It is in the best interest of the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences to be aware of and properly manage all conflicts of interest and appearances of a conflict of interest. This conflict of interest policy is designed to help Council members, committee members,  and volunteers of the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences identify situations that present potential conflicts of interest and to provide the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences with a procedure to appropriately manage conflicts in accordance with legal requirements and the goals of accountability and transparency in the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences operations.

    1. Conflict of Interest Defined. In this policy, a person with a conflict of interest is referred to as an “interested person.”  For purposes of this policy, the following circumstances shall be deemed to create a Conflict of Interest:
      1. A Council member, committee member, employee, and volunteers, (including a family
        member of any of the foregoing) is a party to a contract, or involved in a
        transaction with the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences for
        goods or services.
      2. A Council member, committee member, employee, and volunteers, (or a family member
        of any of the foregoing) has a material financial interest in a transaction
        between the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences and an
        entity in which the director, officer, employee or volunteer, or a family
        member of the foregoing, is a director, officer, agent, partner, associate,
        employee, trustee, personal representative, receiver, guardian, custodian, or
        other legal representative.
      3. A Council member, committee member, employee, and volunteers, (or a family member
        of the foregoing) is engaged in some capacity or has a material financial
        interest in a business or enterprise that competes the International
        Association for Mathematical Geosciences.

Download Basic Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form

Other situations may create the appearance of a conflict, or present a duality of interests in connection with a person who has influence over the activities or finances of the nonprofit. All such
circumstances should be disclosed to the board or staff, as appropriate, and a decision made as to what course of action the organization or individuals should take so that the best interests of the nonprofit are not compromised by the personal interests of stakeholders in the nonprofit.

Gifts, Gratuities and Entertainment. Accepting gifts, entertainment or other favors from individuals or entities can also result in a conflict or duality of interest when the party providing the gift/entertainment/favor does so under circumstances where it might be inferred that such action was intended to influence or possibly would influence the interested person in the performance of his or
her duties. This does not preclude the acceptance of items of nominal or insignificant value or entertainment of nominal or insignificant value which are not related to any particular transaction or activity of the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences.

  1. Definitions
    1. A “Conflict of Interest” is any circumstance described in Part 1 of this Policy.
    2. An “Interested Person” is any person serving as an officer, employee or member of the Council of the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences or a major donor to the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences or anyone else who is in a position of control over the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences who has a personal interest that is in conflict with the interests of the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences.
    3. A “Family Member” is a spouse, parent, child or spouse of a child, brother, sister, or spouse of a brother or sister, of an interested person.
    4. A “Material Financial Interest” in an entity is a financial interest of any kind, which, in view of all the circumstances, is substantial enough that it would, or reasonably could, affect an Interested Person’s or Family Member’s judgment with respect to transactions to which the entity is a party.
    5. A “Contract or Transaction” is any agreement or relationship involving the sale or purchase of goods or services, the providing or receipt of a loan or grant, the establishment of any other type of financial relationship, or the exercise of control over another organization. The making of a gift to the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences is not a Contract or Transaction.
  2. Procedures
    1. Prior to board or committee action on a Contract or Transaction involving a Conflict of Interest, a council member or committee member having a Conflict of Interest and who is in attendance at the meeting shall disclose all facts material to the Conflict of Interest. Such disclosure shall be reflected in the minutes of the meeting. If council members are aware that a committee member or other volunteers have a conflict of interest, relevant facts should be disclosed by the board member or by the interested person him/herself if invited to the board meeting as a guest for purposes of disclosure.
    2. A council member or committee member who plans not to attend a meeting at which he or she has reason to believe that the board or committee will act on a matter in which the person has a Conflict of Interest shall disclose to the chair of the meeting all facts material to the Conflict of Interest. The chair shall report the disclosure at the meeting and the disclosure shall be reflected in the minutes of the meeting.
    3. A person who has a Conflict of Interest shall not participate in or be permitted to hear the Council’s or committee’s discussion of the matter except to disclose material facts and to respond to questions. Such person shall not attempt to exert his or her personal influence with respect to the matter, either at or outside the meeting.
    4. A person who has a Conflict of Interest with respect to a Contract or Transaction that will be voted on at a meeting shall not be counted in determining the presence of a quorum for purposes of the vote.
    5. The person having a conflict of interest may not vote on the Contract or Transaction and shall not be present in the meeting room when the vote is taken, unless the vote is by secret ballot. Such person’s ineligibility to vote shall be reflected in the minutes of the meeting. For purposes of this paragraph, a member of the Council of the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences has a Conflict of Interest when he or she stands for election as an officer or for re-election as a member of the Council.
    6. Interested Persons who are not members of the Council of the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences, or who have a Conflict of Interest with respect to a Contract or Transaction that is not the subject of Council or committee action, shall disclose to the Chair, or the Chair’s designee, any Conflict of Interest that such Interested Person has with respect to a Contract or Transaction. Such disclosure shall be made as soon as the Conflict of Interest is known to the Interested Person. The Interested Person shall refrain from any action that may affect the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences’s participation in such Contract or Transaction.

    In the event it is not entirely clear that a Conflict of Interest exists, the individual with the potential conflict shall disclose the circumstances to the Chair or the Chair’s designee, who shall determine whether full board discussion is warranted or whether there exists a Conflict of Interest that is subject to this policy.

  3. Confidentiality. Each Council member, committee member, employee, and volunteer, shall exercise care not to disclose confidential information acquired in connection with disclosures of conflicts of interest or potential conflicts, which might be adverse to the interests of the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences. Furthermore, Council members, committee members, employees, and volunteers, shall not disclose or use information relating to the business of the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences for their personal profit or advantage or the personal profit or advantage of their Family Member(s).
  4. Review of policy.
    1. Council members, committee members, employees and volunteers shall be provided with and asked to review a copy of this Policy and to acknowledge in writing that he or she has done so.
    2. Annually each Council member, committee member, employee and volunteer shall complete a disclosure form identifying any relationships, positions or circumstances in which s/he is involved that s/he believes could contribute to a Conflict of Interest. Such relationships, positions or circumstances might include service as a director of or consultant to another nonprofit organization, or ownership of a business that might provide goods or services to the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences. Any such information regarding the business interests of Council members, committee members, employees or volunteers, or a Family Member thereof, shall be treated as confidential and shall generally be made available only to the President, Secretary General, chair of a committee, and any committee appointed to address Conflicts of Interest, except to the extent additional disclosure is necessary in connection with the implementation of this Policy.
    3. This policy shall be reviewed annually by each member of the Council. Any changes to the policy shall be communicated to all Council members, committee members, employees, candidates to a committee prior to accepting their candidacy, and volunteers.