Standing Rules

Art. I Membership fees

Fees shall be invoiced at the end of each year to apply to the next calendar year and be paid within the three first months of the year concerned.

a. Founding members: no fee shall be assessed.
b. Individual members: an annual fee of Sw.Fr.20 – or its equivalent will be assessed.

c. Member Societies: an annual fee of Sw.Fr.10 – or its equivalent per member will be assessed.

The allotment of votes as described in Article VI., section. c. of the statutes, will take place on the basis of paying members only.

Art. Il Election of Executive Committee

a. The Executive Committee shall be elected at an ordinary meeting of the General Assembly during the International Congress. The present Executive Committee shall draw up proposals for the composition of the next Executive Committee. Individuals proposed shall have the support of the member society to which they belong. These proposals shall be sent to the secretaries of the member societies not later than ninety (90) days prior to the opening date of the General Assembly. Member societies may propose alternative candidates for the offices of the President-Elect, Secretary General and Treasurer. Each member society will nominate one representative for the Executive Committee and inform the Secretary General of the Society who these nominees are not later than thirty (30) days prior to the opening of the General Assembly. This nominee will only become member of the Executive Committee if an officer does not already represent the society. The Board of Fellows will nominate its own representative and inform the Secretary General of the Society who this nominee is not later than thirty (30) days prior to the opening of the General Assembly. Individuals shall only be eligible for nomination if they have informed the Secretary General in writing that they will accept the position concerned.

b. Voting for the election of the President-Elect, the Secretary General and the Treasurer shall be by secret written ballot, unless a single candidate is nominated for a particular position, in which case election may occur by voice vote. Election of officers will take place for each office separately in the following sequence: President-Elect, Secretary General, Treasurer. For the election to each office for which there is more than one nominee, that nominee who receives a majority (50% + 1) of the votes will be deemed elected. If on any ballot a nominee does not receive a majority (50% + 1) of the votes cast, the nominee receiving the smallest number of votes will be eliminated, and balloting shall proceed in that manner until one nominee receives a majority (50% + 1) of the votes. In case of an even ballot, a second ballot shall take place and if this ballot appears to be even again, the President of the Society shall be entitled to elect the nominee.

Art.III Duties of Officers

a. President The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Society and shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee and the General Assembly. She shall be responsible for executing policies determined by the General Assembly, and shall act as principal spokesman of the Society. She shall be responsible for the appointment and direction of committees authorized by the Executive Committee or the General Assembly, of which she shall be an ex-officio member without vote. Whenever the President is unable to fulfil her duties, they shall be assumed by the Immediate Past President.

b. Immediate Past President The Immediate Past President shall assist and cooperate with the President as the President shall request, and shall carry out the responsibilities of the President in her absence or disability. If for some reason the office of the President shall become vacant, the Immediate Past President shall immediately assume the office of President and serve the remainder of the unexpired term.

c. President-Elect The President-Elect shall assist and cooperate with the Immediate Past President in her duties as the President shall request, and shall carry out the responsibilities of the Immediate Past President in her absence or disability.

d. Secretary General The Secretary General shall be responsible for preparing the agenda and keeping minutes of all the meetings of the Executive Committee and the General Assembly. She shall maintain the records of the Society and a list of members. In addition, she shall be responsible for the preparation and distribution of the management report of the Society to be presented every three years at the General Assembly during the International Congress. The Secretary General shall foster communication between the Society and other organizations and shall be an ex-officio member without vote of all Standing Committees. Whenever the Secretary General is unable to fulfil her duties, they shall be assumed by the Treasurer during the remainder of the unexpired term.

e. Treasurer The treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of the membership fees and the receiving of any other monies and shall have the custody of the Society’s funds and assets. She shall keep full and accurate account of receipts and disbursements of funds belonging to the Society and shall deposit all monies and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Society, in such depositories as may be designated by the Executive Committee. She shall also disburse the funds of the Society as ordered by the Executive Committee and render to the General Assembly at its regular meetings or to the Executive Committee when it so requires, an account of the financial condition of the Society. She shall draw up an annual financial report which shall have to be controlled by an independent external accountant. Whenever the Treasurer is unable to fulfil her duties, they shall be assumed by the Secretary General during the remainder of the unexpired term.

f. Reimbursement of expenses of Officers
i. For the annual Executive Meeting between the three-yearly international congress, unless financial support is available from another party, the Officers shall be reimbursed for as many nights as necessary in a fitting accommodation and their travel expenses. Invoices with receipts must be approved by the Treasurer and the President. In case of the Officer being the Treasurer, the President and the Secretary General will approve. In case of the Officer being the President, the Treasurer and the Secretary General will approve.
ii. For the three-yearly International congress, unless financial support is available from another party, the Officers shall be reimbursed for as many nights as necessary in a fitting accommodation and their travel expenses. Invoices with receipts must be approved by the Treasurer and the President. In case of the Officer being the Treasurer, the President and the Secretary General will approve. In case of the Officer being the President, the Treasurer and the Secretary General will approve.”
iii.For other conferences where ISPOG is represented reimbursement of conference fees, stay and travel expenses will be installed after approval by the Executive Committee.

