STATUTES

1. The objectives of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (hereafter referred to as the Association) are:

a. to promote the study of volcanoes and volcanic processes, past and present, and of the chemistry of the Earth's interior;

b. to encourage, initiate, and coordinate research and to promote international cooperation in these studies;

c. to arrange for the discussion and publication of the results of scientific research on volcanology and on the chemistry of the Earth's interior;

d. to encourage volcanologists to alert appropriate authorities to the importance of adequate surveillance of active and potentially active volcanoes and of volcanic risk assessment.

2. The Association is a constituent association of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (hereafter referred to as the Union), and is subject to the Statutes and By-Laws of the Union as well as to these Statutes.

3. Any Member Country of the Union shall be regarded as a Member of the Association and may, through its Adhering Body, appoint a National Correspondent to represent it in the Association.

4. Individuals professionally engaged in, or associated with, volcanology and studies of the chemistry of the Earth's interior, can apply to become Affiliates of the Association. Affiliates pay an annual subscription fee.

5. The authority of the Association shall be vested in the General Assembly which is formed by (1) Affiliates from member countries who have paid the annual subscription fee, and (2) National Correspondents of member countries of the Union. All the members of the General Assembly are eligible to hold office. All Affiliates and National Correspondents will receive publications and other materials which by decision of the Executive Committee are considered appropriate. Only National Correspondents from member countries have the right to vote on financial and Union matters.

6. General Assemblies of the Association normally shall be held in conjunction with General Assemblies of the Union. They can be held also between successive General Assemblies of the Union at the discretion of the Association's Executive Committee.

7. The business of the Association between General Assemblies shall be carried on by the Bureau (President, two Vice-Presidents, Secretary-General, and Deputy Secretary) of the Association.

8. The Executive Committee of the Association shall consist of the five members of the Bureau and four other members. All nine members except the Deputy Secretary shall be elected by postal vote of the current Affiliates and National Correspondents. The Past President and the Executive Editor of the Bulletin of Volcanology shall be ex-officio members of the Executive Committee. No more than two officers from the same country can be elected. No member of the Executive Committee may be elected for more than two successive periods. The Deputy Secretary will be appointed by the Secretary General.

9. The Executive Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy that arises on the Executive Committee during the interval between successive periods of postal voting. The Executive Committee shall have the power to appoint the Executive Editor of the Bulletin of Volcanology and other publications of the Association. The Executive Committee shall have the power to create and disband Commissions and Task Groups of the Association.

10. Affiliates from member countries who have paid their dues for the current year and National Correspondents shall receive ballots for new office-bearers and for any proposed changes to the Association's Statutes and By-Laws.

11. Ballots will be distributed at least three months before, and must be returned no later than one month before, IUGG General Assemblies.

12. Any Affiliate or National Correspondent may nominate in writing any other current Affiliate or National Correspondent as an office-bearer of the Association. provided (1) the nomination is seconded by three other current Affiliates or National Correspondents each from countries other than that of the nominee and (2) the nominee, nominator, and seconders are all from a country belonging to the Union. All nominations must be received no later than six months before the General Assemblies of the Union.

13. All nominations shall be considered by a Nominating Committee which will produce a shortlist of at least two, but no more than three, candidates for each of the positions on the new Executive Committee. No more than two candidates from the same country can be proposed by the Nominating Committee for all of the positions. The Nominating Committee will be appointed by the Executive Committee no later than nine months before the General Assemblies of the Union. It will consist of no less than five current Affiliates or National Correspondents, one of whom will be nominated by the Executive Committee as a Receiving Officer for postal votes. The outgoing Executive Committee has the power to appoint candidates of its own where only one, or no, candidates are nominated by Affiliates and National Correspondents.

14. Voters shall be required to rank candidates in order of their preference. The candidate with the largest number of first-place votes will be elected in cases where there are only two candidates. In cases where there are three candidates and none has a majority of first-place votes, then the candidate with the fewest first-place votes will be eliminated. The one of the two remaining candidates having the higher number of second-place votes will be elected. The third-place votes will be used in cases where the second-place votes are equal.

15. These statutes shall be changed only by a majority of at least two thirds of postal votes by members of the General Assembly. Two-thirds absolute majority is determined by the proportion of affirmative votes to the sum of votes (affirmative, negative, abstention) provided that the total number of members of the General Assembly voting (affirmative, negative, abstention) is not less than one third of the total number of Affiliates and National Correspondents forming the General Assembly.

16. The English text of the present Statutes shall be regarded as the authoritative version.

17. If these Statutes are found to be in conflict with those of the Union, the latter shall have priority.

1. Individual countries, where appropriate, should establish Sub-committees of their National Committee for the Union. The functions of each of the Sub-committees for Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior shall be as follows:

a. to further the aims of the Association within their own country;

b. to nominate through the National Committee a National Correspondent who will have the power to vote on behalf of the Sub-committee and who may be designated as the Chief Delegate for that country at Union General Assemblies;

c. to submit topics for discussion at the General Assemblies of the Association -subjects so submitted should be notified to the Secretary General of the Association at least three months before the General Assembly;

d. to facilitate and coordinate, as appropriate and necessary, the dissemination of correspondence and other information relating to the affairs of the Association.

