📕 Constitution

CONSTITUTION OF THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

APPROVED MARCH 5, 2024 (3d EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY)

- DEFINITIONS -

ARTICLE 1

“The World Council of Civil Engineers” (hereafter called "WCCE") is an international non-governmental organisation with an unlimited duration.

The WCCE's headquarters are in Spain, and its secretariat is located in Granada, namely at Escuela Técnica Superior de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, C/Dr Severo Ochoa s/n. However, the General Assembly may change this at the request of its Executive Committee.

The WCCE has a worldwide scope of action.

ARTICLE 2

Civil Engineers are professionals with a university education or equivalent in any field of civil engineering. 

- WCCE OBJECTIVES -

ARTICLE 3

The purpose of civil engineering is to improve the living conditions for all humanity; this is best achieved by Civil Engineers from all over the world sharing their knowledge and experience to apply technical progress to economic and social developments worldwide. For these purposes, the objectives for which WCCE is hereby constituted are:

• To promote cooperation between civil engineering organisations and organisations within the civil engineering field. 
• To improve education, teaching and continuing professional development in civil engineering.
• To promote high technical standards in civil engineering worldwide. 
• To promote the exchange and sharing of knowledge, information and technology.
• To support the establishment of national and international civil engineering associations, encourage the membership of women and young engineers and the hosting of the associations' activities.
• To increase the freedom of movement of civil engineers between different countries. 
• To safeguard and improve the quality of life in the built-up environment.
• To promote health and safety in all activities related to the civil engineering profession. 
• To inform and advise International Institutions on the organisation and methods used in the construction cycle and the framework within which civil engineers work. 
• To promote high professional and ethical conduct standards, fighting corruption in engineering and construction.
• To sponsor scientific and civil engineering meetings, symposia, conventions, congresses, etc. 
• To promote peace and mutual understanding. 
• To participate, collaborate and promote development programmes in developing countries. 
• To strengthen the practice of Civil Engineering through ethics, quality and occupational safety in providing professional services.
• To promote the registration of civil engineers

Adequate knowledge of natural processes is duly required to find sustainable solutions to meet society's infrastructure needs. In this sense, the objectives of the WCCE are: 

• To strengthen civil engineers' traditional education by extending their knowledge to topics related to natural sciences and economic evaluations. 
• To promote links between civil engineers and society, seeking greater participation and engagement in tackling environmental, poverty and social exclusion problems. 
• To raise society's awareness of the importance of civil engineers in preventing natural disasters and ensuring sustainable land management. 
• To promote R&D projects related to the interaction between soil interventions, natural resources conservation, and environmental protection, including monitoring corrective and compensatory measures and facilitating accurate and experimental data for future interventions.

- WCCE MEMBERS –

ARTICLE 4

Ordinary membership of the WCCE shall be open to national and international professional organisations of Civil Engineers or, in the case of multi-disciplinary organisations, the relevant department thereof. Therefore, the Ordinary Members with voting rights shall be grouped as follows:

• National Members 
• International Members 

WCCE may have as non-voting Affiliate Members any organisations or individuals who are related to/acting in/moving in any field of civil engineering, which shall be grouped as follows: 

• Sectoral Members: International sectoral organisations or associations related to/acting in any field of civil engineering. 
• NGO members: International non-governmental organisations addressing any civil engineering endeavour worldwide, usually in developing countries. This category also generally includes academic and training institutions related to civil engineering. 
• Corporate Members: Any company directly or indirectly related to/acting in any field of civil engineering at the national, regional, or international level. 
• Individual Members: Any professional with a significant career in civil engineering. 
• Individual professionals: Any professional who practices as a civil engineer and is qualified to do so in their home country, provided that the practitioner's home country does not count on an organisation that is a National Member of the WCCE. If there is one to join as an individual professional, he may do so with the endorsement of that National Member.  

