The basic requirements and procedures related to the organisation of an IRPA International Congress are given in the IRPA Constitution and the Rules of Administrative Procedures (Relevant parts are presented as an Annex to this document). However, over the years, building on the experience of past International Congresses, specific arrangement have been introduced to clarify the interpretation of the basic rules.

This document presents further guidelines for Associate Societies who wish to offer to host an International IRPA Congress.

An Associate Society or Societies wishing to host a future international congress must submit a written offer to the IRPA Executive Office, not later than six months before the General Assembly at which the time and place of the next congress will be decided.

The invitation letter, signed by the President of the host society, must include:

• the Society (or Societies) which will assume the responsibility for the organisation of the Congress,
• the location and venue of the place at which it is proposed to hold the Congress and its approximate date,
• the name of the nominee for President of the Congress who will become the Vice-President for Congress Affairs if the offer is accepted,
• an assurance that national authorities of the host country will raise no obstacle to the attendance of IRPA-members, consistent with the policy on the free circulation of scientists of the International Council of Scientific Unions,
• a preliminary budget including the overall income and the proposed conference fee,
• an assurance that the national authorities will raise no obstacle to the transfer to the IRPA treasury of any monies,
• the confirmation of full knowledge of IRPA rules, particularly those related to the financial matters (next paragraph) and agreement to observe them.

• registration fees from participants and exhibitors
• direct and indirect subsidies from public bodies and from sponsors
• other income.

The final decision on the participation fees will be made by the Executive Council. Members of the Executive Council, the International Congress Committees and the Sievert Lecturer are not required to pay the registration fee.

It is the policy of IRPA to provide an advance loan to cover initial administrative costs as well as to cover travelling expenses and meeting costs for the Congress Committees. The repayment of such a loan shall be a first charge on the congress organisers. The size and conditions of any such loan, as well as arrangements on payments and repayments are subject to further agreement with the Treasurer.

Revenues from IRPA Congresses are essential for the continuity of the Association. As a minimum, a financial contribution to the IRPA Treasury of 35.000 US$ (price level 2002) must be included in the budget. Above and beyond this contribution to IRPA, a first portion of the financial revenues of an international IRPA congress will be split 50-50 between the host society and the IRPA. This first portion is agreed between the host society and the Executive Council in the course of the evaluation phase of the invitation. If the revenues of the congress exceeds the amount of this agreed first portion, 75% of the excess revenues will be paid to IRPA and the host society will be entitled to 25% of the excess revenues.

After the Congress an audited set of accounts shall be sent to the IRPA Treasurer.

The final decision is made by the IRPA General Assembly though a vote of the IRPA Delegates immediately after the presentations. The nominee for President of the Congress that has been selected becomes automatically the Vice-President for Congress Affairs of the new Executive Council.

The role and the responsibilities of the ICPC and ICOC are described in more details in the Rules of Administrative Procedures (See Annex Rules 7.2.1 and 7.2.3)

The Association shall hold an IRPA Congress at intervals of about three years at such time and place as may be designated by the General Assembly. The primary purpose of the IRPA Congress is to provide a means whereby the members may discuss their professional experiences, exchange ideas, and acquaint themselves with the scientific and technical problems of their international colleagues.

Section 2

An IRPA Congress may be held in any country, and one Society alone, or two or more together, may assume responsibility for hosting the Congress. Offers extended to the General Assembly to host the next IRPA Congress shall include :

1. the name of the place at which it is proposed to hold the Congress and its approximate date;
2. the Society or Societies which will assume responsibility for the organisation of the Congress;
3. the name of the nominee for Vice-President for Congress Affairs (vide Article VI, Section 3.); and
4. an assurance that the national authorities of the host country will raise no obstacle to the attendance at the Congress or at the General Assembly of members of any Associate Society, or to the transfer to the Association of any monies received by the Congress in excess of Congress expenditure.

All offers received by the Executive Officer at least six months before the General Assembly at which the election of officers is to take place, shall be reported to the General Assembly. If no offer has been received by the date specified, or if the General Assembly declines offers received, the Executive Council shall seek an offer to recommend to the General Assembly for its approval, if necessary by a vote by correspondence.

