FIG STATUTES, INTERNAL RULES AND GUIDELINES

As adopted by the General Assembly on 15 June 2008

With changes approved by the General Assemblies in Eilat 3 may 2009, Kuala Lumpur 16 June 2014, Helsinki 2 June 2017 and Brisbane 10 April 2025.

(FIG PUBLICATION NO. 66)

CONTENTS

Preamble

Statutes

• Appendix A: Definition of the functions of the Surveyor

Internal Rules

Responsibilities of commission chairs

Guidelines to FIG members and their commission delegates

Responsibilities of permanent institutions

Guidelines on the FIG certificates and badges

Guidelines on the use of the FIG logo

Guidelines to assist the review of applications from potential member organisations

Criteria for FIG Honorary Presidents and Honorary Members

Engagement Committee

FIG Foundation - Statutes

Orders of the printed copies

PREAMBLE

The International Federation of Surveyors was founded in 1878 as the Fédération Internationale des Géomètres (FIG) by seven national associations of surveyors representing Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It is an international, non-governmental organisation (NGO) registered in the country in which its permanent office is domiciled, whose aim is to ensure that the disciplines of surveying and all who practise them meet the needs of the markets and communities that they serve. It operates under the following Statutes.

(as adopted by the General Assembly 15 June 2008)

1.0 DEFINITIONS

1.1 In these Statutes the following definitions shall apply

1. “Federation” means the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG)
2. “Internal Rules” means rules prescribed by the General Assembly for the efficient and democratic management of the affairs of the Federation
3. “Permanent Institution” means an institution established for the purpose of pursuing specific on-going tasks
4. “Office” means the permanent office for the purpose of administering the work of the Federation
5. ACCO means the Advisory Committee of Commission Officers
6. “Director” means a person employed as the director of the Federation.
7. “Office Manager” means a person employed as the manager of the Office.
8. “Surveyor” means a professional person as defined in Appendix A.

2.0 OBJECTIVES

2.1 The objectives of the Federation are:

1. to provide an international forum for the exchange of information about surveying and for the development of fellowship between surveyors
2. to collaborate with the United Nations and other international and regional agencies in the formulation and implementation of policies affecting the use, development and management of land and marine resources
3. to promote the disciplines of surveying, particularly in developing countries and countries in economic transition
4. to promote the role of the surveyor in the management of natural and man-made environments
5. to promote the development of national associations of surveyors and to promote professional standards and codes of ethics and the exchange of surveying personnel
6. to promote high standards of education and training for surveyors and to facilitate continuing professional development (CPD)
7. to encourage the development and proper use of appropriate technology
8. to encourage research in all disciplines of surveying and to disseminate the results.

2.2 The Federation shall abstain from any interference in questions of a political, racial or religious nature.

2.3 The Federation shall not permit any of its activities to be influenced by statements or actions of a political, social or religious nature.

3.0 MEMBERS

3.1 There shall be the following categories of members:

1. member association: a national association representing one or more of the disciplines of surveying. In special cases a member association may include a number of (small) countries.
2. affiliate: a group of surveyors or a surveying organisation undertaking professional activities but not fulfilling the criteria for member associations
3. corporate member: an organisation, institution or agency which provides commercial services related to the surveying profession
4. academic member: an organisation, institution or agency which promotes education or research in one or more of the disciplines of surveying
5. correspondent: an individual in a country where no association or group of surveyors exists that is eligible or able to join the Federation as a member association or affiliate
6. honorary president: a past president who has rendered outstanding service to the Federation during his or her period of office
7. honorary member: an individual who has materially assisted the development and promotion of the surveying profession at the international level.

3.2 The admission of a member association and the appointment of an honorary president and honorary member shall be decided by a vote of the General Assembly. All other admissions shall be decided by the Council.

3.3 Membership shall cease by resignation or by expulsion.

4.0 MEMBERSHIP FEES

4.1 The General Assembly shall set levels of fees, including minimum and maximum levels, for member associations based on the number of their members.

4.2 Fees shall be payable annually on the first day of the calendar year in which they fall due.

4.3 The General Assembly shall have the power to expel any member association whose fees are in arrears. The General Assembly shall under normal circumstances expel from the Federation any member association whose fees are three years in arrears. The Council shall take action to expel any other member whose fees are two years in arrears.

4.4 The fees payable by affiliates, corporate members, academic members and correspondents shall be decided by the Council and reported to the General Assembly.

4.5 Honorary presidents and honorary members shall not be required to pay any fees.

5.0 ADMINISTRATION OF THE FEDERATION

5.1 The Federation is an international organisation registered in the country where the Office is located.

5.2 The business of the Federation shall be directed by the Council under the authority of the General Assembly and administered by the Office.

5.3 The Council is composed of the president of the Federation and four vice presidents.

5.4 Additional ex-officio (non-voting) members of the Council may be appointed by the General Assembly. These will include an ACCO representative, the Director and the Office Manager.

5.5 The term of office for all elected members of the Council is four years subject to the provisions of section 5.6. No individual may serve for more than two consecutive periods on the Council as Vice President. The term of office of the president is limited to one period of four years. The term of office for the President, Vice Presidents and the ACCO representative starts on 1 January in the year immediately following their election. For the purposes of this section a single term of two years or less shall not be considered as a term of office.
(Approved by the General Assembly in Helsinki, 2 June 2017)

5.6 If any elected officer is unable to complete his or her period of office, a replacement member shall be elected by the General Assembly or appointed by the Council for the remaining period.

