Statutes of the World Archaeological Congress
(Adopted 1990 Revised January 1999 and June 2003)
ARTICLE 1
The organisation shall be called World Archaeological Congress,
hereinafter referred to as 'WAC'.
ARTICLE 2
2.1 WAC is an international non-profit making organisation
concerned with all aspects of archaeological theory and practice. Its
main emphasis is on academic issues and questions which benefit from a
widely oriented and comparative approach. It attempts to bridge the disciplinary
divisions of the past into chronological periods (such as prehistoric
or protohistoric or historic archaeology), and to avoid exclusive, particularistic
regional concerns.
2.2 WAC is based on the explicit recognition of the historical
and social role, and the political context, of archaeological enquiry,
of archaeological organisations, and of archaeological interpretation.
Its distinctive aims are:
a] to discuss themes which truly reflect the interest of
its worldwide membership;
b] to make explicit the relevance of its studies to the
wider community.
2.3 In the pursuit of its aims it shall:
a] promote the study of archaeology by the organisation
of international conferences concerning any aspect of the archaeological
sciences. These may include specialist regional and chronological subjects
including historical and culture-specific investigations;
b] promote scientific publications and contributions to
such publications on archaeological subjects;
c] generally in collaboration with scholars from any country
engage in or foster any enterprise which will promote or further the knowledge
of archaeology or disseminate knowledge or information on archaeological
subjects;
d] respect in all its activities the principles of the
UN and UNESCO regarding Human Rights and it may affiliate to any other
organisation which respects those principles.
ARTICLE 3
3.1 The head office of WAC shall be at the place designated,
from time to time, by the Executive.
3.2 The languages of Congresses and their publications
shall be any of the official languages of UNESCO which may be used in
any of WAC's transactions and in the transactions of any of its constituent
bodies.
3.3 Any dispute as to the meaning or application of these
Statutes shall be determined in accordance with English law.
3.4 Members of WAC hereby confer on the courts of England
and Wales jurisdiction to determine any dispute which may arise under
these Statutes.
ARTICLE 4: Membership
4.1 Institutions or individuals with a genuine interest
in, or concern for, the past who support the principles set out in Article
2 hereof may become members of WAC by completion of an application form
and the payment of the appropriate subscription.
4.2 Institutions eligible for membership include research
institutions, university departments, museums and archaeological societies
and academies.
4.3 The Assembly may elect Honorary members on the recommendation
of the Council. Honorary members shall not be required to pay any subscriptions.
4.4 The rates of membership subscription shall be determined
by the Council and there shall be a reduced rate for student membership.
4.5 Individual membership of WAC shall entitle the member
to the following privileges:
a] membership of a Regional Electoral College;
b] eligibility for nomination for election as a Regional Representative
to the Council and thus to the Assembly;
c] eligibility for nomination for election as a National Representative
to the Assembly;
d] eligibility for nomination as an Officer of WAC;
e] the right to attend Congresses or Inter-Congresses at a concessionary
fee;
f] free receipt of the World Archaeological Bulletin;
g] concessionary rates for other activities organised by WAC.
4.6 Institutional members shall be entitled to:
a] free receipt of the World Archaeological Bulletin and
concessionary rates for any other WAC publications;
b] participate in the organisation of appropriate general and specialist
meetings of WAC.
Any dispute about the participation of any Institutional
member in the organisation of any meeting shall be determined by the Assembly
whose decision shall be final.
ARTICLE 5: Regional Electoral Colleges
5.1 WAC shall be divided into Regions known for the purposes
of elections to WAC's constituent bodies as Regional Electoral Colleges.
(Endnote 1)
5.2 The Assembly may create additional Regional Electoral
Colleges or amalgamate Colleges to reduce the number.
5.3 The Council shall have the power to assign countries
to the Regional Electoral Colleges and to transfer any country from one
College to another as it shall think appropriate in the interests of WAC
and its decision shall be final until the next meeting of the Assembly.
5.4 All individual members on joining WAC shall be assigned
to a Regional Electoral College on the basis of residence. Any member
who wishes to transfer to a different Regional Electoral College on the
basis of geographical area of work may apply at any time to the Council
for a transfer.
