than June 30 of each fiscal year.
2. Where difficulties are encountered in the transfer of foreign currency, the Treasurer should be consulted in advance of the payment due date and arrange for payment to be transacted by other methods.

Section III General Assemblies

1. Article V, Section A of the Constitution provides that: The General Assembly is the supreme authority of the Federation. It shall be composed of the delegates of each national Society, or their nominees, and of the members of the Executive Board. National Societies shall inform the Secretary General at least three (3) months before each General Assembly of the composition of their delegates and, if possible, the names of any nominees. In order to permit the verification of credentials, delegates shall communicate by electronic mail the documents appointing them as representatives of their national Society or Federation with the Secretary General at least four (4) weeks before the beginning of the first General Assembly.
2. An Extraordinary General Assembly may be called by the Executive Board or at the request of at least one-fifth of the active members of the Federation. The minimum notice for the organisation of such an Assembly is three (3) months. The agenda shall be sent by the Secretary General in the same way as for an Ordinary General Assembly; the affiliated Societies shall address their suggestions and the list of their delegates to the Secretary General in the same way and under the same terms of time as for an Ordinary General Assembly.
3. Article V, Section B of the Constitution states that: The General Assembly shall receive a report from the Executive Board regarding the general activities of the Federation. In addition to the official delegates, all active members of the affiliated Societies may attend the General Assembly as observers; the same privileges may be extended to representatives of international medical organizations and other persons who express the desire to attend, provided the President of the Federation agrees in each case. The President may decide that a General Assembly shall be held in private.

Section IV: The Executive Board

1. Vacancies among Officers and Members-at-Large. Article VI, Section A of the Constitution provides that: The Executive Board shall be elected by the General Assembly and shall consist of 15 members. It shall include the officers of the Federation who are the President, Immediate Past-President, President-Elect, Secretary General, Treasurer, Assistant Secretary/Archivist and the Assistant Treasurer.I
2. If during the tenure of the Board, a vacancy occurs among the Executive Officers of the Board, a substitute shall be chosen among the members of the Board, this substitute shall remain in office until the next General Assembly
3. If during the tenure of the Board, a vacancy occurs among members who are not executive officers, the National Society of the vacated seat shall choose the representative to be replaced on the Executive Board (i.e., the Society shall appoint a substitute who shall fill the vacancy on the Board until the next General Assembly). This replacement shall be ratified by the President.
4. If the election of an officer results in a vacancy on the Executive Board, that country will name another representative.
5. The Officers of the Federation shall not be delegates to the General Assembly from their respective countries. If they are holding the position of national delegate when elected, they will resign from such a post involving national representation.
6. Means of Selecting Officers

• An ad-hoc Nominating Committee of seven (7) members will be appointed by the Executive Board at their meeting approximately one year prior to the World Congress.
• The Committee will consist of the President (who will serve as Chair), President-Elect, the Secretary General, the Treasurer and 3 other members-at-large.
• The members-at-large will be representatives of three member Societies not represented on the Executive Board.
• The Executive Board will select the societies to be represented and the Secretary General will notify the constituent Societies to be represented. These Societies, in turn, will nominate their own at- large representatives.
• Overall the Nominating Committee should be constituted to provide the widest possible geographic, linguistic and cultural representation.
• The Nominating Committee shall solicit nominations for the Officers and Executive Board members from all IFCPC member societies and members via posting on the website, electronic mail, post office mail or other methods they deem advisable at least six (6) months prior to the World Congress.
• The Nominating Committee will submit to the Executive Board a list of Officers and member Societies to be represented on the Board, as well as the members of the Scientific Advisory Committee for the forthcoming Congress.
• During the first General Assembly, the Chair of the ad-hoc Nominating Committee will report briefly on the nominations received, followed by a general discussion of the nominees. The Nominating Committee report shall explain how the list was prepared.
• For the election of the candidates proposed by the Nominating Committee, a simple majority is needed from those members active and eligible to vote. This election shall be held at the second General Assembly.
• If a delegation at a General Assembly proposes a candidate not included in the Nominating Committee’s list, this proposal must be delivered to the Secretary General twenty-four (24) hours prior to the start of the General Assembly and must also have been sent to the Nominating Committee six (6) months before the World Congress. In the case when a candidate is nominated from outside the Nominating Committee’s list, a two-thirds majority vote of those active and eligible members present at the General Assembly will be required in order to secure the position.

Special Qualifications of Officers

• Except in exceptional circumstances, the nomination for the Presidency will be the seated President-Elect.
• The President-Elect position may be filled by any member of the Federation who has been nominated by their National Society and need not be a member of the current Executive Board.
• In general, the continental origin of the President should be that of the continent holding the World Congress six years later.

