Charter and Bylaws
of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR)

Last revision date: December 2010

Article 1: Name and Domicile
Article 2: Objectives
Article 3: Specific Aims
Article 4: Membership

Article 5: Structure of the Society
Article 6: Scientific and Clinical Assemblies
Article 7: The Congress
Article 8: Business Meeting
Article 9: Publications
Article 10: Alterations to the Charter and Bylaws
Article 11: Administrative Secretariat
Article 12: Conflict of Interest Policy
Appendix

Article 1
Name and Domicile

Name: The Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

Domicile: The Society currently has its domicile in Tokyo, Japan.

Article 2
Objectives

The objectives of the Society are the advancement and promotion of knowledge of the respiratory system in health and disease. It shall strive to encourage research, improve clinical practice through teaching, increase awareness of health problems and promote the exchange of knowledge among respirologists in the Asian and Pacific region and elsewhere.

Article 3
Specific Aims

The Society shall endeavour to realize these objectives by:

1. promotion and coordination of activities in the field of respirology
2. fostering research activities in the field of respirology
3. organisation and coordination of regular congresses and occasional meetings
4. publishing a newsletter, a journal and maintaining a Website

Article 4
Membership

4.1 Classes: The Society shall be composed of active, associate, distinguished, honorary, and supporting members.

4.2 Active Membership: An active member is an appropriately qualified professional presently working in research or health care related to the field of respirology.

4.3 Associate Membership: An associate member is a person in training in a field related to respirology.

4.4 Distinguished Membership: Distinguished members are former or presently active members who have served the Society well, and have made important contributions to further the aims of the Society. Distinguished membership can be awarded by the Executive Committee.

4.5 Honorary Membership: Honorary membership is available to those who, although not members of the Society, have served the Society well and have made important contributions to further the aims of the Society. Honorary membership can be awarded by the Executive Committee.

4.6 Supporting Membership: Corporations or individuals supporting the Society financially can be awarded supporting member status by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.

4.7 Applications for Active Membership: Application should be made by sending to the Secretary General the official application form containing the following information:

1. qualifications of the nominee, including degrees, professional position and academic degrees
2. letter of recommendation from an active member.

The membership committee shall consider the application and then decide whether to bestow membership. The membership becomes effective upon payment of the membership fee.

4.8 Membership fees: The individual and en bloc memberships fees are separately a 3-tier system based on national GDP, using the country classification used by the ATS. Membership fees shall be set by the Executive Committee.

1. Individual Membership - the membership fees will be US$120, US$90 and US$70 accordingly
2. En bloc Membership - the rates are as follows:

	Tier 1	Tier 2	Tier 3
First 1,000 members	US$50	US$35	US$25
1,001 to 5,000 members	US$40	US$25	US$20
5,001 and more members	US$20	US$15	US$10

4.9 Rights and Privileges: Individual, distinguished and honorary members may participate in the business and scientific sessions of the Society, may vote and are eligible to receive printed publications of the Society. Associate members may participate in the business and scientific sessions, but they may not vote, are not eligible for election to office, and are eligible to receive only electronic versions of publications. Supporting members have no voting rights, are excluded from serving on any Committee of the Society dealing with clinical practice guidelines, and are not eligible to receive publications of the Society.

4.10 Cessation of Membership: Membership shall cease upon:

1. written notice of the member, in which case membership shall cease as of the first day of the following membership year.
2. failure to receive membership fees within 3 months of the due date. At that time membership privileges are suspended but may be reactivated on subsequent receipt of such fees. However, there is no entitlement to back issues of the journal.
3. expulsion in accordance with a resolution of and a written notice by the Executive Committee for actions inconsistent with the charter and bylaws of the Society. The member has the right of appeal which should be made in writing to the Executive Committee.

4.11 Country Membership: Country Membership is defined as:

1. a country having more than 10 members
   or
2. a national Society signing a Memorandum of Understanding to be affiliated with the APSR

The Foundation member countries and regions are composed of Australia; Beijing, China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Korea; Malaysia; New Zealand; the Philippines; Singapore; Taiwan, China; and Thailand.

