National Association of Friendship North/South

§ 1          Name

                The name of the National Association is Friendship North/South.

§ 2          Purpose

                Membership in the National Association is open for all, independent of political views and religion. Its      purpose is:

-          to join municipalities, organisations, groups, institutions and individuals in working actively to promote friendship cooperation between Norway and its counterparts in the South.

-          Contribute to a development that promotes human rights, solidarity between peoples, democracy and sustainable development.

-          Promote mutual cultural understanding and contact between people of different backgrounds.

§ 3          The work of the National Association is mainly:

                To provide assistance to established friendship links between Norway and the South.

                To provide assistance and be a focal point between the members and central organisations and                 authorities

                To accumulate information and map new friendship links in Norway.

                To assist in establishing contact between interested parties in Norway and in the South who would like      to establish a friendship link.

                To be the member’s representative and spokes organ towards Norwegian authorities

                To be a focal point for international organisations

                To actively spread information of the importance of working to bridge differences between North and     South 

                To provide assistance in establishing contact between friendship groups in the South to contribute to         South-South networking

§ 4          Members

                The National Association has two kinds of membership:

4.1          Organisation members can be municipalities, organisations, friendship groups and institutions.

4.2          Individuals may be passive members.

§ 5          General Assembly

The General Assembly is the highest organ of the National Association, and is normally convoked every second year. A written summons is sent to all members at least eight weeks before the General Assembly. Items for the agenda must be submitted to the Board at least four weeks prior to the General Assembly. Relevant documents must be distributed to the members at least two weeks before the General Assembly.

An Extraordinary General Assembly is held when the Board or at least 1/3 of the members find it necessary. An Extraordinary General Assembly can only discuss the cases that were announced in the summons for the Extraordinary General Assembly, and that have been distributed to the members at least four weeks prior to the date of the Extraordinary General Assembly.

§ 6          It is the General Assembly’s task to:

1.       Approve the convocation

2.       Approve the agenda

3.       Examine the Board’s report

4.       Receive and approve financial reports

5.       Examine submitted suggestions

6.       Approve budget, membership fees and annual plan

7.       Hold elections

§ 7          Organisation members may elect one representative with the right to vote. Passive members may make suggestions and comments, but do not have the right to vote.

§ 8          A Board consisting of eight representatives, one representing the employees of Friendship North South, is elected. Four substitute representatives are also elected. The aim should be to have a gender balanced Board.

The following distribution should be attempted: Four representatives elected among the local friendship groups, three representatives elected among the central organisations and one representative from the employees. The Electoral Committee will attempt to consider both continuity and rotation when suggesting a new Board.

The General Assembly elects the Chairperson and the Deputy Chairperson of the Board. The Board appoints an Advisory Committee consisting of the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson and one member of the Board.

The Board will meet at least twice a year. The Board has decision making power when at least four of its members, including substitute representatives, are present in the meeting. In case of a split vote, the Chairperson’s vote is counted double

§ 9          An Electoral Committee is elected, consisting of three members. The Head of the Electoral Committee is elected separately.

§ 10        An auditor is appointed.

§ 11        Statute amendment and dissolution

Suggested statute amendments must be submitted to the Board a minimum of four weeks prior to the General Assembly, and must be approved with a 2/3 majority. A decision to dissolve the organisation must be made by a 2/3 majority at the National Assembly, and only if the dissolution suggestion is presented in the summons to the General Assembly.

These statutes were first adopted at the National Conference in Sauda in 1991, and were later amended at Elverum on 8th of May 1993, at Stord on 24th of September 1995, in Sarpsborg in 2003, Elverum in 2005 and Stord in 2009