Charter and Bylaws

Last revision date: 3 March 2022
Historical Log of Amendments

• Article 1: Name and Domicile
• Article 2: Objectives
• Article 3: Specific Aims
• Article 4: Membership
  • 4.1 Categories
  • 4.2 Ordinary Membership
  • 4.3 Associate Membership
  • 4.4 Undergraduate student Membership
  • 4.5 Honorary Membership
  • 4.6 Applications for Individual Membership
  • 4.7 Applications for En Bloc Membership
  • 4.8 Membership Dues
  • 4.9 Financial members
  • 4.10 Rights and Privileges
  • 4.11 Cessation of Membership
  • 4.12 Country/Society Membership
• Article 5: Structure of the Society
  • 5.1 Functioning of the Society
  • 5.2 Officers
  • 5.3 Executive Committee
  • 5.4 Council
  • 5.5 Other Committees
  • 5.6 The Asian Pacific Thoracic Association (APTA)
• Article 6: Assemblies and Sections
  • 6.1 Scientific and clinical fields
  • 6.2 Terms of Reference
  • 6.3 Membership
  • 6.4 Headship
• Article 7: The Congress
  • 7.1 Congress
  • 7.2 Bidding for the Congress
  • 7.3 Central Congress Committee
  • 7.4 Local Congress Committee
  • 7.5 Congress Finance Committee
  • 7.6 Professional Congress Organiser
  • 7.7 Financial Disbursements
• 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
• Appendices

Article 1
Name and Domicile

Name: Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.
(Hereinafter abbreviated as the "APSR" or the "Society".)

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

Article 2
Objectives

The objectives of the Society shall be 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 in the field of respirology and sleep medicine, in the Asia-Pacific region and elsewhere.

Article 3
Specific Aims

The Society shall endeavour to realize these objectives by:

1. promoting and coordinating activities in the field of respirology
2. fostering research activities in the field of respirology
3. organising and coordinating regular congresses and occasional meetings
4. publishing journals, a newsletter, a bulletin, a website, and other digital media

Article 4
Membership

4.1 Categories: The Society shall be composed of Ordinary members, Associate members, Undergraduate student members and Honorary members.

Ordinary, Associate and Undergraduate student members shall join the Society either as individual members (see Article 4.6), or as en bloc members (see Article 4.7).

4.2 Ordinary Membership: An Ordinary member shall be an appropriately qualified professional in research or healthcare, related to the field of respirology.

4.3 Associate Membership: An Associate member shall be an appropriately qualified medical practitioner, scientist or other health professional, or suitably qualified person, who is:

1. A trainee or fellow in training, for a postgraduate degree in medicine, nursing or related science.
   • For a trainee or fellow who is a medical doctor:
     Associate membership shall be available if they have no taxable income.
     On completion of their training, their Associate membership shall change to Ordinary membership. There shall be no adjustment to their membership dues for that membership year.
   • For a trainee or fellow who is a not a medical doctor (i.e. is a nurse, allied health worker, etc.):
     Associate membership shall be available irrespective of their taxable income.
2. A nurse, allied health worker, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, dietitian, speech therapist, pharmacist, scientific or medical technician, or clinical research professional (academia), who is interested in respiratory and related fields.
3. A retired medical professional.
   • A retired doctor who has reached the age of 70.
   • A retired nurse or allied health worker of any age

4.4 Undergraduate student Membership: An Undergraduate student member shall be a full-time student of a medical, nursing or related science undergraduate degree, who is enrolled in a recognised institution studying to become a medical practitioner, scientist or other health professional, with an interest in respiratory and related fields.

4.5 Honorary Membership: Honorary membership shall be available to those who, although not Ordinary, Associate or Undergraduate Student members, 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, which shall be effective for a fixed term or for an indefinite period.

4.6 Applications for Individual Membership: Application shall be made to the APSR Secretariat using the official application form containing the following information:

• qualifications of the applicant, including degrees, professional position and academic qualifications

Applications for Associate and Undergraduate student membership, in addition to the above, shall include the following:

• evidence of appropriate study or qualification in research or health care related to the field of respirology (such as a photocopy of academic or professional degree, or registration with a national registration board, and/or other supporting credentials), within 30 days of joining

The Membership Committee shall retain the right to consider any application and then decide whether to permit membership. The membership shall become effective upon receipt of the membership dues.

