Statutes and By Laws

The V General Assembly of the World Association for Sexology, in its meeting held in the city of Heidelberg on Tuesday, June 16, 1987, and in accordance with Item 22, Section 4 of the current WAS Statute, approved the following modifications:

Item 1. The World Association for Sexology is an international association made up of national or international sexological societies and sexologists from different countries.

Item 2. The World Association for Sexology has legal status in Paris, France.

Item 3. The Statute is written in English, which is the official language.

Item 4. The application of the present Statute is assisted by the By-Laws.

Item 5. The purpose of the World Association for Sexology is to advance international cooperation in the field of sexology by coordinating the activities designed for leading an increase in research and knowledge in the field of sexology, including sex education, sexual health and the alleviation of sexual suffering. The work will be carried out through:

1. World Congress of Sexology.
2. Regional or interregional meetings.
3. International exchange of information.
4. Establishment of working relations with the World Health Organization, U.N.E.S.C.O., and other international organizations.
5. To implement postgraduate training courses in the field of sex education, and in the field of diagnosis and treatment in sexology, at national and international levels. The World Association of Sexology shall recognize those postgraduate training programs which have been analyzed and supervised by the Association.
6. To propagate any major contributions and recognize contributors in the field of sexology internationally.

Item 6. The World Association for Sexology has five different types of members:

1. Founder members
2. National Sexological Societies/Associations members
3. International Sexological Societies/Associations members
4. Individual members
5. Honorary individual members

Item 7. FOUNDER MEMBERS: are those sexological associations, co-sponsors of the Third International Sexological Congress held in Rome, which were represented at the Constitutive Assembly of the World Association for Sexology held in Rome, October 24, 1978.

Item 8. NATIONAL SEXOLOGICAL SOCIETIES/ASSOCIATIONS MEMBERS: are those National Sexological Societies/Associations that submit an official application and are admitted by the General Assembly of WAS.

Item 9. INTERNATIONAL SEXOLOGICAL SOCIETIES/ASSOCIATIONS MEMBERS: are those International Sexological Societies/Associations that submit an official application and are admitted by the General Assembly of WAS.

Item 10. INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS: are those individuals who submit an application and are admitted by the General Assembly of WAS.

Item 11. HONORARY INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP: may be conferred upon persons who have carried out important work in the field of Sexology.

Item 12. Membership in WAS may be terminated by resignation or suspension. Suspension is an action taken by the General Assembly or by the Executive Committee between meetings of the General Assembly with the approval of the majority (half plus one) of the members of the Advisory Committee of WAS.

Item 13. The World Association for Sexology has three operating organisms: the General Assembly, the Advisory Committee and the Executive Committee.

Item 14. The General Assembly is the maximum governing body of WAS.

Item 15. The General Assembly is composed of:

1. the Delegates of each member Society/Association
2. the Delegates of the Individual Members
3. the Members of the Advisory Committee
4. the Members of the Executive Committee

The number of the delegates' votes granted to each Society/Association or to Individual members will be from one to six, according to the conditions stated in the By-Laws.

Item 16. The General Assembly meets every two years on the occasion of the holding of each World Congress of Sexology. A special General Assembly may be convened by the Executive Committee or at the request of the majority (half plus one) of the members of the Advisory Committee or the request made by 30% of the Societies/Associations members of WAS. The agenda of the General Assembly is planned by the Executive Committee which should be approved by the Advisory Committee. Any agenda should have as the last point: Miscellaneous. The decisions of the General Assembly are based upon the simple majority vote, excluding any amendment to these Statutes.

Item 17. The General Assembly of the World Association for Sexology has the following functions:

1. receives the Report from the President
2. receives the Report from the Secretary General/Treasurer
3. receives the Report from the Congress Committee on Scientific Affairs
4. receives the Report of any other Committee created
5. decides upon the organization of the Congresses Symposia, Scientific Meetings or may give the Advisory or Executive Committees the responsibilities to organize such meetings.
6. decides upon the publications of the World Association for Sexology
   
7. receives the Secretary General/Treasurer's statement and proposal of a budget, determining the subscription of the members (Societies/Associations or Individual) and decides upon the general Financial Policy of the Association.
8. elects an Advisory Committee, mainly for the period lapse between two ordinary General Assemblies. The voting is secret. For a valid election, the persons elected must be from a minimum of ten nationalities and at least four or five continents. It is understood that the voting will be done the day that the ordinary General Assembly takes place.
   
9. decides upon matters brought to the attention of the General Assembly.

Item 18. The Advisory Committee is the second-ranking government body of the World Association for Sexology.

Item 19. The Advisory Committee is a consultive, supportive, decisive and supervising organ whose fundamental role is to watch over the equilibrium of WAS.

Item 20. The Advisory Committee should meet every year. It is mandatory that the Advisory Committee meets before any General Assembly (ordinary or extraordinary). The Advisory Committee could meet every time it is required by the Executive Committee or by five (5) of its members. Its decisions are based on a simple majority vote.

