Constitution
Click here for the full pdf WUJS Constitution as of January 2009
CONSTITUTION
Valid as of January 2009
Chapter A: Name, definitions, aims,structure
Paragraph 1: Name
1. The Union shall be called the WORLD UNION OF JEWISH STUDENTS, hereinafter
referred to as the ‘Union’.
In English: The World Union of Jewish Students
In French: L’Union Mondiale des Etudiants Juifs
In Spanish: Union Mundial de Estudiantes Judios
Paragraph 2: Definitions
2. Unless otherwise expressed, the bodies, functions, and expressions use in this constitution are to be considered as defined below:
WUJS Headquarters: The headquarters of the Union shall be based in Israel.
World Executive: The World Executive hereinafter referred to as the ‘Executive’, shall consist of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS), the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS), the National Union of Israeli Students (NUIS), the Federacion Universitaria Sionista Latinoamericana (FUSLA), the South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS), the Union of Jewish Students of the United Kingdom and Ireland (UJS), the Union Des Etudiants Juifs de France (UEJF), the Canadian Federation of Jewish Students (CFJS), and the Chairperson.
Steering Committee: The body appointed by the Executive to arrange and supervise the affairs of the General Assembly as required by this constitution.
Officers: Officers of the Union include the Comptroller, Administrative Director hereinafter referred to as the “Executive Director”, Bookkeeper, Project Officers, and any other position approved by the General Assembly.
*The use of the masculine gender in this Constitution is intended for masculine as
well as feminine.
Paragraph 3: Aims
3. The aim of The World Union of Jewish Students is to foster the unity of Jewish students worldwide and to strive to ensure their participation in the fulfillment of the aspirations of the Jewish people, its continuity, and the development of its religious, spiritual, cultural, and social heritage. To that end, it seeks:
3.1. To unite Jewish students worldwide.
3.2. To facilitate the exchange of ideas and information between its members and, where appropriate, to coordinate their activities.
3.3. To represent and act on behalf of its members before international authorities with respect to matters which concern Jewish students as a whole.
3.4. To assist members and to encourage the formation of Jewish student organizations wherever there are Jewish students.
3.5. To promote Zionism, strengthen the ties of Jewish students worldwide with the State of Israel as the central creative factor in Jewish life, and to pursue this through the encouragement of Aliyah, strengthening the State of Israel, and increasing the ties between the Jewish communities in Israel and the Diaspora.
3.6. To strengthen the ties of solidarity among Jewish students by encouraging and assisting the creative development of young Jews in all spheres of Jewish life.
3.7. To strengthen the relationship between the local Jewish student union and the Jewish community in which bit resides.
3.8. To encourage Jewish learning and to promote the study of Jewish culture generally and the knowledge of the Hebrew language and literature in particular.
3.9. To educate Jewish students about the problems of Jewish survival in the Diaspora and to secure the rights, status, and interests of Jews and Jewish communities and to defend them wherever they are; to fight against racism, Anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial and revisionism, and to fight for Jewish continuity.
3.10. To do all other things which may be incidental to, or conducive to the attainment of the above aims.
Chapter B: Membership
4. Members of the Union are Ordinary Member Organizations, National Member Organization, Individual Members, and Honorary Members according to the specification of this chapter.
Paragraph 1: Entitlement
4.1. Ordinary Member Organizations
4.1.1. Independent Jewish student union whose aims are compatible with those of the Union shall be entitled to become Ordinary Member Organizations.
4.1.2. A list of Ordinary Member Organizations is detailed in Appendix A to this Constitution. Appendix A shall be subject to amendment in accordance with sections 5.1 and 6 below and shall be updated at each General Assembly.
4.2. National Member Organizations
4.2.1. In every country in which there are Jewish students, the Union shall endeavour to ensure that there is an effective National Member Organization.
4.2.2. The national representative Jewish student union in each country shall be approved by the Union as the National Member Organization in that country. There shall be only one National Member Organization in each country at any one time.
4.2.3. In order to qualify as a National Member Organization, the national Jewish student union, as referred to in section 4.1 above, must satisfy the Union that it is wholly independent and democratic and has establish a constitutional framework consistent with the Aims of the Union.
4.2.4. A list of National Member Organization is detailed in Appendix B to this Constitution. Appendix B shall be subject to amendment in accordance with sections 5.2, 6, and 7 below and shall be updated at each General Assembly.
