Conflict of interest
policy of
THE CANADIAN MARITIMES UNIT NUMBER 194 OF THE
AMERICAN CONTRACT BRIDGE LEAGUE
1. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to help board
members of THE CANADIAN MARITIMES
UNIT NUMBER 194 OF THE AMERICAN CONTRACT BRIDGE LEAGUE to effectively identify, disclose and manage
any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest in order to protect
the integrity of [insert name of charity] and manage risk.
2. Objective
THE CANADIAN MARITIMES
UNIT NUMBER 194 OF THE AMERICAN CONTRACT BRIDGE LEAGUE Board (called the board
in this policy) aims to ensure that board members are aware of their
obligations to disclose any conflicts of interest that they may have, and to
comply with this policy to ensure they effectively manage those conflicts of
interest as representatives of THE
CANADIAN MARITIMES UNIT NUMBER 194 OF THE AMERICAN CONTRACT BRIDGE LEAGUE.
3. Scope
This policy applies to the board members of THE CANADIAN MARITIMES UNIT NUMBER 194 OF
THE AMERICAN CONTRACT BRIDGE LEAGUE (hereinafter called the Unit.
4. Definition of conflicts of interests
A conflict of interest occurs when a persons
personal interests conflict with their responsibility to act in the best
interests of the Unit. Personal interests include direct interests as well as
those of family, friends, or other organizations a person may be involved with
or have an interest in (for example, as a shareholder). It also includes a
conflict between a board members duty to the Unit and another duty that the
board member has (for example, to a business. A conflict of interest may be
actual, potential or perceived and may be financial or non-financial.
These situations present the risk that a
person will make a decision based on, or affected by, these influences, rather
than in the best interests of the Unit and must be managed accordingly.
5. Policy
This policy has been developed because
conflicts of interest commonly arise, and do not need to present a problem to
the Unit if they are openly and effectively managed. It is the policy of the
the Unit as well as a responsibility of the board, that ethical, legal,
financial or other conflicts of interest be avoided and that any such conflicts
(where they do arise) do not conflict with the obligations to the Unit.
The Unit will manage conflicts of interest by
requiring board members to:
avoid conflicts of interest where possible
identify and disclose any conflicts of interest
carefully manage any conflicts of interest, and
follow this policy and respond to any breaches.
5.1 Responsibility of the board
The board is responsible for:
establishing a system for identifying, disclosing
and managing conflicts of interest across the Unit,
monitoring compliance with this policy, and
reviewing this policy on an annual basis to ensure that
the policy is operating effectively.
The Unit must ensure that its board members
are aware of that they must disclose any actual or perceived conflicts of
interests.
5.2 Identification and disclosure of
conflicts of interest
Once an actual, potential or perceived
conflict of interest is identified, it must be entered into the boards
register of interests. as well as being raised with the board. The register of interests
must be maintained by the Secretary of
the Unit, and record information related to a conflict of interest (including
the nature and extent of the conflict of interest and any steps taken to address
it).
6. Action required
for management of conflicts of interest
6.1 Conflicts of interest of board members
Once the conflict of interest has been
appropriately disclosed, the board (excluding the board member disclosing and
any other conflicted board member) must decide whether or not those conflicted
board members should:
participate
in any debate, or
be present in the room during the debate and the
voting.
In
any event, no conflicted board member shall participate in the vote related to
the conflict.
In
exceptional circumstances, such as where a conflict is very significant or
likely to prevent a board member from regularly participating in discussions,
it may be worth the board considering whether it is appropriate for the person
conflicted to resign from the board.
6.2 What should be considered when deciding
what action to take
In
deciding what approach to take, the board will consider whether the conflict
needs to be avoided or simply documented;
whether
the conflict will realistically impair the disclosing persons capacity to impartially
participate in decision-making;
alternative
options to avoid the conflict ;
the
Units objects and resources; and
the possibility of creating an appearance of
improper conduct that might impair confidence in, or the reputation of, the
Unit.
The
approval of any action requires the agreement of at least a majority of the
board (excluding any conflicted board member/s) who are present and voting at
the meeting. The action and result of the voting will be recorded in the
minutes of the meeting and in the register of interests.
7. Compliance with this
policy
If a Board member or Unit member suspects that
a board member has failed to disclose a conflict of interest, they must notify the Secretary in writing or by electronic
media. The Secretary will then conduct an investigation, which will
include discussion with the affected member and report his or her findings to the President. The
President will then bring this to the Board for further action, if
necessary.
Contacts
For questions about this policy, contact the Secretary.