Article 5
Structure of the Society

5.1 Functioning of the Society: There shall be an Executive Committee, chaired by the President, which shall determine the operations of the Society. The routine business shall be the responsibility of the President of the Society.

5.2 Officers: The Officers of the Society shall consist of the President, Immediate Past-President, President-Elect, Secretary General, Treasurer, Editor-in-Chief and (ex-officio) Chairpersons of Permanent Committees. Nomination for election of Officers should come from either members of the Executive Committee or from members of the Council. Council members and Executive Committee members should generate such nominations by request from their constituencies i.e. fee paying members of their respective countries or regions or in the case of councillors representing Member National Societies, nominations brought forward by the Executives of the Member National Societies. A President of a Member National Society shall not simultaneously hold the office of President of the APSR.

5.3 Executive Committee: The Executive Committee shall be representative of the membership. The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, the Immediate Past-President, the President-Elect, the Secretary General, the Treasurer, the Editor-in-Chief of the journal, and (ex-officio) chairpersons of Permanent Committees, members of the Strategic Planning Committee, Chairperson of the Central Congress Committee, the Congress President and Congress President-Elect, four Council representatives, and elected heads of Assemblies as described in article 6.4. The Council representatives shall be Council Members elected as Council representatives by the Council.

The Executive Committee shall meet at least annually and it shall be convened by the President. A quorum consists of the actual physical presence of at least 50% of the Executive Committee plus authorised proxies bringing the total representation to at least two-thirds.

The duties, election, terms of office, and activities of the Executive Committee are as follows:

1. The members of the Committee shall promote the aims and activities of the Society in the individual countries and be responsible for contacts between the Society and members or potential members in the individual countries. Committee members can be allocated to carry out tasks for the Society by the Executive Committee.
2. The Executive Committee shall elect by simple majority the President-Elect of the Society, the Secretary General, the Treasurer, the Editor-in-Chief and the Congress President-Elect, from among those nominated by the Nomination Committee.
3. The Congress President and the Congress President-Elect shall be responsible for the activities of the Local Congress Committee in their own country/region.
4. The meeting of the Executive Committee shall take place at least once per year in the country decided on by the Executive Committee.
5. The Secretary General shall serve a 2-year term and shall also become President-Elect for the second year of that 2-year term. The President shall serve a 5-year term consisting of 2 years as Secretary General, 2 years as President and 1 year as Immediate Past-President. The Treasurer shall serve a 2-year term with one possible renewal. The President, Immediate Past-President and President-Elect shall come from different countries or regions. The Chairpersons of Permanent Committees shall serve a 2-year term with one possible renewal.
6. The Editor-in-Chief shall serve a 3-year term with a possible 3-year extension.
7. Duties:
   • The President shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee and the Annual General Meeting.
   • The Immediate Past-President shall advise the President concerning Society business and will immediately become the President in the case of an emergency during the first year of the Presidency term.
   • The President-Elect will immediately become President in the case of an emergency during the second year of the Presidency term. The President-Elect will serve out the remainder of the President's term of Office followed by his/her own normal term as President.
   • The Secretary General shall serve as a member of the Central Congress Committee, Congress Finance Committee and Finance Committee.
   • The Treasurer shall serve as the Chairperson of the Finance Committee and member of the Central Congress Committee and Congress Finance Committee.

5.4 Council: The Council members shall be active members who are elected by the fee-paying members of their respective member country or region. Representation will be as follows: for 11 to 100 members, one Council member; for 101 to 1,000 members, two Council members; for more than 1,000 members, three Council members; and an extra Councilor to represent each Society which has become a Member Society.

The Council members shall meet annually on the occasion of the Society Congress at a meeting convened by the President of the Society and shall promote the aims and activity of the Society by assisting the Executive Committee. Specifically, it should communicate the needs and ideas of the membership to the Executive Committee. It shall elect from its members four persons as its representatives to sit on the Executive Committee. These representatives and also the Council members, shall be elected for a maximum of two terms of 4 years each. Immediate re-election after completion of two 4-year terms is not possible but re-election is possible after a 2-year interval.

