Agenda

26th General Assembly
13 and 17 April 2003 in Paris, France

PROGRAMME

This is the programme for the General Assembly. Click here to see the FIG WW 2003 web site or for the technical programme on FIG web site.

Introduction

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Appendices received after the Agenda was distributed to members:

• Appendix to item 28.2 Report on the FIG Working Week 2005

1. OPENING PROCEEDINGS

President Holger Magel to open the 26^th General Assembly.

2. ROLL CALL

Vice President Andreas Drees to take the roll call.

Please note that the roll call will be done for member associations only. Delegates representing affiliates, academic members, corporate members and correspondents as well as honorary presidents and honorary members will be entered in the records but they shall register before the meeting starts in the meeting hall to the FIG representative.

Appendix to items 2 & 22: Roll Call.

Motion: That present members are recorded in the minutes.

Decision:

3. APPOINTMENT OF TELLERS

Motion: That the General Assembly appoints two persons as tellers following the principle adopted at the 22nd General Assembly so that the tellers will represent member associations hosting the preceding (American Congress on Surveying and Mapping ACSM) and the current General Assembly (Ordre des Géomètres-Experts OGE and Association Francaise de Topographie AFT).

Decision:

4. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

Motion: That the agenda be adopted.

Decision:

5. ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES OF THE 24th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Minutes have been circulated previously.
Please bring your copy of the minutes of the 25^th General Assembly, Washington, DC in 2002 with you to the meeting.
Appendix to item 5: Minutes of the 25^th General Assembly
Adobe Acrobat version

Motion: That the minutes be adopted as circulated.

Decision:

6. MEMBERSHIP

6.1 Acceptance of new members

6.1.1 Chamber of Surveyors and Cartographers (Slovak Republic)

The Chamber of Surveyors and Cartographers from Slovakia has submitted an application to become the second member of FIG from Slovak Republic. The association has 162 members. It has been actively involved in FIG and its conferences under the flag of the Slovak Union of Surveyors and Cartographers (SUSC). The current member association SUSC is supporting the application. All members of CSC have a university level education and 5 years experience in practice. The Council has considered the application and believes that the association meets criteria for membership of FIG as a member association.

Appendix to item 6.1.1:Membership application from the Chamber of Surveyors and Cartographers (Slovak Republic).

Motion: That the General Assembly admits the Chamber of Surveyors and Cartographers from Slovak Republic as a member association of FIG.

Decision:

6.1.2 Sociedade Brasileira de Cartografia, Geodesia, Fotogrametria e Sensoriamento Remoto (SBC)

The Sociedade Brasileira de Cartografia, Geodesia, Fotogrametria e Sensoriamento Remoto (SBC) (Brazilian Society of Cartography, Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing) has submitted its membership application to rejoin FIG as a member association. The association was expelled from the membership in 1998 because of unpaid membership fees. The association has 116 members and 37 qualifying members. The Council has considered the application and believes that the association meets criteria for membership of FIG as a member association.

Appendix to item 6.1.2:Membership application from the Sociedade Brasileira de Cartografia, Geodesia, Fotogrametria e Sensoriamento Remoto (SBC).

Motion: That the General Assembly admits the Sociedade Brasileira de Cartografia, Geodesia, Fotogrametria e Sensoriamento Remoto (SBC) as a member association of FIG.

Decision:

6.2 Resignations and Expungements

6.2.1 Resignations

The Institution of Surveyors, Malaysia, ISM

The Institution of Surveyors, Malaysia (ISM) has informed with a letter August 7, 2002 that it will withdraw its membership in FIG with effect from 2003. Malaysia will then be represented in FIG by the Persatuan Juruukur Tanah Bertauliah Malaysia (Association of Authorised Land Surveyors Malaysia).

The Israel Land Valuers Association

The Israel Land Valuers Association has sent a letter to the FIG office August 20, 2002 in which it terminates its membership in FIG. The reason for the withdrawal is that the number of members acting as surveyors and appraisers has diminished considerably in the past years. The association will consider renewing the membership if conditions will change.