4.7 Applications for En Bloc Membership: Application by a respiratory society to arrange en bloc membership of the APSR for its members, shall be made to the Executive Committee. The Strategic Planning Committee shall liaise with the society to prepare a Memorandum of Understanding. En bloc membership shall become effective upon receipt of the membership dues from the en bloc member society. Its members shall then be en bloc members.

4.8 Membership Dues: The individual and en bloc membership dues shall refer to a 3-tier system based on Gross National Income (GNI), according to the country classification used by the American Thoracic Society. Membership dues shall be set by the Executive Committee, and shall be due annually.

The schedule of dues for individual and en bloc membership shall be available on request to the APSR Secretariat.

4.9 Financial members: shall be defined as Ordinary, Associate or Undergraduate student members who are currently paid-up members, either en bloc or individual.

4.10 Rights and Privileges: Ordinary members and Honorary members may participate in the business and scientific sessions of the APSR, may apply to become a Fellow of the APSR (FAPSR), join permanent committees (see Article 5.1), and may vote.

Associate members and Undergraduate student members may participate in the business and scientific sessions of the APSR. However, they may not become an FAPSR, may not become a member of a permanent committee (see Article 5.1), and may not vote.

They shall be eligible to receive publications of the Society but Undergraduate student members are not eligible to receive a discount on the fee to publish in Respirology Case Reports.

4.11 Cessation of Membership: Membership shall cease upon:

a.	written notice by the member, in which case membership shall cease as of the first day of the following membership year
or
b.	for a financial member, failure to receive membership dues within 3 months of the due date. At that time membership privileges shall be suspended but may be reactivated on subsequent receipt of such dues. for an Honorary member with a fixed term of Honorary membership, at the end of that term
or
c.	expulsion in accordance with a resolution of, and a written notice by, the Executive Committee for any reason the Executive Committee decides that a member's continued membership is inappropriate. The member shall have the right of written appeal to the Executive Committee. Membership cessation by expulsion shall be effective immediately.

4.12 Country/Society Membership: Country/Society Membership is defined as:

a.	a country or region having more than 10 APSR members
or
b.	a respiratory society signing a Memorandum of Understanding to be affiliated with the APSR

The Foundation member countries and regions were composed of:

• Australia
• Beijing, China
• Hong Kong (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, from 1997)
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Korea
• Malaysia
• New Zealand
• Philippines
• Singapore
• Taipei, China
• 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 shall consist of the President, Immediate Past President, President-Elect, Secretary General, Treasurer, Editor in Chief of Respirology and chairpersons of permanent committees.

Nomination for election of President-Elect, Secretary General, Treasurer and chairpersons of permanent committees (with the exception of the Central Congress Committee and the Local Congress Committee) shall come from Ordinary members of the Society and selected in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures for determining suitable candidates. The Chairperson of the Central Congress Committee shall be nominated by the Assembly headships (see Article 6.4). The Chairperson of the Local Congress Committee shall be the Congress President nominated by the Local Congress Committee members (see Appendix iii).

The leader of a Member Country/Society shall not simultaneously hold the office of President of the APSR. An officer shall, in principle, have their primary residence in a Member Country or Region and be a financial member of the APSR. An officer shall abide by the APSR Conflict of Interest Policy outlined in Article 12.

5.3 Executive Committee: The Executive Committee shall be representative of the membership. The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Immediate Past President, Secretary General, President-Elect, Treasurer, Editor in Chief of Respirology, chairpersons of permanent committees, members of the Strategic Planning Committee, APTA President, 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 Councillors elected by the Council.

The Executive Committee shall meet at least annually and the meeting shall be convened by the President. A quorum shall be the presence of at least 50% of the Executive Committee plus authorised proxies bringing the total representation to at least two-thirds. Decisions shall be made by a simple majority agreement by the quorum

