Articles of Association of the International Digestive Endoscopy Network (IDEN)

Articles of Association of the International Digestive Endoscopy Network (IDEN)

• The name of the Society is the International Digestive Endoscopy Network (IDEN).
• IDEN's academic office is located in Seoul, and branch offices and chapters can be established by resolution of the board of directors, if necessary.
• The fiscal year starts on November 1^st of previous year and ends on October 31^st each year.

Article 2 (Structure)

The Society is a global association of international organizations and national bodies for digestive endoscopy. A national body means an organization recognized by the United Nations and its subordinate institutions. Several national bodies in the country can be members of our Association.

Article 3 (Purpose)

The purpose of IDEN is to develop and interact with digestive endoscopy studies around the world, as well as to develop education, research, and treatment in the field of digestive endoscopy.

Article 4 (Activities)

• Holding of academic conferences
• Publication of academic journals and digestive endoscopy-related books
• Support of research activities and other activities that IDEN finds necessary

Article 5 (Non-profit)

• The Society pursues non-profit exclusively and directly within the meaning of the Korean tax act for tax exemption purposes. It never seeks any economic gain preferentially.
• The funds of the Society may be used only for the purposes stipulated in the Articles of Association. Member States and organizations shall not receive any commercial benefit from the Society's funds.
• Individuals may not benefit either from any expenditure other than for the purposes of this Association or from funds with unreasonably high premiums.

Article 6 (Academic Member)

To become an IDEN member body, an official application must be made at least 6 months in advance of the next general meeting.

• The following documents are required:
  
  • Official application form
  • A copy of the laws and regulations of the applicant organization
  • Detailed information about the composition of the board of directors, including the name and address of the board directors
  • List of all members of the applicant organization
  • The agreement must recognize and agree to the IDEN Articles of Association regarding the single vote of each country at the general meeting
• The application shall be evaluated by the board of directors and proposed for approval.
• Annual membership fee:
  
  • Annual membership fees are USD 200, regardless of the number of associations by country.
  • The membership fee for groups with more than 20 individual members during the year is exempted.
  • Member societies that have not paid the annual membership fee for two years shall be notified of the continuation of membership qualification.

Article 7 (Individual Member)

IDEN consists of individuals or groups that agree with the purpose of IDEN, designated as general members, associate members, and honorary members.

• General member: A person who agrees with the purpose of IDEN and pays the membership fee. A specialist in digestive endoscopy, or a person who can prove an equivalent license in each country.
• Associate member: A medical college student, an intern, a resident, a nurse, or a radiologist who can contribute to digestive endoscopy studies and who has paid the necessary membership fee.
• Honorary member: A retired person, by age limits, in digestive endoscopy studies and related medicine. Honorary members are exempted from all membership fees for the lifetime of each member, with the approval of the board of directors.
  
  • Member screening
    • When applying as a general member, the candidate must submit a resume (CV), including a thesis.
    • When applying for an associate member, the candidate must submit a resume and a certificate of the head of the institution.
  • Membership period
    
    • As long as the membership fee is paid and the member continues to carry out appropriate medical treatment, general membership status shall be maintained.
    • Individual members must renew their membership by January 1st of each year. As of January 1, benefits for individual members shall be suspended until the payment of membership fees.
  • Membership fee
    
    • The membership fee for IDEN general members is USD 100 per year (from January 1st to December 31st).
    • The annual membership fee for IDEN associate members is USD 50 (January 1st to December 31st). There are no half-year or field discount benefits for IDEN associate members.
    • General members and associate members can receive the discount benefits of academic conference participation fees provided by IDEN, as well as other materials.
  • ) Exemption from the membership fee

    From 2019 to 2024, the membership fee for those who are going to become general members and associate members shall be exempted.

  • Applicants for membership registration must have the qualifications specified in (1), obtain approval from the board of directors, and complete the necessary registration procedures.
  • Obligatory IDEN members must comply with the IDEN rules and provisions of the rules, as well as pay membership fees.
  • General members who comply with their rights and obligations have the right to make proposals, decisions, and elections, as well as to be elected. Other members have the right to make presentations.
  • Qualification: a member loses membership in the following cases:
    • Unpaid membership fee for 2 or more years
    • Members whose actions are against the purpose of IDEN and who defame the honor of members and whose membership the board of directors resolves to dismiss.
  • Withdrawal: If a member wants to leave IDEN for an important reason, the member can express his/her will by submitting a withdrawal notice.

Article 8 (Board of Directors)

• President
  
  • The president of the Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy shall also serve as the president of IDEN until the Association is stable, with more than 300 association members and more than 2,000 individual members (foreigners).
  • The term of office is two (2) years.
  • Officers and committee chairs of the governing board, excluding the honorary chairman, shall be appointed by the president.
• Honorary president.

