ICME rules
ICME RULES 2010
Introduction
To promote and protect the interests of the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Ethnography (ICME) and the international museum community, these Rules are designed to ensure that ICME provides maximum benefits to all parties. Unless stated otherwise, these rules are intended as minimum requirements.
Section 1: Name and Address
The name of the ICOM International Committee is: International Committee for Museums and Collections of Ethnography, Comité International pour les musées et collections d’ethnographie, Comité Internacional por los Museos y Colleciones de etnografía, hereafter referred to as ICME. The Committee address is the address of the Chairperson in charge.
Section 2: Role and Responsibility
1. International Committees (among them ICME) are principal instruments for the work of ICOM and for the realisation of its programmes of activity. ICME is a channel of communication between its members with similar professional interests. It is responsible for the development and implementation of its programmes and activities. Furthermore, it provides valuable advice to ICOM’s Executive Council, the Advisory Committee, and the Director ‐ General on matters relevant to ICME’s mission and programmes.
2. ICME is a component of ICOM and subject to the ICOM Statutes and Policies, Code of Ethics, Rules for International Committees, and relevant decisions of the General Assembly and the Executive Council.
3. ICME is represented at the ICOM Advisory Committee by its Chairperson or representative, and at the ICOM General Assembly as determined by ICOM Statute.
4. ICME may establish Rules, based on the Rules for International Committees. Said Rules are subject to approval by the ICOM Executive Council. Proposed amendments to these Rules must be sent to ICME members at least four months before voting and must receive a majority of the cast votes to be adopted.
5. ICME represents ICOM and must operate within the generally accepted framework of the organization with respect to the International Committee’s specific theme.
6. The Chairperson of ICME shall ensure that its activities do not compromise ICOM.
Section 3: Aims and Objectives
7. The aims and objectives of ICME shall be to:
– contribute to the development and implementation of ICOM’s programme;
– formulate and carry out a programme of activities related to Museums of Ethnography;
– provide a forum for communication, co-operation and information exchange, between museums, professional museum workers and others concerned with Museums of Ethnography;
– provide advice to ICOM on Museums of Ethnography and be a source of professional expertise to assist in the implementation of ICOM’s programme;
– represent the interests of Museums of Ethnography within ICOM;
– co-operate with National Committees and Regional Organizations of ICOM and with other International Committees and Affiliated Organisations in matters related to the Committee’s specific mandate and to the broader interests of ICOM;
– contribute to research in fields relevant to Museums of Ethnography and publicise the results as widely as possible.
Section 4: Membership
8. The membership of ICME shall comprise those persons being Individual Members or designated representatives of Institutional Members of ICOM who request membership of the Committee.
Members of the Committee shall be:
– Members of ICOM who have nominated ICME as the Committee of which they wish to be a member
Members of ICOM wishing to join ICME, shall inform ICOM headquarters, which will forthwith transmit details of the Member’s application to the Chairperson and the Secretary of ICME, together with advice as to whether the member is a member of any other International Committee.
9. Membership of the Committee shall cease if the member:
– resigns from the Committee or
– is no longer a member of ICOM.
10. ICME must maintain a membership of at least 50 individual and/or institutional members.
Section 5: Rights of Members
11. Members shall have the right to participate in the activities and programme of the Committee, and to participate in all its meetings.
12. Members shall have the right to vote in meetings of the Committee, to stand for election to the Executive Board, to vote in the Board Elections and to be designated as a representative to vote at the General Assembly of ICOM and in the election of the Executive Council.
13. Other members of ICOM as well as non-members may be included in ICME’s communication network and participate at its meetings but have no voting rights.
Section 6: Management of the International Committee
14. The Committee shall be managed by an Executive Board consisting of no more than nine members**, including a Chairperson, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a webmaster and a newsletter editor, elected by the Committee’s members.
Members of the Executive Board shall be elected for a period of three years and may be re-elected only once.
15. No more than two members from any one country shall normally be elected to the Executive Board.
16. If a member of the Executive Board ceases their office for any reason during the period between the triennial plenary meetings, the position may be filled by co-option of another member of ICME until the next triennial plenary meeting is held.
17. A member of the Executive Board ceases to hold office if the member resigns from ICME or from ICOM.
18. The Executive Board shall meet at least once in each year.
19. ICME shall determine the venue and arrangements for its meetings. One of these meetings shall be part of each ICOM Triennial Conference.
20. The quorum for a meeting of the Executive Board shall be one third of the number of Board members in person.
Section 7: Role and Responsibilities of the Executive Board
22. The Executive Board is responsible for managing the affairs of ICME and for ensuring that the requirements of the Statutes of ICOM, and of these Rules, are met.
23. The Chairperson and Treasurer shall prepare each year a report on the Activities and Finances of ICME during the preceding year, which shall be transmitted to the Director-General for submission to the Executive Council and Advisory Committee of ICOM.
24. The ICME board shall communicate with members at least once a year. General information shall be distributed to members on a regular basis as a membership service, while an optional fee may be charged for non-members to receive equivalent information.
