The General Assembly consists of all members enrolled in the association who have paid their dues. The provisions of the general law on associations and this charter shall apply.
The General Assembly meets regularly at least every six months, upon written invitation from the President of the Administrative Board specifying the time, place, and agenda.
It may also meet exceptionally when needed, upon decision of the Administrative Board in urgent situations, or upon written request signed by at least one third of General Assembly members.
Unless otherwise specified, a General Assembly meeting is quorate if attended by more than half of paid-up members. If quorum is not reached, a second session is held within two weeks and is quorate regardless of attendance. Decisions are made by majority of attending members, with the President casting the deciding vote in case of a tie.
The President must give written notice of ordinary meetings through the Secretariat at least two weeks in advance.
The association is managed by a body called the Administrative Board, consisting of six members: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Accountant.
Members are elected by secret ballot for a three-year term. No member may run or be elected unless they have been a member for at least one year. A copy of the election minutes must be submitted to the Ministry of Interior.
Members are elected from among General Assembly members; the winner is determined by majority of votes cast. In case of a tie, the earlier-joined member wins; if membership dates are equal, the older member wins. Results are announced immediately after counting.
The Board must set the date and venue for elections two months before term end, by written decision communicated to General Assembly members, announcing candidacy applications for a period not exceeding one month. New Board member elections must be completed no more than one week before the old term ends.
If the Board fails to perform these duties within the deadline, the General Assembly may convene upon call from one third of its members and act in place of the Board.
The newly elected Board meets within one week of its election, convened by its oldest member, and elects by secret ballot the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Accountant, and appoints a government representative.
The Board holds regular meetings monthly and may meet exceptionally when needed, convened by the President.
If a Board position becomes vacant, its duties are assigned to another member by majority Board decision. If half the Board positions become vacant, the Board is considered dissolved and the General Assembly must be called within one month to elect a new Board.
Unless otherwise specified, a Board meeting is quorate with more than half the members present. Decisions by majority; in case of a tie, the President or acting President casts the deciding vote.
The Administrative Board manages the association's affairs within the following framework:
The Vice President exercises all the President's powers in his absence and performs all duties assigned by the President.
The Secretary records the minutes and decisions of both the General Assembly and Administrative Board, receives and registers correspondence and presents it to the leadership, notifies members of meetings and communicates decisions to the relevant authorities, signs decisions, correspondence, and statements with the President, and is responsible for the association's records and archives. The Secretary prepares the administrative report and reviews it with the President before presenting it to the General Assembly.
The Treasurer collects registration and subscription fees and donations, receives all funds, transfers, and bonds on behalf of the association, co-signs all payment orders, receipts, and financial transactions with the President, submits an annual financial report to the Administrative Board after reviewing it with the President, and is responsible for maintaining financial records.
The Accountant supervises the association's financial controls, is responsible for all the association's fixed and movable assets, organizes their records according to commercial norms, and prepares the final accounts for the previous year and the budget for the coming year.
The membership registration fee is set at one hundred thousand Lebanese Pounds; the annual subscription fee is fifty thousand Lebanese Pounds per enrolled member.
The association's financial resources consist of:
Association funds shall be spent toward achieving the association's objectives.
Association funds are deposited in a bank designated by the Administrative Board. No funds may be disbursed without the joint signature of the President and Treasurer, or a person authorized by the Administrative Board.
Amounts exceeding one million Lebanese Pounds may only be disbursed by majority decision of the Administrative Board. Amounts below one million Pounds in a single matter may be disbursed by the President together with the Treasurer, who must report to the Administrative Board at its next meeting. Splitting payments to circumvent this limit is not permitted.
The financial year begins on January 1 and ends on December 31 of the same year. The first financial year begins on the date of the first Administrative Board election and ends on December 31 of that same year.
If a member commits an act that causes material or moral harm to the association, or exceeds their powers, the Administrative Board may refer them to a disciplinary council to examine the matter and propose sanctions to the Administrative Board, which decides by approval of two thirds of its members. The member has the right to appeal before the General Assembly within two weeks of receiving the decision.
A member is deemed to have resigned from the association if they lose a membership condition (except for founding members regarding Article 7, paragraph 3 of the Articles of Association), or if they miss four consecutive General Assembly sessions without valid excuse, or fail to pay dues within one month of receiving written notice.
A Board member is deemed to have resigned if they miss three consecutive Board sessions without valid excuse after written notice.
Any Board member may resign by written resignation to the Administrative Board, which may accept or reject it within fifteen days; silence constitutes acceptance.
The General Assembly may amend these regulations upon proposal by the Administrative Board or by 75% of General Assembly members, provided the amendment is approved by at least two thirds of members and the relevant authorities are notified.
Holds a Category (A) Certificate of Merit issued by the United Nations General Secretariat in July 2022
