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International Pediatrics Association

Mission & Objectives of International Pediatric Association

IPA Vision

Every child will be accorded the right to the highest attainable standard of health, and the opportunity to grow, develop and fulfill to his or her human potential.

IPA Mission

Pediatricians, working with other partners, will be leaders in promoting physical, mental, and social health for all children, and in realizing the highest standards of health for newborns, children, and adolescents in all countries of the world.

IPA Values

Excellence of knowledge and expertise in child health: Pediatricians will be leaders in defining and creating a sound body of scientific and practical knowledge concerning child health.

Evidence-based action: Pediatricians will incorporate best practices validated by evidenced-based studies into all their professional activities.

Prevention as well as treatment: Pediatricians will emphasize prevention of disease and ill health, as well as care for an illness which has not been prevented.

Service: Pediatricians will deliver the best possible preventative and curative services for children, and will strive for the necessary facilities to provide these services.

Education: Pediatricians will design and implement education and training programs for pediatricians and other child health personnel, basing these programs on the needs of their populations and the best evidence-based information.

Partnership: Pediatricians will seek out and work with other partners in maternal and child health, including their government ministries of health, United Nations agencies at country and global levels, and donors.

Advocacy: Pediatricians will promote health for all children from birth through adolescence, and will advocate for the right of every newborn, child, and adolescent to health and well being.

Collegiality: Pediatricians will be global citizens, collaborating locally and internationally with their colleagues in pediatrics and child health.

IPA History

The International Pediatric Association (IPA) was formed in Paris in 1910 by a group of European pediatricians who assembled for the First International Congress of Pediatrics in 1912. Over the years, the IPA has evolved into a non-governmental organization with a membership of 145 National Pediatric Societies from 140 countries, 10 Regional Pediatric  Societies representing all areas of the world, and 13 International Pediatric Specialty Societies including the International Pediatric Chairs Association and the World Federation of Associations of Pediatric Surgeons. The IPA, currently a volunteer-staffed organization, is incorporated in Switzerland and is governed by a Council of Delegates comprised of one representative from each Member Society, an elected Standing Committee, an Executive Committee of the Standing Committee, and its Officers.

The original purpose of the IPA was to foster relationships among the pediatricians of the world, thus promoting education and sharing of information about child health. With the exception of periods of the two World Wars of the 20th Century, the IPA has held International Congresses of Pediatrics every three years. The 23d Congress was in Beijing, China, in 2001, the 24th International Congress in Cancun, Mexico, in August  2004, the 25th Congress will be in Athens, Greece, in August 2007, and the 26th Congress in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August 2010. Over the years, the IPA has conducted workshops and seminars addressing key child health issues, often in collaboration with WHO and UNICEF. The IPA is now working to mobilize its extensive network of pediatricians for advocacy and programs in child health, working whenever possible with UN agencies and with other global organizations. Key programs and interest areas include Better Medicines for Children, Child Health in Sub-Saharan Africa, Childhood Tuberculosis, Children’s Environmental Health, Child Health in Humanitarian Emergency, Universal Immunization, Newborn Survival and Health, Child Survival and Health, Nutrition, Adolescent Health, HIV/AIDS, and Quality of Care and evidence-based medicine. The IPA has been a member of the Boards of GAVI and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, and the Executive Committee of the Global Alliance for prevention of Obesity and Chronic Disease, and the Steering Committee of the Partnership for Maternal Newborn and Child Health. We are pleased to provide consultation and assistance in all areas of child health in all countries.

Constitution Of The International Pediatric Association (IPA)

Adopted by the Council of Delegates on October 8, 1974, and amended on September 9, 1980, November 8, 1983, September 6 and 9, 1992, September 12 and 14, 1995, August 11, 1998, and August 18, 2004.

Article 1 Name

1.1. The name of the Association shall be ‘The International Pediatric Association’ (IPA).

Article 2 Objectives

2.1. The objective of the IPA shall be to promote the highest attainable standards of child health throughout the world through the establishment of a professional organization representing pediatricians of all countries.
2.1.1. To achieve this objective, IPA will:

  • promote friendship and collaboration of the world’s pediatricians in order to improve the health and well being, the protection, and the support of every child from birth through adolescence;
  • undertake programmatic actions which address major global child health issues;
  • promote education on child health issues through support of an international congress, regional forums, and other activities;
  •  encourage training and research in all aspects of pediatrics;
  • advocate for the universal rights of children;
  • collaborate and cooperate with national, regional and international bodies with similar interests in promoting the health and rights of children.