5.5 Other Committees

5.5.1 Permanent Committees: There shall be eight Permanent Committees; Steering Committee, Research Committee, Education Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Nomination Committee, Finance Committee, Central Congress Committee, and Local Congress Committee. Other Committees can be established on an ad hoc basis as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee. The chairpersons and members of the Committees shall be nominated by the Executive Committee and the Council. The Research, Education and Finance Committees shall each have five to ten members.

1. Steering Committee: The Executive Committee empowers the Steering Committee to direct and conduct the general activities and business of the Society and to report its activity to the Executive Committee. The Steering Committee shall consist of the following members: the President, the Immediate Past President, the President-Elect/Secretary General, Treasurer, and the APSR Executive Manager as an ex-officio, non-voting member.
2. Research Committee: The Research Committee shall supervise the scientific activities of the Society and promote research. The Committee may highlight and publicise specific areas of needed research, develop and recommend research awards and fellowships and develop application guidelines. The Chairperson of the Research Committee shall also serve on the Central Congress Committee. The Committee will advocate for funding of respiratory research in the region.
3. Education Committee: The Education Committee shall develop and oversee all educational activities of the Society apart from Annual Congresses, for which the Central Congress Committee is responsible. The Chairperson of the Education Committee shall serve on the Central Congress Committee. The Committee shall identify educational goals for the Society and develop a strategic plan for implementation. Educational activities shall be developed in close collaboration with the Assemblies and National Member Societies where appropriate. The Committee shall liaise with similar relevant committees of other international societies to develop collaborative educational programs. Proposals for educational activities from within the APSR shall be reviewed by the Committee.
4. Strategic Planning Committee: The Strategic Planning Committee is part of the Executive Committee on an ex-officio basis. It shall consist of the President, Immediate Past-President and President-Elect together with members who can make a significant long-term contribution to the APSR. The committee shall advise the Executive Committee on matters affecting the long-term viability of the Society and its relationship with national and international societies. The Committee is responsible for developing initial Memoranda of Understanding for en bloc membership of potential Member Societies and renewing existing Memoranda.
5. Nomination Committee: The Nomination Committee shall recommend candidates for the positions of Secretary General, Treasurer, and Editor-in-Chief, to the Executive Committee. The Nomination Committee shall consist of two Past Presidents, Chairperson of Strategic Planning Committee, one representative from member countries, and one representative from the Councillors.
6. Finance Committee: The Finance Committee shall be in charge of reviewing the proper financial conduct of the affairs of the Society and is also expected to promote fund-raising activities to contribute to the stability of the Society.
7. Central Congress Committee: see 7.3
8. Local Congress Committee: see 7.4

5.5.2 Ad hoc Committees: Ad hoc committees can be appointed by the President, and reviewed annually by the Executive Committee, and carry out the tasks specified by the President.

1. YOTL Committee: The YOTL Committee will recommend and coordinate the activities for YOTL within the region.

5.6 The Asian Pacific Thoracic Association (APTA)

5.6.1 The APSR is currently registered as APTA, a chartered organization (NPO) in Tokyo.

5.6.2 The Board of Directors consists of the President, the Immediate Past President, the President-Elect, the Secretary General, the Treasurer, and elected members of the APSR.

