CHAPTER 1. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Article 1.1 - The idea of an Inter-American metrology program had been promoted by many countries and organizations from the early 1970s. In 1971, the need of cooperation in metrology in the Americas was emphasized during the Conference on Applications of Science and Technology in Latin America, held in Brasilia, Brazil. The fourth meeting of the Inter-American Council for Education, Science and Culture (Consejo Interamericano para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura, CIECC), in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in 1972, adopted resolution 174, establishing a regional system for metrology and calibration (Sistema Interamericano de Metrología y Calibración, SIMYC).
In 1974, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the National Bureau of Standards (NBS, now National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST, USA) organized an international meeting on industrialization and standardization in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where regional metrology needs were discussed. The OAS, through its former Departamento de Asuntos Científicos y Tecnológicos (DACYT), convened a meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (INTI), in 1975, to design a special project in the field of metrology, focusing on scientific, industrial and legal metrology. In 1979, as part of the special project on metrology the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM) was created, consisting of thirteen Latin American countries. Many institutions, such as Instituto di Metrologia "Gustavo Colonnetti" (IMGC, Italy), Instituto Elettrotecnico Nazionale Galileo Ferraris (IEN Italy), NBS, Physikalish-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB, Germany) were of great help in the creation of SIM.
The long-standing support of PTB to many metrology institutions in Latin America through its technical cooperation program, has been beneficial in the formation and development of SIM. In 1992 PTB organized together with the Centro Español de Metrologia (CEM, Spain), and the Instituto Portugues da Qualidade (IPQ, Portugal) a meeting for constructing a metrology system, conceived at that time as Sistema Iberoamericano de Metrología. Also in 1992, during a SIM General Asembly meeting, the OAS and NIST were invited to help in reconstructing SIM as Sistema Interamericano de Metrologia. Thus, in 1993 and 1994, these two organizations, with support from the US Department of State and the Centro Nacional de Metrología de Mexico (CENAM), organized three regional metrology workshops in Caracas, Venezuela, Buenos Aires, Argentina and San José, Costa Rica, with participation of representatives from the government, scientific and industrial sectors in each country.
The OAS and NIST also organized specialized courses and granted fellowships for a Flow Metrology course in Quito, Ecuador and the Caribbean Measurement Assurance Program, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. During the Summit of the Americas, held in December, 1994, in Miami, Florida, the Presidents of the Americas issued a Declaration of Principles, emphasizing economic integration and free trade, through reduction of technical barriers and promotion of technical cooperation programs on metrology and standardization. Following this Summit, the OAS convened a coordinating meeting in Rio de Janeiro, in January, 1995, attended by 25 countries, which agreed to promote a project to reorganize and revitalize SIM.
Article 1.2 - The Objectives of SIM shall be:
a) cooperate in the development of a National Metrology Institute in each country in the hemisphere;
b) contribute to the development of measurement infrastructure required to promote equity in trade;
c) foster competitiveness and quality of the manufacturing sector in order to promote trade and commerce;
d) identify sectors and institutions that can conduct specific multinational activities in support of metrology;
e) contribute to the development of metrological infrastructure required to protect the environment and to promote the general well-being of the population, including its health and safety;
f) represent the National Metrology Institutes of the American Countries in the implementation of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement
CHAPTER 2. GOALS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Article 2.1 - The Interamerican Metrology System (SIM), is a regional agreement among the National Metrology Institutes, or the oorganisations responsible for the national measurement standards of the Member Nations of the Organization of American States, whose goal is to promote international and regional cooperation, in order to contribute to the improvement of activities in the field of scientific, industrial and legal metrology. For this purpose, measures taken by the members will help to achieve the following:
a) the establishment of national and regional measurement systems;
b) the establishment of a hierarchy of the national standards of each country and their linkage with regional and international standards;
c) the compatibility of results obtained from measurement processes performed in laboratories within the system;
d) the development of expert technical and scientific personnel;
e) the collection and distribution of technical and scientific information and documentation;
f) strong linkages with the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, BIPM), the International Organization for Legal Metrology (Organisation Internationale de Métrologie Légale, OIML) and other international organizations, specialized in the area of metrology.