4.3. Individual Membership is open to all students who share the Aims of the Union.
4.4. Honorary Membership
This may be granted, by resolution of the General Assembly, to individuals who have distinguished themselves, in Jewish student affairs or in the broader Jewish context.
Paragraph 2: Admissions
5. Admission of members to the Union will proceed as detailed below:
5.1. Ordinary Member Organizations
5.1.1. Application to be recognized as an Ordinary Member Organization shall be made in writing to the Chairperson of the Union, accompanied by the constitution or aims of the applicant organization.
5.1.2. The application shall consist of a statement as follow: “I, (the name of the organization) wish to be admitted as a Member of WUJS. I am aware of the Union’s aims and constitution and by being admitted as a member of the Union, I
am bound to its constitution and the decisions of its General Assembly.”
5.1.3. Any such application shall be referred to the Executive at its next meeting, The Executive shall decide on the application at the first opportunity in accordance with the criteria established in section 5.1 above.
5.1.4. In the event that an application is accepted by majority of the Executive, the Ordinary Member Organization shall receive provisional membership status until such time as its application is ratified or rejected by the General Assembly in
accordance with section 5.3 below.
5.2. National Member Organizations
5.2.1. Application to be recognized as a National Member Organization shall be made in writing to the Chairperson of the Union, accompanied by the constitution or aims of the applicant organization.
5.2.2. The application shall consist of a statement as follow: “I, (the name of the organization) wish to be admitted as a Member of WUJS. I am aware of the Union’s aims and constitution and by being admitted as a member of the Union, I am bound to its constitution and the decisions of its General Assembly.”
5.2.3. Any such application shall be referred to the Executive at its next meeting. The Executive shall decide on the application at the first opportunity in accordance with the criteria established in section 4.2 above.
5.2.4. In the event that an application is accepted by 2/3 majority of the Executive, the National Member Organization shall receive provisional membership status until such time as its application is ratified or rejected by the General Assembly in accordance with section 5.3 below.
5.3. Ratification by the General Assembly
5.3.1. The decision of the Executive, whether to approve or reject an application in accordance with sections 5.1 and 5.2 above, shall be subject to ratification by the General Assembly.
5.3.2. The Applicant organization shall be entitled to address the General Assembly on its application.
5.3.3. Any interested party which claims its rights shall be adversely affected or prejudiced by the decision of the General Assembly shall be entitled to address the General Assembly, subject to approval of the Steering Committee.
5.4. Individual Membership
5.4.1. Individual students may apply in writing to the Chairperson of the Union for Individual Membership.
5.4.2. The application shall consist of a statement as follows: “I, (the name of the student) wish to be admitted as a Member of WUJS. I am aware of the Union’s aims and constitution and by being admitted as a member of the Union, I am bound to its constitution and the decisions of its General Assembly.”
5.4.3. Any such application shall be referred to the Executive at its next meeting, and the decision of the Executive shall be final and binding on the Union.
5.5. Honorary Membership
Honorary Members shall be approved by a simple majority of the General Assembly upon nomination by the Executive, a National Member Organization, or an Ordinary Member Organization.
Paragraph 3: Suspension, removal, replacement or challenge of a member’s status
6. Suspension and removal of Membership
6.1. An application by any National Member Organization, or Ordinary Member Organization to suspend an Ordinary Member Organization or National Member Organization shall be made in writing to the Executive and shall include motivations for
suspension. The Executive shall decide at the first opportunity if the organization has acted in a manner inconsistent with the Constitution or Aims of the Union, which would lead to its suspension. The application must be approved by a 2/3 majority vote of the Executive, and the Executive must provide detailed reasons for its decision.
6.2. The decisions of the Executive shall be provisional until the next General Assembly of the Union.
6.3. The suspension will become final and the membership will be removed if the Executive’s decision is ratifying by a 2/3 majority at the next General Assembly.
6.4. The Member Organization facing suspension shall have the right to address the General Assembly before any vote.
7. Challenge to National Member Organization Status
7.1. If an Ordinary Member Organization wishes to challenge the status of a National Member Organization from the same country as the said Ordinary Member Organization, the challenge must be made in writing to the Executive detailing the
reasons for the challenge. The Executive shall decide upon the challenge at the first opportunity providing detailed reasons for its decision.