Article 3 Membership

3.1. Membership shall include:

  1. National Pediatric Societies representing a whole nation, with each nation having only one vote;
  2. Regional Pediatric Societies defined as multinational pediatric societies established on the basis of geography, according to guidelines determined by the governance of the IPA and approved by the Council of Delegates (CD), with each recognized IPA geographic region having only one vote and
  3. International Societies of Pediatric Medical and Surgical Specialists and other societies defined by criteria developed by the governance of the IPA and approved by the CD. Each Member Society shall be represented by a Delegate who will serve on the CD, subject to the above.

3.2. Applications for the status of Member Societies shall be submitted to the Executive Director in a timely fashion so that they may be presented to the CD of the IPA at least 6 months in advance of the next meeting of the CD, and be voted on at that meeting.

3.3. Member Societies shall pay dues according to the guidelines established by the governance of the IPA, and approved by the CD.

3.4. The Secretary of each Member Society shall furnish the Executive Director of the IPA with a list of the officers and the number of members of his/her respective society immediately following each election.

Article 4 Governing Bodies

4.1. Council of Delegates (CD): The control of the policies of the IPA shall be vested in a CD, consisting of one delegate from each Member Society.

4.2. Each Member Society shall have a process for designation of a delegate to the IPA CD which conforms to IPA principles of representative and democratic governance. The officially designated delegate from each Member Society will duly represent that Society in all discussions and votes. Each Member Society shall communicate the name of its official voting delegate to the IPA Executive Director and Administrative Office at least 2 months prior to any CD meeting, and each country with more than one National Society shall communicate the name of the one voting delegate from that nation.

4.3. When a country has no Member Society, it may be permitted to send an official non-voting delegate to the CD upon the approval of the Executive Committee (EC) and Standing Committee (SC). This delegate may take part in discussions of the CD but may not vote.

4.4. Members of the EC and members of the SC shall serve as non-voting members of the CD.

4.5. The President of the IPA shall preside over all meetings of the CD.

4.6. The CD shall meet at the time of each International Congress.

4.7. The functions of the CD shall be:

  • to review the policies and strategic plans of the IPA and provide input regarding such matters to the SC and EC.
  • to elect the President-Elect;
  • to receive, review, and approve new IPA membership applications for National, Regional and International Pediatric Medical and Surgical Specialty Societies;
  • to approve the joint report of the President and the Executive Director;
  • to receive, review, and approve the financial report and audit covering the period since the previous International Congress;
  •  to elect the members of the IPA Standing Committee from the slate of candidates generated by the process defined in Section 4.9 below;
  • to determine the location of the future International Congress;
  • to elect the President of the next International Congress based on the recommendation of the hosting national pediatric society;
  • to deal with any matter properly brought before the CD by a member National, Regional, or International Specialty Society, the Standing Committee, or the Executive Committee.

4.8. The Standing Committee (SC): The SC of the IPA shall consist of 19 members in addition to the IPA Officers. These shall include the President plus one duly-elected representative from each of the seven defined geographic regions which represent Member National Pediatric Societies (total = 14), and five duly-elected representatives of the Member International Pediatric Specialty Societies (total = 5). The seven geographic regions noted above are defined as:

  1.  USA and Canada;
  2. Latin America (including Mexico);
  3. Sub-Saharan Africa;
  4. Middle East and North Africa.
  5. Central Asia.
  6.  Europe
  7. Asia-Pacific. It should be noted that, for procedural matters, each Member National Society must declare itself as a member of one of the above-defined regions.

4.8.1. In addition, the SC may invite representatives of other pediatric organizations as non-voting members of the SC. These shall include representatives of the World Federation of Pediatric Surgeons and the International Pediatric Chairs Association if representatives of these Member International Pediatric Specialty Societies are not elected to the SC.

4.9. Mechanism of the election of members to the Standing Committee: each of the seven IPA geographic regions will be represented on the SC by its President, and in addition will present a list of at least two candidates proposed by Member National Pediatric Societies of that region with due consideration of rotation of areas within the region. Each of the Member International Pediatric Medical and Surgical Specialty Societies will present one duly elected candidate. At least six months prior to the International Congress, curricula vitae of all candidates will be sent to the Administrative Office. At the time of the International Congress, the CD will endorse the regional Presidents as members of the SC and elect one additional representative from each of the seven geographic regions, voting on the candidates presented by each region, and five members from the list of candidates presented by Member International Pediatric Medical and Surgical Specialty Societies.

4.10. Transitional Procedure: Elections in 2004 for committees and officers will take place under the terms of the current constitution. The new election process will be enacted for the 2007 Congress if ratified at the 2004 Congress. The policies of the new constitution will be in effect upon ratification.

