INFORMATION PAPER

IABIN COUNCIL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TERMS OF OFFICE

Background

In the IABIN Rules of Procedure, adopted at the First IABIN Council Meeting (December 1999), an IABIN Executive Committee was established to guide the operations of IABIN and to execute the policy decisions of the Council.  Article II, Section D-2, of the Rules states that, “Members of the Executive Committee shall have three-year terms, staggered on a rotational basis with some members changing each year.”  Article II, Section D-3, states that, “nominees [for the Executive Committee] shall be vote upon at the annual IABIN Council meeting.” 

In fulfillment of those Rules, in December, 1999, the IABIN Council elected an Executive Committee consisting of three representative to hold 3-year terms, three to hold 2-year terms, and three to hold 1 year terms, thus establishing a staggered membership.  The following were elected at the First Council Meeting: 

Problem Statement

According to the Rules of Procedure, three new Executive Committee members should have been elected at a Second IABIN Council Meeting held at the end of  2000.  However, because of a lack of funding, no IABIN Council Meeting has been held until now (January 2002).  Therefore, the Executive Committee elected in December 1999 has continued in office to the present.

Alternatives for Executive Committee Membership Beginning January 2002

1. The IABIN Council may choose to follow the letter of the adopted Rules of Procedure.  In that case, six members must be selected now, three to serve the term of office Jan 2001-Dec 2003 and three to serve the term of office Jan 2002-Dec 2004.  One of these 6 new members must be an IGO/NGO representative.
2. The IABIN Council may choose to consider that period Dec 1999-Dec 2001 as a single year for the purposes of Executive Committee membership.  In that case, three members must be selected now to serve the term of office Jan 2002-Dec 2004 (one of these must be an IGO/NGO representative).  The members elected in December 1999 to a 3-year term will serve through December 2003, and those elected to a 2-year term will serve through December 2002.
3. The IABIN Council may choose to change the Rules of Procedure to have the terms of office of the Executive Committee members be three regular IABIN Council meetings (expected to be held annually), rather than three calendar years.  In that case, three members must be selected now to serve through the 5^th IABIN Council Meeting (one of these must be an IGO/NGO representative).  The members elected in December 1999 to a 3-year term will serve through the 4^th IABIN Council Meeting and the members elected to a 2-year term will serve through the 3^rd IABIN Council Meeting.
4. The IABIN Council may choose some other alternative suggested by IABIN Council members.  The floor will be open at the 2^nd Council Meeting for additional alternatives.

Decision

In accordance with the Rules of Procedure (Article II, SectionD-3), the Chair of the Council will appoint an ad hoc nominations committee, consisting of at least three members, to suggest the required number of nominees to fulfill the Executive Committee, according to the decision of the Council among the above alternatives.