7.2. The status of a National Member Organization can only be rejected by the Executive by a 2/3 majority vote.
7.3. The decision of the Executive shall be provisional until the next General Assembly of the Union.
7.4. The rejection of National Member Organization status shall become final if ratified by a 2/3 majority at the next General Assembly.
7.5. The National Member Organization whose status is being challenged shall have the right to address the General Assembly before any vote.
7.6. In the event that a National Member Organization has its status rejected, it shall be deemed to be an Ordinary Member Organization provided it satisfies section 4.1 above.
Paragraph 4: Resignation of membership
8. Any National Member Organization, Ordinary Member Organization, Individual Member, or Honorary Member may resign from the Union as detailed below:
8.1. Resignation of National Member Organization or Ordinary Member Organization: To resign membership of the Union, an Ordinary Member Organization or National Member Organization, as the case may be, shall send a copy of a resolution to that
effect, passed by the appropriate forum, in writing to the Chairperson of the Union. The resignation shall become effective when the Chairperson of the Union receives such communication.
8.2. Resignation of Individual Members or Honorary Members To resign membership of the Union, an Individual Member or Honorary Member shall send a notification in writing to the Chairperson. The resignation shall become effective when the Chairperson of the Union receives such communication.
Chapter C: Institutions and Officers of the Union
Paragraph 1: The General Assembly
9. The General Assembly is the supreme and ultimate authority of the Union.
10. Convention of the General Assembly:
10.1. Time and place: the General Assembly shall be convened each year.
10.2. Notice: at least two months notice shall be given to National Member Organizations and Ordinary Member Organization
11. Management of the sessions at the General Assembly.
11.1. A Steering Committee shall be appointed by the Executive to organize the business of the General Assembly.
11.2. It shall be responsible for preparing Standing Orders which shall determine the proceedings at the General Assembly including the approval of delegates, and the conduct for elections and plenary sessions, and hereinafter referred to as ‘Standing Orders’, in accordance to the sections below:
11.2.1. The General Assembly Standing Orders shall be circulated to all Ordinary Member Organizations and National Member Organization at least 30 days prior to the General Assembly.
11.2.2. These Standing Orders shall be valid until ratified by a simple majority of the General Assembly at the beginning of the first plenary session.
12. Attendance of the General Assembly and voting rights
12.1. The National Member Organizations’ right to vote shall be exercised by its delegates at the General Assembly, hereinafter referred to as ‘Delegates’, as specified below:
12.2. A fixed number of voting delegate cards shall be awarded by the Steering Committee to each Delegate, hereinafter referred to as ‘Voting Cards’.
12.3. Each National Member Organization is entitled to a number of Voting Cards according to the following key and based upon the most recent available census publication (as provided by the Jewish Agency for Israel):
Jewish Population of Country No. of voting delegates
Over 2,000,000 16
150,001 – 2,000,000 12
100,001 – 150,000 10
50,001 – 100,000 8
15,001 – 50,000 6
5,001 – 15,000 4
Under 5,000 2
12.4. Each National Member Organization shall be informed by the Steering Committee of the Union of its delegate entitlement at least 1 month prior to the General Assembly.
12.5. National Member Organization Ad hoc
12.5.1. If there is no one National Member Organization recognized by the Union in a country, but students from the same country are represented at the General Assembly by one or more Ordinary Member Organization, the Chairperson shall
encourage the Ordinary Member Organizations from that country to form a coalition which shall be deemed to be the National Member Organization for the purpose of that General Assembly, hereinafter referred to as ‘National Member Organization Ad hoc’, subject to approval by the Steering Committee.
12.5.2. In the event that Ordinary Member Organizations of a country shall be recognized as a National Member Organization Ad hoc, they shall be entitled to half the Voting Cards which would have been awarded on the basis of the population key in section 12.3 above, to a National Member Organization recognized by the union in that country, in accordance with section 4.2 above.
12.5.3. If attempts to form a coalition of this nature fail, the Steering Committee shall have the discretion to determine if delegate Voting Cards are to be distributed amongst the said Ordinary Member Organizations.
12.6. Dispute on number of Delegates or validity of votes
12.6.1. In case of dispute regarding Delegate entitlements, a statement in writing must be made to the Chairperson, no later than two weeks before the General Assembly.
