GA2023 – Candidatures for the Board Elections

Background and procedure

Board members are jointly responsible for the managerial and fiduciary well-being of the organization as well as for guidance and oversight to ensure excellence in the execution of programmes and activities. Between General Assemblies, the Board acts on its behalf, deliberates on all matters necessary to ensure conformity with ICOMOS’ mission and implementation of the directions set by the General Assembly, as well as financial health and compliance with the legislation applicable to associations.

The Board meets in person at least twice a year, usually in March in Paris and in October/November in conjunction with the meeting of the General Assembly/Advisory Committee. The Board also meets via teleconference between physical meetings – approx. 4 to 5 times a year. All Board members are expected to attend, actively participate and contribute updates about their allocated tasks at these meetings. Absences are justified only by exceptional circumstances. The Bureau usually meets before Board meetings; extra Bureau meetings may be conducted by teleconference.

Board members are expected to actively contribute to the Working Groups of the Board with the understanding that additional virtual as well as actual meetings in various locations may be held over the course of the year.

Board and Bureau members may be invited to serve on the World Heritage Panel depending on the nature of the nomination files being evaluated in any particular year.

Candidates for election to the Board should bear in mind that the current budgetary restrictions of ICOMOS preclude the provision of any funding to support individual expenses for attending any of the above meetings.

Nominations received 6 months before the General Assembly, that is by 25 February 2023, shall, following verification by the Candidatures Committee, be published as a preliminary list of candidatures by end of April on the ICOMOS website and Info for Members newsletter (will be published: the brief résumé, statement of intent and photograph of the candidates).

All nominations must be received no later than 60 days before the election is due to be held, that is at the latest by 25 June 2023.

The Candidatures Committee, having examined all files nominating candidates for election, shall convey the final list of eligible candidates to the Elections Committee and the Secretariat at least 30 days before the election is due to be held, that is by 25 July 2023. The Secretariat shall make the list of candidates available for inspection at least 14 days before the election is held, that is by 11 August 2023 (will be published: the brief résumé, statement of intent, photograph and video presentations of the candidates)

A candidate for election to the Board or Bureau may withdraw his candidature, or notify a change to the position for which he seeks to be elected (subject to complying with the candidature requirements set out in Articles 63-2 and 63-3 of the Rules of Procedure), up to 48 hours before the election begins (considering the technical requirements of the online voting platforms – candidates are asked to inform the Secretariat by 23 August 2023).

How to submit a candidature

According to article 63 of the Rules of Procedure, and previous well-established practice in ICOMOS, the nomination files must include the following:

Candidatures for Board elections:

1. a nominator’s letter signed by a National Committee or by at least three members of ICOMOS;
2. a brief résumé of the professional career, qualifications and current position of the candidate:

• • a short version for the ICOMOS newsletter (maximum 75 words, in .doc format)
    First name, Name (Country). Most recent position(s) – employment and/or academic (e.g. Director of Heritage Department, University xx). Academic or Professional training (e.g. Architect, University of X). Positions held in ICOMOS (e.g. President of ICOMOS NC or ISC since xxx, ICOMOS Board member from xx to xx)
  • a long version (maximum 250 words, in .doc format) for the ICOMOS web site;

3. a statement from the candidate outlining the reasons why he is seeking election, and confirming that he will serve and attend Board meetings if elected (maximum 750 words in .doc format); and
4. a passport size photographic portrait (in .jpg or .gif format, max. file size 1MB).

Files on candidates for the Board who wish subsequently to be candidates for the offices of President, Vice-President, Secretary General and Treasurer must include:

1. a nominator’s letter [for the Bureau position] signed by a member of ICOMOS;
2. seconding letters from at least three other members of ICOMOS from at least three countries other than that of the nominator;
3. a brief résumé of the professional career, qualifications and current position of the candidate:

• • a short version for the ICOMOS newsletter (maximum 75 words, in .doc format)
    First name, Name (Country). Most recent position(s) – employment and/or academic (e.g. Director of Heritage Department, University xx). Academic or Professional training (e.g. Architect, University of X). Positions held in ICOMOS (e.g. President of ICOMOS NC or ISC since xxx, ICOMOS Board member from xx to xx)
  • a long version (maximum 250 words, in .doc format) for the ICOMOS web site;

4. a statement from the candidate to the effect that if elected to the Board he intends to stand for office as President, Vice-President, Secretary-General or Treasurer as the case may be, outlining the reasons why he is seeking election to that position, and confirming that he will serve in that office and attend Board and Bureau meetings if elected, and if not elected to the Bureau will still serve as a Board member and attend Board meetings (maximum 750 words, in .doc format); and
5. a passport size photographic portrait (in .jpg or .gif format, max. file size 1MB).

In the case of nominations for Vice-President, the nominator and at least two of the seconders must be from countries from the region in which the country of the candidate is located.

In order to help the membership appreciate the candidate’s possible contribution to the future Board, the candidate’s statement of intent may include elements such as the candidate’s:

• vision of the mission of ICOMOS, and its current and future role,
• views on priorities for the next three years relative to ICOMOS’ mission,
• proposals on how to achieve his/her vision, including funding,
• interest in contributing to specific activities of ICOMOS,
• personal objectives for ICOMOS’ development in the event of him/her being elected.

Nomination files should be submitted in electronic format, with texts in English and/or French. Additional versions in Spanish are welcome. Please note that the International Secretariat does not provide translation and/or proof-reading services.

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In addition, taking into account that the 21^st General Assembly will take place in hybrid format and to ensure that all voting members have the opportunity to view the candidates’ presentations, all candidates are invited to pre-record their candidate presentations as a video that will be made available on the ICOMOS website ahead of the meeting.

Maximum length of presentations:

• Candidates to the Bureau (President, Secretary General, Treasurer, Vice Presidents) =
  3 minutes
• Candidates to the Board = 2 minutes

The video should be accompanied by a Word document that includes the script in English, French or Spanish (i.e. the words spoken by the candidate in the video).

The International Secretariat will subtitle the videos

• In English for presentations made in French
• In French for presentations made in English
• In English for presentations made in Spanish

The video presentations should be sent by email (or WeTransfer/Dropbox) in either English, French or Spanish at the latest 60 days before the start of the General Assembly – that is by 25 June 2023.  The candidates’ presentations will be posted online 2 weeks before the General Assembly once they candidatures have been validated by the Candidatures Committee.

Candidates will also be invited to a present themselves during an online session open to all members – to be scheduled in the second half of August (and latest on 25 August). Additional information will be sent to candidates in due course. There will be no candidate presentations in Sydney.

Nominations should be sent to the International Secretariat at GA2023-Elections@icomos.org.

For further information on the procedures for the candidatures and elections, please consult the current ICOMOS Statutes and Rules of Procedure and in particular:

• Article 6-d, 6-e, 9, 10, 11, and 15 of the ICOMOS Statutes
• Articles 63 – 66 of the Rules of Procedure