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LINKING PEOPLE, JOINING NATIONS
It was noted that during the last four Annual Assemblies, the members of the
Governing Council had expressed to the Executive Council their views on combining the
two secretariats. At the Beijing, Peoples Republic of China (China) Annual Assembly in
1994, a vote had been taken on the specific resolution by the Governing Council but it
did not receive the required level of support since it did not quite achieve the two-thirds
majority required. Nonetheless, a large number of Member Society delegations did support
the proposal. In light of this the members of the Executive Council at that time were of the
opinion that this matter warranted further consideration, bearing in mind that the average
annual cost of running the combined secretariats was in the order 518 000 Swiss francs
(CHF).
29
Timerman had advised, in addition, that the establishment of the new single
secretariat would require a change to the constitution if the proposal was approved by the
members at this Annual Assembly.
After due and careful consideration and the analysis of the bids from TWI and
the Institut de Soudure, Timerman informed the Governing Council in June 1995 that the
Executive Council’s recommendation was for the Institut de Soudure to be awarded the
merged secretariat role, at an annual fee of CHF 431 795 and with Mr Michel Bramat as
Executive Director. This resolution was then put to the Governing Council for approval by
secret ballot, counted by Timerman, with 24 Member Societies voting in favour, six against
and three abstentions. Having achieved a majority of more than two-thirds of the vote the
proposal was approved.
It was an historic day for IIW in more ways than one – another
important proposal included approval of a resolution for the establishment
of Commission VII
Authorisation and Qualification
(C-VII)
with all its
implications with regard to the establishment of an IIW International
Personnel Qualification and Certification Scheme.
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This, in itself, was an
endorsement of the sterling work done by Working
Group 13 of IIW’s Commission XIV
Education and
Training
(C-XIV)
over the previous three years led
by Mr Chris Smallbone (South Africa).
Both Bramat and Hicks paid compliments to one
another after the decision had been announced. Hicks made
a considered address to the Governing Council at its second
meeting on 17 June 1995. It was a speech that impressed
everyone who was there as a sign of acceptance of change
and of the immense challenges ahead. At first Hicks
had some misgivings. ‘My feelings this time are
of some frustration that having begun to grasp
fully the complexities of IIW and the widely
John Hicks