ASIAN FEDERATION ON INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
(AFID)

 ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
(CONSTITUTION)

Article I.   Name 

Asian Federation on Intellectual Disabilities (AFID) herein referred to as the Federation.

Article II.    Office 

The office of the Federation shall be in the country of the elected President.

Article III.    Objectives 

1.                  Promote, coordinate and sponsor activities related to intellectual disabilities in Asia.

2.                  Assist the formation of national organizations in any Asian country, and assist such national organizations to coordinate activities related to intellectual disabilities.

3.                  Provide means for intercommunication between various national organizations and individuals in Asia through publications, delegations, tours, etc.

4.                  Cooperate with international and regional organizations that have programs related to intellectual disabilities.

5.                  Encourage and facilitate exchanges of personnel.

6.                  Organize biennial conferences in the country of the President, and other conferences, seminars or workshops as called for by the Executive Board.

7.                  Promote research.

8.                  Advance the interest on intellectual disabilities by providing awards, fellowships and scholarships.

9.                  Receive donations and collect and administer funds and possess property for carrying out the objectives of the Federation.

Article IV.    Membership 

1.                  The Federation shall be a non-political and not-for-profit organization.

2.                  The Federation shall accept into full membership those national organizations from any Asian country, whose objectives are similar to the objectives of the Federation.

3.                  There shall be three categories of members:

a.       Full member

                                                               i.      Any national organization or government agency having similar objectives to those of the Federation.

                                                             ii.      In case there is more than one organization from the same country applying for membership, the first organization to join shall remain a full member until such time as the various organizations in that country are able to come together to form a single national organization to represent them.

                                                            iii.      There shall be only one full member per country. However, should there be any country, which is not united, each entity may apply for full membership until that country is reunited. The opposing entity shall have no veto over the other entity becoming a member.

                                                           iv.      Any full member whose country unites with another entity shall have the option to remain as a full member. 

b.      Associate member

                                                               i.      Any organization in Asia where there is already a full member.

                                                             ii.      Any organization outside Asia. 

c.       Honorary member

                                                               i.      Any organization or individual whose contribution to the work of the Federation is considered by the Executive Board to be of great importance.

                                                             ii.      Their number at any time shall not exceed seven.

                                                            iii.      Honorary membership shall be for Life. 

4.                   Full and associate membership is not the prerogative of any individual. These memberships are for organizations that have the right to nominate and/or change their representative as they wish.

5.                  Applications for membership, reviewed and recommended by the Membership Committee, shall be presented to the Executive Board for its approval.

6.                  Should there be any member that contravenes these Constitutions, the Executive Board may recommend to the General Assembly to dismiss that member.

 Article V.    Membership Fees 

1.                   Members approved as per article IV (3) shall be admitted as members of the Federation on payment of an admission fee, as well as an annual membership fee.

2.                  The admission fee shall be twice the amount of the membership fee. Associate members shall pay half of what full members pay both for admission and membership fees.

3.                  The Executive Board with approval of the General Assembly shall set these fees.

4.                  Arrears of membership fees shall lead to a lapse of membership, upon recommendation of the Executive Board subject to the approval of the General Assembly.

5.                  Membership shall be restored with the approval of the Executive Board upon payment of the admission fee and membership fee.

6.                  The financial year of the Federation shall be from 1st January to 31st December of each year.

 Article VI.    Administration 

1.                   General Assembly

a.       The General Assembly shall consist of one representative from each full member. Other people may attend the meetings but they shall have no vote in the deliberations.

b.      The General Assembly shall be held at least once towards the end of each biennial conference.

c.       The General Assembly shall constitute a nine member Executive Board, approving the new President and 1 st and 2nd Vice President and Immediate Past President and electing a 3rd Vice President and four Members at Large. 

2.                   Executive Board

a.       The Executive Board shall consist of nine members, namely the President, three Vice-Presidents, the Immediate Past President and four Members at Large.

b.      The President shall host the following biennial conference.

c.       The three Vice-Presidents shall be elected in an order designating that they shall be the hosts of succeeding conferences. However, this order shall be re-approved by the General Assembly.

d.      The Executive Board members shall hold office for two years.

e.       The Executive Board may meet a number of times during the conference.

f.        The Executive Board shall also meet in the year preceding the biennial conference in the country of the President.

g.       The President may choose to invite other persons to attend the board meeting but they shall have no vote.

h.       No full member shall have more than one representative on the Executive Board.

i.         Honorary members as well as a representative of the Permanent Secretariat and the Asian Resource Center may attend each board meeting with voice but no vote.