Article 2.2 - SIM is organized as follows:
a) General Assembly (Chapter 4)
b) President (Chapter 5)
c) Council (Chapter 6)
d) Permanent Committees (Chapters 8, 9, 12)
e) Sub-Regional Coordinators (Chapter 6.5)
f) Technical Working Groups (Chapter 10)
Permanent Committees are:
1. Technical Committee (TC)
2. Professional Development Committee (PDC)
3. Quality System Task Force (QSTF)
SIM is divided into five geographical sub-regions consisting of: ANDIMET, CAMET, CARIMET, NORAMET and SURAMET. The composition of the sub-regions and the organization of SIM are shown in Annexes A and B.
CHAPTER 3. MEMBERSHIP, RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS
Article 3.1 - SIM consists of Members and Participants.
Member:
The National Metrology Institute designated as such by the appropriate national governmental or other official authority of each OAS country as being responsible for national measurement standards, or in its absence the organization responsible for the National Weights and Measures System.
For any state that has more than one such designated institute, the membership is held by one institute on behalf of all.
Participant:
The participants are divided into three categories:
a) Associate: reserved to National Metrology Institutes and other Metrology related Organizations that show evidence of active technical cooperation with at least three (3) SIM members;
b) Observer: reserved to International or Regional Organizations with technical activities in Metrology and Metrology related fields; and
c) Correspondent: any non-member Institution interested in Metrology.
Article 3.2 - Members have the right to:
a) elect the President and nominate candidates for President, TC Chair, PDC Chair, QSTF Chair, Secretary;
b) represent their respective sub-region as a sub-regional coordinator in the Council;
c) represent their respective sub-regions in SIM committees;
d) serve in SIM committees, subcommittees, and working groups;
e) take part in General Assembly meetings, submitting proposals as well as having the right of speech and vote, as stated in Article 4.2;
f) represent SIM, in national, regional or international matters in accordance with the Council's instruction;
g) receive General Assembly and Council minutes;
h) have access to official SIM documents;
i) receive complementary financial support through projects funded for SIM activities;
j) host the Annual General Assembly and other meetings; and
k) submit calibration and measurement capabilities for accession to the CMC database of the CIPM MRA.
Article 3.3 - Rights of Associate Participants
a) attend the Annual General Assembly as a non-voting Associate Members;
b) participate in technical activities with Council approval, without financial support from SIM; and
c) Receive information about SIM technical activities and General Assembly Meetings.
Article 3.4 - Rights of Observer Participants
a) attend Annual General Assembly as non-voting Observer Member; and
b) receive information about SIM technical activities and Annual General Assembly.
Article 3.5 - Rights of Correspondent Participants
a) With prior approval from the President, attend General Assembly Meetings as non-voting Correspondent Members ; and
b) receive information about SIM technical activities and General Assembly Meetings in which they participate.
Article 3.6 - Member obligations
a) contribute to the objectives of SIM;
b) comply with this Statute and with the applicable Internal Regulations;
c) promote the adoption of General Assembly and/or Council resolutions with authorities in their respective countries; and
d) prepare and submit to the Secretariat and Technical Advisor an annual report by January 31st immediately following the year under review on the status of metrology in the Member State country.
Article 3.7 - Participant obligations
a) contribute to the objectives of SIM;
b) comply with this Statute and with the applicable Internal Regulations; and
c) abide by the decisions of SIM.
Article 3.8 - Admission of new Members and Participants shall require a written request, addressed to the President, and shall be endorsed by the Council and approved by the General Assembly.
CHAPTER 4. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Article 4.1 - The General Assembly is composed of one representative of each SIM Member Country, each having only one vote.
Article 4.2 - It is within the General Assembly's authority to:
a) elect the President for a term of two-years (can be reelected for a second consecutive term);
b) define the policies of SIM;
c) review and amend this Statute and the Rules of Order, whenever necessary;
d) review and accept the Council reports;
e) ratify, with a vote of a simple majority of the Members, the recommendations of the Council;
f) approve the admission of new Members and participants with the vote of the simple majority of the Members; and
g) make decisions with the vote of a simple majority, electronically if necessary.
Article 4.3 - The General Assembly shall:
a) meet normally once a year;
b) rotate its meetings among sub-regions;
c) meet in the event of exceptional circumstances, when requested by a simple majority of SIM Members, or by the Council;
d) conduct voting electronically if necessary; and
e) conduct its meetings according to Rules of Order approved by a simple majority of its Members.