2. The function of the Executive Committee is to exercise general oversight with respect to the affairs of the Association. It should meet at least twice during each General Assembly. Its duties include the following: to consider proposals for changes to the Statutes and By-Laws; to determine the annual subscription fee for Affiliates; to fill office-bearing vacancies arising between successive periods of postal voting; to assist in preparing agenda and making arrangements for General Assemblies and other meetings; to appoint a Nominating Committee for the short-listing of candidates for election as new office-bearers; to appoint the Executive Editor and Associate Editors of the Bulletin of Volcanology and other publications; to appoint Commissions and Task Groups; and generally to promote the interests of the Association.

3. The function of the Bureau is to carry on the business of the Association between General Assemblies and to take on the particular responsibility of pro-actively fostering the objectives and interests of the Association and the effectiveness of the Commissions and Task Groups. The Bureau is responsible also for establishing Sub-committees to deal with specific aspects of the work of the Association.

4. The duties of the President are to preside at General Assemblies of the Association and, in consultation with the Secretary General, to regulate the business of the Association. The President and Secretary General have the power to sign documents on behalf of the Association. The President will chair the Awards Sub-committee.

5. The duties of the Vice-Presidents are to preside at General Assemblies in the absence of the President. In the event of the position of President becoming vacant between General Assemblies, the Executive Committee shall appoint one of the Vice Presidents to act as President until the next General Assembly. As members of the Bureau, they must foster pro-actively the objectives and interests of the Association, and the effectiveness of the Commissions and Task Groups.

6. The duties of the Secretary-General of the Association are (1) to carry on all correspondence relating to the affairs of the Association; (2) to maintain and preserve the records of the Association; (3) to maintain a mailing list of members of the Association, and to receive and process Affiliate applications; (4) to administer the funds of the Association, to prepare at the end of the calendar year preceding a General Assembly the accounts of the Association, and to arrange that they shall be properly audited and sent to the Secretary-General of the Union; (5) in consultation with the President and members of the Executive Committee, to prepare the agenda and make arrangements for the next General Assembly, and to cooperate with the other Associations of the Union in arranging joint sessions; (6) to ensure that the annual reports of the Association are published and distributed; (7) to prepare a budget for the ensuing four-year term.

7. The duties of the Deputy Secretary are to assist the Secretary-General in carrying out the duties of the Secretary General. The Deputy Secretary normally would be appointed Secretary-General in the event of that position becoming vacant between General Assemblies.

8. The Executive Editor of the Bulletin of Volcanology shall administer the process of receipt of manuscripts and their distribution to the Associate Editors for review and acceptance (or otherwise). The Executive Editor and Associate Editors shall be responsible for maintaining high standards of content and presentation of the Bulletin of Volcanology. The tenure of the Executive Editor normally would not exceed eight years. The Executive Editor is empowered to sign documents on behalf of the Association that are pertinent to the Bulletin of Volcanology and any other Association-sponsored publications. The Executive Editor and the Executive Committee jointly will appoint Associate Editors who will serve for periods not exceeding eight years.

9. The Executive Committee may establish any Commission devoted to the international promotion of research in any speciality of volcanology and chemistry of the Earth's interior. It will appoint a scientist to lead each Commission. This leader will present proposals for the objectives, program, and membership of the Commission for approval by the Executive Committee. Leaders normally will serve for periods not exceeding four years.

10. The Executive Committee may establish Task Groups devoted to the short-term completion of specific scientific tasks. This will include the preparation, by any interested group, of the objectives, program, and proposed membership of a future Commission, for consideration by the Executive Committee.

11. The Bureau may establish Sub-committees devoted to the completion of specific administrative tasks. These will include the Awards Sub-committee whose responsibility, under the chairmanship of the President, is to prepare recommendations for the award of the Thorarinsson Medal and Wager Medal at the time of the Association's General Assemblies held between the IUGG General Assemblies.

12. These By-Laws shall be changed only by a simple majority of postal votes by current Affiliates and National Correspondents. Simple majority is determined by the proportion of affirmative votes (affirmative, negative, abstention), provided that the total number of members voting (affirmative, negative, abstention) is not less than one-quarter of the total number of current Affiliates and National Correspondents of the Association. Any Affiliate or National Correspondent may propose in writing alteration, or alterations, to these By-Laws, provided the proposal is seconded (in writing) by three other current Affiliates or National Delegates. The Executive Committee shall have the power to decide whether the proposal will be distributed to members as a postal vote.