• At each World Congress, there will be two meetings of the General Assembly. The names of the outgoing members of the Executive Board shall be made known at the first session of the Assembly.
• During the second General Assembly, the Officers of the Federation shall be elected by the General.
• The former Officers shall remain in office until the end of the Congress.
• After the closing ceremony of the Congress, the new Executive Board shall meet and the agenda of this meeting shall be prepared by mutual agreement between the outgoing President and the incoming President of the Federation.

• The eight (8) members of the quorum shall be eligible to vote if its National Society has its dues paid up to date for the fiscal year.
• When the annual session of the Executive Board does not coincide with a World Congress of the Federation it may be convened at a location chosen by the Board, preferably each year rotating between the different continents. A national Society or national Federation may invite the Executive Board to meet in its country on the occasion of either a national Congress in the sphere of gynaecology or gynaecological pathology or a scientific meeting attended by some members of the Board. The inviting national Society or Federation shall provide the meeting room and if possible, secretarial staff and interpreters

Section V Standing Committees

Article VI, Section D of the Constitution provides that: The Executive Board of the International Federation may appoint Standing Committees relating to research, education, audit, training and practice in the fields of colposcopy and cervical pathology.

1. If a Standing Committee is to continue beyond the next Congress, its members will be ratified by the General Assembly of that Congress.
2. The Chair of a Standing Committee will be appointed for a term of three years with the possibility of re-election. He/she will be nominated by the General Assembly on proposal by the Executive Board. The Chair will direct the activities of the Committee and will present a progress report on the work of the Committee and its future programme at each meeting of the Executive Board.
3. The Chair of each Standing Committee will be invited to attend selected meetings of the Executive Board but shall not be entitled to vote.
4. The Chair will be assisted by a Vice-Chair. The Vice- Chair will be chosen from the members of the Committee, and will be appointed by the President of the Federation on suggestion from the Chair of the Committee.
5. The membership of the Committee will be discussed, modified and completed by the Executive Board at its annual meetings. The term of membership is three years, with the possibility of re-election.
6. The Chair is entitled to nominate new members with the agreement of the President of the Federation. The latter is empowered to accept or reject any proposed candidate.
7. The Standing Committees will convene at each World Congress of the Federation, immediately before the sessions of the Executive Board.
8. Between these meetings, the Chair will direct the activities of the Committee as he/she considers best: by organizing meetings, workshops, statistical investigations, etc. If a meeting of the Committee cannot be organized, the Chair will consult with the members of the Committee by electronic or other means of correspondence. He/she may also request the Societies affiliated to the Federation to nominate a liaison officer to the Committee.
9. The Chair of a Committee may establish links with the International Federation for Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) for cooperation in certain projects. The President of the Federation will be kept informed on such activities. The Chair of a Committee may also cooperate with other international organizations. He/she will ask approval of the President of the Federation for such a project.
10. Each Standing Committee is responsible for the financing of its activities. However, the Chair may request a contribution from the Federation for secretarial work and other activities of the Committee. The request of the Chair must be submitted every year and will detail how the grant contributed by the Federation has been used. Unused annual contributions cannot be accumulated from year to year.

Section VI Relations with other International Organizations

Special international scientific societies devoted to the study of subjects relating to uterine cervical pathology and groups of gynaecologists, colposcopists, cytologists and pathologists, may be recognized by the Federation as approved organizations for cooperation and mutual exchange of information. Such recognition will be decided upon by the Executive Board. A delegate of such organizations may be invited to participate in the World Congress of the Federation and may be asked to attend the General Assemblies in the capacity of observer. The invited delegates will pay no registration fees at the World Congress. The recognized societies may nominate a liaison officer to the Federation or a liaison officer to some of the Standing Committees. All relevant documents will be forwarded to these liaison officers either by the Secretary General or by the Chairman of the Standing Committee convened. Joint actions between such societies and the Federation or one of its Standing Committees may be implemented with the agreement of the Executive Board.

Section VII World Congresses

Article II, Section D of the Constitution (Article 2) states that: The Federation intends to hold at regular intervals World Congresses, each successively in a different country.

