Chapter 1 General Provisions

Article 1 The name of the Society is the International Society of Palaeogeography, abbreviated as ISP.

Article 2 The Society is an international academic non-profit social organization voluntarily formed by specialists in palaeogeography and related disciplines from all over the world.

Article 3 The Society is founded to promote the exchange, development, and innovation of palaeogeography worldwide,  serving for the prediction and exploration of oil and natural gas resources.

The Society obeys the constitution, laws, regulations and national policies of the country, as well as social morals and ethics.

Article 4 The Society is guided and supervised by the Ministry of Education, the responsible units, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the registration authority.

Article 5 The Society located in Beijing, China.

Article 6 The Society has a secretariat as its daily office, which shall be permanently located in China.

Chapter 2 Business Scope

Article 7 The business scope :

(1) To organize and promote international academic exchanges and cooperation in the discipline of palaeogeography;

(2) To hold academic conferences on palaeogeography regularly;

(3) To participate in the activities of other relevant international organizations actively ;

(4) To establish journals under the law and regulations;

(5) To maintain the legitimate rights and interests of members,  organizing activities for members.

Chapter 3 Members

Article 8 The Society only accepts individual members.

Article 9 Members applying to join the Society must meet the following conditions:

(1) To support the constitution of ISP;

(2) Willing to join this society;

(3) Individuals have certain influence in palaeogeography and related disciplines.

Article 10 Procedure of membership admission:

(1) Submit an application for membership;

(2) Be approved through discussion by the Council;

(3) The membership certificate shall be issued by the council or an authorized institution of the council.

Article 11 Membership rights:

(1) The right to vote, to be elected as the council member in the Society;

(2) To attend the general meetings of the Society, international palaeogeography academic conferences and other relevant academic activities; 

(3) To read the relevant journals of the Society free of charge regularly; 

(4) Has priority in obtaining the services of the Society; 

(5) The right to criticize, suggest and supervise the work of the Society;

(6) Voluntary to join and be free to withdraw from Society.

Article 12 Member obligations:

(1) To implement the decisions of the General Assembly and the Council of the Society;

(2) To safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the Society;

(3) To complete the work assigned by the Society;

(4) To pay dues as required;

(5) write and recommend high academic level manuscripts for the journals of the Society actively; 

(6) To reflect the situation of other international academic organizations actively to the Society for references. 

Article 13 Members shall notify the Society with formal writing of their withdrawal and return their membership certificate.

Article 14 A member commits any serious violation of the constitution of the Society shall be voted to remove the membership by the Board of Directors.

Chapter 4 Organization and the generation, dismissal of director

Article 15 General Assembly is the supreme authority of the Society with it’s powers as follows:

(1) To formulate and amend the constitution;

(2) To elect and dismiss members of the Board of Directors;

(3) To consider the work reports and financial reports of the Board of Directors;

(4) To set and amend the membership fee;

(5) To decide on termination matters;

(6) To review the academic quality of the journals of the Society and make recommendations;

(7) Deciding other important matters.

Article 16 The general assembly shall be convened only when two-thirds of the members are present. The resolution shall be passed to be effective by more than half of the members’ votes.

Article 17 The general assembly of the members shall be held once every four years. Due to special circumstances, it is called by the Board of Directors, or it may convene a temporary general meeting.

Article 18 The Board of Directors is the executive body of the general assembly of the members, which shall carry out the daily work between the period of the general meetings and be responsible to the General Assembly.

Article 19 The powers of the Council

(1) To implement the resolutions of the General Assembly;

(2) To elect and dismiss the chairman, vice chairman and secretary-general;

(3) Preparing for the convening of general meetings, international palaeogeographic conferences and other academic activities;

(4) Report to the General Assembly on its work and financial status;

(5) To decide on the admission or removal of members; 

(6) To decide on the establishment, change and cancellation of offices, branches, representatives and entities;

(7) To decide on the appointment of the Deputy Secretary General and the principal officers of the institutions; 

(8) Directing the work of the institutions of the Society; 

(9) To formulate internal management systems; 

(10) To discuss and decide other important matters.

Article 20 The Council shall be convened only when two-thirds or more of its members are present, and the resolution shall be passed to take effect by two-thirds of the present directors.

Article 21 The Council shall hold a meeting at least once a year, which can be held online in special situation;

Article 22 The Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Society must have the following characteristics:

(1) A great influence in the field of palaeogeography and related disciplines;

(2) The Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Secretary-General do not beyond 70 years old, and the Secretary-General must be a full-time position;

(3) In good health, able to adhere to normal work;

(4) Has not been deprived of political rights of criminal punishment;

(5) Have full civil capacity;

(6) The Secretary-General of the Society shall be of Chinese nationality and be an expert from China University of Petroleum (Beijing) in principle.