6.0 GOVERNANCE OF THE FEDERATION

6.1 The Federation is governed by its General Assembly of member associations which shall meet once each calendar year during the first half of the calendar year. The meetings of the General Assembly must be no closer than nine months apart, except in the case of an extraordinary meeting.

6.2 Meetings of the General Assembly are presided over by the president of the Federation or, in his or her absence, by one of the vice presidents. A full agenda, with motions for each item to be decided by the meeting, shall be sent out at least two months prior to each meeting and shall also be placed on the Federation’s home page on the World Wide Web.

6.3 The powers of the General Assembly are

1. to amend the Statutes of the Federation
2. to admit member associations and to appoint honorary presidents and honorary members
3. to elect members and to confirm appointments to the Council
4. to set levels of fees for the member associations
5. to establish commissions, ad hoc commissions, permanent institutions and task forces and to elect chairs and chairs elect of the commissions and directors of the permanent institutions
6. to adopt work plans, budgets and audited statements of accounts
7. to prescribe Internal Rules
8. to expel member associations
9. to do all such other matters as the Federation sees fit for the achievement and promotion of its objectives.

6.4 For a General Assembly to be constitutionally valid, there must be at least one individual member of at least one third of the member associations. An individual member may represent only one member association.

6.5 All decisions of the General Assembly shall be taken by simple majority vote. Only member associations which have paid their fees for the previous calendar year and have no other arrears except minor transaction costs and which are represented at the meeting by an individual member shall be entitled to vote. Each member association shall notify the Director in writing of the name of their official representative or representatives at or prior to the General Assembly.

6.6 A member association may:

1. cast one vote on each issue provided the member association had in the most recent subscription period an individual membership of 999 or fewer;
2. cast up to three votes on each issue provided the member association had in the most recent subscription period an individual membership of 5,500 or more, and subjected to the maximum subscription for a member association set by the General Assembly ;
3. otherwise cast up to two votes on each issue.

(Approved by the General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur 16 June 2014)

6.7 The vote shall be taken by a show of hands unless a ballot is ordered by the chairperson or requested and seconded from the floor. Elections shall always be by ballot. In the case of an equality of votes the chairperson shall cast the deciding vote except in the case of elections to office where the final decision will be made by selecting a name by blind ballot.

6.8 The Council or one quarter of the member associations can demand the convening of an extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly. The period of notice, quorum and voting procedures for an extraordinary meeting shall be the same as those for the General Assembly.

7.0 POWER TO BIND AND LIABILITY

7.1 The Federation shall indemnify employees, members of the Federation and all FIG officers and Directors against any liability in respect of actions properly taken on behalf of the Federation

8.0 FORCE MAJEURE

8.1 If the Council determines that circumstances at the designated venue do not allow the convening of a General Assembly in conformance with these Statutes, the Council will take the steps it considers necessary to continue the work of the Federation, including communicating with the Federation’s members. This may include: using postal voting for matters requiring urgent decision (except that of election to office); deferring the business of a General Assembly to the following year’s General Assembly; or convening a rearranged meeting of the General Assembly. A rearranged meeting will always be arranged if there is an election to office to be determined. If the Council decides to convene a rearranged meeting of the General Assembly in these circumstances, the timetabling provisions of Statutes 6.1 and 6.2 may be waived.

8.2 In the event of force majeure rendering liaison with the majority of members of the Federation impossible, the Council shall take all measures necessary for the safety of the Federation’s funds and its archives and for the custodianship of the Federation; but otherwise all activity of the Federation shall cease until conditions permit activities to be resumed.
(Approved by the General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur 16 June 2014)

9.0 LANGUAGE

9.1 The working language of the Federation shall be English.

10. LIQUIDATION

10.1 The decision to liquidate the Federation can be taken only at a meeting or an extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly.

10.2 Assets which may become available or realised shall be transferred to the members in proportion to annual fees paid in the calendar year prior to liquidation.

Appendix A

FIG Definition of the Functions of the Surveyor

Definition as a .pdf-file.

Summary

A surveyor is a professional person with the academic qualifications and technical expertise to conduct one, or more, of the following activities;

• to determine, measure and represent land, three-dimensional objects, point-fields and trajectories;
• to assemble and interpret land and geographically related information,
• to use that information for the planning and efficient administration of the land, the sea and any structures thereon; and,
• to conduct research into the above practices and to develop them.

Detailed Functions

The surveyor’s professional tasks may involve one or more of the following activities which may occur either on, above or below the surface of the land or the sea and may be carried out in association with other professionals.

1. The determination of the size and shape of the earth and the measurement of all data needed to define the size, position, shape and contour of any part of the earth and monitoring any change therein.
    
2. The positioning of objects in space and time as well as the positioning and monitoring of physical features, structures and engineering works on, above or below the surface of the earth.
    
3. The development, testing and calibration of sensors, instruments and systems for the above-mentioned purposes and for other surveying purposes.
    
4. The acquisition and use of spatial information from close range, aerial and satellite imagery and the automation of these processes.
    
5. The determination of the position of the boundaries of public or private land, including national and international boundaries, and the registration of those lands with the appropriate authorities.
    
6. The design, establishment and administration of geographic information systems (GIS) and the collection, storage, analysis, management, display and dissemination of data.
    
7. The analysis, interpretation and integration of spatial objects and phenomena in GIS, including the visualisation and communication of such data in maps, models and mobile digital devices.
    
8. The study of the natural and social environment, the measurement of land and marine resources and the use of such data in the planning of development in urban, rural and regional areas.
    