ARTICLE 6: International Congresses
WAC shall normally hold an International Congress every
four years or at other times as it shall from time to time decide. Inter-Congresses
may be held on such other occasions and under such terms as the Council
may decide.
ARTICLE 7: The Assembly
7.1 The principal policy-making body of WAC shall be the
Assembly which shall:
· decide all matters relating to policy;
· elect the officers of WAC; and
· determine the venue and organisation of future International
Congresses.
7.2 Elections to the Assembly shall be held at each International
Congress and the members of the Assembly shall hold office until the end
of that International Congress.
7.3 Meetings of the Assembly shall be held during each
International Congress.
7.4 Membership of the Assembly shall consist of:
a] one National Representative per country, members from
which are attending the International Congress, selected by the individual
members from that country attending that International Congress;
b] any member of the Council not a member under the above.
7.5 Each member of the Assembly shall have one vote. Any
member of the Council or the Assembly who cannot attend any meeting of
the Assembly should notify the Secretary by the opening date of the Assembly
and may by nomination to the Secretary authorise another member of the
Assembly to cast his/her vote by proxy or to propose any motion on his/her
behalf.
7.6 The agenda for a meeting of the Assembly shall be circulated
to the Council by the Secretary if possible at least one month before
the date of the meeting. The agenda shall include matters referred to
it from regions, Inter-Congresses and from Congress sessions.
7.7 The Officers of WAC shall be nominated and elected
during Assembly meetings at international congresses to serve until the
end of the Assembly meeting at which new Officers are elected. Each member
of the Assembly shall have a single vote in all such elections.
7.8 The Assembly shall decide any dispute as to the meaning
of these Statutes or the eligibility of any person for office or election
to the Assembly or the Council and the decision of the Assembly on any
such dispute shall be final.
ARTICLE 8: Officers
8.1 The Officers of WAC shall be:
a] the President, who shall be the Chair of the Assembly,
Council, and of the Executive and who shall act as returning officer for
all elections;
b] the Vice President who will assist the President in conducting WAC
business and promoting the aims of WAC;
c] the Secretary, who shall be the principal executive officer of WAC
and is in charge of the office administration of WAC and, on behalf of
the Council, of the hiring and dismissal of any employees of the organisation.
Together with the President, Vice President, and Treasurer he/she shall
manage all the affairs of WAC. He/she will report to the Executive, Council,
and Assembly on his/her activities at each meeting;
d] the Treasurer, who will prepare the budget of WAC for consideration
by the Council and Executive and is responsible for the supervision and
management of the financial affairs of WAC.
8.2 The Officers shall be ex officio voting members of
the Executive, Council, and of the Assembly.
8.3 The Officers shall hold office for the period from
the end of the Assembly meeting at which they are elected, to the end
of the Assembly meeting at which new Officers are elected, and may be
re-elected.
ARTICLE 9: The Council
9.1 The Council shall be the main governing body of WAC
between meetings of the Assembly and shall carry into effect the policies
established by the Assembly, including the receipt of annual reports from
international organising committees. It is hoped that the Council will
be able to meet annually.
9.2 The members of the Council shall be:
a] the Officers of WAC;
b] two representatives from each Regional Electoral College, a Senior
Representative and a Junior Representative.
(To be eligible for election as a Senior Representative
a person shall at that time have been in permanent employment within archaeology
or a related discipline for a period of more than five years. To be eligible
for election as a Junior Representative a person shall not at that time
have been in permanent employment within archaeology or a related discipline
for a period of more than five years.)
c] eight representatives of Indigenous peoples/the Fourth
World to be appointed by organisations such as the World Council of Indigenous
Peoples, and the International Indian Treaty Council for a limited period
as determined from time to time by the Council.
9.3 Each member of the Council shall have one vote.
9.4 The Regional Representatives shall be elected by secret
postal ballot of the individual members within each Regional Electoral
College. The ballot shall be conducted as follows:
a] there shall be a separate list of candidates for the
position of Senior Representative and for that of Junior Representative;
b] the ballot for each position shall be by the single transferable voting
system;
c] where there are three or more candidates for election, and the two
sexes are represented, a member's vote shall be valid only if three votes
have been cast in rank order, at least one of which must be for a female
and one for a male;
d] within each Regional Electoral College, members shall only be eligible
for nomination to the Council if they are not from the same country as
the continuing incumbent Regional Representative on the Council.