1. Place of the Congresses.
   • The General Assembly which meets on the occasion of an International Congress shall decide the date and place of future Congresses.
   • The decision as to the most appropriate location of the Congress should be the subject of active study by the Executive Board and its report should be presented to the General Assembly by the Secretary General.
   • In general, the site of the Congress will be rotated through the five continents in orderly succession, i.e., Africa, Latin America, Europe, North America and Asia-Oceania.
   • In time to provide suggestions at least six (6) years before the date of the proposed congress, delegates from each area should be encouraged to meet and discuss preferred locations in their area. This will usually be through the regional Federations.
   • If the national Societies of a given continent are unable to offer a satisfactory or acceptable location, the Executive Board will offer the Congress to the next continent in order of succession.
   • On the recommendation of the Executive Board, the order of rotation may be suspended by the Assembly for a compelling reason.
2. Guidelines for the IFCPC World Congress Venue Selection
   • At each World Congress, during the second General Assembly, a simple majority vote of those members active and eligible to vote shall decide the venue for the future World Congress to be held six (6) years’ hence.
   • Nomination to host a World Congress shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary General one (1) month before the first General Assembly at the World Congress which is six years in advance of the proposed Congress.
   • The Secretary General shall circulate the received proposals to the Executive Board members in advance of its first meeting at the World Congress.
   • Formal presentations by all the bidding National Societies shall be made to the Executive Board at its first meeting at the World Congress and then to the members of the first General Assembly at the World Congress.
3. Subject for the Congress
   • At the first session of the General Assembly, time will be allocated for suggestions on the subject for the next Congress, the type of presentations, the working languages and the publication of reports.
   • Suggestions will be considered by the Executive Board when it meets shortly after the final session of the General Assembly and instructions will be formulated for the guidance of the Scientific Advisory committee for the next Congress.
   • Generally, participation in the Scientific Programme is open only to members of affiliated Societies. However, papers of exceptional interest submitted by specialists who are not member of the Federation, may be considered by the Advisory Committee
4. The Scientific Committee
   1. The Scientific Advisory Committee proposed by the Nominating committee and elected at the General Assembly, will plan most of the plenary sessions of the Congress.
   2. The Committee will consist of a Chair and fourteen members including:
      • the incoming President of the Federation
      • the President of the previous Congress
      • the President of the next Congress
      • the Chair of the previous Scientific Advisory committee
      • the Secretary General (ex officio)
      • eight members-at-large
   3. The Chair of the Scientific Advisory committee will be designated by the Assembly on the recommendation of the Nominating Committee.
   4. The Scientific Advisory Committee will prepare the programme for the forthcoming Congress in accordance with directives received from the General Assembly and the Executive Board.
   5. When preparing the programme, the Scientific Advisory Committee will inform and consult the affiliated Societies by means of questionnaires with regard to special topics and preferred speakers.
   6. Speakers for the general sessions will be chosen, so far as appears appropriate to the Scientific Advisory committee, from those suggested in answers to the questionnaire.
   7. The Scientific Advisory Committee will, however, have the power of final decision, in order that a balanced programme be created.
   8. The Scientific Advisory Committee of the Federation will also establish communication with, and offer all possible assistance to, the Local Organizing Committee of the Society acting as host to the next Congress.
5. Responsibilities and Privileges of the Host Country
   1. The national Society, member of the International Federation, which serves as host, will assume responsibility for all practical aspects of the organization of the Congress. These responsibilities will include:
      • establishment of a Local Organizing Committee
      • management of finances
      • procurement of lecture halls, projection and exhibition rooms
      • procurement of interpreters
      • arrangements for accommodation of the participants
      • entertainment
      • press coverage
      • diffusion of information concerning the congress
      • provision of office and secretarial assistance for the International Federation for the duration of the Congress
      • in consultation with the Secretary General, provision of adequate facilities for the General Assembly, the Executive Board and special Committee meetings
   2. The Host Society will remit to the International Federation, 10% (ten percent) of the registration fee of the World Congress; the Executive Committee may make special arrangements in this regard.
   3. The Scientific Programme committee of the host country will have the final decision on the acceptability of free or voluntary communications.
   4. The host country may also have the privilege and responsibility to develop certain plenary sessions assigned to it by the Executive Board or the Assembly.
   5. In consultation with the Scientific Advisory Committee, the local organizing committee shall be responsible for the publication of the preliminary, provisional and final Congress Programme.
6. Federation’s commitment to congress host
   1. PROVIDING FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES ALLOW, The Federation will provide $10,000 US a year in each of the three years leading up to a Congress to facilitate planning.
   2. The $30,000 US seed money will be returned to The Federation no later than 30 days following closure of the accounts for the Congress. These monies are a loan from The Federation, and are independent of the financial outcome or circumstances of a Congress.
   3. The Federation will receive 10% of each registration fee whether full or discounted in return for the use of the seed money and the use of the name and expertise of the Federation in the planning of, advertising of and conduct of the Congress.
   4. The registration fees will be defined at different rates for Doctors, nurses and trainees and also there will be a reduced rate for delegates from different countries as defined by a standard published by the World Bank.
   5. The speakers at a congress will be experts in their field and will be chosen to reflect the highest standards of presentation and latest knowledge in the field especially reflecting the experience of colleagues in cervical pathology and colposcopy in each of the five continents. The scientific program will be designed in close discussion with the scientific committee of The Federation. The Federation recommends that 30% of the invited speakers are from the Host continent.
   6. The official language of each Congress will be English with facilities for simultaneous translation into the language of the host country and into Spanish.  
   7. Facilities will be provided by the Host country, for the use of the Federation for the duration of a Congress.
   8. The hotel accommodation and travel expenses will be provided for the Executive Officers of the Board but not the full Board by the IFCPC

Approvals & Revisions

Approved at the General Assembly 2011 World Congress in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.