Rules & Bye-Laws
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF JICA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF PAKISTAN
Conscious of the need to promote closer understanding and to foster closer relation and more fruitful mutual cooperation between former participants of training programmes organized by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), do hereby propose the establishment of JICA Alumni Association Pakistan.
ARTICLE I : NAME, EMBLEM AND LOCATION OF THE OFFICESection 1: The name of the Association shall be “JICA Alumni Association of Pakistan”, hereinafter referred to as the “Association” and the abbreviation shall be “JAAP”. The name of the Association in Urdu shall be:
Section 2: The emblem of the Association shall be
Section 3: The principal office of the Association shall be in Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan. The address of the Association shall be:
JICA Alumni Association of Pakistan
c/o JICA Pakistan Office
3rd Floor, COMSATS Building,
Constitution Avenue, G-5/2,
Islamabad-44000, PAKISTAN.
Addresses of the regional chapters of JAAP shall be as follows
Lahore Chapter:
JICA Alumni Association of Pakistan-Lahore Chapter
Karachi Chapter
JICA Alumni Association of Pakistan – Karachi Chapter
Peshawar Chapter
JICA Alumni Association of Pakistan – Peshawar Chapter
Quetta Chapter:
JICA Alumni Association of Pakistan – Quetta Chapter
Section 4: The Association shall be a non-political entity. The objectives of the Association shall be to:
(a) Promote and foster friendship among the members of the Association
(b) Promote and foster dissemination of knowledge and transfer of technical know how among the former training programme participants
(c) Promote and foster useful research activities for the development of Pakistan
(d) Promote and foster cooperation programmes, activities and projects
(e) Engage itself in non-commercial and non-profitable activities in line with the above activities.
(f) Develop and promote contacts with relevant training institutions with a view to exchange information of mutual benefit
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP AND SUBSCRIPTION
Section 5: There shall be following categories of membership:
(a) Life Members
(b) Members
(c) Honorary Members
Section 6: Life Members shall comprise the participants who attended meetings, seminars, observation tours and training programmes organized by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It shall also include any other persons who are interested in the activities of the Association and are ready to render their voluntary services for the Association. General Secretary of the Executive Committee may approve induction of non-JICA Training Programme participants upon receipt of membership fees and other dues.
Section 7: Members of the Association means any members who became members of the Association in the past and have not upgraded their membership to Life Membership. Such one-year membership shall not be available for new members. Previous one-year membership holders may continue to renew their membership on year to year basis
Section 8: Honorary Members shall be:
(a) Officials of Government of Pakistan who deal with technical cooperation activities.
(b) Persons who are willing to patronize the Association.
(c) Any other persons decided by the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE IV: SUBSCRIPTION AND FEES
Section 9: (a) Life Members shall pay Registration Fee (Rs. 150) and Life Membership Fee (Rs. 500)
(b) Members shall pay Registration Fee (Rs. 150) and Annual Membership Fee (Rs. 100)
(c) Honorary Members shall not be required to pay any membership fee
Section 10: (a) The alteration of subscription and fees shall be decided by the Executive Committee.
(b) Subscription paid by any member shall not be refundable.
(c) The unpaid annual subscription of more than three
(3) months after the due date shall be notified in writing by the General Secretary of the Association. Non-payment of annual membership dues six months after the due date shall result in removal of name of member from the mailing list. Thenceforth, such defaulter member shall not have the right to participate in any activities of the Association. Revival of a dormant membership shall require
(i) Request in writing to the President
(ii) Payment of all outstanding dues, and (iii) Approval of the President of the Association
ARTICLE V: RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF THE MEMBERS
Section 11: Members of the Association shall submit their opinion concerning activities or affairs of the Association to the Executive Committee, or, during a General Body Meeting
Section 12: All members of the Association, except the Honorary Members shall have the right to inquire or ask for permission from the Executive Committee to see any documents, accounts or assets of the Association
Section 13: All members of the Association, except the Honorary Members, shall have the right to cast their vote in the elections of the Association. Honorary Members may attend the meetings, activities, elections, etc. by invitation.
Section 14: Members of the Association shall abide by the Rules and By-Laws of the Association.
Section 15: Members shall inform the General Secretary, in writing, about any change of personal information/ particulars give in the membership form.
ARTICLE VI: TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
Section 16: Termination of membership shall take place in case of;
(a) death of a member
(b) relinquishment of membership
(c) majority vote of the Executive Committee against any member who fails to abide by the Rules and By-Laws of the Association, or, acts in a manner not in line with his status as member of the Association
Section 17: Any member desirous of relinquishing the membership of the Association shall make a written request to the President of the Association. Any of his/ her arrears in payment of subscription, fees, or dues shall have to be settled.
