The Statutes of The International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN)

 

 

 

§ 1 Aims and Objectives

The International Cities of Refuge Network for Freedom of Expression is a membership organization established in order to assist member cities and regions which offer persecuted writers, editors and publishers a safe place to stay and work for an agreed period. The Network, its definitions, and its relations to its partners are outlined in the four following documents:

 

            The ICORN Charter

            The present ICORN Statutes.

            The documents of agreement between ICORN and its member cities

            The contract between ICORN and the WiPC of International PEN

                       

The ICORN Administration Centre is located in Stavanger, Norway, where the legal and financial responsibilities for ICORN are also placed, in accordance with the terms laid out in the ICORN Charter.

 

 

§ 2 Membership

Any city (municipality), region or other relevant body worldwide that wants to sign the contract with ICORN referred to above (§ 1), and accepts the conditions therein, may apply for membership of ICORN. Applications for membership, put forward in writing, are accepted or rejected by the ICORN Administration Centre. The signed contract is then put forward at the next meeting of the Advisory Group that decides about the final acceptance or rejection of the candidate(s). Any member city that does not fulfil the duties in the contract signed with ICORN, may be excluded from the network’s services by the next General Assembly.

 

 

§ 3 General Assembly

The ICORN General Assembly will take place once during every calendar year. Any member (city, municipality or region) may host the General Assembly. If there is more than one proposal for the hosting of the next General Assembly, the ICORN Administration Centre in consultation with the Advisory Group will make a recommendation to the General Assembly, which will decide.

 

The General Assembly will discuss current issues, conduct elections, approve the financial accounts for the last year and the budget for the current year, decide upon any changes in the present statutes or any other ICORN documents, and decide the place and dates for the following General Assembly upon recommendations by the Administration Centre and the Advisory Group.

 

In connection with the General Assembly, the host will at its discretion organize conferences and literary or cultural events to which participants from member cities and regions are invited.

 

Each ICORN member will have one vote at the General Assembly.

 

Any documents, proposals or nominations to be discussed or voted upon by the General Assembly, must be received by the Administration Centre six weeks before the opening of the Assembly. All members shall receive these papers and the Assembly agenda three weeks before the General Assembly. The host is free to decide the time limit for registration for the General Assembly. The Assembly host will develop the Assembly Agenda in cooperation with the ICORN Administration Centre.

 

The ICORN Administration Centre shall forward a General Assembly Report less than 10 weeks after the Assembly has taken place.

 

 

§ 4 ICORN officers and bodies

The Board of ICORN is constituted by the Board of Sölvberget KF, Stavanger Cultural Centre, Norway, as defined in the ICORN Charter. The commitment of the Board of ICORN is set initially for a period of three years, but with the clear intention that ICORN will become a permanent institution. Hence, the ICORN Administration Centre is to draft a future consolidated organisational model for ICORN to the 2008 ICORN General Assembly. The final version is then to be laid forth for ratification to the ICORN General Assembly in 2009, and this paragraph of the Statutes will be altered subsequently. 

 

The Project Manager of ICORN is appointed by the Board of ICORN, which may also, upon proposal from the Project Manager or the Assembly General, appoint other staff to assist the Project Manager.

 

The ICORN Advisory Group will assist the Project Manager and the staff in his/her current work, on a voluntary basis. The Advisory Group, which is comprised of at least three representatives of the members, one representative for the writers hosted by the members, and one representative of International PEN, is elected by the General Assembly each year. Re-election is possible.The Advisory Group can appoint from among its own ranks a coordinator for its procedures. The Advisory Group members shall also take part in the General Assembly, without any voting privileges.

 

An ICORN International Writers and Expert Board will be appointed, to assist the Project Manager and the ICORN Advisory Group and represent the Network to the world. The International Writers and Expert Board will be elected by the General Assembly upon recommendations by the ICORN Advisory Group, the ICORN Administrative Centre or any of the members. The members of the International Writers Board will meet, if possible, once a year in connection with the Assembly General, and the members will remain in office until individual resignation or until voted out of office by the General Assembly.

 

 

 

 

§ 5 Votes and elections

All votes and elections are by simple majority, except for the changing of the present statutes or the ICORN charter and the Agreement documents between ICORN and the member cities as defined in § 1 above, for which a vote of a 2/3 majority among the members present in the General Assembly is required, and in the case of a dissolution of ICORN, when the procedure will be as stated in § 7 below.

 

Only members have the right to vote, and each member (city/municipality/region) has one vote. No vote can be taken on any issue that has not been put on the agenda sent out to the members, unless a 2/3 majority of members present, representing at least half of all the members, decide otherwise. If any vote results in a draw, the project manager of ICORN shall decide the result. Any vote or election shall be by secret ballot if at the request of any member. Otherwise, votes and elections are made by show of hands.

 

 

§ 6 Finances

Membership dues are defined by the contract between the Network (represented by the Board) and the members. Otherwise, finances are the responsibility of the Administration Centre and the Board, with accounts and budget to be accepted by the Assembly General as stated in § 3.

 

 

§ 7 Dissolution

ICORN may be dissolved and cease to function upon the decision of the General Assembly, by at least 3/4 majority among the members present, provided at least half of the existing members participate in such a vote.

 

If the Board decides to cease its functioning, it shall call an extraordinary General Assembly with ten weeks’ notice, to decide upon the eventual dissolution of ICORN. If the General Assembly in such a case decides not to accept the Board’s dissolution proposal, a new Board must be elected by the same extraordinary General Assembly. If this condition is not met, the Board will be free of all responsibilities.

 

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