12.6.2. The matter shall be referred to the Steering Committee, whose decisions shall be final.
12.6.3. If a dispute arises concerning validity of Delegate votes, those votes shall not be exercised when the issue is being determined by the General Assembly.
12.7. Observers
12.7.1. Observer status shall be granted to Individual Members, Honorary Members and all members of Ordinary Member Organizations and National Member Organization who are not holders of Voting Cards, hereinafter referred to as ‘Observers’.
12.7.2. Observers shall not be permitted to vote.
12.7.3. Observers will have the right to speaking according to Standing Orders.
12.8. Voting
12.8.1. Voting shall be in accordance with Standing Orders provided by the Steering Committee in accordance with section 11.2 above.
12.8.2. The Chairperson has a casting vote but no deliberate vote.
12.8.3. Exercise of proxy votes:
12.8.3.1. Delegates of a National Member Organization, hereinafter referred to as ‘Delegation’, may hold proxy votes for absent members of that organization.
12.8.3.2. Each Delegation may hold up to five proxy votes for absent members of that Delegation.
12.8.3.3. These proxy votes may be exercised by one or more of the members of the relevant Delegation subject to approval of the Steering Committee.
13. An Extraordinary General Assembly
13.1. An Extraordinary General Assembly can be called by written request from Comptroller, 10% of Union members, or 2/3 majority decision of the Executive.
13.2. An Extraordinary General Assembly shall be convened at the first available opportunity.
13.3. An Extraordinary General Assembly is subject to all relevant regulations applicable to an ordinary General Assembly as outlines in sections 10 to 12 above, with the exception that each National Member Organization is entitled to only one-half of its allocation of votes at a normal General Assembly.
Paragraph 2: The Executive
14. The Executive is the highest authority of the Union in the period between each General Assembly. The Executive shall conduct the affairs and act on behalf of the Union in accordance with the decisions of the General Assembly.
15. Members of the Executive
15.1. The Executive shall consist of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS), the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS), the National Union of Israeli Students (NUIS), the Federacion Universitaria Sionista Latinoamericana (FUSLA), the South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS), the Union of Jewish Students of the United Kingdom and Ireland (UJS), the Union Des Etudiants Juifs de France (UEJF), the Canadian Federation of Jewish Students (CFJS), and the Chairperson.
16. Observer Status Executive Membership
16.1. Observer Status Executive Membership, hereinafter referred to as ‘Observer’, may be granted to any National Member Organization or Ordinary Member Organization that wishes to participate in the Executive with the intentions of moving towards full status membership.
16.2. By a simple majority decision of the Executive, any National Member Organization or Ordinary Member Organization may be invited to sit at the Executive as an Observer for a period of one year, at which point the Executive must decide to renew their membership.
16.3. A National Member Organization or Ordinary Member Organization that has been granted Observer Status shall participate and be invited to all discussion and meetings of the Executive, but will not have a vote.
16.4. A National Member Organization or Ordinary Member Organization that has been granted Observer Status must have its Observer Executive Membership renewed by the Executive.
17. Voting
17.1. Voting of the Executive
17.1.1. Each Executive Members shall have one vote.
17.1.2. Shall an Executive Member be absent for any reason, he can delegate his vote to a representative of the same Union he represents.
18. Executive Meetings
18.1. The Chairperson of the Union as defined in paragraph 4 of this chapter will chair the Executive meetings. He shall not be entitled to have deliberate vote but he shall be entitled to have a casting vote.
18.2. Executive meetings shall be held in person at least twice a year.
18.2.1. At least four weeks’ notice is required for physical Executive meetings.
18.3. Executive meetings shall be convened specially upon request by the Chairperson or by at least three Executive Members.
18.3.1. For a specially requested Executive meeting, only one week notice is required.
18.4. Five Executive Members present at any Executive meeting constitutes a quorum.
18.5. The Comptroller as defined in paragraph 5, shall be an observer at all Executive meetings and will supervise its functions.
Paragraph 3: Ad hoc committees
19. The Executive shall, if deemed necessary, establish an ad hoc committee on any matters, hereinafter referred to as ‘Ad hoc Committee’.
