Statutes of the Association of Former ICRC Delegates

I Goals of the Association

1. The Association of Former ICRC Delegates, constituted in 1983 in accordance with articles 60 and following of the Swiss Civil Code, hereafter denominated AFD, has the following goals in accordance with the spirit of the charter of the association, adopted by its General Assembly on 17 May 2003:

a. Maintain and strengthen relations of friendship between the members of the AFD.

b. Promote the humanitarian ideals of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the public domain.

c. Provide information and counsel to ICRC staff, prior to and after their missions.

d. Support the ICRC’s action with means appropriate to the AFD.

2. The Association’s activities are carried out independently and in a spirit of strict neutrality and independence.

II Headquarters of the Association

3. The location of the Headquarters of the AFD in Switzerland is determined by the Executive Committee.

III. Membership of the AFD

4. To apply for membership of the AFD it is compulsory to have accomplished a mission in the service of the ICRC or to have worked at ICRC Headquarters and to have left the ICRC and to have paid the annual membership fee to the association. Membership is suspended for members who are rehired by the ICRC:

5. A member ceases to belong to the association:

a. By resigning in writing to the Executive Committee

b. After having failed to pay membership fees in spite of three reminders

c. In case of conduct unworthy of and damaging to the fundamental principles of the AFD. Any member, whose conduct is considered unworthy of affiliation with, and damaging to the AFD, may be excluded by the Executive Committee of the AFD without further indication of motives.

d. In the case of her or his death

A member can appeal against exclusion within 30 days of the exclusion to the General Assembly.

IV. Organs of the AFD

6. The organs of the AFD are the following:

a. The General Assembly

b. The Executive Committee

c. The Auditors

d. The Chapters

The members of the Executive Committee and the Auditors are elected to two year terms. Re-election is permitted for up to four terms.

a. The General Assembly

7. The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the AFD.

It has the following attributions:

1. Election of the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary and the Treasurer

2. Election of the other members of the Executive Committee

3. Election of the Auditors

4. Approval of the Annual Accounts

5. Waiver of liability to the Executive Committee

6. Approval of the budget

7. Amendments to the Statutes.

8. Dissolution of the AFD

9. Fixing membership fees and their distribution between Executive Committee and Chapters

10. Decisions on all other items introduced by the Executive Committee and members.

Members’ proposals must be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee at least 40 days prior to the General Assembly and have to be put on the agenda of the General Assembly. No decision can be taken by the General Assembly on items not on the agenda.

8. Each member has one vote at the General Assembly, and is eligible to the Executive Committee of the AFD or as Auditor. Members may vote by absentee ballots on every agenda item of the General Assembly, provided their ballots are received by the President prior to the meeting. The Executive Committee can extend voting to electronic means.

9. The General Assembly meets once per year. Extraordinary meetings of the General Assembly may be called by the Executive Committee. One tenth of the members may request to hold an extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly, indicating the items to be put on the agenda. The Executive Committee must in this case issue the invitation to such an extraordinary General Assembly within three months after receiving the request.

10. Invitations to a regular or extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly, including the agenda, must be issued by the Executive Committee at least 30 days prior to the date of the meeting.

11. The decisions by the General Assembly are taken by a majority of the members present. In the case of a tied vote, the agenda item must be submitted to a new vote. In the case of a continued tie, the President’s vote breaks the tie.

12. A majority of 2/3rds of the members present and voting is required for the following decisions:

a. Amendments of the Statutes of the AFD

b. Dissolution of the AFD

13. Voting must be by secret ballot, if requested by 10 percent of the members present at the meeting.

14. Minutes of the General Assembly meetings are established.

This document is signed by the President and by the Secretary of the Assembly.

b. The Executive Committee

15. The Executive Committee is composed of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and members. The total number of members of the Executive Committee must be an odd number. The members of the Executive Committee must come from at least three Chapters.

16. The Executive Committee may decide on all matters that are not attributed specifically to the General Assembly or another central organ of the AFD by law or by the Statutes of the AFD.

17. The Executive Committee organizes its work independently. The quorum for valid decisions by the Executive Committee is a simple majority of its members. It may take its decisions in writing, without calling for a meeting. In this case, only unanimous decisions are valid. The AFD is committed by the President of the Executive Committee or by two Executive Committee members.

18. The President is the head of the AFD. He/she chairs the General Assembly and the meetings of the Executive committee. In his absence or incapacity, he is replaced by the Vice-President who will assume the function until another President has been elected by the General Assembly.

c. Auditors

19. Two Auditors carry out an audit of the accounts prepared by the Treasurer and report to the General Assembly where one has to attend in person.

d. Chapters

20. Chapters are created by submitting a members list to the Executive Committee. New Chapters must be approved by the Executive Committee. Membership in more than one Chapter is excluded. An appeal against the decision of the Executive Committee can be made within 30 days to the General Assembly.

21. Financial means are provided to the Chapters based on the number of members. If financial means are provided to the Chapters, an annual report of their accounts must be provided to the Treasurer of the association.

22. Each Chapter decides its activities and internal organisation independently.

23. The approbation of a Chapter can be withdrawn by the Executive Committee if it does not act in accordance with the aims of the association or if the financial report does not provide information on the use of financial means. An appeal against the withdrawal of the approbation can be made within 30 days of the withdrawal to the General Assembly.

V. Resources and Accounts management

24. The resources of the AFD include membership fees, donations, subsidies, deeds and other revenues. Members of the AFD may not be held accountable to the AFD, nor to the AFD’s creditors in excess of the amount of their individual membership fee.

25. The fiscal year commences on 1 January and ends on 31 December.

VI. Final Provisions

26. In the case of the dissolution of the AFD, decided in accordance with Articles 11 and 12 of the present Statutes, the liquidation of the assets of the AFD is implemented by the Executive Committee, unless the General Assembly designates other liquidators. In the case of liquidation, the assets of the AFD are attributed to a humanitarian organization whose aims are identical or similar to those of the defunct AFD.

27. The present Statutes enter into force after their approval by the General Assembly. The membership to the AFD implies the acceptance, without reserve of the present Statutes. Until a Chapter is constituted, members may not be members of a Chapter. The Executive Committee decides on the admission of candidates for membership. Candidates can appeal against non-admission within 30 days to the General Assembly.

(Statutes approved by the General Assembly of the Association held in Neuchâtel on 24 October 2009.)