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WAR RESISTERS' INTERNATIONAL CONSTITUTION AND RULES

-- as agreed at the International Conference in 1957 and amended at the Conferences of 1963, 1966, 1969, 1972 and 1982, by postal ballot in 1991, at the Conference in 1991, and by postal ballot in 2002

CONSTITUTION

BASIS

  1. The basis of the War Resisters' International is the following Declaration (hereinafter termed the Declaration) adopted at the first International Conference at Bilthoven, 1921:
    "War is a crime against humanity. I therefore am determined not to support any kind of war and to strive for the removal of all causes of war".

AFFILIATION

  1. Any organisation whose members individually accept the Declaration or an alternative form approved by the Council is eligible for affiliation as a Section of the International subject to the approval of the Council.

ASSOCIATION

  1. (a) Any organisation whose objectives are consistent with the Declaration, but which either does not provide for individual membership or whose members do not individually accept the Declaration or an approved equivalent, may be accepted by the Council as an Associate Organisation.
    (b) Any publication appearing not less than four times each year whose policy is consistent with the Declaration but which is not the publication of an affiliated Section or Associate Organisation, may be accepted by the Council as an Associate Publication.

MEMBERSHIP

  1. All members of affiliated Sections shall be members of the International. In addition, any person ineligible for membership of any existing Section may be accepted by the Executive Committee as an individual member of the International on signing the Declaration.

DISAFFILIATION

  1. The Council shall have the power to terminate the affiliation of any Section or the association of an Organisation or Publication on stating its reasons. Any Section so disaffiliated and any Organisation or Publication so disassociated shall have the right of appeal to the Triennial Conference.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

  1. (a) An International Conference shall be held within four years of the previous conference, on dates determined by the Council. The Conference shall determine the policy of the International and shall elect up to twelve persons to serve on the Council until the next Triennial conference. A Special International Conference shall be convened at the request of one fifth of the Sections.
    (b) Sections shall have the right to send representatives whose collective votes for each Section shall be determined by the following scale of membership:
    Fewer than 500 members -- 2 votes;
    500 to 999 members -- 3 votes;
    1,000-2,999 members -- 4 votes;
    More than 2,999 members -- 5 votes.
    Associate Organisations and Publications shall have the right to send representatives. There shall be two votes allotted to each Associate Organisation and one vote to each Associate Publication, except that such votes shall not apply in case of motions to amend the Constitution. Members of the Council other than those appointed by Sections shall have one vote on all matters except the election of Council and motions to amend the Constitution.
    Other persons, who are members of Sections but not acting as a representative of a Section, or who are individual members, may also attend but shall not have a vote.

COUNCIL

  1. (a) The following persons shall be members of the Council:
    The Chairperson and Treasurer(s) of the International ex officio; up to twelve persons elected by the Triennial Conference; One representative of each properly constituted Section appointed by that Section.
    The Council shall have the power to co-opt not more than three additional members, who may hold office until the next occasion when a new group of Council members elected by the Triennial Conference assumes office.
    Each Associate Organisation and each Associate Publication shall have the right to send an observer to Council meetings.
    (b) The Chairperson shall be elected by postal ballot of the Sections in accordance with the Rules. The election of Council members by the International Conference shall be determined by the Rules. The Treasurer or Treasurers shall be appointed by the Council and may continue to hold office irrespective of the dissolution of the appointing Council. The Council shall elect from its members not less than one nor more than three Vice-Chairpersons, having regard to the desirability of representing different world regions through these appointments. No person other than a member of the International may be nominated, elected, appointed or continue as Chairperson, Treasurer or member of the Council.
    (c) The Council shall meet at least once a year. It shall be responsible for carrying out the decisions of the International Conference and shall act in the name of the International between Conferences. It shall represent the International in all matters both legal and non-legal.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

  1. There shall be an Executive Committee composed of Council members, elected by the Council. It shall be responsible for carrying out the decisions of the Council and for general administration and finance. It shall act in place of the Council between Council meetings. Members of the Council not elected to the Executive shall have the right to attend and speak at meetings of the Executive Committee.

STAFF

  1. The Council shall be empowered to appoint and pay staff for the Secretariat who must be members of the International and shall be expected to attend Executive and Council meetings and International Conferences. The Council shall have the power to terminate such appointments.

FINANCE

  1. Sections, Associate Organisations and Associate Publications shall pay an annual affiliation fee based upon their membership and income in accordance with such guidelines as may be set out in the Rules. Individual members, whether members of Sections or not, shall be asked at least once a year to contribute according to their ability.

AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION

  1. This Constitution may be amended by a vote of the Sections either at a Triennial Conference or by postal ballot. Amendments may be proposed by the Council, a Section or any five members. A proposed amendment shall require two-thirds of the votes cast to pass. The procedure for ballots on proposed amendments shall be determined by the Rules, provided that there shall be an interval of not less than six months between the first formal notification of the wording of a proposed amendment and the first day of the relevant International Conference, or the closure of the ballot, as the case may be.

