Article I – Name
Section 1.1 The organization shall be known as the International Association for Pattern Recognition. Hereafter “IAPR” shall refer to this organization.
Article II – Field of Interest and Objective
Section 2.1 The field of interest is Pattern Recognition and the allied branches of engineering, together with the related arts and sciences; the objective is the advancement of theory and practice in the field of interest.
Section 2.2 IAPR shall organize the International Conference on Pattern Recognition (hereafter called “ICPR”), may organize or sponsor other conferences, workshops or courses, may publish periodicals, newsletters, proceedings or special publications and may employ all other proper means to further its objectives.
Section 2.3 IAPR and its member societies commit themselves to the highest ethical and professional conduct as declared in the Statement of Ethics of the Statutes of IAPR.
Article III – Members
Section 3.1 Members may be scientific or professional organizations in the field of interest.
Section 3.2 Members shall be entitled to all rights of IAPR in as far as practical. The Bylaws shall provide criteria and procedures for enrollment.
Article IV – Officers
Section 4.1 IAPR shall have a Governing Board, an Executive Committee, and the following officers: President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The officers may but need not be members of the Governing Board.
Section 4.2 The Governing Board shall consist of representatives of the member organizations.
Section 4.3 The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Past President, Secretary and Treasurer. Officers shall be elected by a procedure specified in the Bylaws.
Section 4.4 The President and Secretary shall act as the chair and the secretary of the Governing Board, whether or not they are members of the Board.
Section 4.5 Only members of the member organizations are eligible for any office. Names of candidates for office shall not be submitted or presented without their prior consent.
Section 4.6 The terms of office of the officers shall be nominally two years. Re-election is permissible with the restriction that the terms of the President or Vice-Presidents shall be four years at most. Newly elected officers shall assume their office immediately following the close of the Governing Board meeting at which they have been elected, except the Treasurer, whose office shall be assumed as mutually arranged with the outgoing Treasurer, but no later than 60 days after the date of the election.
Article V – Duties of the Officers
Section 5.1 The President assisted by the Vice-Presidents shall be responsible for the overall administration and leadership of IAPR. The President presides at meetings of the Governing Board and Executive Committee, and provides liaison between these two bodies.
Section 5.2 The First Vice-President, or if absent, the Second Vice-President, shall act as President in case of the latter’s absence. If the absence is prolonged or permanent, the procedure in Bylaw 5.5 shall be followed.
Section 5.3 The Secretary shall handle correspondence and maintain a correspondence file, and record minutes of the Governing Board and the Executive Committee meetings.
Section 5.4 The Treasurer shall handle the financial affairs, prepare the budget, and maintain records of receipts and expenditures.
Article VI – Financing
Section 6.1 The general financial policy of IAPR, including the amount of annual dues, and the budget of the ICPR, shall be discussed and adopted by the Governing Board. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the execution of the general financial policy and for detailing the general policy.
In case of emergency, and when there is no real opportunity to consult the Governing Board, the Executive Committee may make decisions conflicting with the adopted general policy of the Governing Board. The Executive Committee will have to render account of its financial actions.
The Bylaws shall provide procedures concerning the authority of representatives and officers to bind IAPR in financial affairs.
Article VII – Affiliation
Section 7.1 IAPR may affiliate with international organizations. The intention of this affiliation is to facilitate co-operation in related fields, the co-ordination of conferences and the acquisition of facilities as to conferences, secretariat and treasury. The Governing Board shall have the final decision on conditions and procedures relating to such affiliations.
Section 7.2 Any company can apply to become an Industrial Affiliate of IAPR by writing to the Secretariat and by paying the appropriate administration and membership fees. Industrial Affiliates receive subscriptions to certain IAPR sponsored journals and will also receive copies of the IAPR Newsletter and other material normally mailed to members.
Article VIII – Committees
Section 8.1 The Governing Board shall set up standing committees as deemed necessary to conduct the business of IAPR. The functions of the committees shall be described in the Bylaws. There shall be a Nominating Committee, a King-Sun Fu Prize Committee, a Maria Petrou Prize Committee and a J.K. Aggarwal Prize Committee; the members of these committees are nominated by the President but shall be elected by the Governing Board. There shall also be a Membership Committee, a Constitution and Bylaws Committee, a Publications and Publicity Committee, a Conferences and Meetings Committee, an Education Committee, a Fellow Committee, an Industrial Liaison Committee, an Advisory Committee, an ICPR Standing Committee, an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and a Distinguished Service Award Committee; the members of these committees shall be appointed by the President or other member of the Executive Committee, as designated by the President.
Article IX – Meetings
Section 9.1 A biennial meeting of the Governing Board of IAPR shall be held during the ICPR. The Executive Committee shall hold meetings at such times as deemed necessary to carry on the management of IAPR.
The Bylaws shall provide procedures for obtaining decisions by the Governing Board and the Executive Committee both from the floor at a meeting and by written votes of their members in the case of a mail ballot.
Article X – Regions
Section 10.1 Regional committees may be established if members of a region wish to do so. A region comprises a number of member organizations in a particular geographical area. Each regional committee shall conduct its activities within the Constitution and Bylaws of IAPR.
Article XI – Conferences
Section 11.1 The ICPR will be organized biennially, unless special circumstances prevent it. The Governing Board shall ensure that these Conferences take place successively in different parts of the world.
The Bylaws shall provide procedures concerning the organization of conferences.
Article XII – Publications
Section 12.1 IAPR may publish periodicals, journals, newsletters, proceedings, or special publications. The Publications and Publicity Committee is established for this purpose. The general policy concerning publications shall be determined by the Governing Board.
Section 12.2 Each member organization shall receive notice regarding meetings, conferences and other pertinent functions and activities of IAPR. Individuals may be charged by IAPR for sending this information.
Article XIII – Amendments
Section 13.1 Amendments to the Constitution of IAPR or its Bylaws may be initiated by members of the Governing Board or the Executive Committee or by petition from at least five member organizations.
The Bylaws shall provide procedures to handle the amendments.