9. The planning, development and redevelopment of property, whether urban or rural and whether land or buildings.
    
10. The assessment of value and the management of property, whether urban or rural and whether land or buildings.
     
11. The planning, measurement and management of construction works, including the estimation of costs.

In the application of the foregoing activities surveyors take into account the relevant legal, economic, environmental and social aspects affecting each project.

INTERNAL RULES

Adopted by the General Assembly 15 June 2008 and including the new new internal rule 9.4 and amendments to internal rules 11.4 and 11.8 as adopted by the General Assembly 3 May 2009.

1.0 DEFINITIONS

1.1 In these Internal Rules the following definitions shall apply

1. “congress” means an international meeting held every fourth year and includes meetings of the General Assembly, the Advisory Committee of Commission Officers and the Council.
2. “host” means the member association or member associations responsible for hosting and organising a meeting together with the Federation.
3. “working week” means a period of activity including an international seminar and meetings of the General Assembly, the Advisory Committee of Commission Officers and the Council.

2.0 MEMBER ASSOCIATION

2.1 A member association is comprised of individuals who possess relevant academic qualifications (which should normally be equivalent to at least UNESCO International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) level 5 degrees) plus approved professional experience; and who provide professional services in accordance with ethical standards.

2.2 Associations which include technician grades of membership are also eligible for membership of the Federation.

2.3 A member association shall be entitled to host congresses and working weeks together with the Federation, to nominate candidates for election to the Council, to nominate a delegate to each commission and ad hoc commission of the Federation, to participate in voting at meetings and extraordinary meetings of the General Assembly and to receive all material disseminated in the name of the Federation. A member association shall encourage its members to participate in the Federation’s technical meetings.

2.4 In the case of an application received from an association in a country which already has one or more member associations, these associations shall be informed of the application and their comments sought.

2.5 An association wishing to become a member of the Federation shall make an application to the Council which will consider it and submit it to a vote of the General Assembly.

3.0 AFFILIATE

3.1 An affiliate is an organisation, comprised of individuals who practise the profession of surveying, which does not fulfil the criteria for membership as a member association.

3.2 An affiliate may be admitted to membership where the discipline or disciplines it represents are not already represented within the Federation by a member association from the same country. The admission of an affiliate should normally be a step towards the development of an association which can eventually become a member association. Governmental and regional bodies can be admitted to affiliate membership, if they fulfil the other criteria of membership.

3.3 An affiliate shall be entitled to nominate a correspondent (a non-voting delegate) to each commission and ad hoc commission of the Federation and to receive all material disseminated in the name of the Federation. An affiliate shall encourage its members to participate in the Federation’s technical meetings.

3.4 In the case of an application received from a group or organisation in a country which already has one or more member associations, these associations shall be informed by the Council of the application and their comments sought.

3.5 A group or organisation wishing to become an affiliate shall make an application to the Council which will consider it and notify the applicant and the General Assembly of its decision.

4.0 CORPORATE MEMBERS

4.1 An organisation, institution or agency wishing to become a corporate member shall make an application to the Council which will consider it and notify the applicant and the General Assembly of its decision.

4.2 A corporate member shall be entitled to contribute to the work of the Federation, to nominate a correspondent (a non-voting delegate) to each commission and ad hoc commission of the Federation, to receive all material disseminated in the name of the Federation and to promote its products and services through the medium of the Federation. Corporate members’ representatives shall be encouraged to participate in the Federation’s technical meetings.

5.0 ACADEMIC MEMBERS

5.1 An organisation, institution or agency wishing to become an academic member shall make an application to the Council which will consider it, and notify the applicant and the General Assembly of its decision.

5.2 An academic member shall be entitled to nominate a correspondent (a non-voting delegate) to each commission and ad hoc commission of the Federation, to receive all material disseminated in the name of the Federation and to promote its educational and research activities through the medium of the Federation, including the Federation’s surveying education data base. Academic members’ representatives shall be encouraged to participate in the Federation’s technical meetings.

6.0 CORRESPONDENTS

6.1 A correspondent shall be a senior member of the profession whose activities bring him or her into contact with more than one discipline of surveying. There shall be no more than one correspondent per country.

6.2 Correspondents shall be entitled to contribute to the work of the commissions and ad hoc commissions of the Federation and to receive all material disseminated in the name of the Federation and have a duty to make this material available to surveyors and others in their countries. Correspondents and other surveyors in the countries they represent shall be encouraged to participate in the Federation’s technical meetings.

6.3 The admission of a correspondent should normally be a step towards the development of groups or associations in the same country which can eventually become affiliates or member associations.

6.4 The admission of a correspondent shall be decided by the Council and reported to the General Assembly. A correspondent must withdraw from membership consequent on the country it represents within the Federation becoming a member association, an affiliate or an academic member from the same country.

7.0 HONORARY PRESIDENT AND HONORARY MEMBER

7.1 Nominations for honorary president and honorary member shall be made by a member association or the Council which will consider them and submit them to a vote of the General Assembly.

7.2 Honorary presidents and honorary members shall be kept informed about the activities of the Federation and welcomed at meetings of the General Assembly.

8.0 OFFICE

8.1 The Office of the Federation is located in Copenhagen, Denmark.

9.0. THE COUNCIL

9.1 The president is elected by the General Assembly in the year of a Congress. Each nomination shall be made by the member association of which the nominee is a member. The Council will write to member associations asking for nominations and giving the closing date for their receipt by the Office. This will normally be four months prior to the General Assembly.