4.11. No elected individual can serve as a regular member of the SC for more than two successive 3-year terms. This does not include persons nominated for future elections as Officers.

4.12. Members of the EC shall be voting members of the Standing Committee.

4.13. The functions of the Standing Committee shall be:

  •  to develop the programs and strategic plan of the IPA and to make decisions on behalf of the CD between its regularly scheduled meetings in case of necessity;
  • to establish policies in accordance with the objectives of IPA, subject to ratification by the CD at its following meeting;
  •  to appoint advisors and advisory committees;
  •  to approve of the IPA budgets and operations on the recommendation of the President, Treasurer, and the Executive Director;
  • to elect an Executive Director, Coordinator of Development, and Treasurer from a list of candidates nominated by the EC;
  • to elect two members of the EC from the newly constituted SC who shall serve on both SC and EC to maximize integration and coordination;

4.14. The Executive Committee (EC): The EC shall consist of the President of the IPA, the President-Elect, the Executive Director, the Coordinator of Development, the Treasurer, the President of the forthcoming International Congress, and 2 members of the SC in accordance with the provision of Article 4.13 (vi). Candidates for the Executive Director, Coordinator of Development, and Treasurer will be nominated by the EC and elected by the SC. In addition, a representative of the Professional Congress Organizer (PCO) contracted by the IPA may attend EC meetings as a staff member and consultant.

4.15. The functions of the EC shall be:

  •  to carry out the programs and policies of the IPA including those developed and/or delegated by the SC;
  • to nominate and present to the SC a list of candidates for the offices of Executive Director, Treasurer, and Coordinator of Development,
  • to assist the President of the forthcoming international congress with its preparation;
  • to recommend the budget of the IPA to the SC for approval;
  • to refer applications from prospective new Member Societies to the CD;
  • to exercise such authority as may be delegated by the CD or the SC.

Article 5 Officers

5.1. The Officers of IPA shall be the President and the President-Elect. Both Officers must be Pediatricians in good standing with their National Member Societies, and their National Societies must be in good standing with the IPA.

5.2. The President of the IPA shall preside at the meetings of the CD, SC, and EC and may convene emergency meetings of the EC or SC as indicated.

5.3. Following a three-year term, the President shall continue in a non-voting advisory capacity to the SC and EC for one three-year term.

5.4. The President-Elect, after one three-year term, shall take office as the President for one three-year term.

5.5. In the event of the President’s temporary or permanent incapacity, the President-Elect shall serve as Acting President for the remaining duration of the period of incapacity. This time shall not be counted in the three-year tenure period as the President.

5.6. The EC shall nominate candidates as Executive Director, Coordinator of Development, and Treasurer who, following election by the SC, shall be the executives of the IPA. These executives will be in charge of technical, administrative and financial affairs of the IPA in consultation with the EC and SC.

5.7. The appointment of the Coordinator of Development and Treasurer shall be for terms of three-years, renewable for one period of three-years at the discretion of the EC and SC.

5.7.1 The appointment of the Executive Director shall be for one term of three years, renewable at the discretion of the EC and SC.

5.8. The Executive Director, along with the President, shall be responsible to the CD and to the SC for carrying out their policies and decisions.

5.9. The EC and the SC may delegate such authority to the Executive Director as may be needed for efficient functioning of the IPA.

5.10. The IPA Treasurer shall receive a half-yearly statement of accounts from the IPA Administrative Office which will be analyzed and then recommended, or not, for approval to the EC and SC. These financial statements of accounts must be validated by external audit prior to the Treasurer’s evaluation.

5.11. The Treasurer will preside over a Finance and Development Committee that consists of the IPA President, the Executive Director, the Coordinator of Development, other members from the EC and SC and external consultants whenever found necessary.

Article 6 Site of the Administrative Office

6.1. The EC shall decide where the Administrative office and staff of the IPA is to be located following consultation with the SC.

Article 7 International Congress

7.1. The Council of Delegates (CD) shall determine the location of the International Congress. The location should be consistent with the overall philosophy of the IPA regarding global rotation of Congress sites. The dates of the International Congress shall determine by the President of the Congress after consultation with the President of the IPA, the IPA Professional Congress Organizer (PCO), and the IPA EC and SC.

7.2. The President of the Congress shall be from the host country and shall be nominated by the host National Pediatric Society (NPS) and be elected by the CD in accordance with Article 4.7.

