OPERATING GUIDELINES
Version: 11 April 1990

PURPOSES
1. To promote education about pain in children, aimed at pain professionals within IASP, at other professionals, and at the general public. The educational material would include reviews of advances in basic neurobiology, the clinical measurement of pain, treatment of all kinds of pain, and prevention of pain.
2. Encourage a research emphasis on the particular problems of pain in children. Particular emphasis should be on multi-center studies and on studies which focus on unique problems of pediatrics, including newborns, and an important focus should be on developing collaborative studies and on developing multi-center studies.
3. To monitor advances in general research as covered by the IASP and to assess how they might apply to pain in children.
4. Provide advice to IASP about the pediatric aspects of the World Congress.
5. Provide advice to IASP about pediatric publications in the journal, PAIN.
6. To highlight areas in the study of pain in children which need more research.
7. To aid in the development of new centers for research and treatment of pain in children.
8. To aid in the development of educational materials to improve the nature of therapy for children
with pain.
9. To direct attention to pain problems of disadvantaged or disabled children.

MEMBERSHIP
Open to all members of IASP.

MEETINGS
Meetings will be held at least every three years. Meetings may be held more often if desired by members of the Section.

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP COMMITTEE OFFICERS
There shall be a Special Interest Group Committee consisting of seven persons selected to ensure diversity in geographic origin and primary discipline. The Committee shall be responsible for the operation of the Special Interest Group.
There shall be a President, President-Elect, Secretary and Treasurer. The officers shall serve a term of three years and shall be elected at the triennial World Congress of The International Association for the Study of Pain. The President will be a member of the Special Interest Group Committee and will serve on the committee during his or her term of office. The Special Interest Group President shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of three persons to nominate a slate of officers for each election. Other members of the Special Interest Group Committee shall be elected two per year via a mail ballot, having been selected for nomination by the Nominating Committee.

DUES
Dues shall be collected by the Special Interest Group for the operation of the group. Dues shall be collected by the IASP at the time of collection of IASP dues. The Section Committee will pursue additional support via charities or corporate sponsorship.

SUB-COMMITTEES
There shall be standing Sub-Committees, in addition to sub-committees which may be appointed by the President and Special Interest Group Committee when necessary. The Standing Sub-Committees will include:
1. The Finance Committee. This Sub-Committee will include the Treasurer and two other members appointed to serve on this Committee. It shall be charged with oversight of the finances of the Special Interest Group and for fundraising activities that are undertaken by the Special Interest Group.
2. The Multi-Center Committee. This Committee will be chaired by the President-Elect and will have two other members appointed by the Special Interest Group Committee. The charge of this Committee is to develop mechanisms within the Special Interest Group to promote the development of multicenter trials and studies.

SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS
Version: April, 2008

PURPOSES
1. To promote education about pain in children, aimed at pain professionals within IASP, at other professionals, and at the general public. The educational material would include reviews of advances in basic neurobiology, the clinical measurement of pain, treatment of all kinds of pain, and prevention of pain.
2. Encourage a research emphasis on the particular problems of pain in children. Particular emphasis should be on multi-center studies and on studies which focus on unique problems of pediatrics, including newborns, and an important focus should be on developing collaborative studies and on developing multi-center studies.
3. To monitor advances in general research as covered by the IASP and to assess how they might apply to pain in children.
4. Provide advice to IASP about the pediatric aspects of the World Congress.
5. Provide advice to IASP about pediatric publications in the journal, PAIN.
6. To highlight areas in the study of pain in children which need more research.
7. To aid in the development of new centers for research and treatment of pain in children.
8. To aid in the development of educational materials to improve the nature of therapy for children
with pain.
9. To direct attention to pain problems of disadvantaged or disabled children.

MEMBERSHIP
Open to all members of IASP.

MEETINGS
Meetings will be held at least every three years. Meetings may be held more often if desired by members of the SIGection.

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP COMMITTEE OFFICERS
COUNCIL AND EXECUTIVE
There shall be a Special Interest Group Council Committee consisting of seven persons selected to ensure diversity in geographic origin and primary discipline. The Committee shall be responsible for the operation of the Special Interest Group.

There shall be a President, President-Elect, Secretary and Treasurer. The officers shall serve a term of three years by mail or online ballot or at a General Meeting of the SIG. and shall be elected at the triennial World Congress of The International Association for the Study of Pain. The President will be a member of the Special Interest Group Committee and will serve on the committee during his or her term of office. The Special Interest Group President shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of three persons to solicit nominations and volunteers and to nominate a slate of officers for each election. Other members of the Special Interest Group Committee shall be elected two per year via a mail, online, or in-person ballot, having been selected for nomination by the Nominating Committee.

DUES
Dues shall be collected by the Special Interest Group for the operation of the group. Dues shall be collected by the IASP at the time of collection of IASP dues. The Section Committee will pursue additional support via charities or corporate sponsorship.

SUB-COMMITTEES
There shall be standing Sub-Committees, in addition to sub-committees which may be appointed by the President and Special Interest Group Committee when necessary. The Standing Sub-Committees will include:

1.
1. The Finance Committee. This Sub-Committee will include the Treasurer and two other members appointed to serve on this Committee. It shall be charged with oversight of the finances of the Special Interest Group and for fundraising activities that are undertaken by the Special Interest Group.
2. The Multi-Center Committee. This Committee will be chaired by the President-Elect and will have two other members appointed by the Special Interest Group Committee. The charge of this Committee is to develop mechanisms within the Special Interest Group to promote the development of multicenter trials and studies.