By-Law 1; Time and place of meetings

By-Law 1.1
The frequency of ordinary sessions of ICUMSA shall be between two and four years, unless for special reasons the Commission shall decide otherwise. The time and place of the next session of ICUMSA shall be provisionally decided by the Executive Committee at its meeting during the session of ICUMSA, but they shall be definitely fixed by the Officers after consultation with the Executive Committee. In the event that it should be necessary in the interim between sessions to change the date and place of the next regular session, the Officers are authorised to make such change after consultation by correspondence with the Executive Committee.

By-Law 1.2
Meetings of the Executive Committee shall in general be held during the meetings of ICUMSA. When necessary, additional meetings shall be called by the Officers with the approval of the majority of the Executive Committee.

By-Law 1.3
A notice of every Session of ICUMSA shall be sent to the National Committees. This notice shall be accompanied by the provisional programme of the Session and it shall be sent at least three months in advance.

By-Law 1.4
Questions not mentioned in the programme may be freely discussed at a meeting, but no international decisions shall be taken respecting them.

By-Law 1.5
Each National Committee shall furnish to the General Secretary the names of the voting delegates, and of all others, in so far as they may be able, who will attend the meeting.

By-Law 1.6
Extraordinary plenary sessions of ICUMSA may be called only in urgent circumstances, and with the approval of the Executive Committee, voting by correspondence. The dates and places of such sessions shall be determined by the Officers with the approval of the Executive Committee.

By-Law 1.7
The President of ICUMSA, or three National Committees, may instruct the General Secretary to call a meeting of the Executive Committee, or secure by letter ballot the opinion of the members of the Executive Committee on any question relating to the affairs of ICUMSA.

 

By-Law 2; Programme of sessions

By-Law 2.1 (Further to Article 9)
At each session of ICUMSA an Executive Committee meeting shall be held to discuss:

The Treasurer's report on finances

The provisional determination of the date and place of the next session

The election of the President, General Secretary and Treasurer

The appointment of the Nominations and Credentials Committee, and Publications Committee

The Nominations and Credentials Committee's duty is to recommend to the Executive Committee the names of people it would propose be appointed to the various official positions and to determine each country's official representatives and the number of votes they exercise.

The Publications Committee's duty is to manage the production of the Proceedings of the Session and any other publications approved by the Executive Committee.

 

By-Law 3; Voting

By-Law 3.1
At any plenary session of ICUMSA, the President or his deputy presiding in accordance with Article 8.2 may put Recommendations or resolutions for approval by the entire body present and, providing there are no dissenting votes, the Recommendation or resolution shall be adopted by acclamation.

By-Law 3.2
Except as provided in By-Laws clause III § 1, the adoption of Recommendations or resolutions either in plenary session or by postal ballot shall be determined solely by the votes allocated to the National Committees in accordance with Article 6.7. A majority of two-thirds of votes cast is required.

By-Law 3.3
At each session, the individual National Committees shall delegate one or more representatives with authority to cast the votes to which the National Committee is entitled. This authority shall be valid until the end of the session and during this period these representatives shall be members of the Executive Committee as provided in Article 7.2. At the close of each session, the authority to cast their voting entitlement shall revert to the individual National Committees.

By-Law 3.4
The Nominations and Credentials Committee will record the names of delegates entitled to represent each country at the session and the number of votes they command. A delegate must command a whole number of votes.

By-Law 3.5
During plenary sessions, voting on any Recommendation or resolution which has not been put to the entire body present or which has not been adopted by acclamation shall be conducted in meetings of the Executive Committee.

By-Law 3.6
Apart from the representatives of the National Committees, the members of the Executive Committee shall have no additional votes in consideration of their function but, if properly authorised by a National Committee, any member may act and vote as a representative of that National Committee.

By-Law 3.7
A plenary session, to be effective, shall require the delegates of at least five National Committees, having the right to vote, to be present.

By-Law 3.8
Recommendations or resolutions which require decisions by postal ballot during the interval between plenary sessions shall be submitted to the Officers for approval and then circulated by the General Secretary to all the National Committees. Each National Committee shall be responsible for casting their own voting entitlement and for returning the outcome of the ballot to the General Secretary.

By-Law 3.9
Decisions on matters other than special resolutions and other than the adoption of Official Recommendations shall be by simple majority.

By-Law 3.10
Except as provided by By-Laws clause III § 1 and § 9, no resolution or Recommendation shall be adopted unless the number of votes in favour is at least half of the sum of the voting entitlements of all of the National Committees as determined under Article 6.7.

By-Law 3.11
The majority requirements, as given in By-Laws clause III paras. 9, 10 and 11 shall be the same whether the vote is taken at a plenary session or by postal ballot.

 

By-Law 4; Committees

By-Law 4.1
The term of office of each member of all Committees appointed by the President or by vote of the Executive Committee shall continue until the Committee is discharged or until a member is notified of the appointment of a successor.

By-Law 4.2
Each general subject of importance to come before ICUMSA shall, when deemed advisable, be placed in the hands of a Technical Committee consisting of a Referee and Associate Referees appointed by the President.

By-Law 4.3
Any Recommendation adopted by such a Committee shall be submitted to the President who shall submit it to the Executive Committee for its consideration.

By-Law 4.4
The President acting under the general guidance of the Executive Committee may make such arrangements as appear best for the programme of the work of the Commission between the plenary sessions.

 

By-Law 5; Publications

By-Law 5
The official reports of the meetings and Official Recommendations of the Commission shall be published in English. Any National Committee may translate and publish the reports in its own language.

 

By-Law 6; Amendments to the Articles and By-laws

By-Law 6.1
Proposals for amendments or additions to the Articles and By-Laws may be proposed by any National Committee, or by a member of the Executive Committee and submitted to the Executive Committee for approval.

By-Law 6.2
Any such Recommendation intended for consideration at the next plenary session shall be deemed a special resolution and must be received by the General Secretary at least four months before the meeting in order that due notice may be given to all the National Committees.

By-Law 6.3
In the event that a postal ballot is to be taken on the Recommendation, approximately four months notice will be required in order that the Recommendation may be put to all the National Committees by the General Secretary in accordance with By-Laws clause III § 8.

 

By-Law 7; Collaborative Studies

By-Law 7
The validation of analytical methods should be done by collaborative studies according to an internationally recommended protocol, where possible. Other protocols such as Single Laboratory Validation of Methods of Analysis may be used when the study uses, for example, labile samples. Such protocols will be agreed by the plenary Session before being used in collaborative studies. (Proc. 27th Session, p. 128)

 

By-Law 8; Affiliates of ICUMSA

By-Law 8.1
Any person involved in the field of sugar analysis and residing in a country without a National Committee may apply to become an Affiliate of ICUMSA. Such applications shall be made to the General Secretary and shall be approved by the Executive Committee (usually by correspondence). A National Committee shall be formed on the application of a second individual from the same country at which time the normal rights and duties of full ICUMSA Members will be assigned to the Committee.

By-Law 8.2
Affiliates will pay a subscription to ICUMSA based on 50% of the subscription rate paid by a National Committee with only one vote.  Subscriptions will be invoiced by the Treasurer on acceptance of the Affiliate and on a pro-rata basis for payments due part way through a particular Session.

Affiliates are expected to contribute to the work of ICUMSA (usually as Associate Referees).  They shall be permitted to attend ICUMSA Sessions and have access to the Members’ section of the ICUMSA website.

Affiliates shall not be permitted to attend Executive Committee meetings, be elected as an Officer of ICUMSA or vote at ICUMSA Sessions.