ICTM By-laws | International Commission on Tropical Meteorology

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1. Definition of the ICTM:

The International Commission on Tropical Meteorology, The ICTM, is a commission of the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS).

The IAMAS is one of the constituent associations of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics. All countries that adhere to the Union, including Associate Countries (Members), are Adhering (Member) Countries of the Association and are qualified to appoint delegates to the Association’s General Assemblies.

The ICTM, as a Commission of the IAMAS, adheres to the statutes of the IAMAS and bylaws of the ICTM regarding its internal functions.

2. Objectives of the ICTM:

To stimulate the worldwide scientific study of Tropical Meteorology phenomena.

To encourage the transfer of scientific ideas among scientists via discussion, presentation, and publication and to facilitate international scientific collaboration in studying Tropical Meteorology phenomena.

To promote education and public awareness of scientific issues relating to Tropical Meteorology.

The primary means to achieve these objectives is through the organization of Conferences, Workshops, and Symposia, including a quadrennial International Conference on Tropical Meteorology and symposia forming part of the General Assemblies of IAMAS and IUGG.

To promote broad participation in its Conferences, Workshops, and Symposia, ICTM will provide necessary financial assistance, to the extent fiscally feasible, to students and/or scientists to enable their participation, especially those from less developed countries.

ICTM may also establish such working groups and committees as needed, including joint committees with other Commissions of IUGG, to achieve these ends and/or to address scientific issues as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee.

3. Member of the ICTM:

The International Commission on Tropical Meteorology comprises:

The Officers
The Executive Committee
Past Presidents of ICTM
Honorary Members of ICTM

4. Officers of the ICTM:

The Officers direct and coordinate all activities of the Commission and function on a continuing basis, as required, between General Assemblies. The Officers consist of a President, a Vice-President, and a Secretary, elected by the Executive Committee.

The President is elected by the ICTM Executive Committee during the General Assembly. His/Her term of office is for one period of 4 years. He/She is eligible for immediate re-election but only for one additional 4 years.

The Vice-President is elected by the ICTM Executive Committee during the General Assembly. His/Her term of office is also for one period of 4 years. He/She is eligible for immediate re-election but only for one additional 4 years.

The Secretary is elected by the ICTM Executive Committee during the General Assembly. His/Her term of office is for one period of 4 years. He/she is eligible for immediate re-election, but can serve no more than three (3) consecutive terms.

If the Office of the President becomes vacant between two General Assemblies, the Vice-President assumes the Presidency subject to the willingness of the Vice-President to do this. Alternatively, the Secretary will solicit nominations and organize an election by electronic mail within 90 days.

If the Office of the Vice-President becomes vacant between two General Assemblies, the office will remain vacant until the next election at the following General Assembly. Alternatively, the President may request that the Secretary solicit nominations and organize an election by electronic mail.

If the office of the Secretary becomes vacant between two General Assemblies, the President will appoint a member of the Executive Committee to the position of Secretary, subject to the concurrence of the Vice President.

Term limits for Officers supersede those governing regular members of the Executive Committee. Thus, a newly elected President could serve 2 consecutive terms after having served the prior term as a regular member of the Executive Committee. In the same way, the term limit for the President supersedes those for the Vice-President or Secretary, and the term limit for the Vice-President supersedes that for the Secretary. However, a retiring Officer may only be immediately elected to regular membership if they only served a single term as an Officer and were not a regular member during the term immediately before that.

5. membership of the ICTM Executive Committee:

Membership in the Commission is achieved by a vote of the Executive Committee and Officers during the General Assembly of the Commission. Members of the Executive Committee are elected for a period of 4 years and can be re-elected once for a period of 4 additional years. New members assume their duties after their formal acceptance after the General Assembly in which they were elected.

The Executive Committee comprises 25 Members or less, excluding the Officers. The number of members for the next term can increase through a majority vote of the members and officers.

The Commission strives to ensure that its membership comprises active researchers with strong international reputations and expertise spanning the field of Tropical Meteorology, including representation of diverse observational and theoretical expertise. Appropriate geographical and gender balance is also desired. These factors are taken into consideration when nominating and electing Members.

In case of the resignation of a Member, the position will remain vacant until the next General Assembly and new elections.

6. Election of the ICTM Executive Committee Members:

Members serving their first 4-year term and willing to serve for a second term are automatically nominated for a second term. The Secretary will confirm the willingness to serve an additional term before calling for new nominations.

Not less than 6 months before the next election, nominations of new Members are solicited by broad email distribution to scientists active in Tropical Meteorology research. An amended list of participants from the last International Conference on Tropical Meteorology will be used for the call. The call will also be prominently posted on the ICTM website.

Nominations can be made via email or regular mail to the President or Secretary of ICTM and must include, in addition to the name of the nominee, the nominee’s affiliation, email address, phone number, and a short description of the nominees scientific accomplishments and expertise. The nominator must also indicate that the nominee consents to serve if elected.

