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Thematic Groups

Statutes

Adopted in 2012

ARTICLE I. Thematic Group on Global Justice and Human Rights

The Thematic Group on Global Justice and Human Rights (hereinafter TG03) has been established in 2006 in accordance with article 4 of the Statutes of the International Sociological Association (ISA).

ARTICLE II. Objectives

The objectives of TG03 are to promote the development of high quality research as well as the international exchange of scholarly information and analysis concerning global justice and human rights among researchers and practitioners.

ARTICLE III. Activities

The following are the major means employed to achieve these objectives:

  1. Producing and disseminating a free Newsletter to members at regular intervals – at least two issues per year – in order to share information and promote collaboration;
  2. Organising a programme of activities at each World Congress;
  3. Promoting conferences and other similar activities; and
  4. Facilitating information exchange and analysis between researchers and practitioners on global justice and human rights.

ARTICLE IV. Membership

TG03 consists of individual members, who shall be either regular members or affiliated members.

Regular members shall be individuals in good standing of the ISA – that is, those who are paid members of both TG03 and ISA.

Affiliated members shall be individuals who have paid TG03 dues but are not members in good standing of the ISA.

All regular and affiliated members of TG03 shall be entitled to vote and participate in activities of TG03, except that affiliated members may not run for or be elected to the Board of TG03.

All regular and affiliated members of TG03 are expected to:

Observe the present TG03 Statutes;
Fulfill conscientiously the tasks entrusted to them at the General Meeting or by other bodies of TG03;
Pay TG03 and/or ISA dues in a timely manner.

Dues are paid to the ISA Secretariat (regular members) or the TG03 Treasurer (affiliated members).

The dues for the different types of membership will be fixed at each General Meeting. Members of TG03 are obliged to pay their fees for the respective period (i.e., four years). The fees for the different types of membership shall be fixed by the Board at each General Meeting.

ARTICLE V. TG03 Board

The Board of TG03 consists of 5 officers, elected through the procedures elaborated in Article VII:

  1. President
  2. Secretary / Treasurer
  3. Newsletter Editor
  4. Website Editor
  5. NGO Liaison

as well as the Past President (non-voting).

Each officer serves for a term, which commences at the time he/she is elected at a World Congress and ends at the Business Meeting of TGO3 at the next World Congress.

The function of the Board is to:

  1. Promote the objectives of TG03 and facilitate its activities;
  2. Appoint a representative, and one deputy to act as an alternate, to represent it in the Research Council;
  3. Organise a programme of activities at each World Congress.

Each member of the Board must at all times be:

  1. a member in good standing with the ISA, and,
  2. a member in good standing with TG03.

The Board aims to achieve regional representation of TG03 membership (e.g., diversity across ISA membership categories).

A Board member will be appointed the Board to hold records of TG03 activities, including minutes of meetings and official correspondence.

Any member of the Board who does not carry out the basic functions of Board membership, or offer appropriate reasons for the temporary inability to do so, shall, after a period of 6 months notice given by the President after consultation with the other officers – or in the case of the President's inactivity, the Secretary/Treasurer after consultation with the other officers - be deemed to have resigned unless circumstances make this inappropriate.

The Board may fill temporary vacancies in the Board between consecutive ISA World Congresses by appointment, in accordance with ISA Statute 4.5, with the reasons for the choice explained at the following General Business Meeting of TG03.

One of the Board members, identified by the Board, will assume the responsibilities of the President of the Board in the case of death, incapacitation, resignation or other inability of the incumbent to carry out the responsibilities of the office of the President. In the case of the President's membership in ISA and/or TG03 lapsing, the Secretary/Treasurer is required to inform the Board and to serve a three-month period of grace notice on the President after which the above mentioned replacement measures will be put into effect.

The President shall identify themes and topics for at least one mid-term conference and take responsibility for the organization of those sessions.

A statement of financial affairs will be given by the Secretary/Treasurer to the Board annually and to the Business Meeting held every four years during the ISA World Congress. The Treasurer must be discharged of her financial responsibilities by this Business Meeting.

ARTICLE VI. General Business Meeting

A General Meeting of members shall be held during each World Congress.
In this meeting, members will:

  1. Receive reports on the work of TG03 since the last General Meeting;
  2. Plan activities until the next World Congress;
  3. Give guidance regarding the work of TG03, inter alia, by passing resolutions.

Decisions at the General Business Meeting are taken by simple majority.

The new members of the incoming Board will begin their mandate officially at the Business Meeting after the report of the Nominations and Elections Committee. The Committee is encouraged to also circulate election results before the business meeting.
In the event that positions in the Board are not filled, elections shall take place by electronic ballot under the supervision of the Nomination Committee.

ARTICLE VII. Electoral Procedures

The election of the Board shall take place by electronic ballot or at the Business Meeting of TG03 held during the World Congress.

All TG03 members in good standing shall be eligible to vote.

A Nominations and Elections Committee comprised of three regular members of TG03 who do not intend to stand for office will manage the election process. The Board will seek volunteers for the Committee and appoint them to their roles.

All nominations must be submitted to the Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee at least three months before the first day of the World Congress, along with evidence of the support of three other regular or affiliated members of TG03 in good standing.

The Nominations and Elections Committee is responsible for preparing the list of nominations and conducting the elections for each position.

A regular member may be a candidate for more than one office but may only serve in one office at a time.

After two consecutive full terms on the TG03 Board, no member is eligible for a further consecutive term.

The Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee shall prepare a ballot listing all nominated candidates (and their home country) for each position on the Board and specify an Election Day with a deadline for the receipt of ballots. In case of more than one nomination to the same position, the nominated candidates shall be listed in alphabetical order. The ballot shall be sent to TG03 members by email at least ten weeks before the Election Day. The Election Day will be no later than two weeks before the beginning of the World Congress.

TG03 members shall send their ballot by email to the designated electoral officer(s). Ballots received after Election Day shall not be counted. Board members are elected on the basis of a simple majority of ballots received by the deadline specified. In the case of a tie between candidates, the issue is resolved in a manner that is mindful of regional representation, and for candidates from the same region, by drawing lots.

If a position in the Board remains vacant after completion of the election by electronic ballot, the Nominations and Elections Committee may facilitate a voting procedure at the Business Meeting of TG03 allowing regular members present at the meeting to elect Board members.

ARTICLE VII. Final Regulations

Amendments to statutes must be proposed to the Chair in writing at least 30 days prior to scheduled TG03 Business Meetings. Amendments are discussed at the Business Meetings and voted by simple majority of members present, or voting in case of email ballot.

Any proposal for amendments to the Statutes or By Laws may be made by any member of the Board, or by any five members in good standing of TG03. Such a proposal must be received by the Board at least one year before the World Congress. The proposal will be circulated among all TG03 members, together with an explanation of its rationale, at least six months before the next World Congress. The Board will be entitled to propose amendments, to be circulated at least two months before the World Congress. The proposed amendments will be put to the General Meeting, and adopted if approved by a two-thirds majority.