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

1. The members of the Committee shall promote the aims and activities of the Society and be responsible for contacts between the Society and its members or potential members. Tasks can be allocated to Committee members by the Executive Committee.
2. The Executive Committee shall elect by simple majority, the Secretary General, President-Elect and Treasurer, from among those nominated by the Ordinary members (see Article 5.2), and the Editor in Chief of Respirology from among those nominated by the Nomination Committee (see Article 5.5.1.f).
3. The Congress President and the Congress President-Elect shall be responsible for the activities of the Local Congress Committee in their respective countries/regions.
4. The President shall serve a 4-year term consisting of 1 year as President-Elect, 2 years as President and 1 year as Immediate Past President. The Secretary General shall serve 1 year from the start of the President’s first year. The President-Elect shall serve 1 year from the start of the President’s second year, and shall become President on the last day of the Congress of that year. The previous President, current President and President-Elect shall be from different countries or regions. The Treasurer shall serve a 2-year term with one possible 2-year renewal.
5. The Editor in Chief of Respirology shall serve a 3-year term with one possible 3-year extension.
6. 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 shall immediately become the President in the case of an emergency during the first year of the presidency term.
   • The President-Elect shall immediately become President in the case of an emergency during the second year of the presidency term. The President-Elect shall serve out the remainder of the President's term followed by their own scheduled 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: Councillors shall be members elected by the financial members of their respective Member Country. Representation shall be based on the number of APSR members in the Member Country as follows: for 11 to 100 members, one Councillor; for 101 to 1,000 members, two Councillors; for more than 1,000 members, three Councillors; and an extra Councillor to represent a society which has become an en bloc member Society.

Councillors shall promote the aims and activities of the Society by assisting the Executive Committee. Specifically, the Council shall communicate the needs and ideas of the membership to the Executive Committee. The Council shall elect from its members four persons as its representatives to sit on the Executive Committee. These Council representatives and also the Councillors, shall be elected for a maximum of two terms of 4 years each. Immediate re-election after completion of two 4-year terms shall not be possible but re-election shall be possible after a 2-year interval.

5.5 Other Committees

5.5.1 Permanent Committees: There shall be eleven permanent committees; Executive Committee, Steering Committee, Research Committee, Education Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Nomination Committee, Finance Committee, Membership Committee, Central Congress Committee, Local Congress Committee, and Ethics and Disclosure Committee. With the exception of the Local Congress Committee, members of the permanent committees shall be nominated by the Executive Committee and the Council. All committee members shall abide by the APSR Conflict of Interest Policy outlined in Article 12.

The terms of chairpersons for permanent committees shall be two years. With the exception of the chairperson of the Executive Committee, the terms of chairpersons for permanent committees may be extended for one further 2-year term if re-elected.

The Executive Committee shall decide whether a committee, such as the Strategic Planning Committee, would benefit from an extended term of its chairpersonship due to the committee's need for continuity and corporate memory. In this case, the chairperson shall be invited to extend their term but under no obligation to do so.

1. Executive Committee: See Article 5.3.
2. Steering Committee: The Executive Committee shall empower 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: President, Immediate Past President, President-Elect, Secretary General, Treasurer, and APSR Executive Manager as a non-voting member.
3. 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 shall advocate for funding of respiratory research in the region.
4. Education Committee: The Education Committee shall develop and oversee all educational activities of the Society apart from Congresses, for which the Central Congress Committee shall be 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 Member Societies where appropriate. The Committee shall liaise with similar relevant committees of other societies to develop collaborative educational programmes. Proposals for educational activities from within the APSR shall be reviewed by the Committee.
5. Strategic Planning Committee: The Strategic Planning Committee shall be part of the Executive Committee. It shall consist of the President, Immediate Past President, President-Elect, Secretary General, and other 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 shall be responsible for developing initial Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) for en bloc membership of potential en bloc member societies and renewing existing MOUs.
6. Nomination Committee: The Nomination Committee shall recommend candidates for the position of Editor in Chief of Respirology, to the Executive Committee. The Nomination Committee shall consist of two Past Presidents, the Chairperson of Strategic Planning Committee, one representative from Member Countries/Societies, and one representative from the Council.
7. Membership Committee: The Membership Committee shall consider membership applications, and approve or decline them. The Membership Committee shall strive to increase membership of the Society.
8. Finance Committee: The Finance Committee shall be in charge of reviewing the proper financial conduct of the affairs of the Society and shall also be expected to promote fund-raising activities to contribute to the stability of the Society.
9. Central Congress Committee: see Article 7.3
10. Local Congress Committee: see Article 7.4
11. Ethics and Disclosure Committee: The Ethics and Disclosure Committee shall deal with issues relating to declarations of interest and conflicts resulting therefrom (see Article 12). This Committee shall be composed of: President, President-Elect, Secretary General, Treasurer, Chairperson of the Strategic Planning Committee and Editor in Chief of Respirology. If any of those members are related to an issue being dealt with, they shall be temporarily excluded from the Committee.

