The Charter of the “IRELI” Public Union
Founders:
1. Ceyhun Osmanli
2. Elnara Qaribova
3. Farhad Mammadov
4. Roya Talibova
5. Elnur Mammadov
6. Ziya Aliyev
I. General Provisions
The “IRELI” Public Union (hereafter – the Union) is a non-governmental organization which was set up based on legal equality between its volunteer members who have united on the basis of their common interests, does not aim to make a profit and divide the profit between its members. Its activities cover the territory of the Azerbaijan Republic.
1.2. The Union operates on the basis of the Constitution of the Azerbaijan Republic, the law of the Azerbaijan Republic on non-governmental organizations (public unions and foundations), other legal acts and the present charter.
1.3. The Union gains the status of a legal person from the moment it is registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Azerbaijan Republic. The Union has its own independent balance sheet, a stamp with its name on it, a settlement account in banks of the Azerbaijan Republic and other requisites.
1.4. The registered legal address of the Union is Baku, N. Narimanov Street 21/23, Flat No 51.
II. The objectives and tasks of the Union
2.1. The objective of the Union is to carry out activities in the sphere of science and education, culture, ecology and enlightenment, to develop culture based on national-spiritual values and to operate in other spheres.
2.2. The Union carries out the following tasks in order to achieve its objectives;
- To operate in the sphere of forming strong human capital for the future development of Azerbaijan;
- To support the development of democracy and human resources, to protect human rights and to carry out work aimed at ensuring civil freedoms;
- To help create opportunities for people to participate in democratic processes.
- To help protect the interests of youth organizations;
- To establish cooperation with young Azerbaijanis living abroad and carry out activities aimed at promoting Azerbaijan;
- To develop the leadership and management skills of the youth;
- To carry out large-scale work to propagate patriotism;
- To involve the youth in solving ecological, gender and other problems;
- To ensure citizens’ cooperation in the establishment of peace and the resolution of conflicts, to make efforts to strengthen the national and ethnic dialogue, to develop tolerance and to carry out activities aimed at integration into the modern world;
- To support talented people and help create opportunities for their development;
- To cooperate with various state, non-governmental, humanitarian, media, commercial, foreign and other organizations;
- To eliminate problems related to health, to support people without kith and kin, disabled and homeless people, people subjected to psychological pressure and people who need social and special care and to try to solve their problems.
- To carry out coordinating functions between national organizations, to expand existing coordination, to set up a network and to ensure an information flow.
2.3. In order to carry out the tasks envisaged by this charter, the Union:
- Holds various courses, seminars, round table discussions, meetings, exhibitions, monitoring, conferences, charity marathons and other mass cultural events.
- Freely disseminates information about its objectives and activities and founds press publications in compliance with the law;
- Cooperates with relevant state and municipal agencies of the Azerbaijan Republic;
- The Union cannot participate in the elections of the president of the Azerbaijan Republic, the parliament of the Azerbaijan Republic and municipal elections.
III. The rights of the Union
3.1. The Union has the following rights:
- To sign acts on its own behalf, to obtain property and personal non-property rights, to carry out tasks and to appear before court as a plaintiff and respondent;
- To freely disseminate information about its activity;
- To found branches and representative office on the territory of the Azerbaijan Republic and abroad;
- To open bank accounts and carry out settlements;
- To have its own independent records, stamp and other requisites;
- To engage in entrepreneurial activity that is not banned by legislation and meets the objectives of the charter;
- To use other rights determined by the legislation of the Azerbaijan Republic;
IV. The property and financial activity of the Union
4.1. The Union can own buildings, installations, flats, equipment, monetary resources, other securities and other types of property required for financial support for activities stipulated by the present charter and authorized by legislation.
4.2. The Union is responsible for its obligations with its property. This property can be alienated only according to the laws of the Azerbaijan Republic.
4.3. The sources of forming the Union’s property in the monetary and other form are the following:
- Regular or one-off membership fees from the founders and members of the Union;
- Voluntary property fees and donations from funds, enterprises and local and international organizations and citizens;
- Dividends and profits from shares, bonds and other securities and deposits;
- Profits made from the use and sale of its own property;
- Grants;
- Profits made from exhibitions, concerts and other events;
- Profits made from the activity of the enterprises it has founded;
- Other incomings allowed by the law.
4.4. Members of the Union have no special rights to separate facilities that are its property.
4.5. The Union has the right to own and use its property according to the objectives of its activity and the purpose of its property in the order established by the legislation of the Azerbaijan Republic.
4.6. Purposeful funds transferred into the account of the Union cannot be spent on other purposes.
4.7. The Union cannot provide financial and other assistance to political parties.
4.8. The Union compiles financial, statistical and other reports in the order established by the law and submits them to government agencies.
V. The founders and members of the Union and their rights and duties
5.1. The founders of the Union can be legal persons (except for state authorities and local government bodies) or physical persons above the age of 16.