9.2 The four vice presidents are elected by the General Assembly. The election will take place on a phased basis so that two posts are filled at the General Assembly held during a congress year and two posts at the Assembly held two years later. Each nomination shall be made by the member association of which the nominee is a member. The Council will write to member associations asking for nominations and giving the closing date for their receipt by the Office. This will normally be four months prior to the General Assembly.

9.3 The Council shall prepare a template document specifying the background information required from each candidate for any open post on the Council. This document shall be available on the FIG web site. Additional information may be provided at the discretion of the candidate and member association. All nominations must be accompanied by a letter from the candidate consenting to the nomination together with a completed template document.

9.4 No individual may be nominated for election to more than one position at any General Assembly. No serving Commission Chair or Chair Elect may be nominated for a position on Council if this would result in overlapping terms of office as a Council Member and Commission Officer. (Approved by General Assembly in Eilat 3 May 2009).

9.5 The General Assembly shall vote for each candidate of their choice. The first vote shall be between all candidates for the post in question. If no single candidate for that post gains an absolute majority of the votes cast, a second vote will be held between the two candidates that have the most votes. In the event of a tie on that vote, the final decision shall be made by selecting a name by blind ballot.

9.6 The Council shall meet whenever necessary and at least twice a year. The Council may conduct meetings electronically or by telephone conference call.

9.7 The Council shall develop and ensure the implementation of the policy of the Federation and seek approval for the Federation’s work plan from the General Assembly. It shall prepare and submit to the General Assembly for approval annual budgets and statements of account and ensure that professional audits are conducted annually. It shall execute contracts to maintain and staff the Office, lay down the responsibilities of the Office and monitor its performance. The Council can delegate some of these tasks to the President or Vice President(s).

10.0 FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION

10.1 The Federation shall finance its activities from fees payable by its members; meetings, publications and other revenue-generating activities; grants and subsidies; special levies; and gifts and legacies.

10.2 Changes to levels of fees set by the General Assembly must be approved by the General Assembly during the calendar year that occurs two years ahead of the one in which the changes are to take effect.

10.3 In the case of a member expelled for non-payment of fees, membership can be restored on payment of the arrears by the decision of the Council.

11.1 Commissions shall be established to further the technical and professional work of the Federation. Between them they shall cover all the activities listed in the definition of a surveyor. The terms of reference of the commissions and the duration of their work shall be decided by a vote of the General Assembly so that together they shall be able to anticipate and respond to market trends and client demand.

11.2 A commission shall be comprised of delegates appointed by the member associations and correspondents (non-voting delegates) appointed by other members. Each member association shall be entitled to appoint one delegate to each commission, who will be expected to attend, as a minimum, at least one congress or a working week and, whenever possible, technical meetings organised by the commission. It is, however, recognised that much of the work of a commission will be conducted by correspondence.

11.3 Affiliates, corporate members and academic members shall be entitled to appoint one correspondent (non-voting delegate) to each commission. Correspondents and other persons appointed by commission chairs may contribute to the work of the commissions but not to their administration.

11.4 Each commission shall be presided over by a chair who shall take office at the start of the year following a congress and serve for a four year term. The election of chairs of commissions shall be decided by a vote of the General Assembly. For each four year term, each member association may nominate one person for a position of a Commission Chair. Nominations shall normally be called for at least four months in advance of the General Assembly at which the elections are to be held to enable the Council to ensure that the nominees command the support of their member associations and the relevant commissions. A nominee shall preferably have played an active part in the activities of the commission for which he or she is being nominated as chair, and shall have demonstrated possession of the personal and professional capabilities needed to lead the work of the commission. In addition, the Council shall assure itself as to the nominees’ practical availability for service and that they have sufficient financial and administrative support. In the event of no nomination being received for the chair of a particular commission, the Council shall take such action as may be needed to ensure that the position is filled. (Approved by General Assembly in Eilat 3 May 2009).

11.5 No one member association shall normally hold a chair of the same commission for two consecutive terms.

11.6 Each commission chair shall attend and submit a report to each meeting of the General Assembly, and may participate in debate but shall not have voting rights.

11.7 The Council shall promulgate guidance notes for commission chairs.

11.8 The election of chair-elect shall be decided by a vote of the General Assembly at the meeting which takes place one year prior to the General Assembly at which chairs are elected (amended and approved by General Assembly in Brisbane 10 April 2025). For each four year term, each member association may nominate one person for a position of chair-elect of a Commission. Nominations shall normally be called for at least four months in advance of the General Assembly at which the elections are to be held to enable the Council to ensure that the nominees command the support of their member associations and the relevant commissions. A nominee shall preferably have played an active part in the activities of the commission for which he or she is being nominated as chair, and shall have demonstrated possession of the personal and professional capabilities needed to lead the work of the commission. In addition, the Council shall assure itself as to the nominees’ practical availability for service and that they have sufficient financial and administrative support. In the event of no nomination being received for the chair of a particular commission, the Council shall take such action as may be needed to ensure that the position is filled. (Approved by General Assembly in Eilat 3 May 2009)

11.9 The General Assembly shall vote for each candidate of their choice. The first vote shall be between all candidates for the post in question. If no single candidate for that post gains an absolute majority of the votes cast, a second vote will be held between the two candidates that have the most votes. In the event of a tie on that vote, the final decision shall be made by selecting a name by blind ballot.

