World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies Minutes of the Administrative Council Meeting (2017-19 Term)

Humanitas University, Convention Center Milan
Saturday, 10 February, 2018 (8:30 AM–17:30 PM)

SUMMARY of Minutes

Attended by;

Administrative Council Officers:

• Servadei (President)
• K. Tu (Past President)
• Loftus (First Vice-President)
• Samii (Treasurer)
• Morita (Asst. Secretary)
• El Abbadi (Asst. Treasurer)
  

The Second Vice Presidents:

• Nanda (AANS)
• Misra (AASNS)
• Vukic (EANS)
• Spagnuolo (FLANC)
• Fieggen (CAANS)
• El Shawarbi (At Large-ARAB)
• S. Florian (At Large-Eastern Europe)

Invited Guests:

• Samii (Chairman, Honorary President)
• Arraez (Chairman, WFNS Foundation)                                  
• Basso (Honorary President)
• El Khamlichi (Honorary President )
• Ture (President World Congress Istanbul 2017)
• Germano (Chairman, Education and Training Committee)
• Boop (Chairman, Audit Committee)
• Kato (Chairman, Coordinating Committee for International Initiatives)
• Dempsey (Chairman, Coordinating Committee for International Initiatives)
• Adelson (Coordinator of Committee Activities)
• Ammar (Member, Constitution and Bylaws Committee)
• Sidi Said (Executive Board of WFNS Foundation)
• Di Rocco (Advisory Board of WFNS Foundation)
• Rosseau (Advisory Board of WFNS Foundation)
• Chandran (President, 2018 WFNS Symposium in Malaysia)
• Azevedo (Advisory Board of WFNS Foundation)
• Park (Advisory Board of WFNS Foundation)
• Feng (Advisory Board of WFNS Foundation)
• Qureshi (Advisory Board of WFNS Foundation)
• Robertson (Executive Board of WFNS Foundation)
• Johnson (WHO)
• Fountas (Chairman, Publication Committee)
• Kerry & Meghal (Intern for Dr. Kee Park's Global Mapping project)

Present by Skype Communication

• J. Morcos (Chairman, C&B Committee)
• R. Laws (Honorary President)

Central Office:

• Chen
• Ling

AC agenda and minutes at Istanbul (Aug 2017) and Venice (Oct. 2017) were approved unanimously.

Minutes of EC meeting at Istanbul (Aug. 2017) were approved unanimously.

1. LING FENG reported information of WFNS Interim Meeting 2019 as well as Africa 100 and INI project, "one belt and one road countries concept" program.

• The new project Africa 100 using the Chinese government’s budget and approved by the Chinese government without WFNS endorsement was approved unanimously. Motion passed.

2. PRESIDENT SERVADEI’S REPORT:

• Today's issues to be discussed:
  1. Stipends of officers
  2. Electronic voting system
  3. New procedures of the journal of the WFNS
  4. Website to develop
  5. Changes to the constitution and bylaws
  6. The change of venue for the AC meetings

3. FIRST VICE PRESIDENT'S REPORT by Prof. C. LOFTUS

• The concept of the journal “Global Neurosurgery” was presented.
• WFNS needs to own the copyright and choose editors. We need to choose the publishing format but we wish to have free access for young neurosurgeons and neurosurgeons in developing countries.
• To be put to the vote: the document (RPF) must be sent to the lawyer and widely distributed.
• Vote accepted unanimously. Motion passed. 

4. SECRETARY REPORT by Dr. A. Morita reading the letter sent by Dr. M. Massini

• The deadline for the submission of candidates for officers, president elect and the organization of the World Congress of 2023 were reconfirmed.

5. TREASURER'S REPORT BY PROF. AMIR SAMII:

• The financial balance sheet for 2017 is positive and the finances are better since 2010.
• According to the report of the audit committee following the report of I. Sbeih regarding the stipend payment, henceforth, there will be no more cash transfer. The refund policy was verified by lawyers in two law firms and the various items to be reimbursed are identified (including travel and general expense policies).
• The law firm recommended procedures to remove any suspicions that previously paid money that was paid in cash or through an inappropriate method should be returned to the Federation and the beneficiary should receive payment through appropriate, transparent and traceable methods.
• The treasurer’s report was approved unanimously and the motion was passed.

6. REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE BY PROF. FREDERIC BOOP:

• Immediately after the Istanbul meeting, F. Servadei, A. Samii and F. Boop met in Argentina and discussed the process to make reimbursement transparent. The decision was made to collect the cash paid in 2016 and return it to the beneficiary in an appropriate manner.
• Amendments to the constitution and bylaws should be made to prevent future cash transfers.
• Reimbursement policy presented by Prof. A Samii: unanimously adopted. Motion passed.
• Reimbursement should go directly to the person by bank transfer: unanimously adopted. Motion passed.
• Money inappropriately paid in 2013-2017 by WFNS needs to be returned to the WFNS. Motion passed.
• New reimbursement policy and dissemination of the report to the audit committee: unanimously adopted. Motion passed.