5.2. The founders have equal rights. Mutual relations between the founders, their rights and duties are determined by the law, an agreement signed between them or this charter.
5.3. Every physical and legal person (except for state authorities and local government bodies) in the Azerbaijan Republic can be a member of the Public Union and are considered to be founders and members of the Union.
5.4. Members are accepted into the Union by the board of the Union.
5.5. In order to become a member of the Union, it is necessary to submit a written application to the board. The application is considered within a month. If more than half of the board members express a positive attitude to this issue as a result of a vote, the applicant is elected a member of the Union.
5.6. Members of the Union enjoy equal rights and have the following rights:
- To participate in the management of the organization in the order established by the present charter and other documents;
- To be elected to any elected body of the Union, including its managing body or to be represented in that body;
- To participate in the activities and events of the Union;
- To access information about the activities of the Union’s managing body and supervise those activities;
- To appeal to the Union to help protect their interests;
- To participate personally in discussions on any issue related to their rights and duties and to protest and complain to the relevant bodies of the Union;
5.7. A member of the Union can represent or speak on behalf of the Union only if authorized by relevant bodies of the Union.
5.7.1. A member of the Union cannot be a member of two elected bodies of the Union at the same time.
5.8. Members of the Union have the following duties:
- To observe the charter of the Union;
- To implement the decisions of the Union’s elected body;
- To observe the requirements of the charter;
- To participate in events organized by the Union.
5.9. The sum of membership fees paid to the Union is determined by the council;
5.1.0. Membership of the Union is terminated in the following cases;
- If a member quits the Union at his own request;
- If a member is expelled from the Union.
5.1.1. A member of the Union is expelled from the Union in the following cases;
- If he or she takes actions that damage the reputation of the Union;
- If he or she constantly avoids taking part in the work of the Union;
- If he or she fails to pay the membership fee for five months in a row;
- If he or she takes actions that contradict the objectives of the charter.
5.1.2. A member or a founder can be expelled by the decision of the council.
5.1.3. The issue of expelling a member is raised with the council by the Control-Revision Commission. The Control-Revision Commission provides the Council with its decision regarding the issue and the necessary documents on the cases that serve as grounds for terminating one’s membership.
5.1.4. The Council shall make a decision about the issue within a month of receiving the decision of the Supervisory-Revision Commission and other necessary documents.
5.1.5. A member of the Union has the right to appeal to the supreme managing body or a court against the decision.
5.1.6. Supporters of the Union are:
5.1.6.1. Physical and legal persons (except for state authorities and local government bodies) who participate in the activity of the Union, have not registered their relations with the Union from an organizational point of view or provide services to support the Union.
5.1.6.2. Supporters of the Union can participate in the work of the Union’s managing board with an advisory voting right.
5.1.6.3. Supporters of the Union can terminate their activities at any time.
VI. The organizational structure and managing bodies of the Union
6.1. The supreme body of the Union is the General Conference (hereafter the Conference) which convenes at least once a year.
6.2. The Conference convenes on the initiative of one of the founders of the executive body, the chairman of the Union or one third of its members.
6.3. The founders or members of the Union should be informed about the timing and venue for the Conference at two weeks’ notice.
6.4. The powers of the Conference are the following:
- To adopt the charter of the Union or make amendments to it;
- To form the property of the Union and determine the principles of using it;
- To set up the executive bodies of the Union and suspend their activities ahead of time;
- To endorse annual reports;
- To participate in other organizations;
- To elect the chairman and five members of the Control-Revision Commission;
- To reorganize and close the Union;
- To hear out reports from the head of the Union’s executive body;
6.5. An extraordinary meeting of the Conference can be called at the demand of the chairman of the Union, one of the founders, the managing board or two thirds of the council.
6.5. The Conference has authority only if it is attended by more than half of members of the Union.
6.6. Issues discussed by the Conference are adopted with a simple majority of votes. Each member has one vote. A two-third majority is required for making changes and addenda to the charter and for reorganizing or closing the organization.
6.7. In the period between conferences, the decision-making body of the Union is its Council. The council convenes at least three times a year. District and city chairmen, the heads of branches and representative offices, as well as the heads of organizations that have collective membership in the Union are directly granted the status of council members.
6.8. The following issues are included in the powers of the Council:
- To discuss decisions on the current activities of the Union and to make and adopt changes and addenda to them;
- To determine the sum of the membership fee;
- To endorse quarterly reports;
- To discuss the Union’s participation in other organizations;
- To present the deputy chairman (chairmen) of the Union at the representation of the chairman;
- To endorse the Secretary-General at the representation of the chairman;
- To make decisions to expel members of the Union;
- To found branches, representative offices and other structures of the Union and appoint their chairmen;
- To approve the statutes of structural units at the representation of the chairman of the Union;
- To adopt decisions on various issues except for issues that are considered the authority of the Conference.