5.6.3 The membership of the Board of Directors needs approval by the Executive Committee of the APSR.

5.6.4 The APTA can share the daily work of the APSR Secretariat.

5.6.5 The APTA is responsible for auditing and submitting the annual financial report to the authorized public sector.

Article 6
Scientific and Clinical Assemblies

6.1 There shall be Scientific and Clinical Assemblies in the following fields of respiratory medicine:

• Clinical Respiratory Medicine
• Cell and Molecular Biology
• Clinical Allergy and Immunology
• Environmental & Occupational Health and Epidemiology
• Respiratory Infections (non-tuberculous)
• Tuberculosis
• COPD
• Asthma
• Lung Cancer
• Respiratory Neurobiology and Sleep
• Critical Care Medicine
• Bronchoscopy and Interventional Techniques
• Pediatric Lung disease
• Respiratory Structure and Function
• Pulmonary Circulation
• Interstitial Lung Disease

6.2 Terms of Reference: The roles of the Scientific and Clinical Assemblies shall be to:

• Produce clinical guidelines and position statements
• Submit proposals for one or more sections of the Annual Congress
• Review abstracts in their fields submitted to the Congress
• Assist in fostering and improving clinical practice and research in the region and beyond
• Address matters relevant to their fields at the request of the Executive Committee

6.3 Membership: Members of the APSR can elect to become members of up to three Scientific and Clinical Assemblies but can vote in only one.

6.4 Headship: Each Assembly shall have a Head elected by the membership of the Assembly. The Head of the Assembly shall serve for 2 years with a second renewable term if re-elected. The Head shall have his/her primary residence in a member country or region and be a financial member of the APSR. The Head of an Assembly cannot simultaneously be Head of another Assembly.

The role of the Head shall be to convene a meeting of the Assembly at the Annual Congress and to prepare an Annual Report for the Executive Committee. The Head shall communicate with members of the Assembly and the membership at large between Congresses as necessary. This should include a contribution to the APSR newsletter when appropriate.

The Assemblies will be divided into two groups and the Heads of the Assemblies in each group will elect one of that group to serve on the Executive Committee for a period of 2 years with full voting rights. The two Heads serving on the Executive Committee will serve only one term in this capacity.

The Heads of the 16 Assemblies shall serve on the Central Congress Committee and also elect one of their members to serve as Chairperson of the Committee.

Article 7
The Congress

7.1 Congress: The Society shall hold a Congress annually, at a place and time established by the Executive Committee. At the Congress, the Executive Committee shall hold a meeting at which all other Committees shall report upon their activities to the Executive Committee. An audited account of the financial management of the Society shall be rendered.

7.2 Bidding for the Congress: Bidding for an Annual APSR Congress shall be invited 3 years prior to the event by notification in Respirology and the Newsletter. If no bids arise, the Executive Committee shall recommend where that Congress shall be held. The organisation of the Congress shall follow a protocol under the direction and co-ordination of the Central and Local Congress Committees.

7.3 The Central Congress Committee

Membership

• President, Secretary General and Treasurer of the APSR ex-officio
• Chairperson of the Research Committee
• Chairperson of the Education Committee
• President of the Congress
• President of the previous Congress
• Chairperson and Co-chairperson of the Congress
• Heads of Assemblies
• Representative of the Editorial Office of Respirology
• The Chairperson of the Central Congress Committee to be appointed from the Heads of the Assemblies in rotation; the duration of term is to be 2 years.

Terms of Reference

The role of the Committee is to:

• Develop the overall plan for the Congress
• Develop individual clinical and scientific sessions and to select speakers and chairpersons
• Develop pre-meeting educational programs and workshops
• Liaise with other participating Societies
• Select abstracts for presentation
• Appoint referees for poster or oral presentation prizes or awards
• Liaise with the Local Congress Committee
• Liaise with the Congress Organising Company
• Ensure adequate advance advertising of the Congress in the journal and elsewhere
• Solicit sponsorship and exhibits from regional offices of pharmaceutical, respiratory equipment and other relevant companies.

7.4 The Local Congress Committee

Membership

• Co-opted local members of the APSR/National Respiratory Societies
• The Congress President will be appointed from the members of the Local Congress Committee
• The Committee will be formed immediately after a successful bid is made for the Congress as stipulated in Article 7.2 of the Charter and Bylaws.

