International World Wide Web Conference Committee

By-Laws of the International World Wide Web Conferences Committee

Version December 2nd 2021

Foreword

The IW3C2 was founded on May 9, 1996 and is registered in the Geneva Trade Register on that date.

The present By-Laws voted at the Extraordinary General Meeting on December 2nd 2021 cancel and replace all previous versions that have existed.


Article 1: Name - Purpose - Office - Duration

1.1 Name

The "International World Wide Web Conference Committee" ("IW3C2") is a non-profit International Association, hereunder referred to as the Association or the IW3C2. It is governed by Art. 60 ff of the Swiss Civil Code and by the present By-Laws.

1.2 Purpose

The purpose of the IW3C2 is:

1.3 Office

The office of the association is established in Geneva.

1.4 Duration

The duration of the Association is unlimited.

1.5 Dissolution

In case of dissolution of the association, the potential residual funds will be transferred to another association involved in the World Wide Web domain.


Article 2: General Meeting

2.1 Definition

The General Meeting is the main statutory body of the Association.

The General Meeting exercises the main powers of the Association:

A General Meeting of the Association shall be held at least once a year. Notice will be given at least four weeks before the meeting, including the agenda, by electronic mail over the Internet.

2.2 Annual General Meeting

One meeting per year will be designated the "Annual General Meeting" or AGM.

2.3 Extraordinary General Meeting

For urgent matters, an Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by any Member with the support of at least one fifth of the Members.

2.4 Conduct

Meetings of the Association shall be presided over by the Chair (see article 5) or, if absent, the Vice Chair.

2.5 Minutes

The Chair of the Meeting shall appoint a person to act as Secretary of the Meeting for the purpose of preparing minutes.


Article 3: Membership

Members are individuals with significant stature, involvement and interest in Web developments. They only represent themselves. Elections or nominations are held at a General Meeting.

3.1 Members of the Association

Members serve for a term which starts at the end of the meeting in which they were elected and runs to the first AGM more than three years later.

3.2 Presence and Removal of Members

Members can be present at General Meetings in person, by phone or by electronic means.

Members who have not been present at any General Meeting for twelve months, for whatever reason, will automatically be removed.

Members who wish to resign must give six months notice.

Members may be removed from the Association, with or without cause, by a vote of at least one fifth of the Members.

3.3 Vacancies

New Members may be elected if there are vacancies. If the number of Ordinary Members sinks below the minimum number, new Members must be elected to correct the situation within one year. If this cannot be achieved, the Association will be dissolved.


Article 4: Decisions

4.1 Voting

All decisions are made by voting in one of two ways:

  1. vote at a synchronous meeting of Members: where a majority of the Members are present and voting, a majority of those present (including presence by video or audio conference) vote for the decision;
  2. vote by electronic mail: a majority of all Members is required (irrespective of how many votes are cast in total) within the time limit indicated in the call to vote. For an electronic vote, all members must acknowledge that they have received the call and have been given the right to express themselves, even if they do not cast a vote. If acknowledgements have not been received in time, the vote is null.

4.2 Topics

Matters for discussion and voting are not limited to those on the agenda


Article 5: Executive

5.1 Executive

The Executive consists of at least the following Officers: a Chair, a Vice Chair, and a Treasurer.

Officers must be Members.

The Association may also designate other Officers.

5.2 Election of the Executive

The Executive Officers are elected during an Annual General Meeting. They serve for a term which starts at the end of the AGM in which they were elected to the next AGM. They can be reelected.

5.3 Treasurer

The Treasurer shall receive and give receipt for monies due and payable to the Association, pay or cause to be paid the funds of the Association as may be directed by the Association, keep accurate accounts of the Association's assets and business transactions, give the Chair whenever requested an account of the financial condition and transactions of the Association and prepare and certify financial statements to be included in any required reports.

The Treasurer will present a financial report at the AGM; the AGM will vote on the approval of this report.

5.4 Resignation, Incapacity of Officers

A Chairperson who resigns or is incapacitated will be replaced by the Vice Chair.

Any Officer may resign from his/her office by giving written notice to the Chair. The resigning Chair gives notice to the AGM.

The Chair may appoint a Member temporarily to fill a vacancy in any Office other than that of Chair. The Chair will give notice to the Members as soon as possible of the temporary appointment which will remain in effect not later than the next AGM at which the Members must vote.

5.5 Representation

The Chair and the Treasurer represent the Association by their joint signature. In case of incapacity of the Chair the Vice Chair will sign with the treasurer (see 5.4).


Article 6: Resources

6.1 Fee

Each Member shall pay an annual membership fee the amount of which is defined by the AGM. This amount may eventually be zero.

6.2 Gifts

The Association may accept any gifts or donations in relation with the purpose defined hereabove.


Article 7: Liability of the Association

7.1 Scope

The Association shall only be liable up to the amount of its assets.

7.2 Limitation

The Members shall not be personally liable for the debts, liabilities or other obligations of the Association.


Article 8: Records and Reports

8.1 Scope

The Association shall keep accessible on the World Wide Web (but not necessarily publicly):

8.2 Access

Members shall have a right of access to the documents listed hereabove.


Article 9: Changes to the By-Laws

The By-Laws can be amended or modified by a vote of two-thirds of the total number of the Members.