Art. IV Employees

The Executive Committee shall have the right to hire and discharge any and all kind of employees as it may deem necessary at its discretion. The Executive Committee shall have the power to delegate any of their powers to any person or persons, even if they are not member of the Society.

a. Unless financial support is available from another party, reimbursement of expenses for the Digital Secretary and one Joint Editor-in-Chief of JPOG will be the same as for the Officers, described in Art III f.
b. Unless financial support is available from another party, up to a maximum of €1,000 per year will be available for secretarial assistance each to the Secretary General and the Digital Secretary

c. Unless financial support is available from another party, up to a maximum of €1,000 per year be available for secretarial assistance to
the Treasurer.
d. ISPOG Board may decide about an expenditure up to 3000,- yearly to be approved by the Executive Committee at a later date.

Art. V Committees

The Executive Committee may create such committees to carry out the work of the Society as it may deem necessary, or as the President shall recommend. All committees shall be appointed by the President, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. Chairpersons shall be members of the Society and the Executive Committee may delegate to a committee chairperson the selection of other committee members. Two types of committees may be created: standing and ad-hoc committees.

a. Standing committees Standing committees shall concern themselves with matters related to the general objectives and functioning of the Society such as: research, education and training, finance, statutes, and public information. The aims and composition of standing committees shall be subject to the approval of the General Assembly. Chairpersons of standing committees shall belong to one of the Member Societies and the President and/or the Secretary General of the Society shall be an ex-officio member without vote of all standing committees. The chairpersons of standing committees shall submit a written report of activities to the General Assembly during the International Congress.

b. Ad-hoc committees Ad-hoc committees shall concern themselves with matters relevant to the work of the Society that do not allow further delay or are of a national or regional nature. Aims and composition of ad-hoc committees shall be subject to the approval of the Executive Committee only. Chairpersons of ad-hoc committees shall be members of the Society but shall not necessarily belong to a Member Society. The President and/or President- Elect of the Society shall be an ex-officio member without vote of all ad-hoc committees. The chairpersons of ad-hoc committees shall submit to the Executive Committee a written report of activities upon termination of the Committee’s task, but not later than two (2) years after the date of appointment of the committee, if its activities are to be continued thereafter.

Art.VI International Congresses

The Society shall hold an official International Congress every three (3) years at a time and place determined by the General Assembly upon recommendation of the Executive Committee. a. Location of the Congress. “

a. Location of the Congress Only countries with a national member society shall be eligible to organize the official International Congress of the Society. Any such country that wishes to organize the International Congress shall submit a detailed plan including the tentative composition of an Organizing Committee and the available organization and logistic facilities. Plans for the next two congresses, for the congress three years later and for the congress six years later, should be available at each meeting of the General Assembly and voted about. Such plans shall be submitted to the Executive Committee at least four (4) years respectively seven (7) years before these International Congresess are due to be held. Determination of the location of the Congress shall take place by the General Assembly during the following International Congress. In case more than one country has applied for the organization of the International Congress, election of the organizing country will take place in the manner described for the election of officers in article II. b. of these Standing Rules.

b. Organization The President of the Society, with the approval of the Executive Committee, shall appoint a President of the Congress. The President of the Congress shall reside in the country where the Congress is to be held and shall be the chairperson of the Organizing Committee, of which she shall select the other members. The composition of the Organizing Committee shall be subject to approval by the Executive Committee. The President and Secretary General of the Society shall be ex-officio members of the Organizing Committee.

c. Scientific Programme The President of the Society, with the approval of the Executive Committee and the President of the Congress, shall appoint a Scientific Programme Committee. For each congress the Executive Committee must work out a suitable mechanism for adequate consultation between it and the Scientific Programme Committee of the Congress. The President-Elect, the Secretary General and the President of the previous International Congress shall be ex-officio members of the Scientific Programme Committee. The Scientific Programme Committee shall make all necessary efforts to publish the Proceedings of the Congress.

d. Finance The Organizing Committee of the International Congress shall be solely responsible for the budget and financial consequences of the Congress. In consequence, the Society shall be exonerated from any liabilities in respect to the financial commitments of the Organizing Committee. If deemed necessary, the Treasurer of the Society, with the approval of the Executive Committee, may offer financial assistance and/or advice to the Organizing Committee of the Congress.

e. Cancellation of the Congress The President of the Society, with the approval of the Executive Committee (by a 2/3 majority) and of the Board of Fellows, may order the cancellation of the International Congress on the following conditions: 1. Failure of the Organizing Committee to fulfil its duties in relation to the organizational and financial management of the Congress. 2. Failure of the Scientific Programme Committee to draw up a scientific programme, which is in accordance with the objectives of the Society. Cancellation of the International Congress shall not take place later than one year before the planned date of the Congress.

Art. VII Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology

The Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology shall be the official publication of the Society. The Society shall be exonerated from any liabilities in respect to the financial commitments of the Journal.

Art. VIII Education

For lectures for national societies, created for ISPOG and made available to members and interested professionals a fee of 200 euro per lecture is available. Copyright of these lectures rests with ISPOG.

Art. IX Alteration of Standing Rules

Alteration of the Standing Rules may be proposed by the Executive Committee or one of the Member Societies, and shall be submitted to the Secretary General of the Society not later than sixty (60) days prior to the opening date of the next General Assembly. Such proposals shall have the support of at least three (3) voting members of the Executive Committee before they are brought before the General Assembly for approval by majority vote.

Art. X Interpretation

In these Standing Rules, the singular shall include the plural and the feminine shall include the masculine.

Standing Rules ISPOG June 1998

Klaas Wijma, Secretary General Layout corrected October 2006

Revision after the General Assembly in Kyoto 2007 Revision after the General Assembly in Málaga 2016

Layout corrected May 2016. Heather Rowe, Secretary General

Revision after the General Assembly in Vienna 2022

Layout corrected May 2022. M.Caroline Vos, Secretary General