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

5.6 The Asian Pacific Thoracic Association (APTA)

5.6.1 The APSR shall be registered as APTA, a chartered organization (Non-Profit Organization – NPO) in Tokyo.

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

5.6.3 The membership of the Board of Directors shall be approved by the Executive Committee of the APSR.

5.6.4 Administrative work of the APTA can be undertaken by the APSR Secretariat.

5.6.5 The APTA shall be responsible for auditing and submitting the annual financial report to the authorized public authorities.

Article 6
Assemblies and Sections

6.1 There shall be Assemblies in the following scientific and clinical 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
• Paediatric Lung Disease
• Respiratory Structure and Function
• Pulmonary Circulation
• Interstitial Lung Disease

There shall be Sections supported by Assemblies (hereafter referred to as “parent Assemblies”), in the following scientific and clinical fields of respiratory medicine:

• Bronchiectasis Section, (under the Respiratory Infections (non-tuberculous) Assembly)
• Clinical Allied Health Section, (under the Clinical Respiratory Medicine Assembly)
• E-Health Section, (under the Clinical Respiratory Medicine Assembly)

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

• Produce clinical guidelines and position statements
• Submit proposals for one or more parts 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.

Membership of Sections shall be open to all members, but Associate and Undergraduate student members shall not be eligible to vote. Ordinary, Associate and Undergraduate student members can become members of up to two Sections. A Section member shall join its parent Assembly.

6.4 Headship: Each Assembly shall have a Head, Head-Elect and Deputy Head elected by the members of the Assembly. The Head, Head-Elect and Deputy Head of an Assembly shall be an Ordinary member of that Assembly. The Head, Head-Elect and Deputy Head shall serve for 2 years with a second 2-year term if re-elected. The Head, Head-Elect and Deputy Head shall, in principle, have their primary residence in a Member Country or Region and be a financial member of the APSR. A Head, Head-Elect or Deputy Head of an Assembly cannot simultaneously be a Head, Head-Elect or Deputy Head of another Assembly.

The role of Head, Head-Elect and Deputy Head shall be to convene a meeting of the Assembly at the Congress and to prepare an Annual Report for the Executive Committee. They shall communicate with members of the Assembly and the membership at large between Congresses as necessary. This shall include a contribution to the APSR Newsletter, Bulletin and website, when appropriate.

The Assemblies shall be divided into two groups and the Heads of the Assemblies in each group shall 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 shall serve only one term in this capacity.

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

The Section leaders of the Bronchiectasis Section and the E-Health Section shall be Ordinary members. The Section leader of the Clinical Allied Health Section shall be an Associate member or an Ordinary member.

Nominations for Section leader shall be from the Executive Committee, Nomination Committee and the parent Assembly headship. Ordinary members of the parent Assembly may vote to select a Section leader. Section leaders shall serve for 2 years with a second 2-year term if re-elected.

Article 7
Congress

7.1 Congress: The Society shall hold a Congress annually, at a place and time established by the Executive Committee. All matters relating to the Congress shall abide by the APSR Conflict of Interest Policy outlined in Article 12. 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 to host a Congress shall be invited 3 years prior to the event by notification via the APSR website, Respirology and the Newsletter. If no bid succeeds, 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. The hosting society shall be an en bloc member society. A non-member society may bid to host a Congress but must become an en bloc member society at least two years before the proposed start date of the Congress and retain that membership at least through to the conclusion of the Congress. (See also Appendix iii.)

7.3 Central Congress Committee

Membership

• President, President-Elect, Secretary General and Treasurer of the APSR
• Chairperson of the Research Committee
• Chairperson of the Education Committee
• Congress President
• Previous Congress President
• Heads of Assemblies
• Editor in Chief of Respirology
• Chairperson of the Central Congress Committee (See Article 6.4)

Terms of Reference

The role of the Committee shall be to:

• Develop the overall plan for the Congress
• Develop individual clinical and scientific sessions and to select speakers and session chairpersons
• Develop pre-meeting educational programmes 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 Professional Congress Organiser
• Ensure adequate advance advertising of the Congress on the journal website and elsewhere
• Solicit sponsorship and exhibits from regional offices of pharmaceutical, respiratory equipment and other relevant companies.