11.10 The Commission chair-elect will appoint a minimum of three chairs of Working Groups prior to the General Assembly in which he or she will take over the chairmanship of the Commission. These Working Group chairs will be given the status of a Commission Vice Chair. In addition the chair-elect may also appoint a person to provide administrative and communication support to the work of the Commission. This person will also be given the status of a Commission vice chair.

11.11 The chair of each commission shall prepare a work plan setting out the various activities of the commission together with inter-commission activities proposed for the four year term. The work plan shall be prepared and submitted to Council between the time of the General Assembly when the chair is elected and commencement of the term of office.

11.12 In the event that a chair, chair-elect or a vice-chair is unable to fulfil the responsibilities of the office the Council shall make such arrangements as it deems necessary to ensure the continuity of that commission’s work, including the appointment of a new chair, new chair-elect or new vice-chair if necessary.

11.13 All persons appointed to, or nominated for, the posts of chair, chair-elect or vice-chair of a Commission or Inter-Commission activity must be a member of and have the formal support of their Member Association.

12.0 THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF COMMISSION OFFICERS (ACCO)

12.1 ACCO is constituted by the commission chairs and chairs-elect and the vice president responsible for commissions and the ACCO representative on the Council. It shall be chaired by the vice-president and shall be responsible to the Council. ACCO shall meet at least annually, during either the working week or the period of a congress. It is responsible for co-ordinating and advising the Council on the work of the commissions. It may also debate other matters affecting the Federation and advise the Council accordingly.

12.2 ACCO shall be entitled to nominate a representative to the Council whose term of office shall be two years. This representative shall be knowledgeable about the commissions and their way of working and will normally be a commission chair or a chair elect.

13.0 TASK FORCES

13.1 Task Forces may be established by the Council to carry out special technical assignments, projects or studies, or to advise on matters of an administrative or general policy nature. They will normally be established for a specified period and disbanded following the acceptance of their reports by the Council and, where necessary, the General Assembly. Their composition, chairs, terms of reference and work plans shall be approved by the Council. (Approved by the General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur 16 June 2014).

14.0 PERMANENT INSTITUTIONS

14.1 The establishment of a permanent institution shall be decided by a vote of the General Assembly for the purpose of pursuing specific on-going tasks.

14.2 The work of a permanent institution shall be presided over by a director, who shall be nominated by a member association in the country in which the permanent institution is housed. The Council will consider the nominations for the director and submit it to a vote of the General Assembly. The Council will ensure that the work of a Permanent Institution accords with the Federation’s plan of work.

14.3 Directors of permanent institutions may attend meetings of the General Assembly and may participate in debate but shall not have voting rights. They shall present reports on the work of their permanent institutions to each meeting of the General Assembly.

14.4 Each permanent institution shall be responsible for its own finances and for any expenses incurred by its director.

15.0 LIAISON WITH INTERNATIONAL BODIES

15.1 The Council, together with the commissions where appropriate, shall seek opportunities for the Federation to develop relationships and undertake activities jointly with the United Nations and other international agencies.

15.2 The Council shall take action to ensure that the surveying profession is correctly represented in international and regional classifications of activities, occupations and educational programmes.

16.0 CONGRESSES AND WORKING WEEKS

16.1 Congresses provide opportunities for commissions to report the results of their previous four years’ work and to establish the goals which will guide their future work. Technical and professional meetings, including those held during working weeks, and other technical and professional events provide a medium for the commissions to present interim reports and otherwise to review progress and identify trends that will influence their future work.

16.2 A member association or associations wishing to host a congress or a working week in its country shall make a submission, accompanied by an outline budget, to the Council and the venue shall be selected four years in advance on a vote of the General Assembly. If the host is subsequently unable to fulfil its commitment, the Council will decide on an alternative venue, which the General Assembly will be invited to ratify at its next meeting.

16.3 The Council will publish guidelines on procedures for congresses, working weeks and regional conferences.

17.0 DOCUMENTATION AND INTERPRETATION

17.1 Documentation for and presentations at all meetings of the Federation shall be in English apart from regional conferences, smaller events and individual sessions at the conferences. Host associations can, if they so wish, organise the translation of documents into other languages. The host may provide simultaneous interpretation into its own language. Other member associations can bring their own interpreters and the host may provide simultaneous interpretation facilities for a limited number of languages, debiting the cost to the event budget.

18.0 PUBLICATIONS

18.1 The Council shall be responsible for publishing

1. the FIG web site on the World Wide Web
2. an annual report, which is the Federation’s main medium of external communication and its principal marketing tool
3. a quarterly or monthly bulletin, as the main medium of communication between the Council; the commissions and their delegates; and the members of the Federation. The bulletin may be in either printed or electronic format.
4. additions to the FIG publication series, which includes formal policy statements and ethical, educational and technical guidelines and reports
5. practice statements
6. minutes of meetings and extraordinary meetings of the General Assembly and minutes of meetings of the Council.

19.0 BADGES AND CERTIFICATES

19.1 From time to time the Federation may award badges and certificates in recognition of individuals who have made significant contributions to the work of the Federation. The Council shall decide who merits the awards and shall publish guidelines regarding the format of the badges and certificates.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMISSION CHAIRS

Endorsed by the General Assembly 15 June 2008.

