Article 16 of the ICZN constitution
provides a clear protocol for introducing amendments that are major
changes to the Code. In summary, the proposed amendments (as detailed
below) need to be published (e.g. in Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature,
and possibly elsewhere) and comments from zoologists received within
one year of publication. The International Union of Biological
Sciences must be informed, and asked to approve the major changes.
The Commission votes on the proposed amendments, and if approved
by a two-thirds majority, requests IUBS to ratify the amendments.
Alternatively, provisional ratification by IUBS can be requested
at the same time as requesting approval (i.e. in advance of voting),
in which case ratification becomes effective after the Commission's
positive vote. After ratification, the Commission will publish
the decision and date on which the ratified amendments come in
to force. The entire procedure takes a minimum of 15 months.
The process of drafting the 5th
Edition Code has already started, with several aspects of the current
edition in need of clarification or alteration. As with previous
editions, extensive discussion with the Code's users is essential,
but the completion of a 5th edition is targeted for 2008.
Herein we describe two alternative
approaches to revising the ICZN Code. The first approach assumes
that new names and nomenclatural acts must be published according
to rules that are already established in the current edition of
the Code, and adds provisions for mandatory registration of new
names and nomenclatural acts. These proposed changes are presented
in the form of amendments to the existing (4th Edition) of the
Code. The other approach represents changes that would not only
require mandatory registration of new names and nomenclatural acts,
but simultaneously establish a procedure where the act of registration
itself constitutes an accepted form of publication alongside traditional
publication of new names and nomenclatural acts. This second approach
is presented in the form of changes to the ICZN Code as they would
be implemented in a new 5th Edition of the Code. It would be premature
in the context of this article to propose changes to the Code that
would establish mandatory registration of all existing names; however,
mandatory registration of certain existing names would be necessary
in some cases, as described below.
Amendments to the current
Code to accommodate mandatory registration
The following amendments to the
existing (4th Edition) Code would be necessary to minimally establish
mandatory registration of new names and nomenclatural acts.
Add Article 16a.
Mandatory registration of names published after 2007.
16a.1. All new names and nomenclatural acts published after 2007
must be registered with the Commission within a period of two years
from the date of publication to become available (in the case of
names) or effective (in the case of nomenclatural acts).
16a.2. If Art. 16a.1. is met, the date of publication is determined
according to Art. 21, i.e. the date to be adopted is the date
of publication and not the date of registration.
16a.3. If a name is registered
more than two years after its publication, the date of publication
is the date of registration as determined by ICZN. An author who
has missed the two-year registration period can apply to the Commission
for backdating the names published to the original date of publication.
Lost mail, force majeure, death of author, failings of publishers
and similar hardships will be considered for accepting the original
date of publication by the Commission.
