Governance draft

Provisional IAP bylaws

A structured starting point for membership, governance, ethics, committees, records, and organisational decision-making.

Article 1

Name, purpose, and scope

  • The working name is Afro-Asian International Association of Psychotherapists (IAP).
  • IAP supports ethical practice, professional development, research exchange, membership services, and international collaboration.
  • IAP membership does not replace national regulation or authorise practice where a licence is required.

Article 2

Membership

  • Published categories must have transparent eligibility and evidence requirements.
  • Applications, renewals, reviews, and appeals must follow documented procedures.
  • Member records must include authoritative issue and expiry dates.
  • Directory inclusion is voluntary and separate from membership approval.

Article 3

Governance and delegated authority

  • Board roles, appointment processes, terms, quorum, voting, and conflicts of interest must be defined before adoption.
  • Delegated authorities must be recorded and reviewed.
  • The secretariat maintains secure organisational and membership records.

Article 4

Meetings and decisions

  • Notice, agenda, quorum, voting, minutes, and remote participation rules must be documented.
  • Material decisions and declared conflicts must be recorded.

Article 5

Ethics, complaints, and appeals

  • Members are accountable to the provisional code of ethics once formally adopted.
  • Complaints must be handled fairly, confidentially, and within the association’s defined jurisdiction.
  • Decision notices and proportionate appeal routes must be documented.

Article 6

Finance, information, and records

  • Fees and expenditure require appropriate approval and record-keeping.
  • Personal data and private files must be protected by role-based access and retention rules.
  • Audit records must be maintained for material administrative actions.

Article 7

Amendment, ratification, and effective date

  • Proposed amendments require notice, review, and the approval threshold defined in the adopted bylaws.
  • The ratified version must record its approval authority, date, version, and effective date.
  • Superseded versions must be retained securely.