Terms of Reference

The role of the Committee is to:

1. Liaise with the Congress Organising Company in order to:
   • Arrange venues, accommodation, travel arrangements
   • Develop the social program
   • Develop the accompanying persons program
   • Liaise with city officials, city tourist and Congress bureaus
2. Ensure efficient local arrangements for the implementation of the Congress program by:
   • Liaison with the Central Congress Committee
   • Solicitation of sponsorship and exhibits from local offices of pharmaceutical, respiratory equipment and other relevant companies.

7.5 Congress Finance Committee

Membership

• Congress President
• Chairperson, Central Congress Committee
• Treasurer of the APSR
• Secretary General

Terms of Reference

The role of the Committee is to:

• Be responsible for the overall financial management of the Congress
• Work closely with the Congress Organising Company

7.6 Congress Organising Company: A congress organising company (COC) will be appointed by the Executive Committee of the Society on the recommendation of the Local Congress Committee. The recommendation will be made on the basis of a proven track record of organising medical meetings, a strong local presence in the city of the proposed Congress, and a competitive cost structure for the meeting. The COC will liaise with the Local Congress Committee to arrange venues, accommodation and travel arrangements. The COC with input from the Local Congress Committee will develop a social and accompanying persons program. The COC will also confer with sponsors and exhibitors about suitable allocation and cost of exhibits.

7.7 Financial Disbursements: Profits from the Congress shall be split between the national Respiratory Society hosting the Congress (25%) and the APSR (75%). If the profits are such that the APSR share would be less than US$50,000, the APSR shall retain all profits. In case of losses from the Congress, these will be shared on a 50:50 basis between the host organisation and the APSR.

Article 8
Business Meeting

There will be an Annual General Meeting (AGM) open to all fee-paying members of the Society held on the occasion of every Congress. The President shall report on the business of the Society, a written, audited financial report and a report by the Editor-in-Chief of Respirology shall be submitted at the AGM.

Article 9
Publications

Respirology: An official journal of the Society, 'Respirology', shall be published for fee-paying members regularly. The Editor-in-Chief may nominate members of the Editorial Board, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. The Editor-in-Chief shall report to the Executive Committee at least once a year.

Newsletter: A newsletter is distributed regularly to all fee-paying members with information and notices from the APSR Secretariat Office and description of the activities of Member National Societies in individual countries/regions.

Website: An APSR Website is maintained informing members of details and activities of the Society and important news about respiratory matters of interest.

Article 10
Alterations to the Charter and Bylaws

The Charter and Bylaws may be altered if approved by two-thirds majority of the Executive Committee meeting at the time of the Congress, provided that 30 days notice of proposed change(s) is given by the President. Alterations can be made by the Executive Committee in periods between Congresses if approved by a two-thirds majority of all mailed replies received within 60 days after a proposed alteration has been mailed from the Secretariat office.

Article 11
Administrative Secretariat

11.1 The Society may set up an office and employ staff to administer the affairs of the Society.

11.2 The Executive Committee shall appoint an Executive Manager. Subject to the authority of the Secretary General, he/she shall be the chief staff officer of the Society and will report to the Steering Committee.

11.3 The Executive Manager shall attend, in an ex officio capacity, the Annual General Meeting, Council Meetings and Executive Meetings, and prepare minutes of those meetings.

11.4 The Executive Manager shall appoint the staff of the Secretariat Office.

Article 12
Conflict of Interest Policy

Preamble: The APSR is a society dedicated to the advancement and promotion of knowledge of the respiratory system in health and disease through encouragement of research and improvement of clinical practice through teaching and exchange of knowledge among respirologists in the Asia Pacific region and elsewhere. All activities sanctioned by the APSR in pursuit of these goals must be, and must be seen to be, free of commercial bias or influence by industry. This requires conflict of interest guidelines that are applicable to APSR office bearers, committee members and speakers, as well as guidelines for commercial support of the Congress and other educational events.

