The International Geographical Union,
hereinafter IGU, was created on July 27th, 1922 by the General Meeting of the International Council for Research. The Meeting was held in Brussels by representatives of Belgium, France, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Spain and United Kingdom. Therefore, Spain, represented by the Real Sociedad Geográfica (RSG), created in 1876, was one of the seven founding countries, to which many others had joined until UGI’s present composition.
Spain, at the proposal of the Real Sociedad Geográfica, joined IGU officially under Order of 1922, which authorised also the Society to have its Board of Directors become the National Committee provided for in Article 3rd of the then IGU Statutes. Since then, the Spanish representation in the major international geographical institution has been entrusted to the Real Sociedad Geográfica. In the first years of the 1908s, due to the relevant changes undergone by the Spanish geographical community, and after a negotiation between the RSG (the then-Spanish National Committee of IGU) and Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles, hereinafter AGE, created in 1976, the Spanish Committee was renewed and created as provided for in these Statutes.
Article 1: Objectives.
1.1 The Spanish Committee of IGU is the representation of Spain in IGU, as provided for in IGU Statutes.
1.2 The Committee is to promote IGU objectives in Spain making a specific reference to their international aspects.
1.3 The Committee is to disseminate the information forwarded by the Executive Committee among the Spanish geographers and to send a report on its activities and the situation of Geography in Spain to said Executive Committee every four years.
1.4 The Committee is to appoint the delegates to represent it at IGU meetings. Singly or jointly with other committees, it is entitled to propose IGU-objectives-related subjects to be discussed.
Article 2: Composition.
2.1 The Spanish Committee is made up by five members of RSG, five members of AGE, one member of Instituto Geográfico Nacional, one of Servicio Geográfico del Ejercito, a geographer from Instituto de Economía y Geografía del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and a representative of regional geographical associations.
Article 3: Managing bodies.
3.1 The Spanish Committee is to be chaired by the President of the RSG or AGE; the office will be held alternatively by said societies. Office term is for four years, the time lapsed between IGU’s International Congress and General Assemblies.
3.2 The Committee Vicepresident will be the outgoing RSG or AGE President.
3.3 The president represents the Committee and in his default, it is replaced by the Vicepresident or the Committee member or person appointed by the Committee.
3.4 The Committee Secretary is held jointly by two members, one from RSG and another from AGE, appointed by these societies.
3.5 Committee members perform the functions they are assigned by the Committee.
Article 4: Working.
4.1 The Committee meets called by the president at least once a year. The meeting can be also called at the request of at least of six of its members.
4.2 Resolutions are adopted by simple majority except for extraordinary issues such as Statutes modification or IGU representation that require an absolute majority.
Article 5: Funding.
5.1 Both RSG and AGE have the largest and equal representation in the Committee and they contribute equally to its expenses. The other institutions contribute according to their representation and means.
Article 6: Committee term and dissolution.
6.1 The Spanish Committee term is linked to the IGU existence and is, therefore, limited.
6.2 If the Spanish Geographical Community, through its several components, decides that the IGU does not fulfill the objectives it was created for, then the Committee may decide to break its links with IGU and dissolve.
6.3 The dissolution of the Spanish Committee will be adopted in a secret vote and by a majority of at least two thirds of its members.
6.4 In case of dissolution, any available funds will be assigned to the institutions represented in the Committee, according to their share to Committee’s funding as set by the Fifth Article of these Statutes.
IGU’s Spanish Committee current officers:
President:
Dr. Carmen Delgado Viñas. President of the AGE
Vicepresident:
Dr. Juan Velarde Fuertes. President of the RSG
Secretary:
Dr. Maria del Carmen Mínguez García. General Secretary of the AGE
Dr. María Asunción Martín Lou. General Secretary of the RSG
Vocales:
Real Sociedad Geográfica (RSG)
Dr. María Asunción Martín Lou
Dr. Teodoro Martín Martín
Dr. Manuel Valenzuela Rubio
Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles (AGE)
Dr. Maciá Blázquez Salom
Dr. Marina Frolova Ignatieva
Dr. Rocío Silva Pérez
Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN)
Dña. María Teresa Albert Fernández
Centro Geográfico del Ejército
D. Juan Francisco Arrazola Martínez
Instituto de Economía y Geografía y Demografía – CSIC
Dr. Gloria Fernández-Mayoralas Fernández
Sociedades Geográficas Regionales
Dr. Carme Montaner García (Sociedad Geográfica Catalana)