ARTICLE VII: ACTIVITIES
Section 18: The Association shall undertake such activities as are in line with the objectives of the Association described under Article II of the By-Laws, including but not limited to:
(a) Lectures, discussions, study meetings, reorientation courses, tours, recreation activities.
(b) Training courses for members and their families
(c) Film shows of cultural, social and technical nature.
(d) Collection and dissemination of valuable reading and audiovisual materials of mutual interest among the members.
(e) Compilation and updation of comprehensive directory of members.
(f) Pre-departure Briefing for JICA training programme participants
(g) Activities beneficial for the members of the Association
(h) Social welfare activities
ARTICLE VIII: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND MANAGEMENT
Section 19: There shall be a Executive Committee to administer the activities of the Association in accordance with the rules laid down to serve the purpose of the Association. The Executive Committee consist of the following:
(a) President
(b) Executive Vice President
(c) Vice President
(d) General Secretary
(e) Additional General Secretary
(f) Finance Secretary
(g) Protocol Secretary
(h) Cultural Secretary
(i) Organizing Secretary
(j) Press Secretary
(k) Liaison Secretary
(l) Executive Members (10)
(m) Executive Member (Representative Lahore Chapter)
(n) Executive Member (Representative Karachi Chapter)
(o) Executive Member (Representative Peshawar Chapter)
(p) Executive Member (Representative Quetta Chapter)
Section 20: The Executive Committee shall exercise its powers related to management of the Association through:
(a) President (or in his absence, Executive Vice President)
(b) General Secretary (or in his absence, Additional General Secretary)
Section 21: The affairs of the Association shall be managed by the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE IX: ELECTION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 22: The term of an Executive Committee shall be three (3) years. Members of the Executive Committee shall be elected from amongst the Life Members and Associate Life Members of the Association. Members with annual membership and Honorary Members shall not be eligible for election to the Executive Committee.
Section 23: Election of the Executive Committee shall be conducted in the following manner:
(a) Any eligible member of the Association, described in Section 22 of the By-Laws, may send a written nomination endorsed by five (5) other Life Members or Associate Life Members to the General Secretary of the Association, twenty one (21) days prior to the date of election.
(b) President of the Association shall announce the names of candidates for each position of the Executive Committee at the time of election.
(c) A candidate shall be elected through a majority vote of the members, except Honorary Members, present during the election.
(d) In case of a position in the Executive Committee falling vacant during the term of office, the Executive Committee may either assign the additional responsibilities to another member of the Executive Committee, or, to any other Life Member of the Association. Such an induction shall be placed before the next General Meeting for ex-post facto approval.
ARTICLE X: DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 24: Duties of the Executive Committee:
(a) Management of affairs of the Association in line with objectives of the Association.
(b) The Executive Committee shall not act contrary to the expressed wishes of majority members of the General Body.
(c) The Executive Committee shall authorize expenditure for carrying out the activities of the Association.
(d) The Executive Committee may appoint such sub-committees as it may deem necessary and determine the extent of powers to be vested in the sub-committee.
(e) President shall chair meetings of the General Body and the Executive committee. The President shall also represent the Association in dealing with other organizations. President shall have the powers to authorize any expenditure in case of any emergent requirement,
(f) Executive Vice President shall enjoy the powers of the President in case of absence of the latter.
(g) Vice President of the Association shall have responsibilities similar to Executive Vice President except the financial and administrative powers.
(h) General Secretary shall be responsible for overall general administration. The General Secretary shall maintain all record of the Association, including minutes of different meetings. The General Secretary shall maintain the accounts of the Association jointly with the Finance Secretary. Executive Committee shall decide the financial powers vested in General Secretary of the Association.
(i) Additional General Secretary shall jointly handle the responsibilities of the General Secretary, and shall officiate as General Secretary, in case of absence of the latter.
(j) Finance Secretary and President shall jointly operate the Association’s bank account(s). and shall submit the reports annually before the General Body and also prepare the annual budget proposal with consultation of General Secretary.
(k) The Protocol Secretary shall be responsible for all protocol related duties including, but not limited to, receiving dignitaries during important meetings, assistance in making arrangements of important activities.
(l) The Cultural Secretary shall be responsible for arranging and conducting cultural and social activities as decided by the Executive Committee.
(m) The Organizing Secretary shall be responsible for membership drive, enhancement of membership, and raising funds for the Association. He shall also be responsible for other matters assigned to him/ her by the Executive Committee.
(n) The Press Secretary shall be responsible for publishing and circulating activities of the Association in the general press and the mass media, as authorized by the Executive Committee. The Press Secretary shall also be responsible for maintenance of all published record.
(o) The Liaison Secretary shall be responsible for strengthening the linkages of the Association and other similar organizations.
