Governance overview
Governance and Organizational Structure
This page provides a plain-language overview of how the International Association of Dive Professionals is governed, how authority is distributed, and how accountability is intended to function within the Association.
It is important to state this clearly: this page is not a reproduction or article-by-article transcription of the full Articles of Association. It is a practical governance summary meant to help members and visitors understand the structure, logic, and institutional direction of the organization.
The legally binding and authoritative texts remain the officially published Articles of Association and later published amendments. Those documents define the formal legal framework of the Association and take precedence over any explanatory summary presented on this site.
Governance Logic and Institutional Purpose
The IADP is structured as a nonprofit association under Belgian law. Its governance model is intended to combine democratic member legitimacy with strategic oversight, operational delegation, ethical discipline, and institutional independence.
In practical terms, this means that the Association must be capable of taking decisions, deploying projects, managing programs, and building member services without becoming dependent on outside corporate interests, informal power structures, or unclear internal authority.
Governance within the IADP is therefore not treated as a symbolic formality. It is an operational system that must define who decides, who executes, who supervises, and how responsibility is carried across the organization.
General Assembly
The General Assembly remains the highest governing authority of the Association. It provides the democratic base of the IADP and is the organ through which members exercise their core rights in matters reserved by law and by the Articles of Association.
In practical terms, the General Assembly is central to:
- Approving and amending the statutes
- Electing and dismissing directors
- Approving accounts, budgets, and major institutional decisions
- Providing democratic legitimacy to the Association’s direction
The exact scope of authority, quorum rules, and voting requirements are governed by the official Articles of Association and applicable Belgian nonprofit law.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is responsible for strategic direction, fiduciary oversight, and continuity between General Assembly decisions. It acts as the governing body charged with protecting the Association’s purpose, supervising delegated authority, and maintaining institutional discipline.
The Board’s role includes:
- Defining strategic direction and priorities
- Safeguarding legal and financial integrity
- Supervising executive or delegated management
- Ensuring that internal governance remains aligned with the nonprofit mission
Board authority is broad but not unlimited. It remains subject to the powers expressly reserved to the General Assembly and to the statutory framework.
Executive Management and Delegation
Daily management and operational execution may be delegated by the Board in order to allow the Association to function effectively. This can include program coordination, project delivery, administrative follow-up, and the practical implementation of approved strategies.
Delegation serves efficiency, but it does not remove the Board’s ultimate responsibility. Management authority exists within a chain of accountability.
This means in practice:
- Management executes rather than replaces governance
- Operational authority remains subject to supervision
- Delegated roles must stay within defined mandates
- The Board remains answerable for oversight and control
Committees, Ethics, and Oversight
Advisory committees and oversight mechanisms may be established to strengthen review capacity, specialist input, and institutional integrity. These bodies are meant to support governance, not to create parallel power centers.
Such mechanisms may serve areas such as:
- Education and training
- Environmental and scientific programs
- Media and communications
- Industry relations
- Ethics, conflicts of interest, and governance conduct
Their role is supportive, supervisory, or advisory unless specific authority is expressly delegated within the governing framework.
Project and Program Governance
Projects and programs operating under the IADP umbrella must remain aligned with the Association’s nonprofit purpose, governance rules, and institutional independence. This applies across environmental deployments, research initiatives, media work, digital platforms, member services, and future operational expansions.
Every serious program should be governed through:
- Defined mandates and scope
- Clear reporting lines
- Assigned responsibility
- Budgetary discipline and internal control
- Alignment with the Association’s mission and legal purpose
No project should weaken the neutrality, integrity, or independence of the Association. Growth without governance would be a liability, not a strength.
Financial Governance and Institutional Responsibility
The Association is expected to maintain accurate accounts, proper reporting, and internal financial controls proportionate to its activities. Governance credibility depends not only on democratic structure but also on the responsible handling of funds, assets, commitments, and liabilities.
Financial governance is therefore inseparable from organizational governance. Funds and assets must serve the statutory objectives of the Association and remain subject to the proper oversight mechanisms defined by law, by the Articles of Association, and by internal governance practice.
In practical terms, transparency, traceability, and disciplined use of resources are not optional extras. They are part of the Association’s institutional legitimacy.
Core Governance Principles
Governance must be clear, credible, and enforceable
The IADP’s governance model is intended to support a real professional association with structure, discipline, and independence. It exists to ensure that growth, representation, and operational development remain anchored in legitimacy, oversight, and mission.