The particular responsibilities of each chair are as follows:

• lead the commission in seeking to achieve the overall objectives of the Federation
• prepare a work plan that helps to take forward FIG’s strategic plan and advance the overall objectives of the Federation, appointing working groups as appropriate
• modify the work plan if asked to do so by the Council in order to meet the overall objectives of the Federation
• direct the affairs of the commission so that it achieves the goals outlined in its current work plan
• consult with and involve the delegates, correspondents (non-voting delegates) and others involved in the work of the commission in order to achieve these goals
• work with other commission officers and chairs of commission working groups (commission vice chairs) in all matters relating to strategy and planning
• submit annual written reports to the General Assembly on progress in implementing the work plan
• attend all meetings of the Advisory Committee of Commission Officers
• if required, appoint a commission secretary (Vice Chair of Administration) to assist with the work of the commission
• organise seminars, workshops and commission delegate meetings during congresses, FIG working weeks and regional conferences, if possible, or otherwise, on an annual basis
• seek opportunities for advancing the work of the commission through the co-sponsorship of events with relevant outside bodies, member associations, etc
• participate as requested by the Council and the General Assembly in cross-commission project activity as a means of advancing the overall objectives of the Federation and its current work plan
• prepare, in collaboration with the FIG Office and the congress director, a detailed programme for the congress, working weeks and regional conferences and call for papers
• select the required number of papers for discussion in the technical sessions (papers having an international relevance and a high professional, technical or scientific standard), leaving as poster session papers those of immediate relevance or those more appropriate for that form of presentation
• chair sessions at FIG events or select chairs and brief them to ensure that creative and informative discussions take place
• appoint rapporteurs for summarising discussions at technical sessions and for subsequent publication in appropriate Federation media
• maintain a commission web page on the World Wide Web.

Guidelines to FIG members and their commission delegates

Endorsed by the General Assembly 15 June 2008.

The purpose of these guidelines is to help ensure that the full benefit of FIG membership is passed down to all the individual members of associations or other organisations that are members of the Federation.

To ensure that individual members are kept fully informed of and have an opportunity to provide input to the work of FIG to the work of FIG and its commissions, FIG recommends that:

• FIG members should support, or encourage others to support, the attendance of national commission delegates at FIG congresses and annual FIG working weeks (including annual commission delegate meetings and technical symposia), regional conferences and other symposia organised by the commissions
• FIG members and national commission delegates should consider establishing networks within their countries to communicate information and obtain feedback
• national commission delegates should be actively involved in commission activities, including responding to questionnaires and correspondence and identifying topics and authors of papers for commission symposia and FIG events
• FIG members should seek and encourage funding support to enable national commission delegates to attend FIG activities, including commission meetings
• national commission delegates should write at least one annual report for publication in a local newsletter or technical journal for dissemination to individual members of their association or organisation.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF PERMANENT INSTITUTIONS

Endorsed by the General Assembly 15 June 2008.

International Office of Cadastre and Land Records (Office International de Cadastre et du Régime Foncier – OICRF

The responsibilities of the International Office of Cadastre and Land Records (Office International de Cadastre et du Régime Foncier – OICRF) are:

• To collect and systematically file and index all documentary material relating to existing cadastral and land registration systems in all countries
• To make comparative studies of that material followed by publication of the results
• To give information and advice on all cadastral and land registration systems to interested institutions or persons, whether for the purpose of study or to help countries wishing either to introduce a cadastre or a land registration system or to improve their existing system
• To maintain the documentary material on a day to day basis

International Institution on the History of Surveying and Measurement – a Permanent Institution of FIG

The responsibilities of the International Institution on the History of Surveying and Measurement – a Permanent Institution of FIG are:

• To study the achievements of surveyors, the evolution of knowledge and the methodology of measuring, and the evolution of surveying instrumentation
• To encourage the preservation of instruments, basis documentation, and books (including manuscripts, diaries and field books)
• To promote an interest in the history of surveying, inter alia through research and exhibitions
• To collaborate with other experts, including curators and others who have the care of collections of relevant material
• To encourage and promote survey art.

Guidelines on FIG Certificates and Badges

Adopted by the FIG Council 25 January 2008.

Badges

1. There shall be three categories of badge, each 17mm x 17mm, enamelled and displaying the FIG logo,
   - for honorary presidents, with golden oak leaves
   - for honorary members, with silver oak leaves
   - for members of the Council and chairs of commissions, with bronze oak leaves

Certificates

1. There shall be certificates of appointment for honorary presidents and honorary members.
2. There shall be certificates of membership for member associations, affiliates, corporate members, correspondents and academic members.
3. There shall be certificates of appreciation for past members of the Council, past chairs of commissions, past vice chairs of commissions and representatives of the organising committee of major FIG events. In addition the Council may present a certificate of appreciation to anyone who has made a valuable contribution to the work of the Federation.

GUIDELINES ON THE USE OF THE FIG LOGO

Adopted by the FIG Council 25 January 2008.

1. Background

The aim of these guidelines is to clarify the procedure of how to apply the privilege of using the FIG logo for events and publications and/or the endorsement of FIG e.g. for guidelines and standards. The general policy of the Federation is in favour of the use of the FIG logo and its signs at the national level by member associations to promote their membership in FIG to individual members. “Normal use” of the FIG logo would be to use the logo in conjunction with the term “Member Association”, “Affiliate Member”, “Academic Member”, or “Corporate Member”. The different logos with the text can be downloaded from the FIG web page (under Administration). The logos are available in several formats both for printing and for web site use.