  The term of office is two (2) years, and the former president becomes the honorary chairman. The honorary president shall help the current next president stay in line with IDEN's goals and activities.

• Vice-president

  The term of office is two (2) years, and the next president of the Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy shall serve concurrently.

• Chairman/Vice Chairman
  
  • The term of office is two (2) years, and the president selects them from the countries and organizations that make up IDEN.
  • He/she shall act as a facilitator for the IDEN board of directors and assist the president in deciding important policies.
• General Secretary
  
  • The term of office is two (2) years, and the president selects them from the countries and organizations that make up IDEN.
  • It may consist of 2 to 3 deputies of general affairs.
• Treasurer
  • The term of office is two (2) years, and the president selects him/her from the countries and organizations that make up IDEN.
• Committee Directors
  
  • The term of office is two (2) years, and the president selects them from the general members of countries and organizations that make up IDEN.
  • Each committee consists of approximately 6 members.
  • Over half of the members are non-Korean.
  • The composition is, as follows, and the composition of the additional committee shall be finalized after the resolution of the Steering Committee, if necessary.
    
    • Scientific Committee
    • Editorial Committee
    • Education and Training Committee
    • Informatics Committee
    • Public Affairs Committee
• Director of International Relations

  The term of office is two (2) years and is appointed by the president.

• Auditor

  The term of office is two (2) years and is appointed by the president.

• Steering Member

  The term of office is two (2) years and consists of the president, vice-president, chairman, vice-chairman, and general secretary.

• Advisory Committee

  The term of office is two (2) years, and it consists of around 10 members, including the previous president, president, and the president of the foreign academic society.

Article 9 (Board of Directors)

• The board of directors shall consist of the directors of IDEN prescribed in Article 8 and shall be convened by the president.
• The board discusses and resolves the following agenda items:
  
  • Admission resolution of general members, associate members, and honorary members
  • Resolution for dismissal of general members
  • Acceptance and dismissal resolution of member organizations
  • Matters concerning income, expenditure, and budgeting (final settlement)
  • Matters concerning establishment and revision of the Articles of Association
• The agenda of the board of directors is decided by the participation of more than half of the total number of directors and the majority of the attending directors. The agenda (3), (4), (5) in Article 9 shall be decided at the general meeting of members, with the approval of a majority of the attending members,, while the agenda (1), (2) in Article 9 shall be decided at the board meeting and reported at the general meeting.

Article 10 (Executive Committee)

• Each committee must meet at least once a year.
• The committee must hold face-to-face meetings at least once a year. The other conferences can be conducted via video conference.
• The date of the face-to-face meeting must be announced at least 3 months in advance.
• The executive committee director must submit the status report at a face-to-face meeting.
• Each executive committee director convenes the meetings of the relevant committees.
• The director submits the minutes to the secretariat office and, if necessary, reports the results of the meeting directly to the board of directors.

Article 11 (Steering Committee)

• The Steering Committee is composed of the following members:
  • President
  • Vice president
  • Chairman
  • Vice chairman
  • General secretary
• The tasks and responsibilities of the Steering Committee are as follows:
  • The Steering Committee shall be responsible for the business and activities of IDEN.
  • The Steering Committee shall have the following tasks:
    
    • the initiation and, if required, termination of membership in medical national organizations, and the designation and destination of committee members
    • the adoption and modification of Articles of IDEN, as suggested by the President, unless another body is assigned this task; the adoption or modification of such Articles shall be announced and approved at the next General Assembly.
    • the appointment of Ad-hoc Committees and Special Study Groups; the appointment of any such Ad-hoc Committees or Special Study Groups and of their objectives and activities shall be reported to the General Assembly.
    • any other tasks assigned to the Steering Committee hereunder

Article 12 (Advisory Council)

• The former president of IDEN shall appoint several councilors to advise on the overall activities of IDEN.
• The foundation committee of IDEN shall hold regular meeting, form an advisory council, herein they may consult and finally approve matters voted on by executive committee and steering committee.

Article 13 (General Meeting)

• The IDEN general meeting is convened by the president once a year, and the president presides over the meeting. The agenda is as follows:

  • Amendment of the Articles of Association
  • The annual budget, financial report, and annual activity approval
  • Appointment and dismissal of the president and directors
  • Approval of member associations for national organizations
  • Rules regarding membership rights and obligations
  • Agenda set by the board of directors
  • Other important matters

Article 14 (Finance)

• The cost of the Society shall be covered by membership fees, donations, and other membership fees.
• Every two years, an external accounting audit shall be conducted by an auditor unrelated to the Society determined and selected by the board of directors.

Article 15 (Application for IDEN Conference Hosting)

• At the IDEN meeting

  The IDEN conference is held in South Korea from June to July every year. However, in the second half of the year, it can be held in each country's branches. Changes to the time of the meeting must be approved by the board.