Motion: That the General Assembly confirms the resignations of the Institution of Surveyors, Malaysia and the Israel Valuers Association.

Decision:

6.2.2 Expungements 2002

The General Assembly decided in Washington that following member associations would be automatically expelled if their membership fees were still in arrears 31 December 2002:

• Association des Géomètres Algériens, Algeria
• Ikatan Surveyor Indonesia, Indonesia
• Union of Surveying Engineers (Serbia and Montenegro), Yugoslavia

The Council has received information from Algeria and Indonesia that the associations are prepared to pay their arrears and that this will happen latest in Paris. The Yugoslavian (Serbia and Montenegro) association informed in Washington that it will pay the arrears and after that the new associations from Serbia and Montenegro will join FIG.

The Council has decided to bring these expungements back to the General Assembly for its re-decision.

Motion: That the General Assembly expels the

• Association des Géomètres Algériens, Algeria
• Ikatan Surveyor Indonesia, Indonesia
• Union of Surveying Engineers (Serbia and Montenegro), Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro)

if their membership fees still are in arrears at the time of the motion being put to the vote.

Decision:

6.2.3 Expungements 2003

The subscriptions of the following member associations are more than three years in arrears:

• Union of Geodesy Societies of FYROM
• Licensed Surveyors Association in Palestine

The General Assembly has powers to expel from the Federation any member association whose fees are in arrears and shall under normal circumstances expel any member association whose fees are three years in arrears. (Article 4.3 of the Statutes).

Motion: That the General Assembly expels the

• Union of Geodesy Societies of FYROM
• Licensed Surveyors Association in Palestine

if their membership fees still are in arrears at the time of the motion being put to the vote.

Decision:

6.3 Other membership matters

The Council wants to inform the General Assembly on the following changes in the membership of FIG:

Corporate members

The Council has admitted the following company to become a Corporate Member of FIG:

• The Institut Cartogàfic de Catalunya, membership category F

Further to be noted that ESRI has upgraded its membership category to level A.

Academic members

The Council wants to inform the General Assembly that 9 new Academic Members have joined FIG after the General Assembly in Washington and that the number of academic members 15 February 2003 is 57 from 35 nations. The new academic members are:

• Universidad del Valle, Departamento del Valle del Cauca, Colombia
• The University of Zagreb, Faculty of Geodesy, Croatia
• Annamalai University, Department of Geology, India
• Mongolian Agricultural University, School of Agrobiology, Land Management, Mongolia
• Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico, Department of Land Surveying and Mapping, Puerto Rico, USA
• University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, Civil Engineering Department, Puerto Rico, USA
• National University of Singapore, School of Design and Environment, Singapore
• University of Cape Town, Department of Geomatics, South Africa
• University College of Lands and Architectural Studies – UCLAS, Department of Land Surveying, Tanzania

Correspondents

The Council has admitted M. Rabesihanaka Harilantosoa Zafimbahoaka, Directeur Général des Affaires Foncières et des Infrastructures Géographiques from Madagascar and Dr. Constantin Bah from BETIE (Bureau d'Etudes, de Topographie, d'Ingeniere et d'Expertise) Cabinet et Domicile from Republic of Benin to become a new correspondents.

Motion: That the General Assembly notes the actions that the Council has taken with other membership matters.

Decision:

7. HONORARY PRESIDENT

The American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM) has proposed to the Council that FIG appoints Mr. Robert W. Foster (USA), immediate Past President of FIG as an Honorary President of FIG. According to the Statutes paragraph 3.1.6 a past president who has rendered outstanding service to the Federation during his period of office can be appointed as an honorary president. Nomination for this appointment shall be made by a member association or the Council which will consider it and submit it to a vote of the General Assembly.

The Council has considered the proposal and decided to propose to the General Assembly that it appoints Robert W. Foster as an Honorary President of the Federation. Mr. Foster has served FIG as a Vice President (1994-1999) and as a President (1999-2002).