- ADMISSION TO THE WCCE –

ARTICLE 5

The Executive Committee shall review each application for membership of the WCCE and shall inform all Members of its entry and its opinion as early as possible before the next General Assembly, which may accept the application by a two-thirds majority of said Members who, being entitled to do so, vote by a representative present in person or by proxy. The new Member shall become effective upon payment of the corresponding current year's subscription or the first subsequent annual subscription if membership approval is given in the last quarter of the year.

- RESIGNATION AND DISMISSAL OF MEMBERS -

ARTICLE 6

Any Member wishing to resign from the WCCE shall give three months' notice in writing to the Secretariat.

ARTICLE 7

Once a quorum is constituted, the General Assembly may, by a two-thirds majority of the members entitled to vote, in person or by proxy, virtual or physical, remove any Member who has failed to fulfil its duties to the WCCE or whose activities are contrary to the WCCE's objectives. 

- WCCE ADMINISTRATION –

ARTICLE 8

The WCCE's supreme decision-making body shall be the General Assembly. The Executive Committee shall conduct the WCCE's affairs between meetings. The Executive Director or the appointed substitute shall conduct the WCCE's ordinary activities under the President's responsibility and by the directives of the General Assembly and the Executive Committee. 

The Body of Representatives will conduct the representation before the Government, comprising the President and the President-Elect, Treasurer, or Secretary, as required by the law. The latter will be the Executive Director or, in case of vacancy, the person appointed to that end at the beginning of the meeting or in the General Assembly. These representatives will be responsible for signing the documents that should be submitted to the authorities.

ARTICLE 9

The composition and roles of the General Assembly and the Executive Committee shall be in accordance with this Constitution. 

ARTICLE 10

Except as otherwise specified in this Constitution, decisions at meetings of the General Assembly and the Executive Committee shall be taken by a majority vote of the representatives of Members entitled to vote (physically or virtually, in person or by proxy). In a tie, the President shall have the casting vote.

General Assemblies and Executive Committees may be held physically, virtually, or hybrid, ensuring active participation via videoconference. 

- GENERAL ASSEMBLY -

ARTICLE 11

The General Assembly shall be comprised of a) the representatives of those Members who are up to date with their financial obligations according to Article 37 and who are present in virtual or physical form, in person or by proxy, and b) the Officers of the WCCE who are present in virtual or physical form. Representatives of one-third of the Members entitled to vote - whether present or not - shall constitute a quorum. 

ARTICLE 12

Ordinary Members - subject to the provisions of Article 37 - shall be entitled to vote at any meeting of the General Assembly; however, if there is more than one National Member from the same country, only one shall be entitled to vote. Voting may be cast by proxy and given to a present person by means of a letter that must be delivered to the Secretariat before the meeting.

Associate Members shall participate but not vote in General Assemblies. 

ARTICLE 13

An ordinary meeting of the General Assembly shall be held each year at a time and place predetermined by the General Assembly at the previous meeting or, in the absence of this requirement, by the Executive Committee. 

ARTICLE 14

The President shall convene an extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly if so requested in writing by one-third of the Members of the WCCE. It may also convene such a meeting with the consent of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE 15

The Secretariat shall communicate the place and date of each ordinary meeting of the General Assembly to all WCCE Members and all members of the Executive Committee at least two months in advance and, in the case of an extraordinary meeting, at least one month in advance. 

The Secretariat and the hosting institution shall provide the system enabling participants to identify, communicate, and cast votes when duly required. They shall provide adequate instructions to ensure effective participation and the recording of votes. 

ARTICLE 16

Items proposed for inclusion on the agenda and requests for admission to the WCCE must reach the Secretariat at least one month before the date fixed for an ordinary meeting of the General Assembly and two weeks in advance for an extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly.

ARTICLE 17

The Secretariat shall prepare and draft the General Assembly agenda and relevant documentation based on requests and suggestions proposed by the WCCE Members accompanied by. The Secretariat shall communicate by means available the place and date of each ordinary meeting of the General Assembly to all WCCE Members, as well as to all members of the Executive Committee, at least two months in advance and, in the case of an extraordinary meeting, at least one month in advance.