(p) Other members of the Executive Committee shall render necessary assistance in management of the Association as and when requested by the Executive Committee to do so.
(q) The Executive Committee shall allocate funds to the regional chapters.
(r) The sub-committee appointed by the Executive Committee shall carry out its assigned responsibilities.
(s) The General Secretary may hire the services of any personnel on temporary or permanent basis with the approval of Executive Committee..
(t) The term of office of an Executive Member shall terminate in case (i) expiry of term, (ii) resigning, (iii) termination of membership, or (iv) a majority decision of the General Body.
(u) The Executive Committee shall meet at least once in every three (3) months after seven (7) days’ notice to all members of the Executive Committee.
(v) The Executive Committee shall conduct its business on the basis of a majority vote. In case of tie vote, the President shall arbitrate to reach a decision.
(w) Quorum for a meeting of the Executive Committee shall be 1/3rd of the total number of Executive Committee members.
Section 25: A meeting of the General Meeting may be called by the Executive Committee or at least 30 Life Members of the Association at a notice of 21 days. Quorum for a meeting of the General Body shall be 1/6th of the total number of members of the Association.
Section 26: The Executive Committee shall present reports on previous activities, performance, balance sheet, etc. during a meeting of the General Body.
ARTICLE XII: REGIONAL CHAPTERS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT
Section 27: The Executive Committee shall authorize the establishment of regional chapters of the Association. An Executive Body in each regional chapter shall manage the affairs of the concerned chapter of the Association.
Section 28: The Executive Body of the regional chapter shall be elected by the members of that region and shall work under the overall supervision of the Executive Committee. The term of office of the Executive Body of the regional chapters shall be the same as of the main Executive Committee. The eligibility of a candidate for election to the Executive Body shall be the same as for an Executive Committee Member, defined in Section 22 of the By-Laws. Elections of a regional chapter shall be supervised by General Secretary of the Executive Committee.
Section 29: The composition of Executive Body of a regional chapter shall be as follows:
(a) Convener
(b) Coordinator
(c) Treasurer
(d) Executive Members (3)
Section 30: The Executive Body of the regional chapter shall designate one of its Executive Body Members as a representative in the main Executive Committee. Such a member shall act as the focal person for correspondence with the main Executive Committee. Participation of such an Executive Member (representative) shall not be mandatory in the Executive Committee meetings.
Section 31: The Executive Body shall exercise its powers related to management of the regional chapter through:
(c) Convener
(d) Coordinator
Section 32: The Convener shall chair the meetings of the Executive Body. The Convener and the Treasurer shall jointly operate the bank account(s) of the regional chapter.
Section 33: Coordinator shall be responsible for overall general administration. The Coordinator shall maintain all record of the regional chapter of the Association, including minutes of different meetings. The Coordinator shall maintain the accounts of the chapter of the Association jointly with the Treasurer and sign the vouchers of expenditure and shall submit the reports annually to the Executive Committee of the Association.
ARTICLE XIII: FUNDS
Section 34: The funds of the Association shall comprise:
(a) The membership and annual subscription from members
(b) Contribution by members
(c) Voluntary donations by individuals or organizations
(d) Collection from other sources authorized by the Executive Committee of the Association
Section 35: The funds of the regional chapters of the Association shall comprise:
(a) Funds allocated by the Executive Committee of the Association
(b) Contribution by members from the region
(c) Voluntary donations by individuals or organizations
(d) Collection from other sources authorized by the Executive Committee of the Association
ARTICLE XIV: AUDIT
Section 36: A qualified auditor shall conduct the audit of the accounts of the Association and those of the regional chapters on yearly basis and shall submit its report to the Executive Committee of the Association.
Section 37: The audited accounts of the Association shall be presented in the General Body by the Finance Secretary.
ARTICLE XV: AFFILIATION(S)
Section 38: The Executive Committee shall decide about affiliation(s) with other organizations for promotion of mutual aims, welfare and objectives.
ARTICLE XVI: INTERPRETATION
Section 39: In the interpretation of these Rules and By-Laws, the decision of the Executive Committee shall be final unless countermanded by a majority vote of members present during a General Body Meeting.
ARTICLE XVII: AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION
Section 40: Amendments to the Constitution may be made by a majority vote of members, except the Honorary Members, present at a meeting of the General Body.
ARTICLE XVIII: DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION AND CLEARING OF THE ACCOUNTS
Section 41: A proposal for the dissolution of the Association shall be sent in written notice one month prior to the meeting of the General Body, especially convened for this purpose. Such dissolution shall be pronounced only by a two-third majority vote of members present in a meeting, except Honorary Members. The General Body shall determine the manner in which the assets of the Association shall be disposed off.
