Statutes - International Coalition for the Abolition of Surrogate Motherhood

INTERNATIONAL COALITION FOR THE ABOLITION OF SURROGATE MOTHERHOOD

Statutes 2020

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION
(The French version of the statutes is considered to be the original version)

Table of contents

TITLE I – NAME. AIM, REGISTERED OFFICE, DURATION, resources

Article 1 –Name

An association, governed by the French law of July 1st, 1901 (decree of the 16th of august 1901) is established, between the moral persons adhering to the present statutes, bearing the name of COALITION FOR THE ABOLITION OF SURROGATE MOTHERHOOD, hereinafter referred to as “the Association”.

The duration of the Association will be unlimited.

Article 2 – Aim

The Association thus created is defined as a structure that promotes the rights of women on feminist positions and in particular:

equality between men and women;
emancipation and autonomy of women;
legal access to abortion and contraception;
equality between heterosexual and homosexual.

Its purpose is to contribute to the adoption and implementation of legislation and public policies to abolish surrogate motherhood at national, continental and international levels.

To achieve this objective, the Association may implement several types of actions:

strengthen the capacity of actions of all its members in their respective mobilizations;
lead and coordinate joint actions to increase the collective impact of its members;
analyse, criticize, co-author texts that can be presented to the competent parliamentary and executive bodies, in order to obtain European and international legislation in favour of the abolition of surrogate motherhood.

Article 3 – Registered office

The Association’s registered office is located at 37, avenue Pasteur 93100 Montreuil France.

Article 4 – Duration

The duration of the Association will be unlimited.

Article 5 – Resources

The resources of the association consist of:

Contributions from its members;
Donations;
subsidies granted by States, local authorities, foundations or any other body authorized to provide subsidies;
resources provided through events organized by the Association with the approval of the competent authority if necessary;
Income from payments charges for services rendered

TITLE II – MEMBERS

Article 6 – Membership categories

The Association is composed of active member and associate members.

Active members are feminist organizations or human rights organizations. As active members their rights and responsibilities are:

to take part in debates and voting rights at the General Assembly;
to put forward candidates for election to the organisational structures of the Association in accordance with these Statutes;
to be informed and consulted on an ongoing basis about the activities of the Association
to act at every level towards the abolition of surrogate motherhood.

Associate members are informal groups or individuals who are committed to the abolition of surrogacy. They make up the Coalition’s Advisory Committee..
They will have no voting rights in the Association and no right to stand for election or to present candidates to the organisational structures of the Association.
The rights and the duties of associate members include: –

attending meetings of the General and Extraordinary Assembly in an advisory capacity
giving their opinion on the proposed actions
proposing actions and initiatives
attending seminars and conferences organised by the Association
receiving relevant pieces of information about the Association activities
being mobilized in the implementation of actions carried out by the coalition or by some of its members

Article 7 – Membership conditions

For active members:

have legal status as a non–governmental organization in their own countries;
be a feminist or human rights association;
demonstrate a clear commitment to abolition of surrogate motherhood;
pay the annual membership fee;
adhere to the principles and objectives of the Association as defined by the statutes;
sign the charter for the abolition of surrogate motherhood;
obtain the approval of the Board of Administration.

For associate members:

if individuals: be of legal age;
for informal groups that do not have legal personality, designate a coordinating person, responsible for the relationship with the Coalition, who will commit on behalf of the group
pay the annual membership fee;
adhere to the principles and objectives of the Association as defined by these statutes;
sign the charter for the abolition of surrogate motherhood;
obtain the approval of the Board of Administration.

Article 8 – Membership application procedure

Applications for admission as a member will be directed to the Executive Committee.

Membership of active members become effective following a positive vote of the Board of Administration, instructed by the Executive Committee with a two third majority of cast votes.

Membership of associate members become effective following a positive vote of the Board of Administration, instructed by the Executive Committee with a two third majority of cast votes.

The Membership of all members is subject to the payment of the annual membership fee for all membership categories.

Article 9 – Membership fees

The members pay an annual membership fee the amount of which is decided by the General Assembly.

Only those members which have paid their full membership fee for the previous year and for the current year are authorized to participate in the General Assembly or to sit on the governing bodies of the Association as set out in these Statutes.

Article 10– Loss of membership status

Member status is lost for active or associate members in case of resignation, non-payment of the annual fees or exclusion for serious reasons by the Board of Administration.

If a member is no longer in compliance with the principles and objectives of the Association, the Board of Administration will notify her or him of the loss of membership.

TITLE III – ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURES.

Article 11– Bodies

The Association has the following bodies:

the General Assembly;
the Board of Administration;
the Executive Committee.

Sub committees and working groups, which are consultative bodies and have no decision-making powers, may be appointed by the Board of Administration in pursuance of the aims and objectives of the Association and in accordance with the Internal Rules. They are assisted in their work by the Secretariat of the Association.

Article 12– General Assembly

The General Assembly is composed of active members. Each of them must appoint a member of their organization to represent them at the General Assembly.
associate members may attend as observers providing they have paid their annual membership fee.
Each active member will only have one vote provided that the fees have been paid for the previous year and the current year.
The General Assembly is the highest authority in the Association.

Its powers include:

the setting of the policies and priorities of the Association,
the adoption of the Association’s budget and accounts;
the adoption of the work programme of the Association;
the election and dismissal of the Board of Administration;
the determination of membership fees;
the granting of discharge to the members of the Executive Committee, the Board of Administration and the Auditor;
the modification of these Statutes;
the dissolution of the Association.

