Commissions Guidelines

GUIDELINES FOR THE DUTIES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE PHILATELIC COMMISSIONS/SECTIONS OF THE FIP INTRODUCTION

These General Instruction cover the administrative procedures for the implementation of the Technical FIP Commissions / Section. The General Regulations of the Commissions / Section are specified in the FIP Statutes in the Chapter

VI “Philatelic Commissions and Sections of FIP”, Articles 40 to 46. These Guidelines were updated by the FIP Board according to Art. 31 of FIP Statutes.

In these Guidelines the FIP Board has taken steps to define the functions, rights and duties more comprehensively in recognition of the important service provided by the FIP Commissions / Section (hereafter referred to as "Commissions"). The following Articles cover:

• • General Instruction
• • Memberships and Conferences
• • Administrators
• • Elections of the Commission Bureau
• • Commissions Reports
• • Commissions Budget and Expenditures
• • Commissions Powers
• • Documentation and Duties of the Commissions Chairmen

CHAPTER I GENERAL INSTRUCTION

Article 1 - Denomination In accordance with Chapter VI of the FIP Statutes, Philatelic Commissions / Sections are established within FIP (Art. 40.1 Statutes).

Article 2 - Definition and Coordinator

2.1 The Commissions are the technical organs of FIP. They work under these General Guidelines and the guidance of the FIP Board following a long term programme established by FIP (Art. 40.2 Statutes).

2.2 One FIP Board member will be designated to maintain liaison with each Commission as the Coordinator; to coordinate the activities, attend that Bureau’s and Commission's Meetings (Art.42.8 Statutes) and conduct the Commission’s elections.

2.3 The FIP President or his representative shall be entitled to attend any meetings of the FIP Commissions (Art. 32.2 Statutes). He must be notified of such meetings not less than 30 days before any such meeting.

2.4 The Chairman and/or the Secretary of the Commission should send all communication and report that normally is sent to the FIP Secretariat, in writing, also to the Coordinator to that Commission.

2.5 When a new Commission Chairman is elected, the Coordinator to this Commission is to give proper instruction to the new Chairman in relation to the following:

• - Communication with the FIP Secretariat in accordance with Article 2.4
• - Communication with the National Federations
• - The duties of the Chairman
• - The budget in accordance to the Article 20 of these Guidelines

2.6 The Coordinator to a Commission has the responsibility to inform the Commission of FIP Board decisions and of any other relevant matters.

2.7 The Commission Chairman informs the Coordinator to that Commission of any matters of which the FIP Board should know.

Article 3 - Regulations The constitution and administration of the Commissions shall be in accordance with these Guidelines and the Chapter VI of the FIP Statutes.

Article 4 - Quantity and Specialities

4.1 The FIP Board with the approval of the Congress may create a Section within any of these Commissions to promote the special interest of a branch of philately which does not justify a full commission. The administrative details will be defined by the FIP Board from time to time.

4.2 Currently there are the following commissions / Section:

• Commission for Aerophilately
• Commission for the Fight against Forgeries
• Commission for Philatelic Literature
• Commission for Maximaphily
• Commission for Postal History
• Commission for Postal Stationery
• Commission for Thematic Philately
• Commission for Traditional Philately
• Commission for Revenue
• Commission for Youth Philately
• Commission for Astrophilately
• Commission for Open Philately
• Commission for Picture Postcards

Article 5 - Obligations The Commissions, following the procedures laid down in Chapter VI of the Statutes and the long term programme established by FIP, shall set out their programme of activities.

Article 6 - Duties Duties of the Commissions are:

• a) To develop and promote interest in their special fields.
• b) To establish rules and procedures in their special fields.
• c) To prepare brochures to explain their special fields.
• d) To translate everything in the official FIP languages.
• e) To publish the Commissions news in FLASH and /or on their websites.
• f) To cooperate with other philatelic organisations subject to the approval of the FIP Board.

CHAPTER II MEMBERSHIP AND CONFERENCES

Article 7 - Membership of Commissions

The Commissions are composed of delegates nominated by the FIP Members in accordance with Article 41 of the FIP Statutes. The delegates must be members of the National Federation and residents of the country concerned. (Exception: Temporary professional assignment abroad.) If a delegate is withdrawn by his National Federation, he automatically loses his office in the Commission. When a new delegate is nominated by this National Federation, he automatically replaces him as a delegate.

Article 8 - Conferences

8.1 The Commission shall hold a Conference every other year on the occasion of a FIP Congress or at a FIP General or Specialised World Exhibition. Should an additional Conference be necessary, it can be convened subject to the prior approval of the FIP Board. The agenda of all Conferences are to be submitted to the FIP Board.

8.2 Commissions may hold informal conferences at other FIP Exhibitions, but in this case the provisions of Article 11, below shall not apply.

