Statutes of SILBA

Art. 1:
The name of the organization is "SILBA - Support Initiative for Liberty and Democracy".

Art. 2:
The association is a youth organization domiciled in the municipality of Copenhagen.

Art. 3:
Part 1. Eligible for membership are individuals, no matter of age, who sympathize with the aim of the association.
Part 2. Local branches of SILBA can be accepted as members after gaining a 2/3 support in the main board, there after these members will gain member rights.
Part 3. Other organizations and businesses can be admitted as collective supporting members without election and voting rights, by paying a minimal membership fee which are been set by the campaign committee.

Art. 4:
The aim of the association is:
* to support and co-operate with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), especially youth organizations, in the new member and neighbour countries of the EU, who works for liberty and democracy.
* to increase Danes' the knowledge about and awareness of the new member and neighbour countries of the EU.

Art. 5:
SILBA maintains liaison with and co-operates with international umbrella organizations and other international organizations working within the same fields in order to obtain a maximum of effect.

Art. 6:
The funds of the association are raised through membership fees, unsolicited donations and Danish and International foundations.

Art. 7:
Part 1. The association is signed by the chairman of the main board and the treasurer. Only these can take up loans.
Part 2. In day to day affairs decisions are taken in the executive committee.
Part 3. The chairman of the executive committee and the representative of the main board in the executive committee can, together, take decisions of urgent character.
Part 4. Decisions which level of importance does not call of a meeting in the executive committee can be taken by the chairman of the executive committee or the relevant function leader, according to his area of authority.

Art. 8:
Part 1. The supreme power of the association is the general assembly which is held each year no later than the end of March.
Part 2. The general assembly is called in, in writing, with no less than 20 days’ notice to those members who have paid their subscription for the last accounting year, or as far as new members are concerned, the current accounting year.

The agenda of the general assembly must at least contain the following items:

1. Election of the chairman of the meeting, the secretary of the meeting and vote counters.
2. Statement by the chairman of the main board.
3. Statement by the chairman of the executive committee.
4. The treasurer presents the audited and sent out accounts.
5. Discussion of and voting on political and organizational proposals received.
6. Discussion of and voting on proposed changes to the statutes of the organization.
7. Fixing of the individual and collective subscription fee of the next accounting year.
8. Elections to the main board:
a) Election of the chairman.
b) Election of the vice-chairman.
c) Election of the treasurer.
d) Election of at least 4 other members of the main board.
9. Elections to the executive committee:
a) Election of the chairman.
b) Election of the international project manager.
c) Election of the chairman of the activity committee.
d) Election of the chairman of the campaign committee.
e) Election of the financial manager.
f) Election of the webmaster.
10. Election of two auditors and one auditor’s substitute.
11. Other businesses.

Part 3. An extraordinary general assembly must be held when a majority of the members of the main board or at least one fifth of the members of the association demands this.

Part 4. Eligible and entitled to vote at the general assembly are all members summoned to the general meeting as mentioned in part 2.

Part 5. All elections for offices for which more candidates than one have been nominated are decided by ballot.

Part 6. As far as other votes are concerned, a ballot has to be taken if at least one of the entitled to vote persons present expresses such a wish, or the chairman decides this.

Part 7. Proposals for discussion at the general assembly under item 5 and 6 on the agenda must come the secretary of the main board to hand not later than 10 days before the general assembly and must not later than 8 days before be sent by e-mail to all members with voting rights, i.e. provided that they have communicated their email-address to SILBA.

Art. 9:
Part 1. The association is managed by a main board consisting of at least seven members.

Part 2. All elections to the main board are valid until the next ordinary general assembly.

Part 3. The committee elects as its officers a secretary, a representative in the executive committee and possibly officers in charge of other tasks.

Part 4. The main board lays down the specific guidelines for its work in an order of business.

Part 5. The main board otherwise appoints committees as required and defines tasks and fields of activity as far as these committees are concerned.

Part 6. In the event of the of a member of the main boards mid-term retirement the committee elects a new member who shall act as such till the next general assembly.

Part 7. In the event of a tie when the main board votes the chairman casts the decisive vote.

Art. 10:
Part 1. Daily leadership of the organization is conducted by the executive committee.

Part 2. The executive committee is consisting of the chairman of the executive committee, the international project manager, the chairman of the activity committee, the webmaster, the SILBA financial manager, the representative of the main board and a representative of each local branch.

Part 3. The members of the executive committee, except for the representatives of the local branches, are elected in direct and individual elections during the general assembly.

Part 4. Representatives of local branches in the executive committee are elected at local general assemblies. In the event that a locally elected later gets elected for the executive committee in the general assembly of the national organization, the local branch is represented via it's substitute.

Part 5. All elections to the executive committee are valid until the next ordinary general assembly. Though not if an extraordinary general assembly has reconstruction as it's purpose.

Part 6. The executive committee constitutes it self with a secretary and possibly officers in charge of other tasks.

Part 7. The executive committee lays down the specific guidelines for its work in an order of business.

Part 8. The executive committee has an "international project committee", an "activity committee", a "campaign committee" and a "website committee" as it's permanent sub-committees.

Part 9. The executive committee lays down the specific guidelines for the work of the permanent sub-committees in an order of business and for other committees which the executive committee chooses to form.

Part 10. The chairmen of the permanent committees are elected at the general assembly. The executive committee defines the size of the individual committee and elects it's members.

Part 11. The executive committee can, when a member of a committee leaves between two general assemblies elect a new member for as well the executive committee as the permanent committees and other committees which the executive committee have chosen to form. Though the main board has to validate the new members of the executive committee.

Part 12. The executive committee can with a 2/3 majority choose to have a member of a committee, also committee chairmen elected at the general assembly, changed.

Part 13. In the event of a tie when the executive committee votes the chairman casts the decisive vote, though not in questions relating to part 12 in the present article.

Part 14. the same person can, no matter what the number of committee chairmanships, have no more than one vote in the executive committee.

Art. 11:
Part 1. The accounting year of the association is the calendar year. The annual accounts of the association must be audited by two auditors elected at the general assembly. The auditors and the auditor's substitute are elected for a one-year term.

Part 2. No other funds than the funds of the association can be subject to liability on behalf of the association.

Part 3. The association is entitled to contract debts on the basis on funds granted in order to maintain liquidity.

Art. 12:
Part 1. These rules can only be amended at a general assembly if two thirds of those present and entitled to vote cast their votes in favour of an amendment.

Part 2. Rule amendments take effect immediately.

Art. 13:
Part 1. The association can only be dissolved if two thirds of those entitled to vote cast their votes in favour of dissolution at two successive general meetings, and if the "wish of dissolving the organization" is expressed on the original invitation.

Part 2. In the event of a dissolution of the organization the possible funds of the organization shall fall to DUF - The Danish Youth Council for using in areas covered by SILBA's article 4.


As adopted by the ordinary general assembly of the association on 28th of January, 2006.