20. The Ad hoc Committee shall strive to be constituted by Israeli-based representatives from the Executive.
21. The Ad hoc Committee shall present its findings to the Executive at the earliest available opportunity.
Paragraph 4: The Chairperson of the Union
22. The election and beginning and ending of term in office of the Chairperson are in accordance with Chapter D of this Constitution.
23. During his or her term in office, the Chairperson shall reside in Israel.
24. The Chairperson shall be entitled to remuneration as approved by the General Assembly.
25. The Chairperson’s duties include:
25.1. Representing the Union at international functions.
25.2. The Chairperson will serve as the World Ambassador for Jewish students.
25.3. Public relations with potential donors.
25.4. Accountable to the Executive and the General Assembly for all Union affairs and activities.
25.5. Presenting to the Executive monthly reports on his activities.
25.6. Chairing all Executive meetings according to the Standing Orders passed at the last General Assembly.
25.7. Overseeing all Union projects and Officers.
25.8. Presenting with the Executive Director financial and programme reports to the Executive for all Union affairs and activities.
25.9. Co-signing cheques.
25.10. Being responsible for the management and employment of the office and professional staff.
25.11. All other duties the Executive or General Assembly sees fit.
26. Delegation of Duties
Any of the duties in Section 25 above may be delegated by the Chairperson for a limited period subject to approval by the Executive provided that the Chairperson specifies the nature of the duties, to whom the duties are to be delegated, and the amount of time for which they are to be delegated.
27. At the end of his term in office, the Chairperson must present written reports of his activities during his term in office. These reports are to be distributed to all National Member Organizations at least 40 days prior to the General Assembly. It is recommended that the reports also be sent to all Ordinary Member Organizations.
28. After the election of the new Chairperson at the General Assembly, the immediate past Chairperson shall remain available as an advisor for an additional two months to facilitate a transitional period in which the new Chairperson shall assume responsibilities.
Paragraph 5: The Comptroller
29. The election and beginning and ending of term in office of the Comptroller are in accordance with Chapter D of this Constitution.
30. During his or her term in office, the Comptroller shall reside in Israel.
31. The Comptroller shall be an honorary officer and shall receive no remuneration.
32. The Comptroller’s duties shall include:
32.1. Inspecting the financial and economic activities of the Union, its Officers, and institutions to ensure they operate according to this Constitution.
32.2. Ensuring that resolutions and motions passed by the General Assembly are realized.
32.3. Providing a report to the Executive on the budget as submitted by the Executive Director in accordance with section 36.5 below no later than one month before the beginning of the financial year.
32.4. Presenting a report on functions to the General Assembly.
32.5. The Chairperson, the Executive Director, the Project Co-ordinators and any other persons accountable to the Union or its institutions shall provide the Comptroller with all documentation necessary in order to enable the Comptroller to fulfill his duties.
32.6. The Executive shall submit to the Comptroller not later than three months prior to the next schedule General Assembly all documents with respect to the Union’s financial situation, covering the period beginning six months before the last General Assembly until six months before the next General Assembly. This shall include a report on all income and expenditure of the Union during that period, and balance sheets of assets and liabilities.
32.7. The Comptroller shall be independent of the institutions and bodies inspected, and are responsible only to the General Assembly.
32.8. The Comptroller cannot be elected as a Delegate to the General Assembly and cannot be a member of the Executive or on the executive of any Ordinary Member Organization or National Member Organization.
32.9. The Comptroller shall be an observer at all Executive meetings.
32.10. The Comptroller shall appoint a committee charged with looking into and answering to complaints against the Union’s institutions and any person accountable to the Union and its institutions.
32.10.1. The committee will answer complaints received to the party complaining as soon as possible.
32.10.2. The committee will present to the Comptroller monthly reports on its activity.
33. The Executive may call upon the Comptroller to conduct special investigations or prepare extraordinary reports on financial matters, which fall within the sphere of the Comptroller’s duties as detailed in section 32 above.
34. At the end of his term in office, the comptroller must present written reports of his activities during his term in office. These reports are to be distributed to all National Member Organizations at least 40 days prior to the General Assembly. It is recommended that the reports also be sent to all Ordinary Member Organizations.
