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1. Name and address

The name of the organization is the International Documentation Committee (CIDOC), hereafter referred to as the Committee or CIDOC. Its address is care of the Chair of the Committee.

2. Relationship with ICOM

The Committee is an International Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), established under Article 17 para 3 of the Statutes of ICOM. Its activities are at all times subject to the Statutes and to these Rules, made in accordance with Article 28 of the Statutes.

3. Aims

The aims of CIDOC are to:

• (i) support the aims and objectives of ICOM, in particular with reference to the management and use of museum information and documentation;
• (ii) contribute to the development and implementation of ICOM’s program;
• (iii) formulate and carry out a program of activities related to museum information and documentation;
• (iv) provide a forum for communication, cooperation and information exchange, between museums, professional museum workers and others concerned with museum information and documentation;
• (v) provide advice to ICOM on museum information and documentation and be a source of professional expertise to assist in the implementation of ICOM’s program;
• (vi) represent the interests of museum information and documentation within ICOM;
• (vii) cooperate with ICOM National Committees, Regional Organizations, other International Committees and Affiliated Organizations, in matters related to the Committee’s specific mandate and to the broader interests of ICOM.

4. Membership

(a) The membership of the Committee shall comprise those members being individual Members or designated representatives of Institutional Members of ICOM who request membership of the Committee, and such other persons (not exceeding 20% of the Committee membership) who are coopted to the Committee.

(b) Members of the Committee shall be either:

• (i) Voting Members, being members of ICOM who have nominated CIDOC as the Committee of which they wish to be a voting member; or
• (ii) Non voting Members, being members of ICOM who have sought membership of the Committee but who are voting members of another International Committee; or
• (iii) Coopted Members, being persons not members of ICOM who provide professional services to museums, who accept and abide by the ICOM Code of Professional Ethics, and do not deal in cultural property. Members in this category shall be coopted in conjunction with a specific project or for a specific period of time.

(c) Members of ICOM wishing to join the Committee, as either Voting or Non voting Members, shall inform ICOM Headquarters, which shall transmit details of the Member’s application to the Secretary of the Committee, together with advice as to whether the Member is a voting member of any other International Committee of ICOM.

(d) The Secretary shall allocate all such applications to one or other of the classes of membership, depending on the voting affiliation (if any) of the applicant with another International Committee. A person shall not be denied membership on the grounds of lack of professional qualifications in the area of specialization of the Committee.

(e) Membership of the Committee shall cease if the Member:

• (i) resigns from the Committee;
• (ii) ceases to be a member of ICOM for any reason.

5. Rights of Members

(a) Upon admission of a person to membership of the Committee, membership rights accrue to the member, including participating in the activities and program of the Committee, attending meetings organized by the Committee, and purchasing any publications produced by the Committee for sale to Members.

(b) Persons admitted as Voting Members shall have the right to vote in the business meetings of the Committee, stand for election to the Board, vote in Board elections and be designated as a representative of the Committee to vote at the General Assembly of ICOM and in the election of the Executive Council.

(c) A Voting Member of the Committee who seeks and obtains voting membership of another International Committee shall, upon request, become a Non voting Member of the Committee.

(d) Non voting Members and Coopted Members may not vote in the affairs of the Committee nor stand for election to the Board.

6. Meetings of the Committee

(a) The Committee shall hold such meetings as it considers necessary for the attainment of its objectives and carrying out its program.

(b) At all meetings of the Committee, participants may present papers and speak in any of the official languages of ICOM. Another language may be used if a participant arranges for translation into one of the official languages of ICOM or if the majority of participants agree to its use without translation.

(c) The Committee shall meet in plenary session each year and in conjunction with the General Assembly of ICOM. At least six months notice shall be given to all Members of the Committee of the place and date of plenary meetings.

(d) The triennial plenary meeting held in conjunction with the General Assembly shall be the principal business meeting of the Committee. Its agenda shall include the following items:

• (i) a report on the work of the Committee during the preceding biennium;
• (ii) a report on the finances of the Committee for the preceding biennium;
• (iii) a review of the draft triennial program of ICOM and adoption of the work program of the Committee for the forthcoming biennium;
• (iv) a review of the activities of the Working Groups and renewal of their mandates if appropriate;
• (v) adoption of the budget for the following biennium;
• (vi) election of the Board.

(e) The quorum for the triennial meeting shall be 10% of the voting membership of the Committee present personally or by proxy.

(f) At triennial plenary meetings, each Voting Member shall be entitled to one vote on any matter before the Committee. An Institutional Member may, in writing, designate a person to vote on their behalf.

(g) The Committee may establish Working Groups with specific terms of reference to facilitate its program. Each Working Group shall appoint a Convenor from among its number, who shall be a Voting Member of the Committee and shall report on progress with its mandate at each triennial plenary meeting of the Committee. At each such meeting, the need for each Working group shall be reviewed and its mandate renewed if appropriate.

(h) The Committee may convene meetings at the regional or subregional level. All Members shall be entitled to attend such meetings.

(i) In accordance with Article 17, para 10, of the Statutes, the Chair of the Committee shall inform the Chair of the National Committee in the State in which any meeting is to be held, of the date, place and subject of the meeting.

7. Management of the Committee

(a) The affairs of the Committee shall be managed by a Board, comprised of persons elected by the Voting Members and persons coopted to the Board. The elected members shall consist of a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Editor together with four ordinary members. Elected members of the Board shall be elected for a period not exceeding three years, but may be reelected if eligible under Article 17, para 4, of the Statutes.

