SEARCH WEBSITE

Charter of the WFNMB

ARTICLE I (ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FEDERATION)

The parties hereto have agreed to establish a World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology, hereinafter referred to as the “Federation,” to adhere to its Charter and to abide by these Statutes.

ARTICLE II (OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLE)

Section 1

The objectives of the Federation are:

to develop co-operation between groups, societies and associations formed on a national level and active in the role Nuclear Medicine and Biology.
to promote the development of Nuclear Medicine and Biology.
to organize whatever commissions and meetings are necessary to attain such objectives, in particular convening specialists in Nuclear Medicine and Biology in a Congress of the Federation.
to prepare and recommend the organization of a unified programme of teaching and training in the field of Nuclear Medicine and Biology
to establish technical standards, to aid in the diffusion of knowledge and exchange of scientific and technical information by means of conferences, colloquia, symposia and courses on regional, national and international levels.
to publish, alone of in collaboration, monographs, studies, teaching, courses, reports from conferences, colloquia, symposia and congresses concerning Nuclear Medicine and Biology.
to facilitate the exchange of scientists between the member groups, societies and associations and to set up a body which will centralize and help such exchange.
to represent with one voice all Nuclear Medicine activities to the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency and other appropriate organizations.

Section 2

The Federation is based on the principle of the equality of all its members.
Membership is based on the principle of only one society or group from one country.
The Federation is a non-profit body with academic and professional scope.

ARTICLE III A (MEMBERSHIP)

Section 3

Membership of the Federation is open to groups, societies or associations acknowledged as representatives in each country, hereinafter referred to as national societies or groups, or members.
The term “National societies or groups” means national societies or groups primarily involved with research, education, training or/and practice in Nuclear Medicine and Biology.
The term “national societies” means the officially established bodies in respective countries and the term “national groups” means groups which are not yet established as official bodies of Nuclear Medicine and Biology.

Section 4

Only one society or group may represent each country. Only those national societies or groups which are nonprofit organizations may become members.

Section 5

The national groups, societies and associations which signed the Statutes prior to the First Assembly are considered to be the founding members of the Federation. National societies and groups which have signed the Statutes prior to the approval of the current Statutes are considered to be members of the Federation. Further national groups and societies shall be able to become members of the Federation after approval of the assemblies. Applications for membership shall be reviewed by the Executive Committee and their findings shall be recommended to the Assembly for action in election to membership.

Section 6

Applications for membership shall be reviewed by the Executive Committee and their findings shall be recommended to the Assembly for action in election to membership.

Section 7

Membership may be terminated by:

choice of the member group, society or association;
decision of the Assembly in the case of nonpayment of dues (following appropriate notifications unless exemption has been granted) of if a member ceases to fulfill the requisite conditions for membership of the Federation stated in the present Statutes.

ARTICLE III B (OBLIGATION OF MEMBERSHIP)

Section 8

Members of the Federation shall:

perform activities in accordance with the objectives and principles of these Statutes.
inform the Secretary General regarding the names and affiliations of office bearers of the national society or group of any change in such office bearers.
inform the Secretary General regarding the designated delegates who will represent the national society or group at a scheduled Assembly if their national society or group is to be represented at such an Assembly, not less than ninety (90) days prior to such an Assembly.
advise the Secretary General regarding the national society or group which will hold the right of proxy voting at a scheduled Assembly should their national society or group not be represented at such a scheduled Assembly, not less than thirty (30) days prior to such an Assembly.

