About the ICO:

Conflict of Interest Policy of the International Council of Ophthalmology

On this page:

• Identify Conflict of Interest
  
  
• Disclose Conflict of Interest
  
  
• Act on Conflict of Interest
  
  

The International Council of Ophthalmology (the “Council”) Conflict of Interest Policy is established to aid Council Officers, Trustees, committee members, consultants and employees to:

Real or potential conflict of interest exists when a Council Officer, Trustee, committee member, consultant or employee, or a member of his or her family (including spouse, parents, children, siblings or their respective spouse) has a financial interest, personal interest or relationship with another entity that may limit or be perceived to limit his or her ability to objectively engage in the deliberations or actions of the Council.

Disclose Conflict of Interest

A Council Officer, Trustee, committee member, consultant or employee has a duty to disclose any real or potential conflict of interest at the earliest possible stage of deliberation on the matter.  Disclosure of conflict of interest applies to:

(1) Financial interest including financial support, investment or commercial relationship with the entity under consideration or a competing entity;

(2) Personal interest including patent rights, intellectual property, consulting fees or travel reimbursement greater than $10,000 in a 12 month period from an entity under consideration or a competing entity;

(3) Legal interest including any lawsuit, legal complaint, personal claim for damages or personal grievance which he or she has against the Council;

(4) Relationship to an organization with goals or objectives that are incompatible with goals or objectives of the Council; or

(5) Other interest that may represent a real or potential conflict of interest. 

Disclosure of Conflict of Interest is to be made by the Council President to the Board of Trustees, by other Council Officers and Trustees to the President, by committee members to the appointing authority and by consultants and employees to the Council Executive Director.  Disclosure is to be in sufficient detail to enable action by the Council.

Act on Conflict of Interest

Action by the Council Board, President or Executive Director in response to disclosure of real or potential conflict of interest is designed to eliminate the adverse effect of the conflict of interest on the Council.  Action may include requiring that the individual(s) with conflict of interest:

(1) Participate in deliberation but have no vote on the matter under consideration;

(2) Be absent from deliberation and vote on the matter under consideration;

(3) Be absent from deliberation, vote and all following action on the matter under consideration;

(4) Sever a relationship with an entity that has incompatible goals; or

(5) Terminate the relationship with the Council in the circumstance of conflict that is incompatible with the duty of loyalty and obligation to act in the best interests of the Council. 

Any Officer, Trustee, committee member, consultant or employee who objects to the action taken in accordance with this Conflict of Interest Policy may appeal the action to the Council Board of Trustees.  Decision of the Board of Trustees is the decision of the Council.

Adopted, with Provision for Semantic Amendment, by the International Council of Ophthalmology Board of Trustees

June 26, 2008

Next: Regulations of the International Council of Ophthalmology