2. Events

FIG policy on the right to use the FIG logo and signs for different kinds of events is as follows:

FIG support for international and regional conferences, congresses, exhibitions and symposia as a Federation

The decision whether FIG will be an organiser, a co-organiser or a co-sponsor of an event is taken by the FIG Council. This is applied when the request is about whether FIG as a Federation supports the event. The Council will also decide on the financial consequences (sharing the profit; royalties for the use of the FIG logo to be donated to the FIG Foundation or FIG; financial support given by FIG to the event; and sponsoring e.g. speakers from developing countries to the event). Normally to get FIG to support an event requires that FIG is involved in and/or consulted on the programme. Further there also has to be a clear contribution from FIG during the event itself. Applications to use the FIG logo and signs for such purposes should be sent to the FIG Office.

If this kind of event is organised by an organisation that has a Memorandum of Understanding with FIG and the topics of the event are in accordance with the MoU, the FIG Office will make the decision on the use of the FIG logo. The FIG Office will contact all relevant bodies in FIG, e.g. Commissions involved. Also in these events there shall be an FIG input to the programme.

The permit to use the FIG logo in conjunction with any event that is organised or co-organised by FIG shall give FIG the right to publish the proceedings of the event on the FIG web site without any compensation.

FIG support for international conferences, symposia and seminars from an FIG Commission

The decision whether an individual Commission (or several Commissions individually) is willing to support an international or regional event will be made by the chair of each Commission. The contact can be made directly to the Commission chair or to the FIG Office, which will then inform Commission chairs of the request and take care of disseminating the information in the case of a positive decision (newsletters, bulletins, leaflets etc.). When a Commission decides to support an event it is also responsible for taking care of its input to the programme of the event. On the possibility of financial support the Council shall be consulted.

Permission to use the FIG logo in conjunction with any event that is organised or co-organised by FIG shall give FIG the right to publish the proceedings of the event on the FIG web site without compensation.

FIG support for national events and conferences

The normal way for FIG to support national conferences is not to give the right to use the FIG logo except to use it in addition with text “FIG Member Association”, explained above. If FIG, however, decides to send a representative to an event or, for other reasons, decides to support the event, the Council can decide that the event will be a co-sponsored FIG event.

3. Publications

The FIG policy to permit the use of its logo and signs (e.g. endorsed, recommended or refereed by FIG) is as follows:

Commercial use of the FIG logo for guidelines, publications etc.

The request to use the FIG logo for commercial purposes in publications shall be sent to the Council (FIG Office) which will contact the Commissions that have expertise on this topic. The Commission(s) is requested to evaluate whether the publication fulfils the scientific, technical and ethical qualifications that FIG expects from publications that it supports. The Commission(s) shall inform the Council whether terms like “Endorsed by FIG” or “Recommended by FIG”, if any, could be used in this connection. The royalties or fees to be paid to FIG or the FIG Foundation (these shall be based on the commercial benefit) will be decided by the FIG Office based on the guidelines given by the Council.

Other publications with no commercial value

Permission to use the FIG logo and signs with these publications will be decided by the FIG Council, relevant FIG Commission or the FIG Office following FIG policy. The professional/scientific value of the publication shall always be refereed by a Commission(s). Each Commission decides on its own publications and endorsement (e.g. “Endorsed by FIG Commission 5”, “Recommended by Commission 8”. The Council (or the FIG Office if delegated to it) decides whether a publication will be published by FIG in its publication series.

Publications at national level and in local languages

The general policy of FIG is to promote the membership of the Federation at the national and local levels. This includes publishing FIG reports and publications (including Commission reports) in local languages by member associations. When doing so the FIG logo must be clearly visible. There will be no charge for using the FIG logo if the publication is used in its original format. A copy of the publication has to be submitted to the FIG Office and the proceedings in electronic format are to be posted on the FIG web site when appropriate.

GUIDELINES TO ASSIST THE REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS FROM POTENTIAL MEMBER ORGANISATIONS

Adopted by the FIG Council 25 January 2008.

1. Introduction

Following the policy of the Federation to increase its efforts to extend membership, and the subsequent decision by the General Assembly to enable membership from more than one professional organisation per country, an increasing number of new applications have been forthcoming. This has clear benefits to the Federation by enhancing its role as an international NGO representing all facets of the surveying profession. In addition new members often bring a different perspective to the work of the Federation and help strengthen its technical and professional activities.

To assist in the review of applications for membership the following guidelines have been established.

2. Guidelines for reviewing new applications for membership

2.1 New applications where no existing member association exists.

The process of reviewing new applications will follow the criteria established by the General Assembly in its Internal Rules.

These criteria include; (section 2 – internal rules):

• That a member association is comprised of individuals who possess relevant academic qualifications (which should normally be to at least UNESCO ISCED level 5 degree) plus approved professional experience and who provide professional services in accordance with ethical standards.
• Associations which include technician grades are also eligible for membership in the Federation.

Subject to satisfying these conditions, the Council will normally recommend to the General Assembly, without reservation, that the application be endorsed.

2.2 New applications where one or more member association currently exists.

In circumstances where a membership application is received from a country where one or more member associations currently exist, the Council will inform the existing member(s) of the new application. This is clearly important as a matter of common courtesy. In addition an existing member may wish to offer views on the new member’s application. These views will be considered by the Council in reviewing the application from the potential new member.

In reviewing new applications, the Council will in addition judge the application against the following criteria;

• Does the application meet the requirements for membership in FIG in terms of area of practice, educational level etc.?
• Is the application complementary to that covered by the existing member association, for example, in terms of representing;
  • a different area of the profession of surveying (as set out in the FIG definition of a surveyor); or
  • a different balance of area of practice (e.g. members drawn predominantly from the private sector compared to public sector representation, or vice versa); or
  • another form of complementary activity?