Appendix to item 7: The nomination letter from ACSM.

Motion: That the General Assembly appoints Mr. Robert W. Foster an Honorary President of FIG for the great services he has provided for the Federation.

Decision:

8. HONORARY MEMBER

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), United Kingdom has sent the Federation a nomination letter in which it proposes that FIG appoints Dr. Tom Kennie, Vice President of FIG 1994-1999 and 1999-2002 as an Honorary Member of the Federation. According to the Statutes paragraph 3.1.7 an individual who has materially assisted the development and promotion of the surveying profession at the international level can be appointed as an honorary member. Nomination for this appointment shall be made by a member association or the Council which will consider it and submit it to a vote of the General Assembly.

The Council has considered the proposal and decided to propose to the General Assembly that it appoints Dr. Tom Kennie as an Honorary Member of the Federation for the outstanding services he has provided to the Federation as a Vice President and as a Chair of several task forces including the task force on the new governance structure of FIG.

Appendix to item 8: The nomination letter from RICS.

Motion: That the General Assembly appoints Dr. Tom Kennie an Honorary Member of FIG for the great services he has provided for the Federation.

Decision:

9. REPORT OF THE US COUNCIL

The US Council has submitted an end of term report on the activities during its term of office 1999–2002.

Appendix to item 9: The An End of Term Report of the US Council of FIG

Motion: That the General Assembly receives the report and records its thanks to the US Council and its members for their excellent work and great contribution to FIG.

Decision:

10. PRESIDENT’S REPORT

The report of the President of the Federation includes a review on the activities of the Federation, the new German Council and the FIG office from the handover ceremony in October 2002 to April 2003.

Appendix to item 10: President's report.

Motion: That the General Assembly receives the President’s report.

Decision:

11. NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS

The German member association of FIG DVW (Deutscher Verein für Vermessungswesen – Gesellschaft für Geodäsie, Geoinformation und Landmanagement) has informed that it has appointed Ms. Bettina Petzold as Vice President of FIG and that Mr. Thomas Gollwitzer has been appointed as new Congress Director of FIG 2006. Ms. Petzold’s CV is available on FIG home page: http://www.fig.net/figtree/council/vicepresident-petzold.htm  and Mr. Gollwitzer’s CV at http://www.fig.net/figtree/council/congress_dir_gollwitzer.htm.

The Council has decided according to the Internal Rules that Vice President Andreas Drees will act as the Deputy to the President. The Council has also decided on the responsibilities of the Council members hereby defining the list included in the Internal Rules. The General Assembly is informed about the following:

• The President is coordinating the UN and related activities and no Director FIG/UN Liaison will be appointed 1.1.2003–. In this work the President will be assisted by an expert group;
• Each Vice President has personal responsibility to support named Commissions in their work;
• The Vice Presidents do not have personal regional responsibility, except Vice President Wong who is in charge for Asia and the Pacific;
• Vice President Drees will chair the ACCO but all Council members will attend ACCO meetings in 2003-2004.

Appendix to item 11: Responsibilities of the Council Member from 1 January 2003.

Motion: That the General Assembly

• confirms the appointment of Dr.-Ing. Andreas Drees as the Deputy to the President
• confirms the appointment of Ms. Bettina Petzold as a Vice President and Mr. Thomas Gollwitzer as the Congress Director FIG 2006; and
• receives the list of responsibilities of the Council members for 2003–2006.

Decision:

12. REPORTS FROM CHAIRS OF COMMISSIONS

The Commission chairs have submitted their written reports on the Commission activities since the FIG Congress in Washington, DC. Their reports include progress reports of the working groups in each Commission. All Commissions will have meetings during the Working Week as well as most of their Working Groups. Therefore, the Commission chairs have been requested to make an additional report at the second session of the General Assembly.