Item 21. The Advisory Committee has the following functions:

1. elect among its members an Executive Committee consisting of a President, Vice-President and four associate Secretaries immediately after their election by the General Assembly. After that, the new President will choose the Secretary General/Treasurer among the members of the new Advisory Committee.
2. approve any suspension of membership.
3. approve the agenda for the ordinary or extraordinary General Assembly.
4. elect among its members a Congress Committee for Scientific Affairs.
5. approve any impeachment of the President or any other officer of WAS.
6. approve or deny any recommendation for membership (Individual or Society/Association) made by the Executive Committee.

Item 22. The Executive Committee is the third-ranking government body of the World Association for Sexology.

Item 23. The Executive Committee has vested its power in WAS at times when the ordinary or extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly is not in session. Its decisions are based on a simple majority vote. Many of the decisions taken by the Executive Committee should be shared or approved by the Advisory Committee of WAS.

Item 24. The Meeting of the Executive Committee will be held at least once a year, pursuant to the conditions provided by the By-Laws.

Item 25. The Executive Committee has eight (8) members: President, Vice-President, Secretary General/Treasurer, four (4) associate Secretaries and the Past President.

Item 26. The President is the chairman of the Executive Committee, the Advisory Committee and of the General Assembly. He or she, with the Secretary General/Treasurer, are entrusted with carrying out the daily work of WAS. At the end of his term of office, the President will remain a member of the Executive Committee as Past President for an additional term of four (4) to five (5) years.

Item 27. The Vice-President acts in the absence of the President and may be entrusted with special duties by the Executive or Advisory Committee.

Item 28. The Secretary General/Treasurer is entrusted, along with the President, of carrying out the day-to-day work of WAS. He or she is responsible for the application of all decisions taken by the General Assembly, the Advisory Committee and the Executive Committee and renders to it an account of the activities of WAS. The Secretary General/Treasurer is responsible for the financial management of WAS and presents an audited financial statement to the General Assembly.

Item 29. In case of conflicting interests between the President and the Secretary General/Treasurer, the President could remove the Secretary General/Treasurer and choose one from the members of the Advisory Committee. The Executive Committee should approve this action. The Secretary General/Treasurer may appeal to the Advisory Committee if he/she believes that the President's decision was unfair.

Item 30. The Secretary General/Treasurer, at the end of his term, should present a complete report and must bring all the records and WAS property/documents to the Congress where the new Secretary General/Treasurer will be designated. He/she should make an inventory which will be signed by the newly elected President and the newly designated Secretary General/Treasurer.

Item 31. The associated Secretaries play an active role in the functions of the Executive Committee. They may be entrusted with special duties by the Executive or Advisory Committee.

Item 32. For all important problems the President and the Secretary General/Treasurer convene the Executive Committee and follow its decisions made by a simple majority vote.

Item 33. The Advisory Committee and/or the Executive Committee may appoint working commissions or subcommittees on specific areas so as to take actions or special affairs. For example, Postgraduate Training in Sexology, Development of Interinstitutional Liaison, etc.

Item 34. No member of the Executive Committee may be re-elected for a second term in the same office and in no case may a successor to a President be from the same country.

Item 35. The World Association for Sexology has as income sources, the following:

1. Dues of the national and international Societies/Associations
2. Dues of individual members
3. Dues from the World Congresses, Regional Meetings, etc.
4. Special contributions or donations
5. Any other approved income

Item 36. The Secretary General/Treasurer of WAS, in accordance with the President, should present an annual operating budget to the Executive Committee.

Item 37. The WAS has a Congress Committee on Scientific Affairs.

Item 38. The Congress Committee on Scientific Affairs has five (5) members which are elected by the Advisory Committee among its members. Their term in office is for the period lapse between two Ordinary General Assemblies and they are immediately elected after the election of the new Executive Committee. The members elected will choose their Chair-Person.

Item 39. The Congress Committee on Scientific Affairs watches over the scientific quality of the Congresses and studies and approves where the World Congress could be implemented. Their recommendation is taken to the General Assembly for definitive approval.

Item 40. The members of the Congress Committee on Scientific Affairs should always have present the WAS Advisory Committee Resolution approved in Mexico City on December 20, 1979.

Item 41. When a Society or Group of Societies which are members of WAS or not, organize a Scientific meeting, it is mandatory to request permission from the Executive Committee in order to obtain the sponsorship of WAS. The Executive Committee will request the opinion of the Congress Committee on Scientific Affairs. If the sponsorship is granted, the Scientific Program shall be supervised by the Congress Committee of Scientific Affairs. The World Association for Sexology shall receive a payment for sponsorship or a portion of the profits of those meetings.

Item 42. The Statute of the World Congress for Sexology may be altered on the recommendation of the General Assembly taken by two-third majority vote after a proposal offered by the Executive Committee or any five (5) members of the General Assembly.

Item 43. A quorum of two-thirds of the present delegates of member Societies/Associations is necessary in order that the General Assembly may, by a two-third majority, order the dissolution of the Association. The distribution and allocation of such funds, goods and property which have been the property of the Association will be determined by this meeting of the General Assembly.

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