9.5 Members of the Council other than Officers of WAC (whose
term on the Council shall be determined by their period in office) shall
be elected for a term of eight years. Half the Council shall retire every
four years and a new Council will take office immediately after each International
Congress (i.e. at a Council meeting convened immediately following the
last Assembly meeting during a Congress).
9.6 Members of the Council shall be eligible to serve for
more than one period of office.
9.7 The Council shall administer the affairs of WAC in
accordance with these Statutes and the decisions and policy of the Assembly.
The Council will have full power to take any decisions which may be necessary
or desirable in the interests of WAC, including the waiver or modification
of particular subscriptions, as well as any termination of membership.
Meetings of the Council shall take place at such times and places as it
shall decide. Members of the Council who are unable to attend meetings
may vote in all matters arising at any meeting by post or by duly authorised
proxy. To enable such members to consider the issues properly the Secretary
shall circulate to all members of the Council the agenda for each meeting
at least 1 month before the date of the meeting.
9.8 The Council shall prepare and present a report to each
Assembly on all matters of concern to WAC which have occurred since the
previous meeting of the Assembly.
9.9 In the event of there being a vacancy on the Council,
for whatever reason, the Executive shall decide whether and how to fill
it but in no case shall the term of a member of the Council selected pursuant
to this clause exceed that remaining of the vacancy to be filled.
ARTICLE 10: The Executive
10.1 The Executive shall be the main governing body of
WAC between meetings of Council and shall carry into effect the policies
established by the Assembly, including the receipt of annual reports from
international organising committees. The Executive is expected to meet
at least annually.
10.2 The Members of the Executive shall be:
a] the Officers of WAC;
b] the Chief Executive Officer;
c] the Editor of WAB;
d] three members of the Council, from different electoral regions and,
if possible, from Regions other than those of the elected officers, elected
by the Council to sit on the Executive;
e] one Indigenous member elected by the Indigenous Group of the Council.
10.3 Only those members of the Executive who have been
elected as either officers or members of Council will have the authority
to vote at meetings of the Executive.
10.4 The regional representatives shall be elected at one
of the Council meetings during an international congress. They will serve
until the next international congress. When electing regional representatives
to serve on the Executive, Council is urged to ensure as wide a geographical
representation on Executive as possible.
10.5 Members of the Executive shall be eligible to serve
for more than one period of office.
10.6 The Executive shall administer the affairs of WAC
in accordance with these statutes, the decisions and policy of the Assembly,
and the decisions of Council. The Executive shall have full power to take
any decisions which may be necessary or desirable in the interests of
WAC between meetings of the Council. However, the Executive is expected
wherever possible to take into consideration the views of Council and
should, where appropriate, attempt to ascertain these views before making
decisions. Meetings of the Executive shall take place at such times and
places as it shall decide. Members of the Executive who are unable to
attend meetings may vote in all matters arising at any meeting by post
or by duly authorised proxy. To enable such members to consider the issues
properly the secretary shall circulate to all members of the Executive
the agenda for each meeting at least 1 month before the date of the meeting.
10.7 The Executive shall prepare and present a report to
each Assembly and Council on all matters of concern to WAC which have
occurred since the previous meeting of Assembly and Council.
10.8 In the event of there being a vacancy on the Executive,
for whatever reason, the Executive shall decide whether and how to fill
it but in no case shall the term of a member of the Executive selected
pursuant to this clause exceed that remaining of the vacancy to be filled.
ARTICLE 11
These Statutes may be amended by a two thirds vote
of the Assembly. Any proposed amendment must be proposed
by members from at least three different Regions and
submitted to the Secretary not less than 2 months before
the date of the Assembly.
Endnote
At time of writing the 14 Regional Electoral Colleges of
WAC are:
1 Central Africa
2 Eastern and Southern Africa
3 Northern Africa
4 Western Africa
5 Central America and the Caribbean
6 Northern America
7 Southern America
8 Eastern Asia
9 South-eastern Asia and the Pacific
10 Southern Asia
11 Western Asia
12 Eastern Europe and Central Asia
13 Northern Europe
14 Southern Europe.
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