Policy on Conflict of Interest

Adopted by the EC July, 2007, Adopted by the Assembly, July 2008

Conflict of interest is a broad term that may include many types of conflict, illustrated by but not limited to conflicts of duty, confidentiality, fiduciary responsibility, competition, effort, and investment of time.

Conflict Of Interest Self-Awareness

This document is designed to specify a conflict of interest policy. Its goal is to be educative in assisting EC members in evaluating areas of potential or real areas of conflict, and in enabling them to conform their conduct to the policy and the conflict procedures outlined below.

Dual Service

  • Dual service as an officer in IUPsyS and any other organization with which IUPsyS has substantial shared commitments to collaborative activities is precluded. At present such organizations include IAAP, IACCP, EFPA.
  • Although dual service as an officer in one organization and executive board membership in another is not precluded, it should be recognized that there is a likelihood of various conflicts of interest.
  • Dual service as a board member in multiple organizations is also not precluded, but it may also increase the probability of various conflicts of interest.
  • Dual service can offer the Union some benefits of coordination and integration of international psychology and integration with other scientific bodies.

Conflict Procedures

The following procedures are to govern the handling of potential conflict by officers and executive committee members during the course of a meeting. Note: these guidelines apply regardless of whether or not the individual previously reported the potential conflict.

  1. Where an EC member recognizes a conflict of interest, that individual must divulge the nature of the conflict. Such an individual should not vote or use his/her personal influence on the matter. It may also be appropriate for the person to recuse themselves from the meeting should the expected discussion potentially convey information to the person that would then put them into a further duty and/or conflict of interest at meetings of another organization (see #3 below).
  2. Where, in the discretion of the individual, the conflict situation to be divulged by the individual involves confidential or sensitive information or the individual’s duty to divulge the conflict would force him/her to breach his/her duty of loyalty to another organization on whose board he/she sits, then to protect the information from being publicly divulged, the disclosure may be to IUPsyS President or Secretary General indicating that the information is confidential. The individual may not vote or attempt to use his/her personal influence on the topic.
  3. Where it appears that the issues discussed by the body may involve the revelation of IUPsyS confidential or proprietary information to the other group, the individual with a possible conflict of interest should recuse him/herself from the meeting, during all discussion on the topic.
  4. The individual wishing a record of their declaration of a possible conflict of interest may report, in writing, to the Secretary General, so that the minutes of the meeting can reflect that a disclosure was made, abstention from voting or recusal from discussion, and the quorum situation.

The foregoing requirements do not prohibit the individual from briefly stating his or her position on the matter, nor from answering questions from other officers or executive members. The individual making a statement on the issue may wish to give a brief description of the potential conflict.