Article 23 The Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Society shall, if the age limit exceeded demanding range , the leaders must be approved by the Board of Directors and serve only after the approval of the governing body and the registration authority.

Article 24 The Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Society shall be appointed for a term of four years each. The maximum term of office shall not exceed two terms of four years. If the term of office needs to be extended due to special condition, it must be voted by more than two-thirds of the members of the General Assembly, reviewed by the business administration unit and approved by the registration authority.

Article 25 The President of the Society shall be the legal representative of the Society. If the Vice President or the Secretary-General is required to be the legal representative due to special circumstances, he/she shall be entrusted by the President and the Council, reviewed by the business administration unit and approval by the registration authority.

The legal representative shall sign the relevant important documents on behalf of the Society.

The legal representative shall not also be the legal representative of other organizations.

Article 26 The President of the Institute to conduct the following powers and functions:

(1) To convene and preside over the Council;

(2) To check the implementation of the resolutions of the General Assembly and the Council;

(3) To decide other important matters.

Article 27 The Secretary-General of the Society to exercise the following powers:

(1) To preside the daily work over the Secretariat and the offices and organize the implementation of the annual work plan;

(2) To coordinate the work of the branches, representative bodies and entities;

(3) To nominate the Deputy Secretary General and the main persons in charge of the offices, branches, representative bodies and entities to the Council;

(4) To nominate the Deputy Secretary-General and the main persons in charge of each office, branch, representative body and entity and submit the list to the Board of Directors for decision;

(5) To decide on the employment of full-time staff of the offices, branches, representatives and entities;

(6) To handle other daily affairs.

Chapter 5 Principles of asset management and use

Article 28 Funding sources of the Society:

 (A) membership fees;

 (B) social donations;

 (C) government funding;

 (D) other legitimate income.

Article 29 The Society charges membership dues in accordance with the relevant provisions of the country.

Article 30 The Society's funds must be used for the development of the scope of business and affairs specified in these articles of the regulation, and may not be distributed among the members.

Article 31 The Society establishes a strict financial management system to ensure that accounting information is legal, true, accurate and complete.

Article 32 The Society should be equipped with professionally qualified accounting staff, who can not also serve as a cashier. The account needs to carry out accounting and accounting supervision, and must complete the handover procedures with the receiver when he/she transfers work or leave.

Article 33 The Society's asset management must implement the financial management system stipulated by the goverment and accept the supervision of the General Assembly and the financial department. The source of assets which belongs to the state appropriation, social donation or funding must accept the supervision of the auditing authority, and shall be announced to the society in an appropriate manner.

Article 34 The Society must be subject to financial audit before the renewal or replacement of the legal representative.

Article 35 The assets of the Society shall not be appropriated, shared or misappropriated by any unit or individual.

Article 36 The salaries, insurance and welfare benefits of the full-time staff of the Society shall be carried out in accordance with the relevant provisions for government-affiliated institutions.

Chapter 6 Procedures for Amending the Constitution

Article 37 Amendments to the constitution of the Society shall be approved by the Council after voting;

Article 38 The amended constitution of the Society shall take effect within 15 days after its adoption by the general meeting, examined and approved by the business administration unit and the registration authority.

Chapter 7 Termination Procedures and Disposal of Property after Termination

Article 39 If the Society needs to be cancelled due to completing its purpose or dissolving itself, separation or merger, the Board of Directors shall propose a motion for termination.

Article 40 The Society's termination motion shall be voted by the General Assembly and reported to the business unit in charge for review and approval.

Article 41 The Society shall, before termination, be in charge of business units and relevant authorities.

Set up a liquidating organization under the guidance of the business unit and relevant authorities to clear debts and liabilities and deal with the aftermath. During the liquidation period, don’t to carry out activities other than liquidation.

Article 42 The Society shall be terminated after the cancellation registration by the registration authority.

Article 43 Any member is prohibited to divided Society's remaining property privately after termination. Under the supervision of the competent business unit and the registration authority, the property shall be used for the development of the Society and be supervised by the goverment with relevant regulations.

Chapter 8 Supplementary Provisions

Article 44 These by-laws were adopted by a vote of the General Assembly on July 16, 2022.

Article 45 The right of interpretation of this constitution belongs to the Council of the Society.

Article 46 The present Articles of Association shall take effect from the date of approval by the registration authority.