Article 9

The conference shall be convened in writing by the Chairman of the Commission at least 2 months prior to the opening of each conference. The invitation and agenda are sent simultaneously to all FIP Board Members, FIP Members and to their respective delegates.

Article 10

Should a delegate not be able to attend the conference, the FIP Member is entitled to nominate an alternative delegate or may be represented by proxy by the delegate of another FIP Member. In both cases authorisation must be made in writing to the Chairman of the Commission in advance of the conference. A national delegate, or his proxy, may represent by proxy only one other FIP Member.

Article 11

Every conference that has been duly convened is competent to make decisions. It will make its decisions by a majority of votes provided a quorum of more than 25% of delegates are present. In the case of a tie, the Chairman shall have the casting vote. Minutes shall be prepared on the proceedings of every conference. These shall be submitted to the FIP Board, all FIP Members and to the Commission delegates. All changes to the SREVs require a quorum of no less than 50% of delegates in person or proxy.

Article 12 The decisions of the conference involving action shall be submitted in writing to the FIP Board for approval.

Article 13 - Commission Bureau

CHAPTER III ADMINISTRATORS

13.1 Each Commission elects a working committee (hereafter referred to as "Bureau") from among its own delegates comprising a Chairman, a Secretary, and Ordinary Bureau members each representing one of the Associate Members (Article 42.1-42.3 Statutes). Candidates standing for the election of the Chairman and Secretary of a Commission must be present at the elections during the Commission's meeting.

13.2 Membership of the Bureau shall be restricted to the delegates to the Commission (Art. 42.2 Statutes).

13.3 A FIP Member, not having nominated a regular delegate to a Commission before the request for nominations for Chairman, Secretary and members of Bureau has been issued, may not appoint a delegate solely for the purpose of voting in the election.

13.4 For elections, nomination of alternate delegates and submission of proxies must be made in writing to the Chairman of the Commission at least one month in advance of the meeting. For illness or for other unforeseen reasons Article 18.8 of the Statutes will apply. The Chairmen of the Commissions must report nomination of alternate delgates and submission of proxies received to the FIP Secretary General and the Coordinator to that Commission at least one week before the meeting.

13.5 Commissions Chairmen, Secretaries and ordinary Bureau Members may not serve for more than two consecutive terms in the same position and four terms in total (Art. 42.5 Statutes). Each nominee for Commission Chairman preferably shall have served as a Bureau member of the appropriate Commission and should be at least a qualified FIP Juror.

13.6 When finalizing the period as a Chairman or Secretary he can not be a Bureau Member, despite not having finished the four terms allowed.

13.7 No person may, at one and the same time, hold office as Bureau member of more than one Commission (Art. 42.6 Statutes).

13.8 No member of the FIP Board may at the same time hold office in any Philatelic Commission of FIP (Art. 32.1 Statutes).

13.9 If there are no candidates nominated to fill one of the places reserved for Associate Members, such Bureau membership shall be left vacant. The Bureau may subsequently coopt a representative from the Associate Member who shall serve until the next Congress (Art. 42.7 Statutes).

CHAPTER IV ELECTIONS OF THE BUREAU MEMBERS

Article 14 - Elections

14.1 Each Commission elects a Chairman, a Secretary and ordinary Bureau members in accordance with Article 43.2 of the Statutes and 13 of this Guidelines.

14.2 All nominations for the Chairman, Secretary and the Bureau must be submitted by the FIP Member in writing to the FIP Secretariat with a copy to the Chairman and or the Secretary of the Commission six months before the date of election. Names of the candidates are to be included in the agenda of the Conference.

14.3 The election of the Chairman, Secretary and the Bureau members will be conducted by the Coordinator to that Commission.

14.4 All members of the Bureau shall be elected by vote of all the delegates present or holding a proxy in the following sequence (Art. 42.3 Statutes):

• a) The Chairman
• b) The Secretary
• c) Ordinary Bureau members each belonging to one of the current three Associate Members.

14.5 Election for Chairman, Secretary and ordinary Bureau members shall be carried out as follows (Art. 43.2 Statutes):

• a) Voting shall be by secret ballot of delegates present or holding a proxy.
• b) In the case of a tie, a second and further ballots shall be held between the tied candidates until one candidate receives a majority of the votes cast.
• c) Only one proxy may be held by any Delegate.
• d) Postal votes are not allowed.

14.6 Those elected shall be the candidates receiving the highest number of votes subject to the provision of Article 14.4 (Art. 43.3 Statutes)

14.7 The FIP Board shall submit the nomination of each Chairman of a Commission to the Congress for confirmation for a term of four years (Art. 42.5 Statutes).

14.8 Should, for any reason, the Chairman leave office during his term the Secretary shall take over as acting Chairman and serve until the next Commission's Conference meeting. This acting period shall not count toward two terms. The Secretary is replaced by one Bureau Member for this period.

