AM1-Rules Associate Membership-Oct2017

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Last Revised October 2017 AM1/Oct2017
Original: English
THE WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, INC.
RULES APPLICABLE TO WMA ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
amended by the
34th World Medical Assembly, Lisbon, Portugal, September/October 1981
126th Council Session, Jerusalem, Israel, May 1990
50th
WMA General Assembly, October 1998
WMA General Assembly, Washington 2002
WMA General Assembly, Helsinki 2003
WMA General Assembly, Durban 2014
WMA General Assembly, Taipei 2016
and the
WMA General Assembly, Chicago 2017
1. Associate members shall be limited to physicians, as that term is defined in the WMA Bylaws
(Section 1c (i) of Chapter I), and medical students who are properly enrolled in a medical school
which the Council determines is a recognized medical school in the country in which it is
located, who have applied for such membership and who have paid the amount of dues
prescribed for such members. Associate membership is available to such individual physicians
and medical students whether or not their National Medical Association is a Constituent
Member of the World Medical Association.
2. Applications for Associate Membership shall be obtained only from the WMA directly, or from
a National Medical Association that is a Constituent Member of the WMA. The application
should be returned, with the proper amount of membership dues, to the WMA or to a National
Medical Association that is a Constituent Member of the WMA.
3. Associate members shall receive an appropriate membership card, a subscription to the World
Medical Association’s Journal (WMJ) and such other benefits as the Council may approve.
Associate members may attend open meetings of the WMA General Assembly upon payment of
the registration fee therefor, and upon request and approval the representatives and alternates of
the Associate Members may attend open meetings of the World Medical Association Council.
Attendance at all such meetings shall be at the expense of the Associate Member.
4. The Associate Members shall elect a Chairperson from its own number present at the Assembly.
The Chairperson shall preside over meetings of the Associate Members. If the Chairperson is
absent, the Associate Members shall elect one of their own number present at the meeting to
preside over that meeting.
The Chairperson shall serve for a term of three years, and shall be eligible for reappointment or
re-election at the pleasure of the Associate Members, provided that he or she meets the
qualifications for Associate Membership.
If the Chairperson resigns from associate membership, or if his or her associate membership is
terminated, the term of the Chairperson shall automatically expire. At the next Associate
Rules Applicable to WMA Associate Membership AM1/Oct2017
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Members meeting, the Associate Members shall elect a new Chairperson, whose term of three
years shall commence at that meeting.
5. Immediately prior to each meeting of the WMA General Assembly, there shall be a meeting of
those Associate Members present at the Assembly. The meeting shall be scheduled and arranged
by the Secretary General, and the order of business shall be as follows:
a) If the term of the Chairperson has expired, there shall be an election by the Associate
Members present of a Chairperson to conduct the meeting. The Secretary General or his
designee shall be available throughout the meeting to advise, assist and counsel the
members.
b) Discussion of the Agenda of the Assembly.
c) Proposal of motions to bring before the Assembly.
d) Election by the Associate Members present of two representatives and two alternates to the
Assembly who hold a diploma or degree in medicine recognized by the National Medical
Association of their country as required by Chapter III, Section 3A of the Bylaws.
e) Other business for discussion.
f) Adjournment.
6. Only those motions approved and adopted by a two-thirds majority of the Associate Members
present at the meeting of Associate Members may be presented to the Assembly for
consideration. The representatives at the Assembly elected by the Associate Members shall have
the right to speak in the Assembly, but shall not have the right to introduce additional business,
nor to introduce an amendment, nor to make a motion, nor to vote.
7. If a proposed motion and its supporting background documents deal with substantially the same
subject matter as another proposal or proposals that has or have been previously considered
during Associate Members Meetings within the preceding 5 calendar years, it may be excluded
from the official documentation for any meeting held within 3 calendar years of the last time it
was included if the proposal received:
7.1 Less than 5% of the vote if proposed once within the preceding 5 calendar years;
7.2 Less than 10% of the vote on its last submission to the Associate Members Meeting if
proposed twice previously within the preceding 5 calendar years; or
7.3 Less than 15% of the vote on its last submission to the Associate Members Meeting if
proposed three times or more previously within the preceding 5 calendar years.
8. The Secretary General shall administer all matters relating to Associate Members, and may
delegate duties and responsibilities relating to Associate Membership to the Regional
Secretaries.
9. The Council may reject any application for Associate Membership without cause.
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10. The Council may terminate the membership of any Associate Member for cause. Cause for
termination of membership shall consist of any action by the member that is inconsistent with
WMA purposes and objectives, or action that tends to bring the WMA or the medical profession
into disrepute, or tends to harm the reputation of the WMA in any way. Prior to terminating the
membership of an Associate Member for cause, the Council shall invite the member to respond
in writing to the complaints alleged against the said member. The Council shall consider the
member’s response, if any, in making its decision.
11. Associate Members may not represent the WMA in any capacity without the express prior
authorization of the Council or by the Chair of Council.
12. Medical students and junior doctors (on graduation as physicians for a period of five years) will
be granted Associate Membership of the WMA. No membership fee will be charged, but no
products, services or publications (except electronic publications) will be provided to these
members. In addition, these members will not have the right to vote.
13. As from October 2014 Past Presidents and Past Chairs of Council will be granted life Associate
Membership of the WMA. No membership fee will be charged. These members will have the
right to vote.
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