In these cases the application would normally be recommended, without reservation, to the General Assembly.

• In circumstances where the new application appears to duplicate entirely or predominantly the work of the existing member’s activities the new application will also be considered.

In these cases the application may also, on its merits, be recommended by Council to the GA.

• In circumstances where one, or more, of the existing members do not fully support the application, the Council may, nevertheless, recommend to the GA the proposal to admit the applicant,

In these cases, however, the objections of the member association will be made known to the GA and the member association(s) will be invited to present their case to the GA prior to any vote on the application taking place.

Criteria for FIG Honorary Presidents and Honorary Members

Adopted by the FIG Council 25 May 2007
This criteria as a .pdf file.

Definitions

Honorary President is defined in the Statutes (para 3.1.6 §):

• honorary president: a past president who has rendered outstanding service to the Federation during his or her period of office

Honorary Member is defined in the Statutes (para 3.1.7 §).

• honorary member: an individual who has materially assisted the development and promotion of the surveying profession at the international level

In the Internal Rules there are rules how to make the nominations for each of these two positions (para 7 §):

• 7.1 § Nominations for these appointments shall be made by a member association or the Council which will consider them and submit them to a vote of the General Assembly.
• 7.2 § Honorary presidents and honorary members shall be kept informed about the activities of the Federation and welcomed at meetings of the General Assembly.

In addition Honorary Presidents and Honorary Members shall not be required to pay any fees (Statutes 4.5 §)

Nominations

Nomination is normally made by the member association in which the candidate is a member. The Member associations have been advised to contact the Council before making formal nomination to avoid embarrassing situations if the candidate does not qualify to the criteria that the Council wants to keep to the honorary members. Nominations may be initiated by Council and in some cases also taken forward by the Council (in the case that the candidate is qualified and the member association cannot for a specific reason make the nomination).

Nominations shall include a letter from the member association and a short CV of the candidate highlighting his/her services to FIG or issues that deserves to be recognised by FIG.

Normally the Council will put forward to the General Assembly only one nomination per year (either an Honorary President or an Honorary Member).

Qualifications

There has been a tradition that the past president has been appointed as an Honorary President at the General Assembly immediately following the close of his/her presidency. Up to now all past presidents have been appointed to Honorary Presidents.

For the post of Honorary Member there has been a tradition that two terms in the FIG administration have been needed to become an Honorary Member. This has normally been two terms in the Council or one term in the Council and one as Commission Chair. If the candidate has had only one term in the FIG administration special services to the Federation have been required (e.g. long-term participation in the work of the Federation, membership in task force(s), producing FIG report(s) etc. as well as significant contributions to member association/national surveying community. So e.g. a membership alone in the Council or being a Congress Director has not been sufficient to qualify for an Honorary Member. Number of honorary members per Bureau (Council) has been limited to 1-2.

The second group of Honorary Members have been those individuals who are highly respected nationally and in this position have served both FIG and their own association for long time (often more than 20 years).

THE FIG FOUNDATION

STATUTES

Adopted by the FIG Council 25 January 2008.

1. The name of the Foundation is The FIG Foundation (”the Foundation”).

2. The Foundation is established under the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) which is registered under Danish legislation in Denmark with a permanent office in Copenhagen.

3. The purpose of the Foundation is the funding of educational and capacity building projects and scholarships.

The objects for which the Foundation is established are:

1. To give grants and scholarships to projects, for instance to develop curricula for surveying education, training and capacity building, especially in developing countries;
2. To encourage research into all disciplines of surveying and to disseminate the results of that research;
3. To promote high standards of education and training for surveyors and to facilitate continuing professional development;
4. To educate people in the disciplines of surveying, particularly in developing countries and countries in transition;
5. To promote the use of distance learning, networking , eLearning and knowledge management in surveying education and continuing professional development;
6. To promote the exchange of surveying personnel for greater understanding of all facets of the profession of surveying;
7. To support by seed funding conferences, meetings of young surveyors and similar events in co-operation with international agencies such as the United Nations.

4. The Foundation is administered by the FIG Office and directed by a Board of Directors. The five (5) Directors are appointed by the FIG Council. The majority of the Directors shall have expertise in education in surveying disciplines and be familiar with FIG. One of the Directors shall be one of the Vice Presidents of FIG. The remaining Directors shall not be members of the FIG Council. The FIG Council appoints one of the Directors to be the President of the Foundation.

5. The Foundation may use fifty (50) per cent of its annual income for projects implementing its aims. This amount can be exceeded for special circumstances.

6. The funds of the Foundation shall not be used to support the normal activities of FIG, for instance to support travel to conferences or visits to member associations.

7. The Directors shall announce to FIG members once a year the scholarships and grants available from the Foundation. These announcements will be distributed through normal FIG information channels.

8. If there are insufficient applications meeting the criteria set by the Directors submitted in any year to use all of the funds available for distribution in that year, the Directors will decide whether the unused funds will be carried forward for use in the following year, or used for increasing the Foundation’s assets, or a mixture of these two options.

9. The accounting year of the Foundation is the calendar year. Accounts shall be prepared in conjunction with the FIG accounts and shall be audited together with the FIG accounts. The accounts and annual report of the Foundation shall be submitted to the General Assembly of FIG for its information. The annual report will include information on fundraising activities undertaken and grants given.

10. If the Foundation is closed for any reason, any remaining Foundation funds shall be used for the purposes expressed in the objects of the Foundation on decision of the FIG General Assembly.

11. Changes to these statutes may be made by the FIG Council.