The Officers will appoint a Nominations Subcommittee comprised of 3-5 members of the Executive Committee. Members of the Nominations Subcommittee shall have a good knowledge of the Tropical Meteorology scientific communities. The President will designate the chair of the subcommittee. The subcommittee will tabulate and evaluate the nominations and develop a “short” list of highly qualified candidates. The shortlist and the complete list of all nominees will be distributed to all members of the Executive Committee at least 2 weeks before the election, which will occur at the General Assembly. Nominations can be made at any time until the elections are completed.

The election of Executive Committee Members occurs during the General Assembly. The vote is held before the election of new Officers and is administered by the current Officers. Votes shall be confidential (by secret ballot) unless this requirement is waived by a super majority (2/3rds) of the members present. Members are elected by simple majority vote of the Members and Officers. New members assume their duties after their formal acceptance after the General Assembly in which they were elected.

Past presidents and Honorary members do not participate in either the election of Members or in the election of the Officers. However, they may serve on the Nominations or Election Subcommittees.

7. Election of the Officers:

Officers who are serving their first 4-year term and are willing to serve for a second term are automatically nominated for a second term or a third term in the case of the Secretary. The Secretary will confirm the willingness to serve an additional term prior to a call for new nominations.

The President will appoint an Election Subcommittee comprised of 2-4 members of the Executive Committee with the concurrence of the Vice-President and Secretary. Past Presidents and Honorary Members may also serve on the Election Subcommittee. Each member of the Election Subcommittee shall have a good knowledge of Tropical Meteorology scientific communities worldwide. If the President completes his/her second term, the President will chair the election subcommittee. Alternatively, the subcommittee will be chaired by a Past President or other member of the Executive Committee appointed by the President with the concurrence of the Vice-President and Secretary.

The Election Subcommittee will issue a call for nomination of Officers no less than 3 months before the election that will take place at the next General Assembly. The call will be issued to the worldwide community of scientists involved in Tropical Meteorology research. Nominations can be made via email or regular mail to members of the Election Subcommittee. In addition to the name of the nominee, a valid nomination must include the nominee’s affiliation, email address, phone number, a description of the nominee’s scientific accomplishments and expertise, and a letter from the nominee indicating a willingness to serve if elected. Candidates must have citizenship in a member country of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics.

A list of qualified candidates shall be distributed to all members of the Executive Committee at least 2 weeks before the election, that will occur at the General Assembly. Candidates do not have to be current or newly elected Members of the Executive Committee. Nominations can be made at any time until the elections are completed. Insufficient documentation of qualifications or lack of consent to serve may preclude election.

The election of Officers occurs during the General Assembly. The vote is held after the election of Members of the Executive Committee. Votes shall be confidential (by secret ballot) unless this requirement is waived by a super majority (2/3rds) of the members present. Ballots are cast by each member of the current Executive Committee and not by the newly elected members who assume their position after the General Assembly when they formally accept the position in writing to the President. Elections of the President shall occur first, the Vice-President second, and the Secretary last. Officers are elected by simple majority vote of the Members.

Past presidents and Honorary members do not participate in the election of the Officers.

8. Honorary Members:

Honorary Members are appointed for life. The President will issue a call for nominations of Honorary Members to the Officers and Executive Committee not less then 3 months before the next General Assembly. The President will circulate the resulting nominations to the Officers and Executive Committee and conduct the election via email before the General Assembly such that the presence of a newly elected Honorary Member at that General Assembly can be assured. Honorary Members are elected by a simple majority vote in the same manner as regular Members.

Honorary members do not participate in either the election of Members or in the election of the Officers.

9. Meetings of the ICTM:

The General Assembly of the Commission is a meeting of the Officers, Executive Committee, Past Presidents, and Honorary Members.

The Commission will meet in the General Assembly at the time and location of the International Conference on Tropical Meteorology organized by the Commission or at the General Assembly of the IAMAS.

If the need should arise, the Commission may also meet in an Extraordinary General Assembly during the interval between two General Assemblies.

The time between General Assemblies must not exceed four years, with allowance for minor scheduling variances (a few months).

The location of the next International Conference on Tropical Meteorology, and typically the next General Assembly, is determined at the current General Assembly. The President and Vice-President will solicit nominations of candidate locations well before the current General Assembly. Key factors in deciding a venue are the existence and interest of a suitable host organization and/or local organizing committee, the availability of suitable facilities, and practical considerations such as cost and accessibility. Our history shows that geographical balance concerning past locations is a strong consideration. The final determination is made by ballot after discussion. Individuals may be invited to make brief presentations on candidate locations before the vote. These persons do not need to be members of the Commission. If a location is selected but proves non-workable or highly non-favorable geopolitical conditions develop, the President may prudently arrange an alternate venue with the concurrence of the Vice-President and Secretary.

The planned time and location of the General Assembly of the Commission must be reported to IAMAS. Reports on the General Assembly must also be made to IAMAS. The President shall make such reports within 6 months to the General Secretary of IAMAS and include a listing of current Officers, membership of the Executive Committee, and Honorary Members, as well as other data deemed useful to IAMAS.