ARTICLE 18

Each Member may be represented at meetings of the General Assembly by a delegation composed in such manner as that Member may decide. 

ARTICLE 19

Members shall inform the Secretariat in writing of the names of their representatives before convening any WCCE meeting in which they intend to participate.

ARTICLE 20

The General Assembly shall determine the general policy of WCCE without prejudice to the generality of its responsibilities and shall, in particular, have the following powers and duties:   

• To review and ratify the decisions of the Executive Committee and the WCCE Council administration taken by the Secretariat since the previous ordinary meeting of the General Assembly.   
• To appoint any Committee or Committees it deems necessary for the conduct and administration of the work of the WCCE.   
• To review the work done by any Committee or Committees of the WCCE since the previous ordinary meeting of the General Assembly.   
• On the Executive Committee's proposal, duly review each application for WCCE membership and accept or reject it per Article 5 of the Constitution.   
• Terminate, per Article 7 hereof, if it so decides the membership of any WCCE member who has not fulfilled its duties to the WCCE or whose activities may be contrary to the WCCE's objectives.    
• On the Executive Committee's proposal, to review and approve the WCCE's accounts for the period since the previous ordinary meeting of the General Assembly and to discharge the Executive Committee from liability.
• Approve an annual budget.  
• On proposal of the Executive Committee to decide, per Article 35 of this Constitution, the annual dues to be paid by the Members of the WCCE.   
• To elect the President-elect and the Treasurer.  
• Each group of Members, as defined in Article 4, shall elect the respective members of the Executive Committee.   

-EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE-

ARTICLE 21

The Executive Committee, which shall be responsible to the General Assembly, shall be composed of:  

• The President, the President-Elect, the Immediate Past President, the Vice-Presidents holding office by their election as Chairpersons of the Standing Committees, the Treasurer and the Executive Director, the latter without voting rights and acting as Secretary, who shall be the officers of the WCCE;     
• Five Ordinary National Members who will be elected continental representatives. Organisations with no outstanding dues may only make nominations for these positions. 
• Representatives of Ordinary International Members limited to one per continent. Nominations for this position may only be made by organisations with no outstanding dues.     
• One representative from each group of Associate Members (Corporate, NGOs and Sectoral Associations) as defined in Article 4. Nominations for this position may only be made by organisations with no outstanding dues.    

Half of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.  

ARTICLE 22

At meetings of the Executive Committee, each ordinary member of the Committee shall have one vote, and in the event of a tied vote, the President shall have a second or casting vote.   

ARTICLE 23

The members of the Executive Committee shall hold office until the third ordinary meeting of the General Assembly following their election. Except for the President, members of the Executive Committee shall be eligible for re-election for a second term. If possible, elections shall be carried out so that, after each ordinary meeting of the General Assembly, half of the elected members of the Executive Committee are in their first term of office, and half are in their second term of office. 

ARTICLE 24

The Executive Committee shall conduct the business of the WCCE between General Assembly meetings and communicate with each other mainly via e-mail. It shall meet twice a year, once just before the ordinary General Assembly. In addition, it may be convened by the president's decision in urgent circumstances. As a means of communication, there shall be at least four conference calls, preferably in October (before the General Assembly), January, April, and July. 

The Secretariat and the hosting institution shall provide the system enabling participants to identify, communicate, and cast votes when required. They shall provide adequate instructions to ensure effective participation and the recording of votes. 

ARTICLE 25

The Executive Committee shall prepare a budget showing the WCCE's revenue and expenditures for the General Assembly to examine.

ARTICLE 26

The Executive Committee shall communicate to all members, three months before an ordinary meeting of the General Assembly, the names of the candidates for the positions of President-Elect and Treasurer. 

- MANAGEMENT -

ARTICLE 27

The first General Assembly shall elect the first President and hold office until the end of the third ordinary meeting of the General Assembly. The President-Elect shall be elected by the General Assembly at an ordinary meeting three years before the President's term of office ends. At this time, he shall be appointed President. The Past President shall remain a member of the Executive Committee for three years. 

