ISN Elections – A short guide
- Details
CONTENT – Please click on the below links to go directly to the desired section
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ELECTIONS
The Executive Committee consists of eleven officers (ten voting and one non-voting). The selection procedures are as follows:
President
At the end of the two-year term of office the President-Elect takes office as President on the last day of the World Congress of Nephrology and after ratification by the Council and the General Assembly.
President-Elect
In accordance with ISNs current by-laws, the President Elect Election is a 3-step procedure. First, ISN Members are invited to nominate candidates from past and current Council Members. Nominations will then be reviewed by the Nominating Committee and shortlisted to three final candidates. At ISNs WCN the Council elects the President-Elect from among the three candidates proposed by the Nominating Committee.
Past President
At the end of the two-year term of office the President stays in the Executive Committee for another two-year term as Past President. This is to ensure continuity in the leadership.
Secretary General and Treasurer
The President proposes candidates for Secretary General and Treasurer to the Executive Committee for its approval, subject to ratification by vote of the Council. The Secretary General and Treasurer serve for up to three consecutive two-year terms and thus changes in these positions do not necessarily occur with every presidential change…
The Chair of the Publications Committee
The Chair of the Publications Committee is a member of the Executive Committee.
Two Representatives of the Council
These representatives of the Council are selected by the President from Council Members in their third term.
Two Presidential Appointees: Members at Large
The Presidential Appointees are usually present or past Council Members or chairs of ISN Committees. They are proposed by the President with due explanation of the reasons for their appointment, subject to approval by the Executive Committee and Council.
ISN Executive Director
The ISN Executive Director is a non-voting member of the Executive Committee.
COUNCIL ELECTION
Introduction
The ISN Council is the governing body and the legal trustee of the Society. Its composition reflects the various disciplines and geographic diversities that make up our organization. The diversity policy of the ISN (gender, race, region and areas of interest) needs to be implemented in the context of all ISN activities, including elections. The duties of the members of the Council include policy setting and supervision of ISN affairs…
There are 32 Council Members in office for three consecutive two-year terms. In order to both ensure continuity, as well as maintain renewal, one third of the total council is re-elected every two years.
In accordance with ISNs current by-laws the procedure for filling the open seats includes three steps. First, ISN Members and Affiliated Societies are invited to nominate candidates in their region. Second, the Nominating Committee reviews each nomination according to agreed criteria, and presents a final slate of three candidates for each open seat on the Council. Finally ISN Members select one candidate for each vacancy through a general ballot facilitated by a secure online voting system.
Electoral Regions
ISN Council Members are elected to represent a region not an individual country. This necessitates a commitment on the part of the council member to be familiar with regional issues. However, Council Members are expected to contribute their ideas, skills and connections to the ISN as a whole, and not to lobby in favour of their region.
The Council is divided into six regions and 14 sub-regions. Each region is represented in the Council by a set number of seats to ensure that the Council make up is truly representative of ISNs global Members. This Council balance is reviewed by ISNs leadership every two years and approved by the Council.
| Number of seats for each region | # seats |
# vacancies | |
| Region 1 | Africa | 2 | 0 |
| Region 2 | Asia Pacific | 10 | 3 |
| 2A | North Asia | 2 | 1 |
| 2B | East Asia | 2 | 0 |
| 2C | South & Central Asia | 3 | 1 |
| 2D | Australia, New Zealand & Polynesia | 2 | 1 |
| 2E | South East Asia | 1 | 0 |
| Region 3 | Middle East | 1 | 0 |
| Region 4 | North America | 7 | 1 |
| Region 5 | Europe | 8 | 1 |
| 5A | Continental Europe | 3 | 0 |
| 5B | Scandinavia Europe | 1 | 1 |
| 5C | Mediterranean Europe | 1 | 0 |
| 5D | Eastern Europe | 2 | 0 |
| 5E | Russia & Cis | 1 | 0 |
| Region 6 | Latin America | 4 | 3 |
| TOTAL |
32 | 8 | |
For a list of countries per region, please see the interactive map.