Annual Declaration of Interest for Office Bearers, Members of Committees and Working Parties: It is a requirement for all office bearers and members of committees or working parties to complete an annual declaration of interest form which should disclose all commercial or other interactions with industry which could be construed as a conflict of interest, just after the annual Congress. These include regular paid consultancy work, fees paid for occasional service on company advisory boards, lecture fees, personal travel support, grants received by the individual or his/her institution or department, and personal shareholdings or those of a spouse or partner. Full time or part time employees of pharmaceutical or medical equipment companies during the previous 5 years are not eligible to serve as office bearers or committee members. Officers of the Society may not be current shareholders of companies with an interest in respiratory or sleep medicine or shareholders in the tobacco industry.

Speakers: It is essential that all educational activities of the APSR are seen to be independent and objective and that presentations are seen to be balanced and scientifically rigorous. All speakers and chairpersons of sessions at an APSR Congress, Society sanctioned meeting or other educational event, are therefore required to complete a declaration of interest form disclosing financial interests or other relationship with all companies relevant to their presentation, including the tobacco industry. Such declarations do not necessarily imply bias by the presenter but allow the audience to make a judgement as to whether such interests constitute a conflict and whether this conflict may have influenced the presentation.

Commercial support for the APSR Congress and other APSR sanctioned Meetings: The clinical practice of respiratory medicine involves the use of drugs and equipment and therefore there is an inevitable interface and to some extent dependency between the practitioner and industry. The purpose of the Congress and other educational meetings is to present to the audience balanced and scientifically rigorous material, free of any bias or promotion of specific industry products. To ensure that this occurs and to maintain the independence of the APSR, the following guidelines apply to the Congress and other educational events.

• All APSR sanctioned events should have a scientific or educational purpose only.
• The APSR has exclusive rights to selection of topics and speakers, irrespective of whether financial sponsorship from industry has been obtained (see below for specific company sponsored symposia).
• Any company support will be acknowledged on the program
• Educational or scientific material presented should be produced independently (not by the company)
• Sponsorship of a summary publication or journal supplement of any session is permissible as long as this is produced independently of the sponsor. Sponsorship of such materials will be acknowledged on the publication.
• There shall be no sponsorship of any kind from the tobacco industry.

Commercially Organised Symposia and Social Events:

• These (usually lunchtime or evening) sessions should be clearly distinguished from APSR organised events and should not compete with APSR sessions, official ceremonies or APSR social events.
• Sponsorship should be clearly indicated
• The sponsoring company retains the right to select speakers and topics but the APSR rules of declaration of interest apply to all faculty participating in these events.
• APSR office bearers may not participate as faculty in company sponsored and organised symposia.

Financial Sponsorship: Support for the Congress or other APSR educational events can be offered in a number of ways

• Unrestricted educational grants can be used by the APSR for any legitimate educational purpose.
• Specific support for an event is acceptable although the sponsor will have no control over the expenditure beyond specifying whether the funds should cover the venue or faculty travel, accommodation and honoraria or any combination of these.
• All financial arrangements between the sponsor and the APSR must be covered by a written bilaterally signed agreement.
• Companies are free to sponsor individual registrants to a Congress or meeting although the amount of sponsorship should not be excessive in terms of the norms accepted in the country of residence of the registrant. The registrant is responsible for any ethical implications of accepting such sponsorship in relation to his/her organisational affiliation or professional standards applying in the country of residence.

Conflict Resolution: There shall be a Disclosure Report Committee to deal with issues relating to declarations of interest and conflicts resulting therefrom. This Committee shall be composed of the President, Secretary General, Treasurer, Chairperson of the Strategic Planning Committee and Editor-in-Chief of Respirology. If any of these individuals are involved in the conflict, they shall absent themselves from all discussion and shall not take part in rulings.