Paragraph 6: The Executive Director
35. The Executive Director shall be a professional appointment approved by the Executive.
36. The Executive Director’s duties include:
36.1. Responsibility administering the Union under the direction of the Executive.
36.2. The Executive Director will participate in all Executive meetings.
36.3. Being fully responsible with the Chairperson for the management and employment of the office and professional staff.
36.4. Providing assistance and support to the Chairperson in activities related to fundraising.
36.5. Two months before the beginning of the financial year submitting to the Comptroller an annual detailed budget for that coming financial year.
36.6. Ensuring that accurate financial records of all the Union’s activities are maintained by the Bookkeeper and are reviewed by an external auditor in accordance with the relevant law.
36.7. The Executive Director must present monthly reports on his duties and the office to the Chairperson and the Executive.
36.8. All other duties the Chairperson and the Executive sees fit to delegate to the Executive Director, other than duties that can only be performed by elected officers in accordance with this Constitution.
Paragraph 7: Other officers
37. For specific projects, the Executive Director, in accordance with criteria established by the General Assembly, and with the Chairperson and the Executive, may appoint Project Coordinators to coordinate and supervise special projects. Project Coordinators shall work under the direction of the Executive Director and the Chairperson
37.1. The Chairperson and the Executive Director shall work towards recruiting staff members amongst the volunteers, students under the age of 30, residing in Israel to work at the WUJS office, subject to approval of the Executive. The
appointment of this staff will be renewed on annual basis by the Executive.
38. Each Project Coordinator shall present a monthly report to the Executive Director and the Chairperson. Reports will be presented to the Executive on a monthly basis. A specialsummary of these reports will be disclosed at the General Assembly to all member Unions aspart of the annual report.
Chapter D: Elections and professional appointment
39. The Chairperson and the Comptroller must be elected by the General Assembly to serve for a period of two years as specified in the present chapter.
Paragraph 1: Election proceedings at the General Assembly
40. Election is by simple majority unless there is only one candidate, in which case the proceedings are detailed in section 44 below.
41. In any election, an option to abstain shall be included on the ballot paper. The votes received shall not include abstentions, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Votes Received’, with the exception of the case when there is only one candidate as detailed in section 44 below.
42. In the event there are two candidates: In the event of an election between two candidates only, no one candidate receives 51% of Votes Received, neither candidate shall be elected, and the Executive will co-opt a Chairperson and/or Comptroller, as the case may be, in accordance with section 45 below.
43. In the event there are three or more candidates:
43.1. In the event of an election between three or more candidates, and no one candidate received 51% of Votes Received in the first ballot, a second ballot of the two candidates scoring the highest percentages will be necessary.
43.2. In the event that after the second ballot, no one candidate receives 51% of Votes Received, neither candidate shall be elected, and the Executive will co-opt a Chairperson and/or Comptroller, as the case may be, in accordance with section 45 below.
44. In the event there is only one candidate:
44.1. In the event that there is only one candidate, the candidate must be elected by a 2/3 majority of the Votes Received.
44.2. In this case, abstentions shall be deemed as votes against the candidate.
44.3. In the event that the candidate did not receive 2/3 of the Votes Received, he shall not be elected, and the Executive will co-opt a Chairperson and/or Comptroller, as the case may be, in accordance with section 45 below. Paragraph 2: Provisional appointment by co-option of the Executive
45. In the event that no candidate is elected or there are no nominations, the Executive shall coopt a Chairperson and/or Comptroller, as the case may be, according to the following conditions:
45.1. Any person whose candidacy has been rejected by the General Assembly may not be co-opted by the Executive.
45.2. Any member of the Executive who has been co-opted to serve as a provisional appointment shall resign from his position as a member of the Executive.
45.3. The Executive shall co-opt the provisional appointment by a 2/3 majority vote of the Executive.
45.4. To co-optee will remain in office until the next General Assembly.
45.5. The National Member Organizations must be informed immediately of the cooption.
Paragraph 3: Removal or replacement of an officer
46. The Executive may call a vote of no confidence in any Officer of the Union. If the vote of no confidence in an officer is passed by a 2/3 majority, the Officer shall be immediately removed from office and shall not be allowed to stand for any position of the Union in the future.
47. In the event that the Chairperson or Comptroller is removed from, or is forced to resign or vacate his or her office for whatever reason, a new Chairperson or Comptroller, as the case may be, shall be appointed in accordance with section 45 above.