ARTICLE IV (ASSEMBLY OF THE WFNMB)

Section 9

The Assembly will be the principal governing body of the Federation.
The Assembly shall consist of no more than two delegates per national society or group.
Delegates must represent the views of their national society or group. Each national society or group shall be entitled to a single vote. A delegate of a society or group shall be entitled to vote only if dues having been called have been entirely paid.
Each national society or group may represent no more than two other member societies or groups. Authority for such representation must be presented to the Secretary General in the form of the prescribed proxy voting form. This form must be signed by the senior office bearer of the national group or society conferring the proxy, indicating the country nominated to represent it and also whether the delegate from this country has authority to vote on all items presented in the agenda of a scheduled Assembly or is restricted only to certain items.
Decisions of the Assembly shall be made by a majority of votes except in relation to decisions to amend the present Statutes or to terminate any membership, in which circumstances a two thirds majority of notes will be necessary. Such provision shall extend to mail ballots which may be held between sessions at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

Section 10

The Assembly shall meet:

in regular sessions at two year intervals between and during WFNMB Congress meetings. The Intermediate Assembly is to be held in conjunction with a meeting devoted to Nuclear Medicine, either a scheduled regional international congress or that of major national society.
in special sessions as occasional may require. Special sessions shall be convoked by the President at the request of the Assembly and/or any of the subsidiary committees.
representatives of at least one third of national societies and groups which are eligible to vote must be present to constitute a quorum of the Assembly.

Section 11

The Assembly will have the authority to carry out the functions of the Federation in accordance with the objectives and principles of these Statutes. Each Assembly shall:

adopt its own rules of procedure.
receive the Biennial Report of the President, Secretary General and Treasurer.
approve its bye-laws.
fix the index for dues to be paid by member societies or groups.
grant exemption to the obligation to pay dues to any society or group which it deems has shown due cause why such exemption should be granted.
discuss the general policy put forward by the Executive Committee and Governing Council.
bring forward the views of the national societies and groups to the Executive Committee.
approve the nomination of members of the Governing Council.
select the site for the Federation Office.
approve the nomination of the Executive Director for the Federation Office.

Section 12

The Intermediate Assembly, held at the two year interval between Federation Congress meetings, shall:

select the site for the Federation Congress to be held six years subsequently.
elect the President to take office following the next Federation Congress.
approve the nomination of a Secretary General-Elect, Treasurer-Elect by the President- Elect.

Section 13

An Assembly will be convened by the announcement by the Secretary General not less than sixty (60) days prior to a scheduled date.
The date shall be communicated by the Secretary General to those delegates designated by their national society or group in accord with Article III-B (Section 8c)
If a member national society or group has failed to advise the Secretary General of the names of designate delegates, the Secretary General should provide details of the scheduled Assembly to that individual who was last recorded by him as the senior office bearer of that society or group.
At the time of notifying the date of the Assembly, the Secretary General shall provide an agenda, which need not be exclusive, but which shall provide full details of any amendments to these Statutes, duly proposed in accord with Article XI (Section 27) and any alterations in the index for membership dues proposed by the Treasurer.

ARTICLE V (OFFICE BEARERS)

Section 14

The President:

shall be elected by an Intermediate Assembly two years before taking office. During these two years he will be designed as President- Elect.
shall take office as the Chairman of the Governing Council from the end of a regular Federation Congress until the end of the following Congress which shall be organized under his presidency.
shall discharge his duties in accordance with the Statutes.
can establish the Federation Office and nominate the Executive Director by the recommendation of the Governing Council and the designation will be subject to approval by the Assembly.
in the event of a tied vote during as Assembly or committee meeting, the President shall have a casting vote.
in the pursuit of the objectives defined by the Statutes, the President shall sign and execute all contracts, conventions and other legal documents in the name of the Federation, under the conditions fixed by the Assembly. In this office and under these conditions, he can purchase or rent property.
shall be the legal representative of the Federation, in particular in court.
shall administer the Federation. He will appoint the chairman and members of the committee, guided by nominations of the Governing Council.
If the President is incapacitated to carry out his duties, he shall be replaced by the Secretary General until the next meeting of the Assembly, at which a new President will be chosen.