ARTICLE 28

The General Assembly shall appoint the Treasurer on the proposal of the Executive Committee. The duties of the Treasurer, whom the Secretariat and the accountant shall assist, are:

• To ensure the preparation of financial statements for discussion and approval at the General Assembly. 
• To oversee budget preparation for the following annual period for discussion and approval at the General Assembly. 
• To review and approve expenditures. 
• To evaluate and follow up on bank statements, collections, and payments. 
• Notify the President, Executive Committee, and General Assembly of any tax, legal, or accounting developments or events that may jeopardise the WCCE's financial situation.
• Ensure all legal and tax duties are current and the required accounting services are in place.

ARTICLE 29

The President or, in its absence, the President-Elect shall preside over the meetings of the General Assembly and the Executive Committee. If none of them are present within five minutes of the meeting's opening, the members of the Executive Committee present shall appoint one of their number to preside over the meeting. 

ARTICLE 30

No member of the Executive Committee may vote on any matter in which it is directly or indirectly interested or on issues arising from it. 

ARTICLE 31

If decided, the appointment of the Executive Director shall be made on the proposal of the President to appoint an Executive Director. It shall carry with it such remuneration and terms and conditions as the Executive Committee may deem appropriate, and the Executive Committee may remove any individual so appointed. The Executive Director shall perform the duties of the Secretary of both the General Assembly and the Executive Committee unless someone else is appointed by the majority of the participants with the right to vote. The Executive Director or the acting appointed person shall oversee the following duties of the Secretariat:

• To support the undertakings of the Treasurer and the accounting services to meet the tax and legal liabilities of the Council.
• To monitor bank accounts, credit cards, PayPal and other similar accounts, regularly reporting balances and deviations from budget. 
• To coordinate the activities of other service providers and contractors, ensuring timely payments and effective services. 
• To prepare and distribute invoices and follow up on collecting the respective receivables. 
• To distribute any notices or documentation relating to General Assemblies and Executive Committee meetings. 
• To manage the WCCE website and all other communication platforms. 
• To support the development of any Executive Committee activities.
• To support WCCE members and any initiative for improvement.
• Mobilising resources for funds.
• Any other roles defined in this Constitution.

The Executive Committee can delegate these duties mentioned above as deemed appropriate.

ARTICLE 32

Minutes shall be taken of all resolutions and proceedings of the General Assembly and Executive Committee meetings. 

- DECISIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND BODIES OF THE WCCE –

ARTICLE 33

The Secretariat shall keep Members duly informed regarding important proposals, decisions, and actions of the Executive Committee, as well as any action taken by the President on urgent matters.

ARTICLE 34

A report on the proceedings of the Executive Committee, including an audit of the statement of accounts and accounts submitted for the last completed financial year, signed by the Treasurer, shall be made available to each Member of the WCCE at least one month before the first day of each ordinary meeting of the General Assembly.