• IDEN meeting convocation (application)

  Applications for publication of IDEN through the IDEN Secretariat shall be provided to representatives of IDEN national organizations/associations at least two years before the meeting where the IDEN Annual General Meeting shall take place. Applicants may apply for proposals or to subsequently hold IDEN meetings. If the organizer is selected for the next two years, the application process shall resume the following year.

• Application for holding the IDEN Annual General Meeting
  • Applications to host the IDEN Annual Meeting must be addressed to the IDEN chairman and to the IDEN secretariat office at least three months before the current meeting. The following matters must be stated in the written intention:
    • Hosting and joint entity (if any)
    • Proposal date and year
    • Proposed city
    • List of main committee members
    • Statement as to whether it wants to host IDEN the following year, instead of the year presented by the association.
  • The application form includes the "IDEN Conference Hosting Application." The letter of intent and application must be sent to the IDEN secretariat office at the IDEN office in Seoul.
  • Detailed enforcement regulations are fixed regarding application document requirements, meeting place requirements, host city requirements, budget planning, and site visits (Specific enforcement rule 1).
• Acceptance criteria
  • The board of directors shall only consider applications received from national bodies/designated representatives of the IDEN. Individual applications shall not be considered without the written support of the national institute/president and the secretary-general to which they belong.
  • The board of directors does not accept any application, or reserves the right to accept, for up to 2 years. IDEN can resume the application for the IDEN meeting.
• Requirements for the meeting location

  Below are the requirements for the location of the annual meeting:

  • General lecture hall
  • Workshop and graduate course before the meeting
  • Corresponding auditorium (1- to 3-day conference)
  • Exhibition / registration / coffee and lunch break
  • Lunch time / Online symposium
  • Poster presentation
  • Secretariat office
  • Presenter preparation room and lounge
  • Internet room
  • IDEN business meeting room
  • IDEN office

• Host city requirements

  Below are the requirements for the location of the annual meeting:

  • Accessibility
    

    The proposed venue should be held in an internationally accessible location, i.e, at one with an airport/railway link, and the travel method for the meeting should be explained in the application form.

  • Accommodation
    

    It is necessary to have a map of the meeting place showing the surrounding hotels, grades, and the number of guest rooms. A summary of available accommodations should be included with current one-night costs, presented in proximity to the conference room or by local currency. It is necessary to provide affordable accommodation information, together with "luxury" hotels. The annual meeting anticipates at least 1,000 attendees.

• Budget planning

  The invitation to host the meeting must develop a preliminary budget plan based on 1,000 participants, including information on planned registration fees and tax efficiency measures. If the applicant wishes to consider a two-year event, it must also submit the IDEN budget for the following year. The provisional budget must be discussed and agreed upon with the IDEN board of directors. The final audited account must be submitted to the board, and the meeting account must be closed within 6 months after IDEN is completed.

• Communication channel

  Communication between the regional organizing committee and the board of directors is through the IDEN secretariat office, which sends all communications to each subcommittee or board of directors.

• Application presentation

  The application can be circulated to the board of directors and the IDEN secretariat office in order to clarify the details. Applicants who have completed the application must give a presentation to the application at the next IDEN board meeting. Each participant shall be given 15 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for questions and answers.

• Notification of application decision

  After the announcement, it shall be deliberated upon by the board of directors. All successful applications and results can be confirmed on the website at www.iden.or.kr.

• Site visit
  • The site visit must be conducted according to the needs and circumstances of the host country. In this case, the approval is provisional, until the visiting team is satisfied with the local venue organizers’ preparations to run the meeting, and the host country should understand IDEN's actions. The site visit must take place within 6 months after the board's initial provisional approval, and a temporary on-site organizing committee must be formed.
  • The site visit team consists of up to three (3) executive committee members (generally the president, the general secretary, and the treasurer), one staff member from the IDEN secretariat office, and one representative from the bio industry. A key member of the interim local organizing committee must accompany the site visit team. The interim regional organization committee shall bear the air travel, taxes, visa application (if any), accommodation, food, and transportation costs incurred by the executive committee and its IDEN Secretariat for the site visit. If there are additional visits, the society shall bear the costs.
• Agreement

  The successful applicant for hosting the meeting shall sign a contract with IDEN.

Article 16 (Selection of IDEN Academic Conference Speakers, Cases, and Awards)

Selection of speakers and chairs for IDEN conferences, as well as review of abstracts, awards, and cases, shall be enforced in accordance with the specific enforcement rule of the Scientific Committee and shall be confirmed by the organizing committee (Specific enforcement rule 2).

Article 17 (IYEA Enforcement and Selection Criteria)

IYEA's selection and payment rules are enforced based on IYEA internal rules and are confirmed by the organizing committee (Specific enforcement rule 3).