Section 15

The Secretary General:

shall be nominated by the President-Elect two years before they enter into office and the designation will be subject to approval by the Assembly.
shall assist the President and most specifically keep the records of the Federation and appoint the necessary personnel. In co-operation with the President, he shall prepare the agenda for the meetings of the Governing Council and the Assembly.
To fulfill the duties, the Secretary General can represent the Federation before a third party. He can also receive from the President any delegation of power necessary for the administration of the Federation.
In case of incapacity of the Secretary General, a successor shall be appointed by the President, subject to the subsequent approval by the Governing Council.

Section 16

The Treasurer:

shall be nominated by the President, the nomination will by subject to approval by the Assembly.
shall be in charge of the finances of the Federation and shall be responsible for proposing budgets for the operation of the Federation.
shall report to the Executive Committee, the Governing Council and the Assembly on the financial state of the Federation, through a written account of income and expenditure for the preceding two years together with a balance sheet made up at the same date.
shall submit these accounts to be audited by a professional auditor.
shall receive from the President and/or Secretary General, the power to carry out all accounting, financial transactions according to the Statutes and the decisions of the Governing Council.
shall be responsible for collecting, supervising and dispersing the funds of the Federation
shall recommend to the Governing Council the index for required annual dues.
shall recommend to the Governing Council the exemption from the obligation to pay dues by any society or group if due cause for such exemption has been shown.
In the case of incapacity, a successor shall be appointed by the President, subject to approval by the Governing Council.

Section 17

The Executive Director:

shall be responsible for any daily activities including cooperative activity, appointment of commission on special problems, awarding of prizes, and establishment of professional standards or in any other activities which are in the opinion of the General Assembly or the Governing Council
shall coordinate regional bodies and promote nuclear medicine at global level through education and training as well as cooperate with international organizations such as IAEA and WHO.
shall do executive activity including publishing World Journal of Nuclear Medicine and related materials, membership maintenance and operation global network and homepage, etc
In the case of incapacity, a successor shall be appointed by the President, subject to approval by the Governing Council.

Section 18

The Executive Committee shall:

be comprised of the President, the Secretary General, the Treasurer and the Executive Director and will be chaired by the President.
be responsible for establishing the broad policy guide-lines and forward planning of the Federation.
fix the index for the annual dues paid by each national society or group.
carry out the decisions of the Governing Council and Assembly.
meet at least once per year and at such times as the President requests.

ARTICLE V B (GOVERNING COUNCIL)

Section 19

The day to day all activities of the Federation shall be administered by the Governing Council.

The Governing Council shall be comprised of:
1. the Office Bearers (President, President-Elect, Secretary General, Treasurer, Executive Director)
2. the immediate past-President
3. the representative leaders of each Affiliated Organization (SNM, EANM, AOFNMB, ALASBIMN, AANM)
4. the representatives of international organizations (IAEA, WHO)
5. the chairman of any committees established by the Council
6. the President may augment the Governing Council by invitation.
Meeting of the Council should be held at least twice per year; during a major international nuclear medicine meeting and at the time of each Assembly, of at such times as the President requests.

Section 20

The principal functions of the Council shall be to:

have the responsibility of acting on behalf of the Federation and shall take action in all matters of administration, policy, and long-term planning.
receive and review the Report of the President, Secretary General, and Treasurer.
review for the approval process of national societies and groups for membership.
grant exemption from the obligation of any society or group to pay dues, only if suitable cause has been presented as to why such an exemption should be granted.
discuss the general policy put forth by the Executive Committee.
bring forward the views of the national societies and groups to the Executive Committee.
establish subsidiary organs to facilitate the function of the Federation, as deemed necessary, including committees on by-laws and regulations, on membership and credentials, on promotion of Nuclear Medicine and Biology, on finance and budget, on education and training, and on publications such as the World Journal of Nuclear Medicine,
nominate members for the committees.
appoint Council members to represent the Council in its relationship with other organizations.
modify the Statutes, provided the required notice has been given to all members.
consider and discuss any matters relating to the objectives of the Federation.
make recommendations to member national societies or groups related to the objectives of the Federation.