Declaration of Interest Form: The following interests should be declared, stating the companies involved:

• Regular paid consultancy work
• Lecture or advisory committee fees
• Personal travel grants
• Shares in medically relevant companies
• Fees or grants to the institution or department used for research, contract work or education but not for personal benefit

If the amount for any of these activities exceeds US$50,000 over the last 12 months then this should be indicated (without specifying the exact amount)

Appendix

Address of the Secretariat:
The Asian Pacific Society of Respirology
2F Hongo Asakaze Bldg.
2-9-8 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Phone: +81-3 5684-3370
Fax: +81-3 5684 3382
Email: KYU00671@nifty.com

Address of the Editorial Office:
Respirology
Lung Institute of Western Australia Inc.
Ground Floor, E Block
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital,
Nedlands WA 6009
Australia
Phone: +61 8 9346 3262
Fax: +61 8 9346 4159
Email: respirol@aari.uwa.edu.au

Respirology:
Publication in whole or part of the journal in other languages except English is possible on the approval of the Executive Committee and with the agreement of the publisher.

Officers

• President: Dr. Mary Sau-Man Ip
• Immediate Past-President: Dr. YoungSoo Shim
• Secretary General: Dr. Arth Nana
• Treasurer: Dr. Toshihiro Nukiwa
• Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Peter Eastwod
• Chairpersons of Permanent Committees: Dr. Norbert Berend, Dr. David C L Lam, Dr. Michiaki Mishima, Dr. Takahide Nagase

Committee Membership

• Research Committee: The Research Committee shall consist of Dr. Michiaki Mishima (Chairperson), Dr. Hisamichi Aizawa, Dr. Rongchang Chen, Dr. Peter Cistulli, Dr. Peter Eastwood, Dr. James C M Ho, Dr. Masaharu Nishimura, Dr. Ken W T Tsang
• Education Committee: The Education Committee shall consist of Dr. David C L Lam (Chairperson), Dr. Arata Azuma, Dr. Richard Beasley, Dr. Shu Hashimoto, Dr. Kazuhisa Takahashi, Dr. Yongjian Xu
• Strategic Planning Committee: The Strategic Planning Committee shall consist of Dr. Norbert Berend (Chairperson), Dr. Patrick Barron, Dr. Yoshinosuke Fukuchi, Dr. Paul Seale, Dr. YoungSoo Shim, Dr. Wan Chen Tan
• Finance Committee: The Finance Committee shall consist of the Treasurer (Chairperson), the President, the Secretary General, Current vacancies
• Nomination Committee: The Nomination Committee shall consist of Dr. Yoshinosuke Fukuchi, Dr. Norbert Berend, Dr. Nan-Shan Zhong and one representative from the Councillors.
• Central Congress Committee: as in 7.3
• Local Congress Committee: as in 7.4

Organisational Timeline for the Congress

• The city of the future Congress shall be posted on the APSR website and listed in Respirology and the APSR Newsletter as soon as approved by the Executive Committee 3 years prior to the Congress.
• The venue shall be notified to other major international respiratory Societies (including the ATS, ERS and ACCP) as well as APSR Member Societies with a request for posting on their websites and listing in their journals and newsletters at least 2 years prior to the Congress.
• There shall be flyers available about future approved Congresses at the APSR Congress, APSR Member Society and international respiratory society congresses for 2 years prior to the APSR Congress.
• A broad overview of the program should be available at least 12 months prior to the Congress.
• Details of symposia, plenary sessions, workshops and courses listing speakers and participants should be available at least 6 months prior to the Congress.
• Details of oral and poster presentation sessions shall be available 3 months prior to the Congress.

In order to achieve these timelines the following shall be undertaken:

• The Congress President shall be nominated 3 years prior to the Congress.
• The Local Congress Committee Chairperson and Co-chairperson of the Congress nominee shall be submitted to the Executive Committee for approval 2 years prior to the Congress.
• Heads of Assemblies and Chairperson and Co-chairperson of the Congress shall start preparations for the program and speakers 2 years prior to the Congress.
• Speakers shall be invited, preferably 12 months, but no later than 9 months prior to the Congress.
• Participation of other societies shall be finalised 12 months prior to the Congress.
• Deadlines for abstract submission shall be communicated at least 12 months prior to the Congress with reminders at 9 and 6 months prior to the Congress.
• Deadline for Abstracts should be set at 6 months prior to the Congress.
• Acceptance notices for abstracts should be sent 3 months prior to the Congress.