This constitution has been adopted by the General Assembly in Prague, September
4, 1992.
The French version is the only official one.
This text supersedes the constitution voted in San Francisco, August 21, 1975,
as well as the modifications introduced in Puerto de la Cruz, July 28, 1977.
The first constitution of the ICHS was adopted in 1926 and amended in 1933,
1950, 1957 and 1960.
Art. 1.
Purpose of the Committee
¡ª The International Committee of Historical Sciences (ICHS), organized in Geneva
on May 14, 1926, in accordance with a resolution of the 5th Congress of
Historical Sciences meeting in Brussels on April 15, 1923, is a non-governmental
organization established as an association within the meaning of articles 60 and
following of the Civil Code of Switzerland, created in order to promote the
historical sciences through international co-operation. In particular it
organizes every five years, in collaboration with the National Committee of the
historians of the host country, an International Congress of Historical
Sciences. It sets the date of the congress and determines its programme. It may
handle, patronize or support financially the publication of reference works of
general interest and the organization of scientific symposia or of other events
encouraging the spread of historical thought and knowledge. It may entrust such
tasks to its members or to Internal Commissions created for the purpose. It
shall defend freedom of thought and expression in the field of historical
research and ensure the respect of professional ethical standards among its
members.
Art.2. Composition of the Committee ¡ª
The Committee shall be composed of:
a) National Committees that are representative of the institutions of
historical research in each member country;
b) International Affiliated Organizations which are devoted to research and to
scholarly publication in particular areas of historical study.
The Committee may set up Internal Commissions and assign to them the execution
of scholarly projects or the organization of specific scholarly gatherings. It
may also admit in quality of Internal Commission, for a period not exceeding ten
years and in view of a future admission as an Affiliated International
Organization, new international associations which pursue, in their field, the
same objectives as an Affiliated International Organization.
Admission to the International Committee of Historical Sciences within either
category shall be decided by the General Assembly, upon proposal of the Board,
in accordance with the procedures indicated in article 4 below. Requests for
membership must be received by the Board six months before the date of its
annual meeting.
Art.3.
Meetings of the Committee¡ª
The Committee shall hold a General Assembly at least every three years. Each
Congress shall be immediately preceded and followed by a General Assembly. The
Board at its discretion may in given circumstances summon an extraordinary
General Assembly.
Art. 4.
Voting in the Committee ¡ª
Each National Committee and each International Affiliated Organization shall be
represented at General Assemblies of the ICHS by a delegate¡ªwho may be
accompanied by a substitute¡ªand is allowed one vote. National Committees and
International Affiliated Organizations have equal standing in all votes. A
quorum of the Assembly shall consist of the delegates¡ªor their substitutes¡ªfrom
a least one third of the members of the ICHS.
Votes on the admission of new members, on the exclusion of members of the ICHS,
and on constitutional amendments shall require a two-thirds majority. Any other
matter before the General Assembly shall require only a simple majority vote.
Except in the three cases specified in the preceding paragraph, at the request
of the Board a vote may, in urgent matters, take place outside of the meeting of
a General Assembly, that is, by correspondence. In this case the president of
each National Committee and of each International Affiliated Organization shall
vote in the name of his body. In case of disability, any other duly authorized
officer may act in his place. Only a simple majority of the votes shall be
required to pass a measure.
Art. 5. The Board of the Committee ¡ª
The Board of the Committee shall consist of a president, a first vice-president,
a second vice-president, six assessor members, a secretary-general and a
treasurer.
The election of the Board shall be prepared by a Nominating Committee of seven
members, three of them belonging to the Board. Membership of the Committee is
proposed by the Board at the first meeting of the General Assembly convened
between Congresses. Other candidates may be presented at the second meeting by
the delegates of the National Committees or of the International Affiliated
Organizations. The General Assembly will then proceed with the election of the
Nominating Committee. If this procedure cannot be followed, the election will
take place by correspondence as established in paragraph 3 of article 4 of the
present constitution. Candidates for election to the Board may be proposed by
National Committees, International Affiliated Organizations and the Board during
the twelve months following the constitution of the Nominating Committee which
shall present its proposals at the first of the two General Assemblies which
take place at each quinquennial Congress. Counter-proposals may be submitted to
the Board between the first and the second Assembly. To be admissible, a
counter-proposal has to be signed by the representatives of five National
Committees of International Affiliated Organizations. The Board shall be elected
at the second of the two General Assemblies held at the quinquennial Congress.