ARTICLE VI (FINANCE)

Section 21

The expenses incurred by the organization and holding of its Congress, for its publication and for other activities shall be covered by means of resources that the Federation will procure.
Annual dues will be paid by the members of the Federation. They will be calculated according to the index fixed by the Governing Council, in proportion to the number of persons in each national society or group, so that the same amount will be paid for each person.
Annual dues income belongs to the World Federation Office.
Calculation of the index shall be based on the number of persons in a society or group who pay the full membership fee of that society or group.
A society or group may apply for exemption from the obligation to pay dues, showing cause why such exemption should be granted.
The proposed index will be advised to all member societies and groups at least sixty (60) days in advance of a scheduled Assembly.
The Federation Office can receive donations under legal forms and conditions from any public or private organization.
The Congress Budget is not the responsibility of the Federation Office but procured by the Congress Organizing Committee.
The World Federation Office can take 25% of the Congress net earnings to meet the office maintenance and preliminary costs of the next Congress

Section 22

The members of the Executive Committee and any other Officers of the Federation shall be indemnified out of the funds of the Federation against all costs, charges, losses, damage and expenses which they shall respectively incur or be put to, on account of any act, deed, matter or thing which shall be executed, done or permitted by them respectively in good faith in or about the execution of their respective offices.

ARTICLE VII (INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS)

Section 23

The Federation shall organize an international Congress of Nuclear Medicine and Biology every four years.
In the Congresses, every member of a national society of group may participate.
The Congress shall be convened by the President of the Federation and shall take place at a designated site in his home country unless otherwise agreed to by the Governing Council.
The Congress organization shall be handled chiefly by the Secretary General with the assistance of the Executive Committee and any appropriate committees which he may create.
The Congress budget shall be supported by contributions from any public or private organization and the registration fees. Any surplus arising from the income after all expenses have been covered shall be credited within one year of the Congress, 75% to the Congress Organizing Committee in recognition of its work and any resulting financial penalty and 25% to the Federation to meet the preliminary costs of the next Congress.

ARTICLE VIII (LANGUAGES)

Section 24

The official language of the Federation shall be English.

ARTICLE IX (RELATION TO OTHER ORGANISATIONS)

Section 25

The President, with the authority of the Assembly, shall be authorized to enter into an agreement or agreements establishing an appropriate relation to international, regional or national organizations which are involved in activities related to Nuclear Medicine and Biology which would be important to co-ordinate with that of the Federation.

ARTICLE X (SUBSIDIARY BODIES)

Section 26

The Subsidiary Bodies of the Federation are:

The World Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Council, administrated by a Chairman and an Executive Committee.
The World Journal of Nuclear Medicine, administrated by an Editor in Chief and an Editorial Board.

These two Subsidiary Bodies shall be operational bodies functioning under the Federation. The roles and administration of these organs shall be specified in the Bylaws.

ARTICLE XI (AMENDMENTS)

Section 27

Amendments to these Statutes may be proposed by any member society or group of the Federation. Certified copies of the text of any amendment(s) proposed shall be prepared by the Secretary General and communicated by him to all members of the Federation at least sixty (60) days in advance of its consideration by a scheduled Assembly.
Amendments shall become effective for all member societies or groups of the Federation when they have been adopted by a two thirds majority of the delegates present or represented by proxy at the Assembly.
Alterations in the wording of a duly proposed amendment can be accepted by the President if the Assembly considers that they do not alter the overall intent of the amendment.

Latest amendments* agreed upon at the:

Taipei*, Taiwan Intermediate Assembly, Nov. 2, 1988
Montreal, Canada Assembly, August 30, 1990
Lisbon, Portugal Intermediate Assembly, August 21, 1992
Sydney*, Australia Assembly, October 1994
Kyoto, Japan Intermediate Assembly, Sept. 1996
Berlin, Europe Assembly, August 30, 1998
Beijing*, AOFNMB, October 11, 2004