CHAPTER 5. THE PRESIDENT
Article 5.1 - It is the President's responsibility to:
a) represent SIM in national, regional and international fora;
b) preside over the General Assembly and Council meetings;
c) execute, once approved by the General Assembly, all actions, necessary to fulfill the objectives of SIM;
d) oversee SIM activities;
e) keep in contact with the Permanent Committees, Working Groups, with the Office of Science and Technology of the OAS and with other national and international organizations; and
f) present the annual report to the GA.
The home institution of the President is responsible for providing all technical and administrative support necessary for the SIM President to fulfill the responsibilities of the Office, unless other arrangements are made by the incoming President. The home institution is not to be reimbursed for this support.
The President’s term shall follow the calendar year, beginning on January 1st of the year immediately following the election.
Article 5.2 In the case the person serving as President cannot continue in that capacity, the Immediate Past President shall serve in that capacity until a new election can be held. In the case the Immediate Past President cannot serve in that capacity, the Council will elect a provisional President from among its members, who will serve until the next General Assembly meeting.
CHAPTER 6. THE COUNCIL
Article 6.1 – The SIM Council is comprised of voting and non-voting members
Voting members include:
a) President;
b) Immediate Past-President;
c) Sub-regional Coordinators;
d) OAS Office of Science and Technology Representative (Chapter 6a);
e) Technical Advisor;
f) Chairperson of the Technical Committee;
g) Chairperson of the Professional Development Committee; and
h) Chairperson of the Quality Systems Task Force.
Non voting members:
a) Secretary (Chapter 7)
b) NCSLI Representative
Article 6.2 - The Council shall:
a) meet, at least twice a year or when convened by the President or by a simple majority of its voting Members, its quorum shall be a simple majority of its voting Members;
b) meet in private sessions unless the President or a simple majority of its voting Members convene an open meeting for designated participants and/or observers;
c) make decisions with the vote of a simple majority, electronically if necessary, if the vote is a tie, the President shall decide;
d) create working groups for specific tasks;
e) appoint the Chairpersons of the Technical Committee, the Professional Development Committee and the Quality System Task Force; and
f) designate a Member or Members when needed to work with the Permanent Technical Advisor to prepare annual proposals for funding of SIM activities and submit the project to the OAS.
Article 6.3 - It is within the Council's authority to:
a) implement and enforce the Resolutions of the General Assembly;
b) convene the ordinary meetings of the General Assembly;
c) draft the yearly activity schedule of SIM, following the guidelines set forth by the General Assembly and recommend this document for consideration by SIM Members;
d) enter agreements with national and international entities;
e) designate Members to represent SIM before government entities, conferences, as well as national or international organizations;
f) make recommendations to the General Assembly on the admission of new Members and/or Participants;
g) review SIM's proposal of Technical Projects with annual budget for submission to the OAS;
h) constitute task forces from within the Members, Participants, and special guests as appropriate;
i) conduct voting electronically if necessary;
j) decide on the custody (in trust) and ultimate disposal of any equipment donated to or acquired by SIM; and
k) approve the use of the name SIM and the SIM logo for any activities.
Article 6.4 - Sub-regional coordinators are elected by the Sub-region members for a three-year term; they may be re-elected for a second consecutive term. Sub-regional coordinators shall have the following duties:
a) in collaboration with other Council members, generate proposals for development activities and execute them, if approved;
b) assist in drafting SIM's policies;
c) promote the exchange of information as well as the coordination between member countries within the sub-region;
d) foster an equitable participation, as well as the fair distribution of benefits and responsibilities among Members within the sub-region, in regard to SIM activities;
e) keep close contact with each one of the Members within the sub-region and maintain updated information in regard to their measurement capabilities;
f) promote the comparison of standards from Members within the sub-region; and between sub-regions; and
g) act as liaison between Members within the sub-region and the Council, channeling their proposals to the Council and vice-versa, allowing SIM resolutions to be executed and have the maximum support of Members within the sub-region.
CHAPTER 6a. OAS REPRESENTATIVE.
Article 6a.1 - The OAS Representative (OASR) or his/her designee shall be a staff member of OAS Science and Technology Office.