7.3. If there should be an irreconcilable division between the Congress President and the host NPS, it shall be open to the NPS to ask the SC to consider replacing the Congress President with another person. This individual shall be proposed by the NPS up to the time of the interim meeting of the SC between Congresses, provided it is not less than one and a half years before the next Congress.

7.4. All aspects of each Congress will be coordinated by the IPA, the IPA PCO and the President of the Congress, with all details dictated by the specific contractual arrangements developed. The ultimate responsibility for the Congress and its organization resides with the IPA.

Article 8 Amendments

8.1. Any proposal to amend the Constitution or Schedules shall be sent to the Executive Director in a timely fashion to permit the Executive Director to send this to the CD not later than six months prior to the next meeting and shall appear on the agenda in the form of a motion by a Member Society or by the SC.

8.2. At the meeting of the CD, a proposed amendment may be accepted without change or may be further amended by the proposal of the delegates by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Member Societies present at the meeting.

First Schedule (Article 5.3.)

A. Presidency:

A.1. Nominations for candidates for President-Elect must be made by at least three National Member Societies in good standing and approved by the individuals’ own National Pediatric Society. Proposals must be received by the Executive Director at least six months before the next scheduled meeting of the CD.

A.2. In the election of the President-Elect of the IPA, there must be a rotation of geographic representation. Therefore, for any Presidential candidate to be eligible for election, he/she must represent a region from which there has been no President-Elect for the two preceding three-year terms.

Second Schedule.

B. Dues:

B.1. Dues for Member Societies shall be established by guidelines developed by the EC and SC and approved by the CD.

B.2. If under exceptional circumstances a Member Society has difficulties with the transfer of dues to the IPA, they may be deposited in a bank in their respective country in the local currency and be placed at the disposal of the Executive Director of the IPA.

Third Schedule.

C. Termination of Rights:

C.1. Non-payment of dues by a Member Society for three years shall automatically suspend voting rights until a final decision of the CD is taken at its next meeting.

C.2. Membership may be terminated by the decision of the CD for documented violation of IPA principles. Such decisions must be documented in writing.

Fourth Schedule (Article 4)

D. Meetings:

D.1. The EC and SC shall hold meetings at the site and time of the International Congress, and other annual meetings shall be held at other sites as decided upon by the EC and SC.

D.2. In addition to the annual meetings, special meetings of the EC and SC may be called at the discretion of the President and the EC of the IPA.

D.3. The presence of a majority of EC and SC Members shall comprise a quorum for each of the meetings. In case a quorum is not possible due to an unforeseen emergency, the meeting may be adjourned and reconvened. Discussions can proceed but no binding decisions can be made.

D.4. Ordinarily, meetings of EC and SC must be convened and provisional agenda sent to Members at least one month in advance.

D.5. The CD shall meet at the time of each International Congress.

D.6. Reports of the President and the Executive Director and the recommendations of the EC and of the SC shall be presented to each Delegate at least one month prior to the meeting of the CD.

D.7. The presence of the delegates of more than half of the Member Societies at a session of the CD shall comprise a quorum.

D.8. Sites of the succeeding International Congresses must be proposed by representatives of National Member Societies and must be endorsed by the government of the respective country. Under normal circumstances, there will be a regular rotation of geographic sites of International congresses. To be eligible for hosting a congress, a country must be from a region in which no Congress has been held during the two preceding three-year periods.

D.9. Proposals for Congresses must reach the Executive Director at least six months before the upcoming meeting of the Council and circulated to the CD.

Fifth Schedule

E. Languages:

E.1. The official languages of IPA shall be English, Spanish and French.

E.2. Contributions may be made and published in any of these languages.

E.3. The International Congress shall use these languages and the language of the host country as far as means and facilities will allow.

E.4. Provisions shall be made for simultaneous translations during meetings of the CD.

Sixth Schedule

F. Voting:

F.1. A simple majority of Members present and voting at meetings of the EC and the SC shall be valid as long as a quorum is present. Proxy voting shall not be allowed. In special circumstances, postal voting (including paper copies of emails and faxes) may be utilized.

F.2. A simple majority of the Member Societies present and voting at the meetings of the CD shall be valid so long as a quorum is present.

F.3. A two-thirds majority of Member Societies present and voting at meetings of the CD shall be required for changing the Constitution so long as a quorum is present.

F.4. In the event that the vote is tied, the President shall cast the deciding vote.

Seventh Schedule

G.1. The reports of the President and Executive Director of the IPA, the list of candidates for the President-Elect of the IPA and the SC of the IPA, the curricula vitae of all candidates, and the proposed sites for the next International Congress shall be sent to each Member Society at least one month before the next scheduled meeting of the CD.

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