6.9. The Council is considered to be authorized if it is attended by more than half of its members.
6.9.1. The meetings of the Council are chaired by the Chairman of the Union and decisions are adopted by a simple majority of votes.
6.9.2. The Secretariat informs members of the Council about meetings of the council at least at one week’s notice.
6.1.0. The current activities of the Union are managed by the Chairman of the Union. The chairman of the Union is elected by the Conference for a period of two years (with the right of re-election) by secret voting (on condition that a report is submitted to the Conference every year). If during the election there is only one candidate, voting can be open.
6.1.1. The following are authorities of the Chairman of the Union:
- To ensure the implementation of the decisions of the Conference and the Council;
- To manage the general work of the Union;
- To represent the Union, to sign agreements and contracts on its behalf and issue instructions;
- To issue warrants and manage the financial work of the Union;
- To submit the Union’s staff structure to the Council for approval;
- To appoint advisors and assistance in charge of various issues;
- To preside over the Council and to approve the nominations of the Secretary-General and his deputies to present them to the Council;
- To report to the Conference and the Council;
- To solve other issues according to the charter;
- To present the deputy chairmen of the Union from among members of the council to the Council at the Chairman’s presentation.
6.1.2. The deputy chairmen of the Union are elected by the council with a simple majority of votes from among members of the council at the presentation of the chairman.
6.1.3. If the chairman cannot fulfill his functions or has no possibility of fulfilling his functions, he is replaced by one of his deputies.
6.1.4. The Chairman fulfill the instructions of the chairman and report to the Council or the chairman if required.
6.1.5. The Control-Revision Commission (hereafter the CRC) of the Union is elected for a period of two years with five members. The work of the CRC is organized by its chairman who is elected for a period of two years at its first session. The SRC is elected by secret voting. If there are no more than five candidates for membership of the CRC, voting can be held openly.
6.1.6. The Control-Revision Commission:
- Supervises the implementation of financial-economic tasks and the tasks stipulated by the charter;
- Carries out reviews of the activities of the Union’s structure and elected officials at the demand of the Council and reports to the Council;
- Gives information and makes representations on violations of the charter;
- Revises financial issues and the implementation of decisions;
- Carries out reviews regarding a member (members) who have applied for membership of the Union and submits a presentation to the council;
- Makes representations to the Council regarding expulsion from the Union;
- Discusses all disputable issues regarding the activities of the Union and submits relevant decisions to the council and the Conference;
6.17. The members of the CRC elect the chairman of the CRC from among themselves at their first session;
6.18. The managing board of the Union is the current executive and decision-making body of the Union and is responsible for the implementation of programmes and decisions adopted by the council;
6.19. Three representatives who represent organizations granted collective members of the Union and chairmen of district and city organizations, including seven representatives from chairmen of branches and representative offices, are elected to the Managing Board in the council with a simple majority of votes. The Managing Board is headed by the chairman appointed by the council and its meetings are regarded as authorized if they are attended by more than half of the members of the managing board.
6.20. The Managing Board:
- Regulates the activities of the Union’s working bodies;
- Holds a meeting at least once a month;
- Ensures constant contacts with members and member organizations;
- Solves all issues that arise in the daily activities of the Union in a way agreed with the chairman of the Union;
- Calls an extraordinary meeting of the council if need be;
- Directs all current activities in various spheres and adopts operational decisions;
- The authorities of the managing board are valid for one year.
6.21. The secretariat is led by the Secretary-General.
- The secretariat implements the instructions of the chairman and the deputy chairman (chairmen), the council and the managing board;
- Makes proposals to the chairman of the Union on creating the structure of the secretariat in order to organize the work of the Union;
- Prepares the agenda, decisions and drafts of a forthcoming council session on the basis of proposals from members and member organizations and submits them to the council for discussion at the presentation of the chairman of the Union;
- The secretariat reports to the chairman, the council and the managing board and coordinates the work of the Union’s structural units;
- The secretary-general is elected by the council at the presentation of the chairman of the Union by more than half of its members and is dismissed by the council at the presentation of the chairman;
VII. The termination of the Union’s activities
7.1. The activities of the Union are terminated through reorganization (union, merger, division, separation, transformation) and closure. The activities of the Union are terminated in the order established by the law.
7.2. On the basis of the decision to terminate the activities of the Union, a closing commission is set up. From this moment, the commission assumes all authority over the management of the Union. The closure commission compiles its balance, and after settlements with the budget during the closure of the Union and after creditors’ demands are met, property is used for the objectives of the charter in the order established by the law, or if this is impossible, is transferred to the state budget. The Union is closed on the basis of the Civil Code of the Azerbaijan Republic and other legislative acts.
VIII. Other terms
8.1. Issues that are not stipulated by this charter are regulated by the law.
8.2. If provisions of this charter contradict the law in the future, provisions of the law will be applied.
8.3. The Union’s financial year begins from the moment is registered and ends on 31 December of the same year. Its next financial year begins on 1 January and covers the period until 31 December.