Article 6a.2 - It is the responsibility of the OASR to:
a) Advise the President and the Council on matters related to OAS and OAS projects;
b) collaborate with the Professional Development and Technical Committees and the Quality System Task Force, as well as with the Secretary in the promotion of the exchange of information between SIM and other International Organizations;
c) collaborate with the Permanent Technical Advisor on the management and coordination of the OAS project supporting SIM Activities;
d) provide liaison with the OAS on SIM activities;
e) make a call for nominations of candidates for the position the SIM President biennially and oversee the election at the GA;
f) keep a register of all OAS purchased equipment in the SIM program with information on the equipment type, quantity, year of purchase, intended use, Member having custody and contact person; and
g) transfer all OAS owned equipment to the SIM Council for disposal as soon as they reach the OAS expiration age of three years.
CHAPTER 6b. SIM REPRESENTATION TO THE JOINT COMMITTEE OF REGIONAL METROLOGY ORGANIZATIONS AND THE BIPM (JCRB)
Article 6b.1 - The SIM representative to the JCRB shall be the Technical Committee Chairperson.
Article 6b.2 - The alternate SIM representative to the JCRB shall be the QSTF Chair.
Article 6b.3 - The SIM delegation to the JCRB shall include the TC Chair, the QSTF Chair, the SIM President and two technical advisors to be appointed by the SIM representative to the JCRB in consultation with the Council.
Article 6b.4 - If the SIM TC Chair is unable to attend, the QSTF Chair will serve as the SIM Representative to the JCRB. If the SIM President cannot to attend, he/she may select an appropriate replacement, in consultation with the Council. If the QSTF Chair is unable to attend, the SIM TC chair will select an appropriate replacement in consultation with the QSTF Chair.
Article 6b.5 – The Advisors will normally pay travel expenses for their participation as members of the SIM delegation to the JCRB.
Article 6b.6 - The SIM representative to JCRB shall be from an institution signatory of the CIPM MRA
Article 6b.7 - The SIM representative to JCRB shall have the following duties:
a) represent SIM in the JCRB meetings;
b) present regular reports to the Council and an annual report to the GA about JCRB activities and any decisions taken; and
c) recommend SIM advisors to the Representative and seek Council confirmation.
CHAPTER 7. THE SECRETARY
Article 7.1 - The Secretary may be nominated by any SIM Member and approved by the General Assembly. The Secretary shall serve for a three years term, and can be re-elected for a second term.
Article 7.2 - The Secretary shall:
a) Assist the President in the accomplishment of his duties;
b) collaborate with the President in the settlement of affairs before national and international organizations;
c) keep the SIM Member directory updated;
d) be the custodian of all SIM documents;
e) maintain the SIM Website; and
f) record the minutes of the Council Meetings and the General Assemblies and send copies to the Chair of the Document Working Group.
CHAPTER 8. THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Article 8.1 - The Professional Development Committee (PDC) shall be composed of
a) the Chair of the Professional Development Committee; and
b) one member from each of the SIM sub-regions selected by the sub-region members for a three year term; (it could be the sub-regional coordinator or any other member selected by the sub-region members) the representative of the sub-region may serve for a second consecutive term.
Article 8.2 - The Council appoints the Chair of the Professional Development Committee for a three-year term. Candidates must be affiliated to and proposed by SIM Members. The Chair may serve for a second consecutive term. The PDC Chair is encouraged to select a Deputy to assist with PDC activities.
Article 8.3 - It is the responsibility of the Professional Development Committee to:
a) promote activities for the improvement of technical skills among laboratory personnel within the region;
b) carry out studies to determine the training requirements and capabilities within the region;
c) promote the exchange of information in regard to training;
d) request from international organizations support for training programs in the field of metrology, for SIM Members;
e) present the annual budget for the Committee to the Council;
f) perform other activities related to professional development, as recommended by the Council;
g) present regular reports to the Council and an annual report to the GA about PDC activities; and
h) work closely with the TC Chair in the coordination of SIM Activities.
CHAPTER 9. THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
Article 9.1 -The Technical Committee shall be composed of
a) the Chair of the Technical Committee;
b) the Chairpersons of the Technical Working Groups; plus
c) one member from each of the SIM sub-regions selected by the Sub-region members for a three year term. (It could be the sub-regional coordinator or any other member selected by the sub-region members). The representative of the sub-region may serve for a second consecutive term.