RULES

  1. The Council shall have the power to make rules to implement the Constitution, provided that such Rules, and any subsequent amendments of such Rules, shall be approved by not less than two-thirds of the Council members present. The Rules, together with amendments to the Rules, shall have the same force as the Constitution and shall have immediate effect, but shall be subject to confirmation by not less than two-thirds of the votes cast on a motion or motions for that purpose at the next Triennial Conference.

RULES

International Conference

  1. (a) The preliminary agenda of an International Conference shall be circulated to all Sections, Associate Organisations, Associate Publications and Council Members not less than three months before the Conference.
    (b) Decisions of an International Conference shall be minuted and reported to the next succeeding Council Meeting. The Council shall act in accordance with these decisions.
    (c) Where there is not consensus on resolutions proposed to the International Conference, a vote will be held on the basis of one voting card for each vote allocated in Article 6. No individual may hold voting cards on behalf of more than one organisation; nor should an individually elected Council member who is also an organisations representative use both votes simultaneously.

Elections

  1. (a) Candidates for the office of Chairperson may be nominated by a Section or any five members. Nominations must be received by the Secretariat not less than six months before the first day of the International Conference. The Secretariat shall send ballot papers to the Sections promptly after the deadline. Sections shall have the same number of votes as for the International Conference. Ballot papers must be returned to the Secretariat not later than 90 days before the first day of the International Conference. The Chairperson shall assume office in the course of the International Conference.
    (b) Candidates for election to the Council by the International Conference may be nominated by a Section or any five members. Nominations must be received by the Secretariat not less than 90 days before the first day of the International Conference. The election for Council shall take place during the International Conference on the basis of one ballot paper for each vote allotted in Article 6, provided that any Section, Associate Organisation or Associate Publication not represented at the Conference shall have the right to return a postal vote not later than one week before the first day of the Conference. Any ballot paper declaring votes for more than 12 candidates shall be invalid. Council members so elected shall assume office at the close of the International Conference.
    (c) All nominations of candidates must be in writing. The written consent of candidates must be obtained by the nominators or the Secretariat. Announcements of nominations shall include the names of the nominators.

Council

  1. (a) Sections shall be responsible for the travelling expenses of their representatives attending Council Meetings. Payment of travelling expenses of elected members and of members of the Executive Committee shall be decided by the Executive Committee.
    (b) Any Section, Associated Organisation or Associated Publication wishing to submit an item for consideration by the Council shall inform the International Secretariat which shall place it on the Agenda of the next meeting.
    (c) Any Council Member receiving an official request from a Section, Associated Organisation or Associated Publication to place an item or items on the Council Agenda shall act in accordance with that request and a Council Member may also be required by any Section, Associate Organisation or Associated Publication to express its view on any item on the Council Agenda.
    (d) Agendas and Minutes of the Council shall be circulated to all Sections, Associate Organisations and Associated Publications.

The Executive Committee

  1. (a) The Executive Committee shall establish its own procedure within the framework of the Constitution and Rules and shall report to the Council.
    (b) The Executive Committee shall meet at least four times in a year. Dates of forthcoming Executive Committee meetings shall be notified to other Council members.
    (c) Minutes of the Executive Committee shall be sent to all Council members, Sections, Associate Organisations and Associate Publications.

Staff

  1. In making appointments to the staff, the Council and Executive Committee shall endeavour to maintain a Secretariat which is both multinational and multilingual, and balanced with regard to gender.

Finance

  1. (a) Associate Organisations and Publications shall pay an annual affiliation fee according to their means, having regard to the need to cover at least the cost of mailings received from the Secretariat.
    (b) The Executive Committee shall have the power to authorise acceptance of contributions in kind in lieu of a financial contribution.
    (c) Non-payment of affiliation fees by a Section or Associate during two successive years may be construed by the Council as a ground for disaffiliation or disassociation.
    (d) In addition to affiliation fees, the Council shall raise funds by direct appeal, with the cooperation where possible of the Sections concerned.
    (e) The Annual Financial Statement and Balance Sheet shall be submitted by the Treasurer for the approval of the Council.

Constitutional Amendments

  1. (a) The proposers of a Constitutional Amendment shall have the right to submit with the proposal a paper setting out their argument for its adoption. Such paper shall be circulated by the Secretariat with formal notice of the proposal. Any further arguments pertaining to the proposal received by the Secretariat not later than two months before closure of the ballot shall also be circulated.
    (b) Any formal proposal for amendment of the Constitution received by the Secretariat shall be placed on the agenda of the next relevant International Conference unless either the Executive Committee or the Council determine that it shall be put to a postal ballot. In the latter case the Executive Committee shall set the timetable for the ballot.

Language and interpretation

  1. The Constitution and Rules shall be published in the English, French, German and Spanish languages, provided that in the event of dispute as to interpretation the English text shall prevail.