Paragraph 4: Other professional appointment
48. A Bookkeeper and any other professional appointment shall be employed by the Executive Director subject to approval by the Executive.
Chapter E: Financial management of the Union
Paragraph 1: Finance and budget
49. The financial year of the Union shall be from January 1st to December 31st.
50. An annual detailed budget for the Union shall be submitted by the Executive Director to the Executive for approval no later than one month before the beginning of the financial year.
51. Expenditures not yet provided for in the approved budget must be approved by the Executive.
52. Any allocation of Union money to any other organization or any expenditure to be incurred by the Union shall be limited to the pursuit of aims and/or activities consistent with the Aims of the Union.
53. 14 days prior to each Executive Meeting each Executive Member shall be responsible for submitting to the Executive a budget report outlining their expenditure over the last year and their budgetary commitments for the following year. This must include details of specific projects to which the Executive Member intends to direct their Union budgetary allocation.
Failure by an Executive Member to submit this report shall result in no allocation being forwarded to that Executive Member unless there are extraordinary circumstances to justify the allocation.
54. The Executive is empowered to establish separate accounts for each project of the Union in accordance with the approved budget of each project.
55. Progress reports on all accounts will be circulated to the Executive twice a year.
56. The accounts of the Union shall be audited annually by a recognized chartered accountant. The audit shall comprise of a statement of assets and liabilities and an income and expenditure statement.
Paragraph 2: Authorized signatories
57. Signing of cheques, money transfers, and financial transactions on behalf of the Union will be valid only if one of the officers of group A and one of the officers of group B are cosigning the decision.
Group A Group B
1. Executive Director 1. Chairperson
2. Comptroller 2. Executive member
Chapter F: Miscellaneous
Paragraph 1: Arbitration
58. Unless otherwise specified, a tribunal will be convened in any matter of dispute.
59. A tribunal will be convened in the Executive and by vote of the Executive.
60. Once the Executive has decided to convene the Tribunal, the parties to the dispute shall not be entitled to resolve the matter in any other forum before the Tribunal has reached a decision.
61. The tribunal shall consist of three people.
61.1. One is selected by each side of the dispute.
61.2. The third is selected by the other two chosen.
61.3. In disputes concerning interpretation of this Constitution, the third party must have a legal qualification.
61.4. If either party in the dispute fails to nominate a member, the Executive, by a 2/3 majority vote, may nominate the second member.
62. Chairperson, Executive Members, Comptroller, and Union staff are not eligible to serve on the Tribunal.
63. The Tribunal must be convened within 30 days of being called upon to act.
64. The decision, orders, or sanctions of the Tribunal shall be binding.
65. The Tribunal shall set its own procedures.
Paragraph 2: Procedural rule
66. In the absence of any provision in this Constitution to the contrary, the quorum for any meeting of any organ of the Union shall be a simple majority of all those entitled to vote at the meeting, and are present.
67. Quorum required for the General Assembly:
67.1. The quorum for the ordinary General Assembly must be no less than half of the National Member Organization of the Union and no less than a simple majority of delegate votes.
67.2. The quorum for the extraordinary General Assembly must be no less than one of the National Member Organizations of the Union.
68. In the absence of any provision in this Constitution to the contrary, in determining whether or not sufficient delegate votes have been cast to constitute the specified majority, the vote of the Chairperson shall be excluded.
Paragraph 3: Constitutional amendments
69. No new constitutional clause shall be made nor any existing clause amended except by the resolution of the General Assembly. Amendments require 2/3 majority in favour.
70. Constitutional amendments under consideration shall be circulated 30 days prior to a General Assembly.
Paragraph 3: Interpretation
71. In the case of any conflict of language, the English version shall prevail.
Paragraph 4: Succession
72. If the Union terminated its existence or is disbanded for any reason and remains so for a period of at least two years, then any cash and assets of the Union shall be donated by the Comptroller to an entity whose aims and activities are similar to those of the Union,.
Paragraph 6: Sister Organizations
73. The Union may enter into relations and reach agreement with other organizations whose aims and activities are compatible with those of the Union provided that such relations or agreement will not result in the independence of the union being compromised or prejudiced.
Paragraph 7: Local representation
74. National Member Organizations may be requested by the Chairperson to represent the Union at international or national forums in the relevant country.