Article 9.2 - The Council appoints the Chair of the Technical Committee for a three year term. Candidates must be affiliated to and proposed by SIM Members and must be from an institution signatory of the CIPM MRA. The Chair may serve for a second consecutive term. The TC Chair is encouraged to select a Deputy to assist with TC activities.
Article 9.3 - It is the Technical Committee's responsibility to
a) promote closer collaboration among SIM Members in projects related to metrology and measurement services;
b) optimize the use of resources and services of the Members and foster the development of these services so they may satisfy regional demands;
c) document the traceability of measurement systems in SIM Members and encourage the regional acceptance of this traceability, in accordance with international definitions and trends;
d) study the comparison needs of the SIM Members;
e) supervise SIM comparisons, taking the necessary measures to expedite them in case of delays;
f) harmonize procedures proposed by Working Groups to perform comparisons of SIM laboratories;
g) advise the Council in regard to technical matters in metrology;
h) perform other technical activities, as recommended by the Council;
i) coordinate activities of the Technical Working Groups;
j) promote closer cooperation between SIM and the BIPM to carry out the key and supplementary comparisons called for in the CIPM MRA;
k) promote cooperation between SIM and OIML as well as other legal metrology organizations;
l) prepare the annual budget for the Committee;
m) work closely with the PDC in the coordination of SIM Activities; and
n) present regular reports to the Council and an annual report to the GA about TC activities.
CHAPTER 10. - THE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUPS (TWG), LEGAL METROLOGY WORKING GROUP (LMWG), DOCUMENT WORKING GROUP AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WORKING GROUP
Article 10.1 - The Chairpersons of the Technical Working Groups are recommended by its members and approved by the Council.
Article 10.2 -The members of the TWGs shall be persons with expertise in the technical area of the Working Group.
Article 10.3 - The TWGs shall be composed of at least five members, at least one from each sub-region when possible. The SIM Members are entitled to membership in all MWGs.
Article 10.4 - The TWG shall work under the coordination of the Technical Committee.
Article10.5 - It is the responsibility of the TWG Chair Persons to:
a) register, coordinate and ensure the efficient implementation of SIM comparisons, as well as the proper dissemination of their results;
b) propose guidelines for the conduct of comparisons and dissemination of their results to the Technical Committee;
c) review the calibration and measurement capabilities (CMCs) of the SIM members for inclusion in the SIM database and submission to the JCRB through the TC Chairman; and
d) review the CMCs from National Metrology Institutes belonging to other Regional Metrology Organizations, in the framework of the CIPM MRA.
Article 10.6 - TWGs are organized as follows (corresponding to the CIPM Consultative Committee structure, except Units):
TWG1- Electricity and Magnetism (EM)
TWG2 - Photometry and Radiometry (PR)
TWG3 -Thermometry (T)
TWG4 - Length (L)
TWG5 -Time and Frequency (TF)
TWG6 - Ionizing Radiation (RI)
TWG7 -Mass and related quantities (M)
TWG8 - Amount of Substance (QM)
TWG9- Acoustics, Ultrasound and Vibration (AUV)
TWG10- Flow
Article 10.7 - The Legal Metrology Working (LMWG) Group will work under the coordination of the Technical Committee.
a) The LMWGs shall be composed of at least five members, at least one from each sub-region when possible. The SIM Members are entitled to membership in these WGs.
Article 10.8 - It is the responsibility of the Legal Metrology Working Group to:
a) promote the development of the technical infrastructure necessary for implementation of legal metrology in each country;
b) provide technical assistance for countries developing legal metrology systems;
c) promote closer collaboration among SIM Members in projects related to legal metrology and measurement services;
d) optimize the use of resources and services of the Members and foster the development of these services so they may satisfy regional demands;
e) study the legal metrology needs of the SIM Members;
f) advise the Council in regard to technical matters in legal metrology;
g) perform other legal metrology activities, as recommended by the Council;
h) promote closer cooperation between SIM and the OIML;
i) encourage the utilization of OIML guides and documents among SIM Members;
j) prepare the annual budget for the working group; and
k) work closely with the PDC in the coordination of SIM Training Activities in the field of legal metrology;
Article 10.9 – Legal Metrology Working Sub-Groups are organized as follows:
LMWG1-Laws and regulation
LMWG2-Metrological control of Measuring Instruments
Article 10.10 - The Documents Working Group (DWGs) will work under the OAS Representative
Article 10.11 - It is the responsibility of the Documents Working Groups to :
a) prepare, review and, when necessary, propose to modify the SIM Statute, the Rules of Order, and Terms of Reference and other general documents to promote the efficient and effective operation of SIM;
b) to establish a data base with the purpose of documenting and disseminating the results of the comparisons organized by the MGWs; and
c) maintain a record of all Council and GA Resolutions.
