Governance Charter

1. Purpose

This Charter sets out how the Global Converged Security Board (GCSB) is governed: which bodies exist, what each may decide, how they report, and how independence is protected. It applies to every board, committee, panel and office of GCSB.

2. Status of GCSB

GCSB is an independent credential governance authority for the converged security profession. GCSB sets standards, governs credentials, maintains the public register and publishes research. GCSB does not act as a training, consulting or audit provider.

Independence from the Converged Security Institute

GCSB is independent of the Converged Security Institute (CSI) and of every education, training or assessment provider. The founder of GCSB also leads CSI. CSI has no role in GCSB standards, assessment, credential, Trustmark Award, appeal or editorial decisions, and holds no seat on any GCSB body by virtue of that connection. Any matter involving CSI is a related-party matter under GCSB-POL-007 and is decided by independent decision-makers.

3. Governing bodies

4. Reserved independence

1. Seats on the Ethics, Conduct & Appeals Committee, the Appeals Panel and the Audit & Risk Committee are reserved for independent members. They can never be held by the founder or by any person connected to a GCSB office holder.
2. No person may hear an appeal against a decision in which they took part.
3. Editorial decisions of the GCSB Journal rest with the Editor-in-Chief. The Governing Council sets the Journal's scope only and may not decide on individual papers.

Corporate and professional authority

The legal directors of Global Converged Security Board Ltd oversee corporate administration and statutory duties. The Governing Council is GCSB's professional governance body, not the company's statutory board of directors. A professional seat does not appoint a company director. Corporate authority and permanent founder offices do not confer a right to override independent assessment, credential, Trustmark Award, appeal or editorial decisions. Nothing in this Charter displaces applicable statutory duties.

Final assessment, credential and Trustmark Award decisions belong to the designated independent GCSB body, not a provider or an office holder with an interest in the outcome. Appeals are determined by independent panellists who took no part in the original decision; there is no personal founder override. If eligible independent decision-makers are unavailable, the affected decision is deferred, not transferred to a conflicted office holder.

Registrar responsibilities

The Registrar maintains registers, records approved outcomes, communicates decisions and retains evidence and recusal records. The Registrar implements decisions of authorised professional bodies; the office does not replace the Assessment Board, confer awards on its own authority or adjudicate appeals. The Registrar records and communicates any deferral pending independent capacity.

5. Offices

The offices of President & Chair of the Governing Council and Managing Director / CEO are the founder's permanent offices, held by Prof. Dr. Vladimir Bunic. Neither office is ever opened for application, including future terms. All other offices are filled through the Appointments and Vacancies Procedure (GCSB-POL-004).

6. Terms of every role

Every GCSB office, board, committee and panel role, including both permanent founder offices, is voluntary, is not paid in any form, and is performed remotely, as set out in the Volunteer Role Policy (GCSB-POL-005).

7. Conflicts of interest

Every office holder declares interests on appointment and annually, and recuses from any matter in which they have an interest, as set out in the Conflict of Interest and Recusal Policy (GCSB-POL-003).

Related-party arrangements and connected-provider decisions also follow GCSB-POL-007. Service delivery, licensing and fees give no entitlement to a credential, award or favourable decision.

8. Transitional arrangements

While independent members are being appointed, certain leading offices are held by the founder on an interim basis. These arrangements are published in the Interim Governance Statement (GCSB-POL-002).

9. Decision-making

1. Quorum. A body may decide only when a majority of its appointed voting members, and at least three, take part. A body with fewer than three appointed voting members may make recommendations but not final decisions; affected decisions are deferred.
2. Voting. Decisions are taken by a simple majority of members voting. The chair has a casting vote, except where the chair has a declared interest or the matter is reserved to independent members.
3. Remote meetings and written resolutions. Meetings are held online. A written resolution is valid if every eligible member is invited to vote and a quorum responds within the published deadline.
4. Delegated authority. A body may delegate a defined task to a committee, panel or office holder in writing, with limits and a reporting date. Delegated authority cannot include matters reserved to independent members, appeals, or any decision in which the delegate has an interest.
5. Minutes. The Registrar keeps minutes of every meeting and written resolution, recording attendance, quorum, declarations of interest, recusals, decisions and votes. Minutes are retained as part of GCSB records.
6. Recusal fallback. If a chair recuses, the members present choose an unconflicted member to chair that item. If recusals leave the body without a quorum, the matter is referred to an independent member of another body with no connection to it, or deferred. It is never transferred to a conflicted office holder.

10. Review

The Governing Council reviews this Charter at least once a year and whenever the governance structure changes. Every revision is published with a new version number.

Policy authority: Governing Council. Effective date: 13 October 2026. Version 1.2 clarifies corporate and professional authority, independent final decisions, Registrar responsibilities and voluntary permanent offices. Permanent means excluded from vacancy and future-term application cycles; it does not prevent voluntary resignation or displace applicable law.

11. Policy control

• Approval authority: Governing Council.
• Revision history: version 1.0 (13 October 2026) first issue; version 1.1 added reserved independence and transitional arrangements; version 1.2 clarified corporate and professional authority, independent final decisions, Registrar responsibilities and voluntary permanent offices; version 1.3 added this Policy control section; version 1.4 adds decision-making rules, aligns reporting lines with the organisation chart, and states independence from the Converged Security Institute.
• Review date: reviewed at least once a year; next review no later than 13 October 2027, and whenever the governance structure changes.
• Precedence: this Charter is the highest GCSB policy document. Where any other GCSB policy or procedure conflicts with this Charter, this Charter prevails. No GCSB policy overrides the published GCSB standards or applicable statutory duties.