(b) No more than two members from any one country may be elected to the Board. In order to ensure adequate geographic representation, the elected members of the Board may coopt additional members (not exceeding one third of the number of elected members) from regions not sufficiently represented by elected members. The terms of office of coopted members will extend from the date of their cooption to the next triennial meeting of the Committee.

(c) Any voting member of the Committee in good standing, including a designated representative of an Institutional Member, is eligible to stand for election to, or be coopted to, the Board, subject to the limitations imposed by Article 17, para 4, of the Statutes.

d) The Board shall be elected by the Voting Members at the triennial plenary meeting of the Committee. The outgoing Board shall invite nominations for the next Board at least four months before the triennial meeting, and shall inform the Voting Members of the names and qualifications of candidates at least two months prior to the date of the meeting. A Voting Member who is unable to attend the triennial plenary meeting may authorize, in writing, another Voting Member to vote on his or her behalf at the election or may vote by mail.

(e) If a member of the Board ceases to hold office for any reason during the period between triennial plenary meetings, the position may be filled by the cooption of another voting member of the Committee until the next triennial meeting.

(f) A member of the Board shall cease to hold office if the member:

• (i) resigns from ICOM for any reason;
• (ii) is no longer a member in good standing (Article 1, para 3, of the Statutes);
• (iii) is no longer a Voting Member of the Committee.

(g) The Board shall meet not less than once in each year.

(h) The quorum for a meeting of the Board shall be one third of the number of Board members present in person.

8. Finances of the Committee

(a) The Committee is entitled to raise such funds for its operation as it considers necessary. It may not impose any annual membership subscriptions on ICOM members, but may impose a subscription for specific purposes.

(b) Subject to confirmation by the Executive Council in the light of the annual budget of ICOM, the Committee shall receive a subvention from ICOM for each Voting Member which, on request from the Committee, shall be paid no later than 30 June each year.

(c) The Committee may impose such charges for participation in meetings as it deems necessary.

(d) The Committee may receive grants and donations and accept underwriting from sponsors.

(e) The Committee may produce and sell publications, but shall inform the Secretary General of ICOM before doing so.

(f) The Committee shall not enter unto any contract or any legally binding agreement involving expenditure by ICOM without the approval of the Executive Council first being obtained (other than contracts and agreements that relate to its own activities and can be paid for from its own funds).

(g) All monies received by the Committee shall be deposited in a bank account established for the purpose and all payments made on behalf of the Committee shall be made from that bank account. The Board shall advise the Treasurer of ICOM of the account name and number and the name of the bank at which the account is established.

(h) The Committee shall keep proper accounts of all monies received and expended on an annual basis. A report on the finances of the Committee shall be presented to Members at each plenary meeting.

(i) The Committee shall transmit a copy of the report on the finances to the Secretary General of ICOM for presentation to the Executive Committee.

9. Role and responsibilities of the Board

(a) The Board is responsible for managing the affairs of the Committee and for ensuring that the requirements of the Statutes of ICOM are met.

(b) Before any meeting of the Committee is held in a State, the Board shall satisfy itself that no impediment will be placed in the way of any Member of the Committee attending the meeting, by the Government of the host State.

(c) Each year, the Board shall prepare a report on the activities of the Committee during the previous year, which shall be sent to all members and considered at the annual plenary meeting. The report shall be transmitted to the Secretary General for submission to the Executive Council and Advisory Committee of ICOM.

(d) The Board shall transmit a report on the work of the Committee for the preceding biennium to the Secretary General for submission to the Executive Council, Advisory Committee and the General Assembly of ICOM.

(e) After consulting with the Voting Members of the Committee, the Board shall designate two Voting Members to vote on its behalf at the General Assembly and in the election of the Executive Council or advise the Secretary General of its intention to vote by mail.

(f) At least six months prior to the General Assembly, the Board shall submit to the Secretary General its comments on the draft triennial program of ICOM and a draft of its own proposed triennial program of work, for inclusion in the final triennial program of ICOM for consideration at the General Assembly.

(g) The Board shall ensure that Members of the Committee are kept fully informed of the work of the Board, of its plans for the activities of the Committee and of any other matters relevant to the work and functions of the Committee. It may publish a regular Newsletter or communicate with the Members by such other means as it deems appropriate.

10. Amendments to Rules

(a) The Rules of the Committee, adopted at the first plenary meeting of the Committee, may be amended at any subsequent annual plenary meeting of the Committee.

(b) Any suggested amendments to the Rules must be proposed and seconded by Voting Members of the Committee in good standing. The text of any proposed amendment, together with any explanatory material, shall be sent to the Voting Members of the Committee at least twenty eight days prior to the annual plenary meeting at which they are to be considered.

(c) The proposed amendment may be further amended at the annual plenary meeting at which it is considered, but only if the further amendment is of a minor nature. The Chair of the meeting shall decide whether a further amendment is of a minor nature.

(d) Adoption and amendment of the Rules shall require a three-quarters majority of the members voting, either personally or by proxy.

11. Dissolution of the Committee

(a) The Committee shall be dissolved by a decision of the Executive Council taken in accordance with Article 17, para 12, of the Statutes.

(b) In the event that the Committee is dissolved, its assets shall be transferred to ICOM Headquarters and shall be dealt with in such manner as the Executive Council thinks fit.