Any monies realised in excess of operating expenses relevant to the IRPA Congress as defined in the rules of the Association, shall be paid into the treasury of the Association, and an audited set of accounts (Article XI, Section 1. infra) sent to the Treasurer.

Immediately after a congress, it must be a matter of urgent priority for the President to consult, as appropriate, for the early appointment of an International Congress Organising Committee to arrange for the next International Congress and a chairman and members of the International Congress Programme Committee to arrange for the scientific sessions of that Congress. The work of the International Congress Organising Committee and the International Congress Programme Committee shall be subject to any directions issued by the Executive Council, and to their reporting as required to the Executive Council and (between meetings) to the Officers of IRPA (see also Rules 7.2.1 and 7.2.3).

The arrangements for the hall, the seating of delegates, a room for the tellers, etc., shall be made by the General Assembly Arrangements Committee (see 7.2.2). The General Assembly shall meet at a time that does not conflict with the scientific sessions.

This committee, in consultation with the President, is responsible for making arrangements for an IRPA Congress, and its chairman shall be the Vice-President for Congress Affairs, who shall seek nominations for membership of this committee from the host society or societies, shall consult the President, and when agreement is reached on the membership shall appoint the members of the committee. Decisions of the committee shall be by simple majority of the members present and voting unless the committee itself determines otherwise. It is the responsibility of the Vice-President for Congress Affairs to review the Committee's work periodically and to report on it to the Executive Council.

It is the responsibility of the Vice-President for Congress Affairs to determine how the committee is organised to carry out its task, including the setting up of any sub-committees, for example, to arrange details of finance, exhibition, publicity, registration, accommodation social events. It is then the responsibility of the committee to determine the duties and responsibilities of its members and the members of any sub-committees set up, and to work in collaboration with the International Congress Programme Committee and the General Assembly Arrangements Committee.

The committee shall submit to the Executive Council when requested an itemised budget showing the anticipated income and expenditure in connection with the Congress. The Executive Council may then authorise the Treasurer to advance IRPA monies to the committee to finance its work before the Congress in the expectation of repayment after the Congress. No commitment, expenditure, or obligation of any sort shall be made in the name of the IRPA, or of any member of the IRPA, without the specific authorisation of the Executive Council or its authorised representative.

After the Congress, accounts relating to the Congress, which have been audited or certified according to the practices of the host country or countries, shall be sent to the Treasurer for presentation to the Executive Council; a substantial and annotated report, including a report from the chairman of the International Congress Programme Committee, shall be sent to the Executive Officer; any relevant documents about the organisation of the Congress shall be sent to the next Vice-President for Congress Affairs. These shall when possible be sent within 90 days of the close of the Congress but, where this is not possible, by that time a report showing the progress made towards the sending of these documents shall be sent to the President with copies to the Treasurer, the Executive Officer and the next Vice-President for Congress Affairs. The Executive Council shall direct the disposal of any monies remaining after all the expenses have been met and loans repaid.

This committee is responsible for making the arrangements for a General Assembly meeting. When the General Assembly takes place during an IRPA Congress, the chairman of the committee shall be the Executive Officer, and its members be appointed in consultation with the host society or societies. For any other meeting of the General Assembly, the Executive Council shall make such appointments as it thinks fit.

Any arrangements made shall be subject to the approval of the President. One of the duties of the committee is to nominate for appointment by the General Assembly a teller who shall not necessarily be a member of the General Assembly and, in consultation with the nominated teller, a sufficient number of assistant tellers.

This Committee is responsible for the scientific and technical programme of an IRPA Congress within the framework formulated by the International Congress Organising Committee, but is directly responsible in its work to the Executive Council. The chairman shall have both a high international reputation for scientific ability in radiation protection and organisational ability; he shall not be a member of the host society or societies, but shall be appointed by the President from a list of nominees proposed by the host society or societies.

The members of the committee shall include a secretary who is a member of the host society or societies, and after the names of the members have been agreed with the President and the chairman of the committee, they shall be appointed by the Vice-President for Congress Affairs. The Vice-President for Congress Affairs shall be an ex officio member of this Committee.