14.9 If a vacancy occurs (due to death, resignation or other withdrawal of a member) on the Bureau of a Commission, the Commission's Chairman, in consultation with the members of the Bureau and subject to the consent of the member federation concerned, may coopt a regular delegate to the Commission to fill the vacancy. A Bureau member so coopted shall serve until the next Commission's Conference meeting. In the event that a vacancy occurs for any reason after the closing date for nominations for a Commission's election, such vacancy shall be filled at the election provided that a candidate, nominated according to the Statutes, is available. Should no candidate be available the vacancy shall be filled by cooption as provided above.

Article 15 - Bureau Meetings

15.1 The Bureau members of the Commission meets as required. Such meetings are convened by the Chairman of the Commission in writing at least one month prior to the opening of the meeting. The agenda will be sent to all FIP Board members and the FIP Secretariat at the same time.

15.2 The Coordinator to that Commission must be notified and shall be invited to all Bureau meetings and conferences of the Commissions. His expenses however, will not be paid out of the Commissions’ or FIP Budget.

Article 16 - Decisions

Every duly convened meeting of the Commission is competent to make decisions provided a quorum of more than 50% of the delegates are present in person or represented by proxy. The decisions are made by the highest number of votes polled. In the case of a tie, the Chairman shall have the casting vote. Minutes shall be prepared of every meeting of the Bureau and will be submitted to all FIP Board members, to the FIP Secretariat and to the Commissions 's delegates.

Article 17 A meeting of the FIP Board with the Chairmen of Commissions will be held at least every second year. The FIP President will convene this meeting. CHAPTER V COMMISSIONS REPORTS

Article 18 - Commission Reporting

18.1 Each Commission shall report to Congress in writing (Art. 45.1 Statutes):

• a) its work since the last Congress
• b) motions and proposals effecting their responsibility
• c) programme of work for the next two years
• d) its membership

18.2 These reports shall be submitted to the FIP Board at least six months before the Congress and shall be published together with the Congress agenda (Art. 45.2 Statutes)

18.3 They shall also report in writing their activities during the six months prior to Congress including the results of any elections for the Bureau. These reports shall be circulated immediately prior to the opening of Congress (Art. 45.3 Statutes).

18.4 The Commissions shall report to the FIP Board on the work of the Commission in the preceding year. Such reports must be submitted by 30 January (Art. 45.4 Statutes).

CHAPTER VI COMMISSION BUDGET AND EXPENDITURES

Article 19 - Commission Expenditure

19.1 FIP makes available funds necessary for the expenses of the Commissions within the limits of the overall budget approved by the Congress (Art. 46.1 Statutes).

19.2 The Commissions are not permitted to make any commitments over and beyond the budget authorised.

19.3 The expenditures of the Commissions must be submitted to the FIP Board with receipts not later than 14 days after year end (Art. 46.2 FIP Statutes).

Article 20 - Commissions Budget

20.1 The Commissions must submit to the Board Member responsible for finance a detailed budget proposal for the following calendar year, duly approved by their Bureau, by the 30th September of the preceding year.

20.2 The Budget shall be reviewed by the Board Member responsible for finance and submitted to the FIP Board for approval.

20.3 The amounts approved shall be communicated to the Commissions Chairmen by the Board Member responsible for finance after the approval of the FIP Board has been obtained.

20.4 Extraordinary expenses or expenses that are in excess of the budget provisions may not be incurred until written approval has been received from the Board Member responsible for finance.

Article 21 - Powers of Commissions

No Commission shall be empowered to enter into any obligations on behalf of the FIP except with the approval of and only to the extent conveyed in writing by the FIP Board (Art. 44 Statutes).

CHAPTER VII COMMISSION DOCUMENTATION

Article 22 - Commissions Documentation

22.1 The Chairman and/or the Secretary of the Commission must keep a file with the work of the Commission, list of delegates / regulations / mail.

22.2 That file will be given to the new Chairman or Secretary within 30 days after having been elected.

22.3 If this is not done it will be considered as a duty unfulfilled and it will be notified to the FIP Board.

Article 23 - Chairman documents (obligations)

23.1 When a new Commission's Chairman is elected, the retiring Chairman should hand in all documents referring to the Commission work (seminars and other papers) to the new chairman.

23.2 Documents written by a Chairman for the use of the Commission become property of the Commission. When published the source / author is to be mentioned. No individual may have copyright on a document based on the text / research of such. Article 24 General Disposition These regulations have been approved by the 51st FIP Congress and updated following the amendments of the FIP Statutes approved at the 74th FIP Congress. These new changes are updated and approved by the FIP Board at the 182nd Board meeting and to be reported to the 78th FIP Congress.

Zurich, March 2025