It shall assume office at the end of that same Congress and serve until the end
of the following Congress. Members of the Board may be re-elected but the
President and three other members of the Board must be replaced at each general
election. Persons who have reached the age of seventy are not eligible or
re-eligible. Should a vacancy occur within the Board during its term of office,
the Board shall propose a substitute and organize a by-election at the next
General Assembly or by way of correspondence. In the latter case, the procedure
provided in paragraph 3 of article 4 shall be applied. However, in case the
President should be unable to serve his term to the end, the first
Vice-President shall become President and shall complete the term. In case the
latter in turn should be disabled, he shall be replaced in the same way by the
second Vice-President.
Past Presidents of the ICHS shall also be members of the Board, as Counsellors-Members
without vote, for a period of ten years after their presidential office without
consideration of age. Following the end of the ten-year period, Past Presidents
shall be deemed Honorary Counsellors.
The Board shall be responsible for the functioning and co-ordination of ICHS
activities. It shall prepare the agenda of General Assemblies and distribute it
to participants two months in advance. It shall be empowered between meetings to
take necessary steps to summon, in case of emergency, extraordinary Assemblies
and if needed, to solicit votes by correspondence from National Committees and
International Affiliated Organizations.
The Board shall supervise management of the Committee's finances. It shall
submit to the General Assembly the Treasurer's report, the accounts for the term
since the previous General Assembly and the budget proposal for the coming year.
The Board itself is responsible for budgets in other years.
The Board, represented by the President or his proxy, shall have the right to go
law on behalf of the Committee. It may accept legacies and gifts and may, in
conformity with the constitution, fulfil all necessary legal formalities.
Art.6.
Dues and contributions ¡ª
Every National Committee or International Affiliated Organization shall pay
annual dues determined by the General Assembly. The amount shall be the same for
all National Committees. It shall also be the same for all International
Affiliated Organizations but lower than that paid by the National Committees. By
way of exception the Board may concede duly motivated derogations to these
rules. Proceeds of the dues shall be assigned in the first place to the internal
administration of the ICHS, and subsequently to its scholarly activities. These,
however, shall be the first to benefit from extraordinary contributions,
subventions, gifts and legacies.
Art.7.
Withdrawals and exclusions ¡ª
Every National Committee or International Affiliated Organization that has not
paid its dues for three years shall lose its right to vote. After five years,
that National Committee or International Affiliated Organization shall be deemed
to have withdrawn
de facto.
In addition, any National Committee or International Affiliated Organization
which shall have seriously violated the principles of international cooperation
contrary to articles 1 and 2 of the constitution shall be liable to exclusion by
the ICHS following the procedure provided in article 4, paragraph 2 above.
Art. 8.
Domicile of the Committee ¡ª
The domicile of the Committee shall be the Swiss city where the funds of the ICHS are deposited.
Art.9.
Amendment of the Constitution ¡ª
Amendments to the constitution may be proposed by the Board or by the delegates
of three different National Committees or International Affiliated
Organizations. Notice of proposed amendments must be made, to National
Committees and International Affiliated Organizations two months before a
General Assembly for inclusion on the agenda. A two-thirds majority of those
voting shall be required for their adoption.
Any disagreement concerning the constitution shall be resolved by a competent
judge with jurisdiction in the Committee's domicile.
Art. 10.
By-laws ¡ª
All questions concerning the functioning of the ICHS not dealt with by the
present constitution may be regulated by by-laws which shall be proposed to the
General Assembly by the Board and adopted in the Assembly by simple majority.
Art. 11.
Dissolution of the Committee ¡ª
The Committee shall be dissolved if the number of members falls below five. In
such a case the Committee shall name three liquidators of different
nationalities, and its assets shall be distributed to scholarly institutions
that it shall have designated.
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