7. REPORT AND REQUEST FROM PROF. Y. K. Tu:

• Prof. Y.K. Tu is trying to revise the history of the WFNS and he requested that we let him continue the revision for possible publication.
• AC members unanimously adopted his request. Motion passed.

8. REPORT OF ASSISTANT TREASURER BY PROF. N El ABBADI:

• The situation of membership societies and payment of the membership fees were presented.
• Prof. A. Samii, along with Prof. N. El Abbadi and the continental vice presidents, would like to systematically contact the societies and collect information on the exact number of members and remind the membership of payments within a month or so. He will report on this issue in Malaysia.

9. REPORT OF WFNS ISTANBUL CONGRESS BY PROF. U. TURE :

• U. Ture presented the summary of the last Istanbul WFNS congress.
• He reported that the outcome of the Congress for both social and scientific activities was very successful.
• The finances were audited by the Deloitte company with transparency. All the transactions were seriously reviewed. The Congress venue was free of charge and all the dinners were sponsored. Net profit was US $211,950 with actual revenue of US$141,674.92.
• Financial report of the World Congress 2017 by Prof. U Ture was approved unanimously. Motion passed.

10. REPORT OF SYMPOSIUM MALAYSIA 15 - 17 AUG 2018 by Prof. H. Chandran:

• Prof. H. Chandran presented the congress venue and the scientific program. They will offer scholarships for young neurosurgeons and women in neurosurgery.

11. REPORT OF THE CORDINATOR OF THE COMMITTEE by Prof. D. ADELSON:

• Prof. D. Adelson explained the composition of the non-scientific and scientific committees and evaluation process of activities of each committee.
• He also discussed access to the WFNS website and specified the criteria for organizing a course or symposium or for using the logo and putting an event on the WFNS website.
• President Servadei asked Prof. D. Adelson to be responsible for publishing on the website the activities of the different committees. And this time, we need to show all committee chairs that, if they do not work, the position is terminated.
• He asked for a vote regarding that the next February AC and WFNS Foundation meetings will take place in Malaga, Spain. Motion passed.

12. REPORT OF YOKO KATO

• She reported on initiatives of the WFNS Foundation and education activities.

13. REPORT OF THE BYLAWS AND THE CONSTITUTION COMMITTEE BY JACQUES MORCOS (by videoconference):

• Prof. J.J. Morcos presented 19 amendments made for the Constitutions and Bylaws which is depicted in the WFNS website.

• The Chairman of the Bylaws Committee will re-arrange the amendments to the Bylaws, discuss them in informal Meetings and present them for approval at the next AC Meeting. We are changing the WFNS structure.

14. REPORT OF the 2nd VICE PRESIDENT AT LARGE EAST EUROPE BY PROF. STEFAN FLORIAN:

• Florian reminded that there are no clear definitions of the regions representing the 2^nd vice president at large and definitive tasks. Prof. F. Servadei responded that we cannot decide and asked him to send the suggestions to the C&B committee and Prof. Morcos.

15. REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMITTEE BY PROF. I .GERMANO

• She presented the list of the 27 members of this committee and explained how they were chosen, and their mission, as well as the different committee activities and those planned during the next year, of which 4 will be held in Africa.

16. REPORT OF THE THINK FIRST PROGRAM AND NEUROTRAUMA COMMITTEE BY PROF. GAIL ROUSSEAU

• Activities were introduced to prevent injury, the Think First program by the neurotrauma committee.

17. REPORT OF THE WFNS HYDROCHEPALUS FOUNDATION BY PROF. DI ROCCO:

• The mission of this foundation and the project 2018 and calendar were introduced, including efforts for discounting hydrocephalus shunts.

18. REPORT OF THE AFRICA 100 PROGRAM BY PROF. SIDI SAID:

• He gave neurosurgeon statistics in Africa and the objectives of the creation of this program, and showed an example of the training centers in Algeria.

19. REPORT OF THE WFNS-WHO LIAISON COMITTEE BY PROF. GAIL ROUSSEAU.

• Activities of this committee to date, upcoming projects, and upcoming meetings were introduced. 20. Prof. F. Servadei discussed the issues regarding global communication projects presented at the foundation meeting on March 9. Prof. M. Arraez wished to seek a much cheaper way to start such a program. This issue will be discussed in the future.

The next AC meeting will be held in August 2018 in Malaysia during the Symposium.

 Closing at 6 pm

Respectfully submitted,

Asst. Secretary (signature):