Statutes of the Nordic Cancer Union
1 Preamble
The Nordic Cancer Union (NCU) is a collaborative body for co-operation on relevant strategic issues, exchange of experiences and inspiration of new initiatives for the Danish Cancer Society, the Faroe Cancer Society, the Cancer Society of Finland, the Icelandic Cancer Society, the Norwegian Cancer Society and the Swedish Cancer Society.
The overall strategies and priorities for NCU are stipulated for three-year periods by the NCU Board and should be valid during a member countries chairmanship.
§ 2 Aim and strategy
The overall goal for the NCU is to ensure best treatment for cancer patient, and implementation of effective cancer preventing iniatives in the Nordic countries
- Provision of a forum for exchange of knowledge and discussion amongst the Nordic cancer societies.
- Collaboration to improve knowledge and understanding of cancer diseases, effective prevention and health promotion, results of cancer treatment and rehabilitation; and to enhance effective application in the Nordic area.
- Funding Nordic research and strategic projects of highest possible standards and of relevance to the member organizations within the field of cancer according to strategies on research and strategic projects decided by the NCU Board at any given time.
§ 3. Registered office
The Board makes decisions regarding the location of the registered office site.
§ 4. The NCU Board
The NCU is governed by a Board comprising representatives of each of the member organizations of NCU.
Each organization may appoint up to three representatives for participation in board meetings – one of these at CEO and/or chairman level. Specialists/staff members of the member organizations may participate in board meetings and/or represent the members. The Board is responsible for informing the chairmen of meetings, when a need for their presence arises.
Voting in the Board is on the basis of one organization one vote. Decisions of the Board are taken by a simple majority of the Board members present. In the event of a tied vote, the NCU chairman has a second, casting vote.
4.1 The Board makes decisions congruent with the aim and strategies of the NCU concerning
- Grants for strategic projects.
- Grants for scientific projects after recommendations from the Scientific Committee.
- Other issues, e.g. with joint statements.
4.2. The Board approves
Every three years the chairmanship for the coming three-year period.
- Every three years the strategic plan for the coming three-year period.
- Change of statutes.
- Meeting plan for at least the coming two meetings.
4.3. The Board may decide
- To establish committees and appoint committee members.
- To hold workshops in connection with board meetings and decide main themes for such workshops e.g. regarding discussions of actual, principled cancer relevant issues, long-term strategies and evaluation of activities.
4.4 The Board has 3–4 annual meetings. Main topics of the meetings include:
- Exchanges of experiences, decisions on strategic projects when needed.
- Approval of annual budget including allocation between strategic and scientific projects.
- Report from the scientific committee and progress reports from strategic projects.
- Approval of accounts and annual report for previous year.
4.5. The minutes of the Board are adopted electronically and formally signed at the following meeting by a representative from each member organization participating in the meeting.
§ 5 Chairmanship and Secretariat
The chairmanship is held alternately by the members for a three-year period taking effect from the start of a calendar year.
The chairmanship of the NCU is responsible for the Union’s secretariat function during the mandate period in relation to general matters and the scientific committee. The responsibility for the NCU secretariats function may be transferred to another member country than that of the NCU chairman by a specific agreement, which has to be accepted by the majority member countries. Similarly, the responsibility of the secretariat of advisory committees, including the scientific committee, may by a specific agreement for a period of time be transferred to another member organisation than that of the NCU chairman.
NCU contributes to the costs of the secretariats as decided by the Board.
§ 6 Scientific Committee
The Scientific Committee comprises one member with scientific competence from each member country appointed by the NCU Board after recommendations from the national cancer societies.
The tasks of the Scientific Committee are:
- To assess scientific grant applications and secure that they are aligned with the NCU research strategy and of high scientific quality, and formulate recommendations regarding the applications to the NCU Board for the Boards decisions on grants.
- Can be asked to give consultation concerning strategic project regarding research to the Board for its decisions on grants.
- To evaluate funded research and follow-up on the application of the results in the Nordic countries.
- The chairman of the Scientific Committee is invited to an annual meeting with the Board.
§ 7 Finances
The NCU’s funds are deposited and managed in a separate account by the cancer society which receives the funds that are placed at the disposal of the Union.
The annual budget, cost allocation between the members and balancing of the accounts are approved by the Board. The accounts are formally revised by a certified public accountant and informally by the previous chairmanship, prior to a presentation to the Board
The NCU may receive grants and donations, from which it may pay out grants and provide support for strategic projects.
§ 8 Signatories
The chairman of NCU or two other Board members authorised by the Board may sign jointly on behalf of the NCU.
§ 9 Changes of statutes and dissolution of the Nordic Cancer Union
Any member of the NCU may propose changes to the statutes and these shall be sent to the Secretariat of the NCU and communicated by the Secretariat to all NCU members not later than two months prior to the meeting for the Board.
The chairman or two members of NCU may call for an extra-ordinary meeting of the Board with at least two months’ notice stating the agenda.
The quorum of attendance required for changes of statutes or dissolution is at least three quarters of full members present or voting by proxy.
In the event of the dissolution of NCU, any financial assets owned by the NCU shall be distributed among its members in proportion to the apportioning index.
Statutes approved by the NCU Board on May 30th 2016.