Article VII.    Duties of Officers 

1.                   The President shall be the chairperson of the Executive Board as well as the General Assembly.

2.                   The President shall represent the Federation in all matters during the tenure of office.

3.                   The President shall propose all agenda items, name the place and date of all meetings, and appoint all committee members with approval of the Executive Board.

4.                   The President shall supervise the work and activities of the Federation and shall be responsible for presenting administrative reports and annual accounts to the Executive Board and General Assembly.

5.                   A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) shall be named by the President to audit all accounts at the end of each calendar year as well as at the end of tenure of office.

Article VIII.    Elections 

1.                   The General Assembly shall approve the presidential administrative report and financial accounts, and conduct the election to the Executive Board.

2.                   Representatives of the full members are eligible to vote and be elected to any office in the Federation.

3.                   Associate members shall have no voting rights, and shall not be elected to office.

Article IX.    Meetings 

1.                   The President shall announce the date and venue of the General Assembly and the Executive Board meetings along with their agendas at least two months in advance.

2.                   The President shall manage all affairs of the Federation, including those not covered in these articles in between meetings of the General Assemblies.

3.                   A majority of the full members shall oblige the President to call meetings of the General Assembly and of the Executive Board.

4.                   The quorum for these meetings must be 1/3 or 6 of the voting members, whichever is the less.

5.                   Each full member shall be entitled to one vote.

6.                   Full members shall indicate in writing the name of the person representing them and authorized to vote.

7.                   The President may take a written poll of the membership in regard to any matter of importance.

 Article X.    Permanent Secretariat 

1.                   The Permanent Secretariat shall be based in Singapore at 800 Margaret Drive and shall be responsible for keeping an updated membership list and keeping all records of meetings, General Assemblies and conferences.

2.                   The Secretariat shall collect all fees and give a complete accounting of all income and expenditures at the Executive Board meetings and General Assemblies.

3.                   The Secretariat shall publish a newsletter and/or edit a web site with the news of member organizations and other matters that pertain to intellectual disabilities.

Article XI.    Asian Resource Center 

1.                   The Asian Resource Center (ARC) shall offer information on mental retardation to people and various organizations concerned with the welfare, education, medical care and administration on intellectual disabilities.

2.                   The ARC shall have an Advisory Committee composed of representatives of 5 full members who shall be designated at the Executive Board meeting that takes place immediately after the General Assembly. The Advisory Committee shall elect a chairperson of ARC.

3.                   The ARC office shall be located at the Japan League on Developmental Disabilities.

4.                   The ARC shall conduct activities such as maintaining a database of information in Asian Countries, personnel training, publications~ technical and material assistance, and an ARC award.

5.                   The ARC shall be composed of Resource Centers, which shall be set up in each AFID member country.

6.                   Full members shall pay an annual fee for the ARC. Associate members shall pay half of what the full members pay.

 Article XII.    Membership Committee 

1.                   The Membership Committee shall be chaired by the 3rd Vice President with 2 other members, 1 from among the honorary members and 1 from among the members at large who are nominated by the president and approved by the Executive Board at the meeting that takes place right after the General Assembly.

2.                   Application of membership shall be submitted to the Permanent Secretariat along with an English copy of their constitutions. Such an application shall be forwarded to the members of the Membership Committee.

Article XIll.    Amendments 

1.                   Proposed amendments to these Articles of Association shall be submitted in writing to the President and all full members at least two months before the General Assembly.

2.                   Approval of amendments shall be by a majority of the full membership or 3/4ths of the full members in attendance.

Article XIV.    Dissolution 

1.                   The Federation can only be dissolved by a Resolution passed by a simple majority at a General Assembly in which not less than 3/4ths of the full members are present.

2.                   The General Assembly shall appoint a liquidator for determining the assets and liabilities of the Federation as of the date of the resolution.

3.                   The disposal of the net assets shall be decided upon by the same token, the beneficiaries being organizations with similar objectives.