OMED Organisation mondiale d’endoscopie digestive
STATUTES

Article 1
Name

Organisation Mondiale d’Endoscopie Digestive - World Organization of Digestive Endoscopy (OMED) - is a Federation of National Societies of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy embracing three Zones, Asian-Pacific, European and Inter-American.

The Headquarters and the administrative office is to be normally located at the domicile of the Secretary-General. The President, the Secretary-General and the Treasurer should reside in reasonably close proximity to each other for optimal mode of communication.

1. Worldwide promotion of the study and advancement of gastrointestinal endoscopy.
2. Support for activities associated with promotion of gastrointestinal endoscopy.
3. Establish standards of practice and training in endoscopy.
4. Support and co-ordinate measures to be undertaken by national societies to achieve and maintain optimal practice of endoscopy and stimulate progress in endoscopy research.
5. Promote the education and training of younger physicians and surgeons in g.i. endoscopy through exchanges among national societies and fellowships.
6. Promote the standardization of endoscopic terminology and databases.
7. Consult with Industry on research and development.
8. Be responsible for the arrangement, in conjunction with OMGE and other International Societies, of the World Congresses of Digestive Diseases and provide guidance and advice to the local Society for the organization of the World Congress of Digestive Endoscopy and related scientific and educational initiatives.
9. Solicit and receive donations, manage and invest such donations for the purposes of education, scientific research and investigation. Funds so received have to be accumulated or applied in any manner whatsoever for the object of fostering global progress in gastrointestinal endoscopy.

OMED will pursue its purposes as far as possible in conjunction with other international organizations in the same field of interests.

Acting through its Governing Council OMED is empowered to do all and only such acts as are necessary or convenient to the purposes herein set forth and to the same extent, and as fully as any natural person might do, could do, to purchase, lease, hold, sell, mortgage, or otherwise acquire or dispose of real or personal property, to enter into, make, perform or carry out contracts with any firm, persons, corporation or association, to do any acts necessary or expedient for carrying on any and all of the purposes of OMED not forbidden by its statutes or by the laws of the area in which the organization is domiciled or holding its World Congress.
OMED is a non-profit organization. Its duration is unlimited.
OMED shall vest its general management in the Governing Council consisting of its officers.

Membership of OMED will become effective when ratified by the General Assembly.
The following may apply for membership of OMED.

• National Digestive Endoscopy Societies - with full voting power.
• National Gastroenterological Societies with clearly defined Endoscopy Section or Sub-committee promoting the practice and training of Endoscopy - with full voting power.
• Groups of practising endoscopists in a country without a national society or specialized section - without voting power.
• In case of more than one Society approved for membership in OMED from the same country, the one vote is split equally among these Societies.
• The General Assembly may cease the membership of a society or group if so decided by the three-fourths of its voting.
• A Member Society may resign at any time by submitting its intention by writing to the Secretary General.

Article 6
Finances

An amount of money to be determined by the Governing Council of OMED will be paid to the Treasurer by each Zone as an annual due.
The collection of subscriptions from member Societies will be the responsability of each Zone. The amount payable by the individual member Societies may be a pro-rata basis at the discretion of the Governing Council of each Zone.
At the World Congress a sum of money, determined by the Governing Council of OMED in agreement with the local organizers of such Congress, shall be included in the Congress prospective budget and paid as soon as convenient to the Treasurer of OMED. In addition, a percentage of any ultimate profit after final accounting shall be devoted to OMED. These financial matters are to be determined before any committment of OMED to the World Congress.
No personal obligation or responsability will devolve upon the individual officers of OMED in respect to the expenses related to its activities or any other financial matters. Such responsability rests with the association in accord with the regulations of the country of its headquarters or legal registration.

Members of the Governing Council will consist of:

• President
• President-elect
• Three Vice-Presidents, one from each Zone
• Secretary-General
• Treasurer
• Past-President of OMED
• Past Secretary-General
• One Councillor from each Zone
• Ex-officio, the President of the World Congress during his term in office
• Presidents of each Zone during their term in office
• The Chairmen of the Standing Committees
• One official designated by the OMGE Governing Council

The Governing Council may meet at any time amd during each World Congress.
The Governing Council will delegate the day to day activities and consequent decision making to an Executive Body consisting of:

• President
• President-elect
• The three Vice-Presidents
• Secretary-General
• Treasurer

The officers of OMED, namely President-elect, three Vice-Presidents, Secretary-General, Treasurer and one Councillor from each Zone will be elected by the General Assembly upon submission of candidatures by the Nominating Committee. They will hold office until the termination of the succeeding meeting of the General Assembly. The President-elect chosen during the previous Congress assumes the offices of President at the end of the following Congress. The nomination of the President-elect will be the right of each Zone in rotation.