ARTICLE 34a

1. Standing Committees may be created on the proposal of any voting member who submits a request to the Secretariat at least one month before the next General Assembly or as an initiative of the Executive Committee. If a member makes the proposal, it shall be reviewed and duly validated by the Executive Committee and then, if approved, submitted to the General Assembly. Once approved by the General Assembly, the members and authorities of the Committee shall be appointed. 
2. Working Groups may be created on the proposal of any voting member who submits a request to the Secretariat at least one month before the next General Assembly or as an initiative of the Executive Committee. If a member makes the proposal, it shall be reviewed and duly validated by the Executive Committee and then, if approved, submitted to the General Assembly. Once approved by the General Assembly, the members and authorities of the Working Group shall be appointed. Unlike Standing Committees, Working Groups must have a specific objective to be achieved within two years.
3. In both cases, Standing Committees and Working Groups, the proposal to be submitted should be one page long, setting out the mission, relevance, scope, and proposed chairpersons. The Executive Committee or the General Assembly may require additional information. 
4. Voting member organisations may submit their candidates for the Chair of a Standing Committee or Working Group one month before the General Assembly. For said purpose, they shall submit an abbreviated curriculum vitae of the candidate highlighting professional and academic merits related to the subject of the Standing Committee or Working Group. In addition, they must submit an action plan for the next three years in the case of the former and two years in the case of the latter. The General Assembly shall ratify the proposed chairpersons by a simple majority. No organisation may have more than one Standing Committee chairperson or three Working Group chairpersons. 
5. Under Article 21, the chairpersons of the Standing Committees shall join the Executive Committee as vice presidents for three years. Their position could be renewed for another three years. 
6. The Committees and Working Groups shall decide on their mode of operation and the format of their meetings. They shall elect a secretary from among their members. Each member organisation may propose up to two candidates for Committee and/or Working Group membership. To do so, the member organisation shall submit its request to the Secretariat, which shall convey the request to the corresponding Standing Committee or Working Group. Then, the request shall be validated by the Standing Committee or Working Group members involved. 
7. Each Standing Committee and Working Group shall present a report to the General Assembly summarising the activities carried out, indicating authors and participants, along with outcomes reached, as well as the level of fulfilment of their objectives. It shall also present the work plan for the following year, indicating measurable objectives, methodologies, results to be obtained, and resources to be used. Failure to submit reports, non-compliance or obsolescence of its objectives, prolonged presidency vacancy, or absence of participants shall entitle the Executive Committee to propose its dissolution, which the General Assembly shall ratify. The Working Groups shall be automatically dissolved when their objectives have been fulfilled. 

ARTICLE 34b

A Senior Advisory Board is established and composed of all Past Presidents. Its primary function is to advise the President, Executive Committee and General Assembly if required.

The Chair of the Senior Advisory Board shall be elected by its members, rotating every two years.

ARTICLE 34c

As stated in Article 21, the Executive Committee will consist of one Continental Representative for each continent. The elected officers will hold office for three years and can be renewed for a similar period, maximum. Their objective is to promote WCCE within their regions.

- FINANCE –

ARTICLE 35

Each Member shall undertake to pay annual dues (in Euros) as determined by the General Assembly. Each financial year shall run from January 1st to the following December 31st. 

Dues are payable before January 1 at the beginning of each financial year. A grace period may be granted until 30 June of the same year for members whose circumstances merit special consideration and who have requested it. 

ARTICLE 36

In the event of resignation or dismissal, a Member shall be bound to pay its dues for the current financial year without any claim on the membership fees of the WCCE or any part thereof.

ARTICLE 37

Any Member of WCCE who has not paid its annual dues at the end of the financial year shall not be entitled to exercise and benefit from the rights and privileges of membership until the amount due has been duly paid. This organisation will not increase its debt as no more fees will be issued until re-entry. Furthermore, it may be removed from membership by a decision of the General Assembly, with a two-thirds majority vote of those Members entitled to do so, voting by proxy (present or represented). After four years of arrears, it will be removed automatically, without any vote requirement.  

ARTICLE 38

Special projects — so designated by the Executive Committee — shall be financed in whole or in part by donations from Members, societies, or other agencies. 

ARTICLE 39

The WCCE shall have the power to accept donations to its funds from any source approved by the Executive Committee. 

- ENTRY INTO FORCE AND AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION -

ARTICLE 40

This Constitution shall not be amended except by the General Assembly and with the approval of two-thirds of all Members who, being entitled to do so, vote by their representative (present or represented). 

- DISSOLUTION OF THE WCCE -

ARTICLE 41

The General Assembly, if convened for said purpose, may dissolve the WCCE through a vote as provided for in Article 40. In the event of dissolution of the WCCE for any cause, the General Assembly shall appoint a liquidator, defining the authority of the liquidator and, where appropriate, its remuneration, as well as designate the recipients of the remaining funds of the WCCE.