Consultative status special category with Economic and Social Council of the United Nations Consultative status, Council

of Europe

Statutes of the International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (IF)
Article 1: The entity is an International non-profit organization called: International Federation for spina bifida and hydrocephalus or abbreviated IF and is subject to the definitions under title III of the Belgian Law dated June 27, 1921, covering non-profit organizations, the International Associations for non-profit and Foundations (article 46 up to and including 57). Article 2: The registered address of the organization is located in a commune of the district of Brussels. The federation is at present situated at Cellebroersstraat 16, 1000 Brussels. It may be transferred to any other place in this district by decision of the Board of Directors, published within a month thereafter by the Belgian Federal Government. Article 3: It is a non-profit organization, the purpose of which is the promotion of the interests on psycho-social, society related and professional level of persons with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus and their relatives worldwide by North-South exchange and projects in developing countries and to lend assistance to member-organizations with the same purpose on a national, regional or supra-national level. Article 4: The Federation is open to Belgian and Foreign Associations, insofar as they are legal entities founded according to the laws and regulations of the country they are located in and who are involved with the target group in a defined territory and who will accept everybody in the target group and who support the missions and objectives of IF, unless the association is already member through membership of an IF member Other types of membership are dealt with under Internal Rules. Article 5: Application for membership will be submitted to the Board of Directors, which will examine the application and submit the application to the vote of the General Meeting for adoption. The members may resign by reporting their resignation to the Board of Directors by registered mail. The dismissal or exclusion of members may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by at least three members, after having heard the submission of the member concerned. The dismissal or exclusion will be decided upon by the General Meeting, provided that at least two thirds of the members are present or represented. The member will be informed of the decision of the General Meeting in writing, by registered mail. Resigning or excluded members or their legal successors have no rights to the equity of the organization. Article 6: The General Meeting will decide on the amount of the annual membership fee. This will be determined based on three criteria: World Bank classification of the country involved, number of affiliated members in a particular country and the number of years the Association has been legally active and the fee shall not exceed Euros 10.000 per year. Article 7: The General Meeting possesses all the powers necessary or useful to meet the purpose of the organization. It represents all the members. In particular, the General Meeting may deliberate and take 1

resolutions on the following issues: approval of the budgets and accounts; appointment and resignation of the Board Members; amendment of articles of association; dissolution of the organization and all other matters which are not explicitly assigned to the Board of Directors. Article 8: The General Meeting meets ex officio under the Chairmanship of the president at least once a year but before July 1 of that year at the registered address or at another place as will be mentioned in the notice of the meeting. The procedures for convocation will be done by e-mail or regular mail with a minimum of at least 3 months prior to the meeting including the agenda. This applies to the General as well as the Extraordinary General Meeting. The extraordinary General Meeting can also be called by the Chairman every time the Board of Directors deems this necessary. Article 9: The number of votes of an association is determined according to the number of affiliated members and may vary between 1,2 or 3 votes. The method of calculation has been included in the internal rules. Each member may be represented during the General Meeting by an other member through a special proxy. Each member may carry a maximum of 10 proxy votes. The General Meeting can only validly deliberate if there are as many members present, who are not members of the Board of Directors, as there are members of the Board of Directors present, plus one. Article 10: Unless otherwise specified, all decisions will be made by a majority vote of the members present or represented. The decisions voted on are reported to the members and recorded in a register, signed by the president and kept available for consultation by the members and other interested parties at the registered office. Article 11: Without prejudice of articles 50 3, 55 en 56 of the law covering associations for non-profit, the International Associations for non-profit and Foundations, all proposals concerning a change in statutes or dissolution of the association need to be initiated by the Board of directors or at least three members of the association. The Board of Directors is obliged to give notice to the members at least three months prior to the date at which the General Meeting will deliberate on such a proposal. The General Meeting may validly deliberate only if at least two thirds of the members of the organization are present or represented. A decision will be valid only if there is a majority of at least two thirds of the votes. If a General Meeting does not bring together two thirds of the effective members of the organization, a second General Meeting shall be convened, under the same principles as the first one. This second General Meeting shall deliberate definitively and validly, concerning this proposal, irrespective of the number of members present or represented. Changes of the statutes will only be in force after the appropriate approval by the competent authorities according to article 50 paragraph 3 of the law and after publication in the Belgian Official Government Statute Paper according to article 51 paragraph 3 of this law. The General Meeting will determine the form of dissolution and liquidation of the organization. In case the International non-profit organization is dissolved, its net assets will be donated to a non-profit organization with similar objectives. Article 12: The organization is managed by an Board of Directors composed of at least three and maximum 9 members. Each member may propose a candidate for the Board to the election committee. The Board Members are appointed by the General Meeting from candidates proposed by an advisory election committee which presents the General Meeting with a list of recommended candidates. The General Meeting appoints the members of the election committee. The members of the Board of Directors are elected for a period of two years and can be re-elected for two periods of two years maximum, starting from 1 January 2006. They may be dismissed by the General Meeting if a two-thirds majority of the members present or represented vote in favour of dismissal. Article 13: The President is elected by the General Meeting. The Board of Directors will decide how the other responsibilities such as Vice President, Secretary and Chief Financial Officer are divided between the members of the Board of Directors. Members of the Board of Directors can resign by doing this by sending a registered letter to the Chairman. 2

Article 14: The Board of Directors is empowered to deliberate and pass resolutions on issues assigned by the General Meeting. The Board of Directors must submit for the approval of the General Meeting the accounts of the past year and the budget for the next budgetary year. The fiscal year ends on the thirtyfirst of December. The Board of Directors may validly deliberate and decide, provided that at least two thirds of its members are present or represented. Resolutions are passed by a majority vote of the members present or represented. In the case of an equal vote, the Presidents vote will settle the matter. The resolutions of the Board of Directors are recorded in a register, signed by the President and kept by him at the registered office of the organization, available for review by the members. The Board of Directors may consign the day-to-day management of the organization to the President, a manager or an appointed person. Moreover, the Board of Directors may assign special well-defined functions to one or more persons. Article 15: The Board of Directors will develop Internal Rules, which will be submitted for the approval of the General Meeting. Article 16: The Board of Directors will proceed on behalf of the organization against third party(ies) as plaintiff or defendant in legal proceedings and will be represented by the President or by an appointed board member or third person appointed by the Board of Directors. Article 17: All documents, by which the organization is bound, except in the case of a special proxy, must be signed by the President or the representative, who will not have to justify to third parties the powers imparted to that end. The deeds covering appointments, resignation and the terminations of office of the persons authorized to represent the International Federation for non-profit, established according to the law, will be published in the official Belgian Government Statute Paper, at the expense of the Federation. Article 18: According to Article 53 of the law, the annual accounts of the past year and the budget for the following year will be drawn up by the Board of Directors and which will be presented to the General meeting for approval on the first General meeting. Article 19: Whatever is not provided for by the present articles of association and, notably the publications to be made in the Annexes to the Moniteur Belge, will be decided in conformity with the applicable legal provisions and the Internal Rules, approved by the General Meeting.