Appendices to item 12:

• 12.1 Commission 1
• 12.2 Commission 2
• 12.3 Commission 3
• 12.4 Commission 4
• 12.5 Commission 5
• 12.6 Commission 6
• 12.7 Commission 7
• 12.8 Commission 8
• 12.9 Commission 9
• 12.10 Commission 10.

Motion: That the General Assembly

• adopts the reports of the Commission chairs and records its thanks to the chairs and officers of the Commissions for their past year’s work;
• confirms the change in Commission 2 work plan as proposed in Commission 2 report and thus to close WG 2.2 “Curricula Models and CPD” and to establish a new WG 2.2 “The Studies of Surveying in Latin America”, chaired by Prof. Graciela Loyácono from Argentina (he will also chair the Liaison Group for Latin America).

Decision:

13. REPORTS FROM THE DIRECTORS OF PERMANENT INSTITUTIONS

Appendices to item 13:

• 13.1 Report from the International Office of Cadastre and Land Records (Office International du Cadastre et du Régime Foncier) OICRF
• 13.2 Report from the FIG Multi-Lingual Dictionary Board
• 13.3 Report from the International Institution for the History of Surveying and Measurement, Permanent Institution of FIG

Motion: That the General Assembly adopts the reports and records its thanks to the Directors for their past year’s work.

Decision:

14. REPORT OF UN ACTIVITIES

Appendix to item 14: Co-operation with the United Nations and Its Agencies April 2002–April 2003 (including the signed agreement of co-operation with the UN FAO).

Motion: That the General Assembly adopts the report on the co-operation with the United Nations and its agencies records its warmest thanks to Prof. Ian Williamson, Director, FIG/UN Liaison for his great contributions during his term of office as the Director, FIG/UN Liaison in 1999-2002.

Decision:

15. LIAISON WITH INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

After the International Union for Surveys and Mapping (IUSM) was disbanded in 1999 the co-operation with the so-called sister organisations have been based on bilateral agreements. Memoranda of understanding have now been signed with all former members of IUSM except IHO, which is still under preparation. The latest “Joint Board of Space Information Societies” took place at the FIG 2002 Congress.

FIG has further bilateral agreements of co-operation with other international associations like ICEC, IFHP, CIB and FIABCI. Some of the partners are also working together in the Habitat Professionals Forum.

FIG is a member of the International Council for Science (ICSU) and working together with ISO and International Valuation Standards Committee (IVSC) on standards.

The Council together with ACCO has appointed liaison persons to take care of communication between FIG and the sister associations.

Motion: That the General Assembly receives the report on the liaison with the sister associations during the past year.

Decision:

16. NOMINATION REVIEW GROUP AND CHANGE TO THE INTERNAL RULES

The Canadian Institute of Geomatics has sent a letter to the Council considering the role and responsibilities of the Nomination Review Group in the election procedure of the Council members and further proposing, if required, amendments to Internal Rules under 9.0 Council. The US and German Councils have considered this proposal and noted that there is a need for further guidance to the next NRG but that this additional guidance does not need to be included in the internal rules. The Council proposes, however, the following small change to internal rule 9.4:

Current paragraph 9.4 The General Assembly shall establish a Nominations Review Group (NRG) on the recommendation of the Council. The NRG shall normally consist of three to five persons with considerable experience of the Federation and shall be chaired by the immediate past president. Its members shall hold office for four years, from Congress to Congress. A member of the current Council cannot be a member of the NRG. If any member of the NRG is unable to complete his or her period of office, a replacement shall be appointed by the Council and ratification of that appointment sought from next meeting of the General Assembly.

Proposed new paragraph 9.4 The General Assembly shall establish a Nominations Review Group (NRG) on the recommendation of the Council. The NRG shall normally consist of three to five persons with considerable experience of the Federation and take into account the geographical representation. It shall be chaired by the immediate past president. Its members shall hold office for four calendar years, starting in the year following the Congress. A member of the current Council cannot be a member of the NRG. If any member of the NRG is unable to complete his or her period of office, a replacement shall be appointed by the Council and ratification of that appointment sought from next meeting of the General Assembly.