7.4 Local Congress Committee

Membership

• Members of the local society, as approved by the APSR Executive Committee.
• The Congress President shall be an APSR member and shall be appointed by and from the members of the Local Congress Committee
• The Committee shall be formed immediately after the Executive Committee has approved the location of the Congress.

Terms of Reference

The role of the Committee shall be to:

1. Liaise with the Professional Congress Organiser in order to:
   • Arrange venues, accommodation, travel arrangements
   • Develop the social programme
   • Develop the accompanying persons programme
   • Liaise with city officials, city tourist and congress bureaux.
2. Ensure efficient local arrangements for the implementation of the Congress programme by:
   • Liaising with the Central Congress Committee
   • Soliciting sponsorship and exhibits from local offices of pharmaceutical, respiratory equipment and other relevant companies.

7.5 Congress Finance Committee

Membership

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

Terms of Reference

The role of the Committee shall be to:

• Be responsible for the overall financial management of the Congress
• Work closely with the Professional Congress Organiser

7.6 Professional Congress Organiser: A Professional Congress Organiser (PCO) shall be appointed by the Executive Committee on the recommendation of the Local Congress Committee. The recommendation shall 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 PCO shall liaise with the Local Congress Committee to arrange venues, accommodation and travel arrangements. The PCO, with input from the Local Congress Committee, shall develop a social and accompanying persons programme. The PCO shall also confer with sponsors and exhibitors about suitable allocation and cost of exhibits.

7.7 Financial Disbursements: Surplus from the Congress shall be defined as the net balance after all expenses and taxes have been paid. The surplus shall be shared between the local society hosting the Congress and the APSR, as stipulated in the Congress Standard Operating Procedures. In the case of an overall loss from the Congress, this shall be shared on a 50:50 basis between the host society and the APSR.

Article 8
Business Meeting

There shall be an Annual General Meeting (AGM) open to all financial members, held on the occasion of every Congress. The President shall report on the business of the Society. A written, audited financial report by the Treasurer 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 financial members regularly, with suitable scientific articles approved by the Editor-in-Chief of Respirology.

Publication in whole or part of the journal in a language other than English shall be possible on the approval of the Executive Committee and with the agreement of the publisher.

The Editor in Chief of Respirology may appoint members to serve on the Editorial Board. The Editor in Chief of Respirology shall be supported by an Editorial Office (see Appendix ii) and shall appoint the staff to administer the Editorial Office. The Editor in Chief of Respirology shall report to the Executive Committee at least once a year.

Respiratory Updates: An official open-access publication of the Society, 'Respiratory Updates', shall be published for all financial members regularly, with suitable scientific articles identified by the Chairperson of the Education Committee.

Respirology Case Reports: An official open-access journal of the Society, 'Respirology Case Reports', shall be published and shall consist of original clinical case reports in different fields of respiratory medicine. The Editor in Chief of Respirology shall oversee the administration of Respirology Case Reports, shall be appointed as Deputy Editor for Respirology Case Reports, shall report to the Executive Committee at least once a year, and may nominate the Editor in Chief of Respirology Case Reports subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. The Editor in Chief of Respirology Case Reports shall be supported by the Editor in Chief of Respirology and its Editorial Office, and may appoint members to serve on the Editorial Board of Respirology Case Reports.

APSR Newsletter: An official Newsletter shall be distributed regularly to all financial members with information and notices from the APSR Secretariat Office, and reports of the activities of Member Countries/Regions.

APSR Bulletin: An official publication of the Society, 'APSR Bulletin', shall be published for all members regularly with APSR news, regional respiratory society news, respiratory health news, APSR membership news, and a calendar list of upcoming meetings and events. The Coordinator of the Bulletin shall be the Chair of the Education Committee, or their delegate.

Website: An APSR website shall be kept up to date with details and activities of the Society and important news about respiratory matters of interest. The APSR website shall be developed and maintained by the APSR Secretariat.

