Extracts from the 10th General Conference

Guangzhou, China, 1990

The General Conference was held during the Eleventh ACRS at Guanzhou, China on 16 and 19 November 1990. The sessions were presided over by Professor Ma Janru.

The General Conference approved the proposal from France to become an associate member of AARS. Regarding the ordinary membership of Australia and New Zealand, who were currently associate members, Professor Bruce Forster proposed a modification of the Statutes of AARS. This modification was intended to allow Australia, New Zealand and other South Pacific countries to join the AARS as ordinary members, because those countries are in the very near Asian region and have close relationship with Asia.

A key point from many comments expressed by various delegates was how to keep an identity of Asia. After discussions, the General conference decided to modify the statutes as follows:

Article 6: Membership

Ordinary members and Associate members:
Any Asian country including near Asian countries interested in remote sensing may apply to join the Association as a member.

On the basis of the above modifications Australia, who had earlier applied for Ordinary membership was admitted as an Ordinary member by the General Conference.

The General Conference also discussed among others on the publication of a book on Applications of Remote Sensing in Asia/Ocenia" and the ISPRS Washington Congress in 1992