Specific Enforcement Rule 1. IDEN Hosting Application Requirements

• Application requirements
  • Name of the academic society for which the conference is requested: The three (3) main conferences organized by the scientific conference and their attendance should be clearly stated.
  • Committee structure: including a list of chairs and, at least, the secretary-general, treasurer, and academic committee chair.
  • Regional support: list of types of support provided by local governments or public institutions that support the conference.
  • Date of proposal
  • Expected weather conditions
  • City candidate
  • Safety: political and social stability provisions of the host country
  • Accessibility
    • Must include details of international access (i.e., airport and rail links) and how to travel to the Convention City
    • Must ensure that all representatives from member countries are free to enter the host country
  • Convention place: create floor plans, capacity, and rent for conferences and exhibitions, as well as present a multi-purpose room for each purpose.
  • Hotel

    It is desirable to travel within 15 minutes from the convention venue to the hotel by public transportation. Participating hotels must provide daily transportation to the location of the meeting. The following information is provided for 3- to 5-star hotels that are considered as supporting hotels

    • Number of guest rooms
    • Estimated charges (displays whether charge commissions, taxes, service charges, and breakfast are included)
  • Academic program
    • Proposed theme
    • Format
    • Proposed international and Asia Pacific scholars
    • Innovation program
  • Marketing plan
  • The target number of participants
  • Budget: submit a budget based on 1,000 people and a target number of participants (if the number is different)
    • Meeting facility costs
    • Printing cost
    • Marketing and promotion costs
    • Equipment cost
    • Variable costs - food and drink, delegation kit, etc.
    • If a PCO is appointed, the PCO shall charge the regional organizing committee
    • Exhibition installation costs
    • AV and technical support
    • Administrative and personnel costs
    • Other expenses - fill in details
    • Support and exhibition
    • Estimated registration revenue
  • An annual inflation rate of 5% shall be expected.
  • The year when the conference is held.

    It can apply for a two-year conference. The application form must explicitly indicate whether the sponsoring academic society applies to both one-time and two-time academic meetings, or whether to hold one of the two academic meetings.

• Precautions
  • The application requirements are also the criteria used to evaluate the application at IDEN in the future.
  • On behalf of IDEN, the IDEN secretariat office shall monitor the progress after processing the destination and the appointment of the IDEN host. Once the agreement is formalized, it shall be scheduled and presented to the local organizing committee.
  • The hosting association must comply with the dates provided by IDEN.

Specific Enforcement Rule 2. IDEN Academic Conference Speaker Selection, Cases, and Awards

The following specific enforcement rules shall be applied to the selection of the speakers and chairs for the IDEN Academic conference, review of abstracts, awards, and cases. Then they should be finalized by the organizing committee.

• Researchers and chairpersons in Korea and abroad follow the selection criteria of the scientific committee, and the detailed enforcement criteria select research achievements within the last 5 years, careers of international academic societies, etc., through a scoring system, in priority order.
• Considerations for invited speakers shall be provided based on the difference in distance and area, etc., and they shall be decided by the organizing committee according to the year (e.g., South America USD 5,000 / East America USD 4,000 / West America USD 3,000 / Europe USD 4,000 / Long-distance Asia [India, Middle East, etc.] USD 1,500 / Short-distance Asia [Hong Kong, Japan, etc.] USD 1,000 / Korea KRW 300,000/ Other registration, accommodation, and supper costs provided).
• Awards and prizes for oral presentations and posters shall be determined by the organizing committee with reference to the previous conference (e.g., Best Presentation Award – Prize money [USD 100] and Certificate, Distinguished Poster Presentation Award – Certificate).
• Travel Grants shall be paid by selecting “00” of the foreign abstract submitters who have applied for Travel grants at around USD 500. The amount of money depends on the decision of the relevant annual organizing committee.

Specific Enforcement Rule 3. IYEA Enforcement and Selection Criteria

IYEA provisions shall be finalized by the organizing committee based on IYEA's internal provisions. The details are as follows:

• Selection target: Doctors under 40-years-old, other than Koreans, who are engaged in work related to digestive endoscopy and who are able to communicate in English without disqualification for overseas travel.
• Application documents: Application documents required by IYEA include a recommendation from the national academic society and the director of the institution, a research catalog, and a copy of the passport.
• Obligations of selected persons: After registering for IDEN and gaining membership, they must submit an abstract to IYEA and give an oral or poster presentation. In addition, training must be taken in good faith at the training center during the support period.
• Support for selected persons: By region, it shall comply with the decision by the organizing committee every year (e.g., East Asia USD 1,500 / Middle East 2,000 / Americas West USD 2,000 / Americas East, Europe, Oceania USD 2,200 / South America, Africa USD 2,500). Free to attend the hands-on and Young Endoscopist Forum.

January 22, 2024