The NRG was not appointed at the General Assembly in 2002 for 2003-2006. The new Council is at the moment considering the responsibilities of the NRG and the persons to be appointed. The Council will make its proposal for the members of the NRG in Paris.

Motion: That the General Assembly

• adopts the proposed amendment to internal rule 9.4; and
• appoints the members to the Nomination Review Group for calendar years 2003–2006 as proposed by the Council at the General Assembly in Paris.

Decision:

17 FIG ACCOUNTS FOR 2002 AND AUDITOR’S REPORT AND BUDGET FOR 2003 AND 2004

Vice President Ralf Schroth has prepared as financial report on the economic situation of the Federation. This report includes summary of the accounts for 2002, an updated budget for 2003 and proposal for budget 2004 with notes.

The Auditors Report includes the auditors report from 2002, official accounts (income statement 2002) and balance sheet 31 December 2002.

Appendices to item 17:

• 17.1 Financial Report – Accounts 2002 and Budgets 2003 and 2004
• 17.2 Auditor's Report, Income Statement for 2002 and Balance Sheet at 31 December 2001

Motion: That the General Assembly adopts the audited accounts for 2002.

Decision:

18 BUDGET 2003 AND 2004

Updated budget for 2003 and budget for 2004 are included in the Financial Report, appendix to item 17.1.

The Council has decided to propose to the General Assembly that from 1 January 2004 the official currency of FIG will be changed from Swiss franc to Euro. This proposal is based on practical reasons to save bookkeeping work, banking and auditing costs (estimate up to even Swiss francs 10,000) and to avoid risk in exchange rates, because most expenditure is in Euro or Danish crone which is bind Euro with +/- 2 per cent tolerance.

Motion: That the General Assembly

• adopts the up-dated budget for 2003;
• adopts the budget for 2004; and
• confirms the decision of the Council to change the official currency of the Federation to Euro 1 January 2004

Decision:

19 SUBSCRIPTION RATES FOR 2005

The General Assembly is required to set levels of fees for member associations two years in advance of the year in which they become payable. Fees are payable in respect of each individual member up to a maximum of 4,000 members; member associations with more than 4,000 members pay fees in accordance with a sliding scale. Fees for 2003 and 2004 are:

The World Bank list of low-income economies is available at
http://www.worldbank.org/data/countryclass/classgroups.htm#Low_income 
and the list of lower-middle-income economies is available at
http://www.worldbank.org/data/countryclass/classgroups.htm#Lower_middle_income

The Council proposed a very modest increase in the membership fees for 2005.

Motion: That the General Assembly adopts following membership fees payable by member associations in 2005:

Decision:

20 FIG WORKING WEEK 2008

The only bid to host the FIG Working Week 2008 has been received from the Sveriges Lantmätareförening SLF (The Swedish Association of Chartered Surveyors). It is willing to host the Working Week together with FIG as requested by the Council in 2002. SLF is also celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2008.

The Council has considered the bid and is convinced that the bid is well prepared; SLF is able to take care of its responsibilities in the arrangements; and that Stockholm is an excellent destination for the Working Week 2008. After the bid was received the Council has negotiated with SLF on the co-operation, responsibilities and arrangements between FIG and SLF in organising the conference. The main point in the agreement is that FIG will, for the first time, host a Working Week itself in 2008 but, of course, in a close co-operation with the local member association. The agreement also guarantees FIG financial surplus from the conference without an economic risk. The role of FIG and the permanent office will be remarkably bigger than in previous years.

The delegation of the SLF will make their presentation at the first session of the General Assembly.

Appendix to item 20: SLF’s bid to host FIG Working Week 2008 in Stockholm (main points)

Motion: That the General Assembly decides that FIG will organise the Working Week 2008 in Stockholm, Sweden together with the Swedish member association SLF.

Decision:

Thursday 17 April

21. PRESIDENT'S MEETING

Separate invitation to Presidents of the Member Associations to follow.

