(1) The General Assembly is the highest authority of the IPA.
(2) All Individual Members and Delegates of Corporate Members (one delegate per member) are eligible to attend the General Assembly, to participate in discussions, to make nominations and to vote.
(3) Meetings of the General Assembly are Ordinary or Special:
(a) Ordinary meetings shall normally be held at each International Palaeontological Congress, at intervals of approximately four years.
(b) Special meetings may be convened at the discretion of the Executive Committee to coincide with a session of any other international congress.
(c) Notice convening Special Meetings of the General Assembly shall be published in or circulated with IPA journals and published on the IPA web site at least six months before they are held.
(d) Special Meetings must be convened by the Secretary-General within twelve months of the receipt of a request in writing from a two-thirds majority of the Council.
(4) The President of IPA (or one of the Vice-Presidents acting as deputy) shall take the chair at all business meetings of the General Assembly.
(5) The Secretary-General of IPA (or a deputy) shall act as secretary at such meetings.
(6) The Transactions of an Ordinary General Assembly shall include the following items taken in succession:
(a) Reading and approval of the minutes of the previous General Assembly;
(b) Reports from Officers of the Executive Committee;
(c) Reports of activities of Committees and International Research Groups;
(d) Presentation of and voting on amendments to the Statutes, if any; ?
(e) Elections of officers;
(f) Invitations for sites of future International Palaeontological Congresses;
(g) Other business.
(7) All reports shall be presented in writing to members of the Assembly.?They shall be open to questions and discussion.
(8) Voting Procedures
(a) All Individual Members and Delegates of Corporate Members (one delegate per member) are entitled to vote at meetings of the General Assembly.
(b) All voting for election of officers shall be by written ballot.
(c) If requested by at least one third of the members present, voting on other business shall be by written ballot.
(d Decisions of the General Assembly shall be by simple majority of Members attending and voting, except for those on amendments of Statutes or on the dissolution of the IPA, which shall be transacted as determined by Article XII.