Article 10
Alterations to the Charter and Bylaws

10.1 Amendments directed by the Executive Committee

• The APSR Secretariat shall draft amendments.
• The APSR Secretariat shall get approval of the draft from the Executive Committee. The Steering Committee can approve the draft on behalf of the Executive Committee.
• The APSR Secretariat shall update the current Charter and Bylaws, with a version date.
• The APSR Secretariat shall record the amendments in the Charter and Bylaws Log of Amendments.

10.2 Amendments suggested by other Committees or the APSR Secretariat

• The APSR Secretariat shall draft amendments.
• The APSR Secretariat shall present the draft to the Executive Committee for approval, or by a majority decision from replies to an emailed draft.
• The APSR Secretariat shall update the current Charter and Bylaws, with a version date.
• The APSR Secretariat shall record the amendments in the Charter and Bylaws Log of Amendments.

Article 11
APSR Secretariat

11.1 The Society may set up an office (see Appendix i) 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 shall report to the Steering Committee.

11.3 The Executive Manager shall attend the Annual General Meeting, Annual Councillors Meetings and Executive Committee meetings, and prepare minutes of those meetings.

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

Article 12
Conflict of Interest

Office bearers, members of committees and working parties shall abide with the Conflict of Interest Policy (see Appendix iv) and complete an annual declaration of interest. Full-time or part-time employees of pharmaceutical or medical equipment companies during the previous five years shall not be eligible to serve as office bearers or committee members. Office bearers shall not be current shareholders of companies with an interest in respiratory or sleep medicine, or shareholders in the tobacco industry or companies owned by companies in the tobacco industry and industries behind alternative nicotine delivery products. Office bearers shall not participate as faculty in company-sponsored or company-organised symposia.

Speakers and chairpersons of sessions at a Congress, APSR-sanctioned meeting or other educational event, shall complete a declaration of interest form, disclosing financial interests or other relationship with all companies relevant to their presentation, including those related to tobacco.

Appendices

Appendix i: Address of the Secretariat:
The Asian Pacific Society of Respirology
2F UK's Bldg.
2-29-3 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Phone: +81-3 5684-3370
Fax: +81-3 5684 3382
Email: APSRinfo@theapsr.org

Appendix ii: Address of the Editorial Office:
Respirology
Institute for Respiratory Health
Ground Floor, E Block
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
Hospital Ave
Nedlands WA 6009
Australia
Phone: +61 8 6151 0807
Email Respirology: respirology@resphealth.uwa.edu.au
Email Respirology Case Reports: respcasereports@resphealth.uwa.edu.au

Appendix iii: 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 CHEST) as well as APSR en bloc 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 en bloc member society and international respiratory society congresses for 2 years prior to the APSR Congress.
• A broad overview of the programme shall be available at least 12 months prior to the Congress.
• Details of symposia, plenary sessions, workshops and courses listing speakers and participants shall 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 appointed by and from the members of the Local Congress Committee 3 years prior to the Congress.
• The nominee for the Local Congress Committee Chairperson and Co-chairperson shall be submitted to the Executive Committee for approval 2 years prior to the Congress.
• Heads, Heads-Elect and Deputy Heads of Assemblies and Chairperson and Co-chairperson of the Local Congress Committee shall start preparations for the programme 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.

Appendix iv: 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 shall be 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 paid consultancy work, fees paid for occasional service on company advisory boards, lecture fees, personal travel support, grants received by the individual or their 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 shall not be 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, or industries behind alternative nicotine delivery products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, or companies owned by companies of the tobacco industry and industries behind alternative nicotine delivery products.

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, shall therefore be required to complete a declaration of interest form disclosing financial interests or other relationship with all companies relevant to their presentation. Such companies include the tobacco industry and industries behind alternative nicotine delivery products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. They also include companies owned by companies in the tobacco industry and industries behind alternative nicotine delivery products. 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 the 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 shall be acknowledged on the programme
• 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 shall be acknowledged on the publication.
• There shall be no sponsorship of any kind from the tobacco industry or industries behind alternative nicotine delivery products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, or companies owned by companies in the tobacco industry and industries behind alternative nicotine delivery products.

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 shall 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 shall be responsible for any ethical implications of accepting such sponsorship in relation to their organisational affiliation or professional standards applying in the country of residence.

Conflict Resolution: If any member of the Ethics and Disclosure Committee 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:

• 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).