The General Assembly of OMED will be held during each World Congress and will be called in writing by the President three months in advance.
The Assembly of OMED will consist of all members of the Governing Council together with two delegates of each national member Society. The right to vote will be restricted to the members of the Governing Council plus one vote for each country represented which has honoured the annual dues to the respective Zone. The President will hold a casting vote if so required.
Among the duties of the General Assembly are:

• to elect the Governing Council
• to admit new Societies or accept resignations
• to nominate Honorary Members
• to amend the list of the Standing Committees
• to amend the Statutes

The General Assembly will be legally consitued when at least half of its members are present.
All the decisions are taken by simple majority of those present, except when differently stated in the Statutes.

Any person who has rendered eminent services to Digestive Endoscopy may be elected as Honorary Member of OMED. Such election has to be approved by two-thirds of the voting delegates of the General Assembly.

A Schindler, Moutier and Tasaka lecturer will be selected for each World Congress by the Coverning Council to commemorate Drs. Rudolf Schindler, François Moutier and Sadataka Tasaka. The lecturers will be the guests of the Congress. Each Zone shall have the right to submit names for each of the honorary lectures. The final selection should be the responsability of the Governing Council.

The President will be responsible for the proper functioning of OMED and is empowered to make necessary decisions with the knowledge and consent of the Govening Council. He, or his designated deputy, will preside at all meetings of the Governing Council and the Assembly of OMED. Together with the Secretary-General he will prepare the agenda for the General Assembly and will submit it to the national Societies at least three months prior to the date of the Assembly.
The Vice-President of the Zone in which the President resides will act as his deputy whenever required.
The Secretary-General will maintain liaison between the Zones, the national Societies and the Committees.
The Treasurer will be responsible for the collection of the annual dues from the Zones, the promotion of other funds by public or private entities, the acquisition of the share of the budget from the World Congress and the keeping of the administration of the funds of OMED.
If the activities of OMED are such as to necessitate additional administrative assistance, the President and the Governing Council are authorized to designate and employ such a person.

The following will be included in the agenda of the Assembly:

• Approval of affiliation of new Societies
• Report of the President
• Report of the Secretary-General
• Report of the Treasurer
• Report of the Chairmen of the Committees
• Election of the new Officials
• Other business related to functions and activities of OMED.

Proposed amendments to the statutes will be presented in writing and signed by two or more members of OMED. The amendments shall be submitted to the Secretary-General no later than six months prior to the date of the General Assembly. They will be transmitted to the members of the Governing Council for approval and submission to the General Assembly.
Amendments to the statutes may also be proposed by the Governing Council and included in the agenda of the General Assembly.
Amendments to the statues or dissolution of OMED will require two-thirds vote of the General Assembly

The President, with the knowledge and consent of the Governing Council, may prescribe and introduce By-Laws to facilitate the implementation of rules of procedures.

The Governing Council will have th epower to fill any vacanicies of office bearers occurring during the period between regular meetings of the Assembly.

The Committees of OMED will be as follows:
Standing Committees:

• Research
• Education
• Nomination
• Finance

The Governing Council is empowered to establish at any time ad hoc Committees and/or Study Groups to fulfill specific tasks within the aims of OMED. It may propose to the General Assembly the integration of new Committees among the Standing Committees, whenever appropriate.
The following ad hoc Committees are established by the Governing Council and shall be approved on a quadriennal basis:

• Information
• Terminilogy
• Ethics
• Minimal Invasive Surgery

One year in advance of the World Congress, the Governing Council of each Zone will be invited by the Nomination Committee to submit nominations for chairmanship and membership of each of the Standing Committees of Research and Education. Each Committee will have a Chairman and six Members.
The Nomination Committee will review the nominations and submit its recommendations to the Governing Council.
The Governing Council, in consultation with the past and the future Chairman of each Standing Committee, will select a final list of membership for each Committee, to submit to the General Assembly for approval.
Chairmanship and membership of the ad hoc Committees and Study Groups are designed by the Governing Council after
appropriate consultations.
The Chairman of a Committee has the right to propose to the Governing Council additional nominations for membership in its Committee when deemed necessary for the proper functioning.
The Committees may seek integrations and liaisons for their activities with analogous bodies of parent international organizations.
Chairmanship and Membership of standing and ad hoc Committees
shall last four years, with the possibility of one additional four years term only.
The membership of the Nomination Committee will be as follows:
Chairman: Past-President
Members: President, President-elect, the three Vice-Presidents, Secretary-General
At least one year before each World Congress, the Nomination Committee will call for nominations from the Governing Councils of the three Zones for officers of the Governing Council of OMED.
Recommendations of the Nomination Committee will be considered by the Governing Council and presented for approval to the General Assembly at the World Congress.
The membership of the Finance Committee will be as follows, with power to co-opt other members whenever appropriate: Treasurer (Chairman),President, Secretary-General.

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