Thursday 17 April, 10.30 - 13.00, Amphi Cauchy
General Assembly, Second Session

22 ROLL CALL

Vice President Andreas Drees to take the roll call.
Please note that the roll call will be done for member associations only. Delegates representing affiliates, academic members, corporate members and correspondents as well as honorary presidents and honorary members will be entered in the records but they shall register before the meeting starts in the meeting hall to the FIG representative.

Appendix to items 2 & 22: Roll Call.

Motion: That present members are recorded in the minutes.

Decision:

23 MEMBERSHIP

Additional membership issues will be tabled.

Motion: That the General Assembly makes its decision on the membership issues.

Decision:

24 REPORT FROM ACCO

The Advisory Committee of Commission Officers (ACCO) will meet on 12 April and possibly at other times during the Working Week.

Appendix to item 24: Report from the ACCO meetings, to be tabled.

Motion: That the General Assembly receives the report and its recommendations and records its thanks to ACCO for its past year’s work.

Decision:

25 REPORTS FROM THE COMMISSION CHAIRS

The Commission chairs are requested to make brief oral presentations on the Commissions activities and meetings during the working week.

Motion: That the General Assembly receives the reports.

Decision:

26 REGIONAL REPORTS

The Council has decided to activate the role of member associations at the General Assembly by encouraging the change of experiences between member associations and regions. Therefore, the Council has decided to have in Paris a discussion on regional experiences, co-operation and activities in FIG. At the moment there already exist two regional groups within FIG: the Francophone Group and the Arab Federation of Surveyors, which was established in fall 2002 in close co-operation with FIG.

The Council has invited short introduction remarks (to be followed with comments from the delegates) from different regions as follows:

• The Francophone Group, TBA
• The Arab Federation of Surveyors, President Sarkis Fadous (Lebanon)
• Africa, TBA
• South America, TBA
• Asia and the Pacific, T.N. Wong (Hong Kong, China)

Motion: That the General Assembly notes the discussion.

Decision:

27 REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE FIG FOUNDATION

The FIG Foundation fundraising dinner in Paris is combined to the FIG 125th Anniversary Dinner in Versailles on Tuesday 15 April 2003.

The Board of Directors of the Foundation has further decided that those founding members of the Foundation that have donated the Foundation at least USD 100 will be recognised in the FIG Annual Review.

Supplementary report on the fundraising in conjunction to FIG 2003 will be tabled as well as information about grants for 2003.

Appendix to item 27: Report of the FIG Foundation 2002–2003.

Motion: That the General Assembly receives the report of the President of the FIG Foundation.

Decision:

28 REPORTS OF THE WORKING WEEKS 2004–2005 AND 2007 AND CONGRESS 2006

The hosts of the FIG Working Weeks 2004 (Greece), 2005 (Egypt), Congress 2006 (Germany) and Working Week 2007 (Hong Kong, China) have been asked to make brief reports on the preparations for their respective events.

Appendix to item 28:
28.1 Report on the FIG Working Week 2004 in Athens, to be tabled
28.2 Report on the FIG Working Week 2005 in Cairo, added 19 February 2003
28.3 Report on the FIG Congress in 2006 in Munich, to be tabled
28.4 Report on the FIG Working Week 2007 in Hong Kong, China, to be tabled.

Motion: That the General Assembly notes the reports.

Decision:

29 REGIONAL CONFERENCES IN MOROCCO IN 2003 AND IN INDONESIA 2004

The hosts of the FIG Regional Conferences in Marrakech, Morocco, December 2-5, 2003 and in Jakarta, Indonesia in September/October 2004 have been asked to make brief reports on the preparations of these events.

Motion: That the General Assembly notes the reports.

Decision:

30 PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION

31 CLOSING PROCEEDINGS

Data supplied by the FIG Office. 

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that this data is accurate errors might exist. Requests for updates and corrections should be emailed to the FIG Office.