25. ICME may create working groups for specific purposes depending on the needs of a programme.
26. ICME shall inform the National ICOM Committee in the host country of a forthcoming meeting.
27. The Executive Board shall commit itself to prevent, by all reasonable means, any impediment which may be placed in the way of any member of ICME attending the meeting by the Government of the host State.
Section 8: Finances of the Committee
28. ICME is entitled to raise such funds for its operation as it considers necessary, including sponsorship, donations, grants and profits from the publications and other activities produced by ICME itself.
29. ICME is entitled to request contributions from members for specific additional services and activities. It may not impose a further annual membership subscription for ICOM members.
30. ICME will, like other International Committees, receive an annual contribution from the ICOM Executive Council provided ICME fulfill ICOM’s requirements for receiving this contribution.
31. ICME shall not enter into any contract or any legally binding agreement involving expenditure by ICOM without the approval of the Executive Council first being obtained (other than contracts and agreements that relate to its own activities and which can be paid for from its own funds). ICME shall fulfil its financial obligations and the Chairperson shall ensure that its financial accountability does not compromise ICOM.
32. All monies received by ICME shall be deposited in a separate bank account established for the purpose, and all payments made on behalf of ICME shall be made from that bank account. The Board shall inform the Treasurer of ICOM of the account name and number and the name of the bank at which the account is established. The ICME Treasurer shall be entitled to manage that bank account.
33. The Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of all monies received and expended on an annual basis, and shall present to the members of the Board a report on the finances of the Committee at each annual meeting. The Chair shall transmit a copy of the above mentioned report to the Director-General of ICOM for presentation to the Executive Council annually.
Section 9: Elections
34. Elections shall be held every third year, normally during the ICOM Triennial Conference. A call for candidates (Chairperson and board members) shall be sent to all members at least four months in advance. Members (as identified in Section 4, para. 8) are eligible to stand for election.
35. Two months before the election short biographies of candidates should be sent to all ICME members.
36. If members are not able to attend the General Meeting in person, proxy voting forms shall be sent with a list of candidates and each proxy will be vested in another ICME member who is able to attend.
37. The Chairperson shall be elected prior to the other members of the Board. The Chairperson and the other members of the Board shall be elected for three years, and their mandate can be renewed once. A member of the Board may subsequently be elected Chairperson. However, no one may remain on the Board for more than twelve consecutive years.
38. The newly elected Chairperson and the new members of the Board shall choose among themselves specific functions such as Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor and Webmaster.
39. The Chairperson or Board members of ICME may not serve in another elected or appointed position in ICOM unless authorized by the Executive Council.
Section 10: Meetings of the Committee
40. ICME shall hold such meetings as it considers necessary for the attainment of its objectives and the carrying out of its programme, and shall meet each year if possible, and always in conjunction with the General Conference of ICOM. The dates and place of annual meetings shall normally be communicated at least six months in advance. The agenda of the triennial plenary meeting held in conjunction with the General Assembly of ICOM shall include the following items:
– a report on the work of the Committee during the preceding triennium,
– a report on the finances of the Committee for the preceding triennium,
– a review of the draft triennial programme of ICOM, and adoption of the work programme of the Committee for the forthcoming triennium,
– adoption of the budget for the following triennium,
– election of the Board.
41. The quorum of the triennial plenary meeting in all matters other than elections shall be normally 10% of the membership of ICME either present in person or by proxy.
42. Each member shall be entitled to represent by proxy a maximum of one other voting member. An institutional member may designate another member of the same institution who is a member of ICME to vote on their behalf.
43. ICME may establish working groups which should include a member of ICME, who shall be responsible for the working group activities and shall report back to the Board.
44. The Chairperson of ICME shall arrange the date, place and subject of the ICME meetings, in consultation with the Board.
Section 11: Amendments to the Rules
45. The present Rules of ICME, adopted 10.11.2010., may be amended at any subsequent annual plenary meeting of ICME.
46. Any suggested amendment to the Rules must be proposed and seconded by members of ICME. The text of any proposed amendment, together with any explanatory material, shall be sent to the members of ICME at least one month prior to the plenary meeting at which they are to be considered.
The present Rules have been adopted by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast by the members present at a General Meeting of ICME.
Section 12: Webpage
47. ICME’s webpage should be regularly maintained to provide a good information service for ICME’s membership and the interested public.
Section 13: Dissolution
48. In the event of dissolution being declared either by a majority of the members attending the annual meeting of ICME or by the ICOM Executive Council (in accordance with the Statutes, Article 17, paragraph 12.), the latter shall appoint liquidators. Any remaining assets should be transferred to ICOM’s General Secretariat.
*Based on ICME Rules -1977 and Rules for ICOM International Committees, 1992
** Under review 2014-16. Rewording ‘at least five’ to replace ‘no more than nine’ proposed by Board to membership in 2015 for final vote at annual meeting in Milan 2016.