Article 10.12 - DWGs are organized as follows:
DWG1- Bylaws and operations
DWG2- DataBase
Article 10.13 - The Quality Management System (QMS) Working Group will work under the coordination of the Technical Committee
Article 10.14 - It is the responsibility of the Quality Management Systems Working Group to:
a) to coordinate training activities in QMS; and
b) to promote the implementation of quality systems in SIM-Member laboratories, in accordance with the requirements of the CIPM MRA.
CHAPTER 11. THE TECHNICAL ADVISOR
Article 11.1 - The Technical Advisor shall be a staff member of NIST, or a designee by NIST.
Article 11.2 - It is the responsibility of the Technical Advisor to:
a) advise the President and the Council on technical matters in metrology;
b) coordinate technical activities, when requested by the Council or the Technical Committee;
c) collaborate with the Professional Development, Technical Committees and the Quality System Task force, as well as with the Secretary, and the OAS Representative in the promotion of the exchange of information between NIST and the other Members of SIM;
d) manage and coordinate the OAS project supporting SIM Activities;
1. prepare, in cooperation with the sub-regional coordinators the annual proposals for funding from the OAS for Council review
2. prepare progress reports and end of the year reports for the OAS project
e) provide liaison with the OAS and the US Mission to the OAS on SIM activities.
CHAPTER 12. QUALITY SYSTEM TASK FORCE (QSTF)
Article 12.1 -The QSTF shall be composed of:
a) The Chair of the QSTF; and
b) representatives from each SIM Member or economy that is a signatory to the CIPM MRA.
Article 12.2 - The Council appoints the Chair of the QSTF. Candidates must be affiliated to and proposed by SIM Members, and from an institution signatory of the CIPM MRA. The Chair may select a Deputy to assist with the activities of the QSTF.
Article 12.3 - It is the QSTF’s responsibility to:
a) meet to at least once each year;
b) review the quality systems of any SIM member or their designated laboraties, even if they are not yet signatories of the CIPM MRA; and
c) assess whether or not the quality system of each NMI or its designated laboratories complies with the requirements of the CIPM MRA.
Article 12.4 – Representatives to the SIM QSTF are not to be reimbursed for participation in QSTF activities
CHAPTER 13. SIM EQUIPMENT
Article 13.1 - Equipment may be donated to SIM Members in support of SIM activities.
Article 13.2 - Any equipment or other goods donated to SIM by the OAS for its technical activities shall belong to the Organization of American States and shall remain the responsibility of the OAS Representative, until the OAS statutory period for equipment ownership expires. After this period OAS ownership shall be transferred to the designated NMI approved by the SIM Council for disposal.
Article 13.3 - The SIM Council shall determine the recipient of SIM equipment among SIM members which was received on transfer from the OAS or through donation from any other source as it deems appropriate. All donations shall be transparent, without further obligation of SIM and become the exclusive property of the Member to which the disposal is made.
CHAPTER 14. GENERAL REGULATIONS
Article 14.1 - In General Assembly and Council resolutions, use may be made of the English, French, Portuguese or Spanish Languages. The reference language will be the one in which the documents are developed. The Secretary will maintain all reference documents plus an English version of the ones developed in another language.
Article 14.2 - This Statute and/or the Rules of Order may be amended by a vote of two thirds of SIM Members.
Article 14.3 - Situations not covered under this Statute shall be resolved by the Council, pending ratification by the General Assembly.
CHAPTER 15. TERMINATION OF SIM
Article 15.1 - The General Assembly may resolve to terminate SIM only if specifically convened for this purpose and only if there is a two thirds majority of SIM Members voting in favor of termination.
This Statute was approved in Heredia, Costa Rica, on September 23, 1998.
It was first amended in Miami, Florida, USA, December 13, 2001.
It was further amended April 2009 and approved by electronic vote
