International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (International Commission for Zoological Nomenclature) is the current body of around 20-28 members that publishes the International Rules for Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN Code), in which the correct naming of all animal species is internationally regulated.
The commission works on the basis of a constitution ("Constitution of the ICZN") which is normally published together with the ICZN code.
For a long time, members of the commission were elected in a complicated process by the " Section for Zoological Nomenclature ", a sub-committee of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS). The participation of zoologists in the IUBS had steadily decreased towards the end of the 20th century, which in practice meant that the members of the commission at the IUBS congresses were more or less among themselves and voted for themselves. After the zoological section of the IUBS was dissolved, the new members of the commission were only elected by the commission members present. The IUBS General Assembly then only had to formally confirm the election.
The regular term of office of a member of the commission is 6 years, multiple re-election is possible (after 18 years a 3-year break is mandatory before the person can be re-elected). Committee members can be up to 75 years old. If they do not take part in the decisions and do not give a hearing for more than 3 months, the commission has the right to terminate their membership.
The work of the commission is to process applications from taxonomists and to settle disputed cases in arbitration, in which strict compliance with the ICZN Code would unnecessarily impair the stability of the use of names. These cases with their comments and decisions by the commission are published in the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature . The ICZN commission delegates special tasks to committees that it appoints. The best known and most effective committee is the editorial committee for the revision of the ICZN code, which is formed when a new edition of the ICZN code is to be prepared. This Editorial Committee, consisting of around half a dozen commission members, is responsible for the content of the newly drafted rules.
Individual evidence
- ↑ ICZN Code Art. 77.3.1, ICZN Constitution Art. 3.1.1., 4.4.1, 4.5, 11.1.2, 16.1.3
- ↑ ICZN Constitution Art. 3.1, 3.2
- ↑ ICZN Constitution Art. 3.3.1
- ↑ ICZN Constitution Art. 3.3.3