Article 13 – Ordinary General Assembly

Notification. The Association ordinary General Assembly meets once a year called by the Executed Committee on the date fixed by the Executive Committee. Active members participate either physically or represented by another member to whom they have given the power to represent them, either by videoconference or by any means of communication allowing their identification.

Notification for the ordinary General Assembly will be sent to the members, by means of written and/or electronic communication, 4 weeks in advance. The notification will set out the draft agenda, the location, the date and the time of the General Assembly.

Notification for the meeting of the ordinary General Assembly specifically mention the agenda, place, date and time of the second General Assembly when the quorum of attendance at the ordinary General Assembly has not been reached at the first meeting. This second meeting will be held within 48 hours of the first meeting.

Quorum. The ordinary General Assembly will only be validly constituted if 50% plus one of the numbers of active members are present or represented. At the second General Assembly called when the quorum is not reached at the first one, the General Assembly may validly deliberate regardless of the number of active members present or represented at the meeting.

In exceptional cases and when the urgency of the matter so requires, the General Assembly shall make decisions by a written procedure, including electronic communication. To that effect the Executive Committee will send by means of postal and/or electronic communication, the proposed decisions with an explanatory note to all full members. The Executive Committee will deem the proposed decision adopted if, within five working days following the dispatch of such communication, 50% plus one response from active members have been received by the Executive Committee and a simple majority reached.

The revision of the statutes can only be decided by a two-thirds majority of valid votes of active members present or represented.

The dissolution of the Association can only be decided by a three fourth majority of valid votes of active members present or represented.

Article 14– Extraordinary General Assembly

Notification. An extraordinary General Assembly will be called by the Executive Committee whenever required according to the interests of the Association or upon request of one third of the full membership of the Association. The Executive Committee will call the meeting by any appropriate means of communication. Active members participate either physically or represented by another member to whom they have given the power to represent them, either by videoconference or by any means of communication allowing their identification

Notification for the extraordinary General Assembly will be sent to the members, by means of written and/or electronic communication, 4 weeks in advance. The notification will set out the draft agenda, the location, the date and the time of the extraordinary General Assembly.

Notification for the meeting of the extraordinary General Assembly specifically mention the agenda, place, date and time of the second extraordinary General Assembly when the quorum of attendance at the extraordinary General Assembly has not been reached at the first meeting. This second meeting will be held within 48 hours of the first meeting.

Quorum. The extraordinary General Assembly will only be validly constituted if 50% plus one of the number of active members are present or represented. At the second extraordinary General Assembly called when the quorum is not reached at the first one, the extraordinary General Assembly may validly deliberate regardless of the number of active members present or represented at the meeting.

Article 15 – Board of Administration

Election. Candidates for Administration positions are nominated by the organizations to which they belong. Each organization nominates a candidate.
The number of members of the Board of Administration cannot be lower than three.
Each member of the Board of Administration has one vote.
The Board of Administration will be elected at the General Assembly.
The Board of Administration will have the following powers to:

approve the draft annual work programme of the Association;
submit the Association’s draft annual budget and accounts to the approval of the General Assembly;
adopt policy statements and position papers;
approve the setting up of sub-committees and working groups;
nominate the members of the executive committee;
approve applications for full membership of the association received by the Executive Committee;
decide on exclusions of members of the Association.

Term of Office The term of office of a Board Member will be for a two-year period. The term of office of elected Board Members begins at the first Board Meeting following the General Assembly at which she or he has been elected and finishes at the end of the General Assembly when her or his two-year term of office is completed. The term of office may be renewed.

Members of the Board of Administration will undertake to serve at least one full two-year term. A member of the Board who wishes to resign must send a letter of resignation to the Board of Administration. The resigning Board member is then replaced by a new representative appointed by the organization to which she or he belongs, failing this, the concerned organization loses its status as a member of the Board of Administration.

Meetings. The executive committee will convene a meeting of the Board of Administration at least twice each year, at the dates proposed by the Executive Committee, including the meeting the day before the General Assembly.

The invitations are sent to the members of the Board by means of a written and/or electronic communication body, four weeks in advance. The convocations contain the agenda, the place, the date and time of the meeting. The Board of Administration will be validly constituted if 50% plus one of the members of the Board of Administration are present or represented.

Article 16– Executive committee

The Executive Committee will always act in the common interest of the Association and of the whole membership of the Association. The Executive Committee will consist of three actives members called co-chairs. The Executive Committee is elected from among the members of the Board of Administration. The elected co-chairs of the Executive Committee share the following responsibilities:

Internal organization

preparation of the draft annual work plan of the Association;
management of the Association.

Management of the members of the Association

communication with the Association members;
reception of applications for membership from organizations as active members;
admission of associate members;
convening of meetings of the Executive Committee and of the Board of Administration.

Finance and Administration

quest for financial resources;
preparation of the Association’s draft annual budget and accounts;
ongoing and effective supervision of the finances of the Association in conformity with the budget of the Association;
presentation of the necessary interim financial reports to the Board of Administration.

Communication and external relations

cooperation between the Association and third parties;

external relation of the Association;
decision making about the representation of the Association at external meetings and events;
organising, on behalf of the Executive Committee, the representation of the Association at external meetings and events.

Members of the Executive Committee will undertake to stay in office for the whole of their two-year mandate. In exceptional circumstances a member may nonetheless resign. In such a case a new election will take place at the next Board meeting, the term of office of the newly elected Executive Member will run until the end of the next General Assembly at which elections take place.

The Bureau may validly deliberate if half of its members, plus one, is present.

TITLE VI – DISSOLUTION

Article 17 – Ending of the Association

If the Association is dissolved, the General Assembly will appoint two liquidators, active members, and determine their powers.

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