2013 Election Process
The following eight ISN Council Members will end their term in 2013 (note that all terms end at the time of the WCN of that year):
- Toshio Miyata (Japan Council Region: North Asia)
- Rezvi Sheriff (Sri Lanka Council Region: South & Central Asia)
- Gavin Becker (Australia Council Region: Australia, New Zealand & Polynesia)
- Agnes Fogo (USA Council Region: North America)
- Peter Stenvinkel (Sweden Council Region: Scandinavian Europe)
- Ana Cusumano (Argentina Council Region: Latin America)
- Juan Fern?ndez-Cean (Uruguay Council Region: Latin America)
- Martha Franco (Mexico Council Region: Latin America)
For details on the current council composition and terms of continuing councilors, please click here
In accordance with ISNs current by-laws the procedure for filling these eight vacancies includes three steps. First, ISN Members and Affiliated Societies are invited to nominate candidates in their region. Second, the Nominating Committee, uses preset criteria to reduce the number of candidates to three for each open seat on the Council. Finally Members select one candidate for each vacancy through a general ballot facilitated by a secure online voting system.
STEP 1: NOMINATIONS
ISN Members and Affiliated Societies are invited to nominate candidates in their regions. Recommendations are based on the following criteria: their leadership and communication skills, research and education achievements, international recognition, as well as their involvement in renal community support and ISN activities. A fit with ISN mission and way of conducting business is essential and is a strong pre-requisite for nomination and selection of Council Members.
The nomination period opened on March 1, 2012 and closed on May 30, 2012.
STEP 2: REVIEW AND SELECTION
The ISN Nominating Committee evaluates candidate profiles according to a scoring system based on criteria shown below. Note that weight is given to ISN related activities.
- Research – 15 points
- Education – 15 points
- Community Support – 10 points
- Regional/National Leadership – 15 points
- International Recognition – 10 points
- Prior ISN Services – 25 points
- Leadership Skills – 10 points
The shortlist of candidates proposed by the Nominating Committee will be approved by the Council at their meeting in San Diego on Wednesday October 31, 2012.
Shortlisted candidates will be officially informed that they have been selected in the last quarter of 2012 and asked to confirm their willingness to stand for election.
STEP 3: FINAL BALLOT
Casting your vote
ISN encourages all members to vote online. All ISN Members in good standing receive a unique link to the ballot by email. The vote opens on April 1st, 2013 and closes on May 15th, 2013.
Members are welcome to vote for each of the 8 vacant positions on Council. However it is not necessary to vote for all vacancies. Members are encouraged to vote for candidates they are confident will make a valuable contribution as a Councillor to the leadership of ISN, based on the biographies of the candidates and personal knowledge they have of them.
Double voting is not allowed.
Once the vote is closed, the online ballot is automatically tallied. Results are certified by BigPulse, ISNs independent partner for the election.
An Election Review Committee is established consisting of the ISN Secretary General and three members drawn from ISN Council. The Committee will review the results, assisted by two ISN members of staff. This Committee has the task of validating the voting process and results after the official closing of the vote. This includes the review of the e-ballot counts and the official approval of the final results.
The Committee discloses the outcome of the elections to the President who officially announces the results at the General Assembly.
STEP 4: RESULTS
The results of the final ballot are officially announced at the ISN General Assembly during the World Congress of Nephrology, Hong Kong, May 31 June 4, 2013.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: I have been nominated for the 2013 Council Elections. When will I receive feedback?
A: After the nomination by the Members and the Affiliated Societies, the Nominating Committee will review and shortlist the candidates. If you have been selected for the final ballot you will be informed in the last quarter of 2012 and asked to confirm your willingness to run for the ISN Elections.
Newly elected Councli members will be notified 2 weeks before the World Congress of Nephrology and invited to an introduction meeting on the last day of the Congress.The results of the final ballot will be officially announced at the ISN General Assembly during the World Congress of Nephrology, Hong Kong, May 31 June 04, 2013.
Q: Are self-nominations allowed?
A: Yes, self-nominations are allowed.
Q: In which region can I nominate a candidate?
A: Candidates can be nominated in the regions where there is at least one vacancy. For 2013, these are: Australia, New Zealand & Polynesia; North America; Scandinavian Europe; South & Central Asia; North Asia; Latin America.
Q: In which region is my country?
A: For a list of countries per region, please click here
Q: Are past Council Members eligible?
A: No, in order to ensure renewal in the Council, past Council Members cannot be re-elected after completion of their three two-year terms.
Q: Can I vote for a candidate that is not from my region?
A: Yes, Members are encouraged to vote for candidates in all Council regions, although this is not compulsory.
Q: When will I be informed of the outcome of the Elections?
A: The results will be officially announced at the ISN General Assembly during the World Congress of Nephrology, Hong Kong, May 31 June 04, 2013.