An Agreement of Professional Affiliation Between
The Australia New Zealand Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abuse
and The Victorian Offender Treatment Association (VOTA)
Purpose:
The purpose of this agreement is to maintain a professional affiliation that will mutually benefit both organisations through the sharing of professional knowledge and expertise. Both organizations recognise they have common goals whilst acknowledging individual differences.
ANZATSA Mission Statement:
ANZATSA is dedicated to community protection and safety, through the promotion of professional standards, practices and education in sex offender management, treatment, assessment and research, in Australia and New Zealand.
VOTA Mission Statement:
In order to prevent and reduce the risk of sexual offending in Victoria, VOTA will promote the development of a consistent, well informed approach to the behaviour, treatment and management of sex offenders.
Articles of Agreement:
The following articles constitute the points upon which ANZATSA and VOTA agree and which form the basis of this agreement. Both organisations agree that these articles may be amended in the future.
- Mutual recognition of common, though not identical, aims in our respective constitutional articles of incorporation and common rules.
- Both organisations agree to work toward developing associations with other organizations worldwide.
- Each organisation will host conferences at their convenience. Conferences organized by ANZATSA in Victoria will be co-sponsored by VOTA. Each organisation will encourage their members to make presentations at each others conferences. Members fees for registration at conferences will be reciprocally available to members of ANZATSA and VOTA.
- VOTA will be represented on the editorial board of ANZATSA’s publication “Sexual Abuse in Australia and New Zealand ” and ANZATSA will be represented on the editorial board of VOTA’s publication “VOTA Newsletter”.
- Both organisations agree to discuss arrangements for dual membership of ANZATSA and VOTA.
- ANZATSA and VOTA will encourage collaborative research by and among their members.
- ANZATSA and VOTA clearly acknowledge and resolve that this affiliation does not establish any financial, legal or constitutional link and that each association will remain a separate entity, entirely independent and self-governing.
- The Chairperson or President of each organisation will regularly liaise with each other.
- Each organization will identify one of its members to serve on the committee of the affiliated organisation with full voting rights.
Review of this agreement shall be as follows:
This agreement will be reviewed not less than annually and no more than biennially.
The review will occur not less than 90 days prior to the Annual General Meetings of each organisation.
The review will be based upon the recommendations of the respective Chairpersons or Presidents of each organisation.
Any changes decided will be formalized and made effective on January 1st of the following year.
Any member, according to the constitution of that member’s organisation, may call extraordinary meetings and propose amendments to the terms of this agreement within that members organisation.
