UNITED NATIONS
LOCAL EXPATRIATE SPOUSE ASSOCIATION
IN GENEVA
UNLESA-Geneva
CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS
Ratified and adopted by the General Assembly Meeting
of 17 December 2009
UNHCR, Geneva
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I.
NATURE AND OBJECTIVES
Article 1 – Nature of the Association
Article 2 – Objectives of the Association
II.
MEMBERSHIP
Article 3 – Regular membership
Article 4 – Associate Members
Article 5 – Beginning and End of Membership
Article 6 – Members’ Rights and Obligations
III.
STRUCTURE
Article 7 – The Executive Board
Article 8 – The functions of the Executive Board members
Article 9 – The Executive Committee
Article 10 - The General Assembly
Article 11 – The Working Groups
Article 12 – The Advisory Council
Article 13 – The Interested Parties
Article 14 – The Association’s Partners
IV.
MANAGEMENT OF AFFAIRS
Article 15 - Meetings
Article 16 – Quorum
Article 17 – Elections
Article 18 – Term of office
Article 19 – Vacancies
Article 20 – Financial contribution to the functioning of the Association
Article 21 – General Provision on communications
Article 22 – By-laws’ amendments
Article 23 - Dissolution
Article 24 – Ratification & Entry into force
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I.
NATURE AND OBJECTIVES
Article 1 – Nature of the Association
a)
The United Nations Local Expatriate Spouse Association in Geneva,
hereafter referred to as the UNLESA-Geneva is established in Geneva, Switzerland,
headquarters of the Organisation of the United Nations in Geneva (UNOG) and of
several UN subsidiary organs, specialised agencies, programmes and bodies.
b)
The UNLESA-Geneva is created pursuant to the provisions of the United
Nations Development Group (UNDG) Joint Guidance Note on the Employment of
Expatriate Spouses of July 2004, hereafter referred to as “the Joint Guidance Note”.
c)
Accordingly, the UNLESA-Geneva shall be affiliated with the United
Nations Global Expatriate Spouse Association (UN-GESA), which operates under the
umbrella of the “Staff Mobility and Dual Career” programme, in the Chief Executives
Board.
d)
The UNLESA-Geneva shall be a non-profit and non-governmental group.
e)
The Association is created for an indefinite term.
Article 2 – Objectives of the Association
The objectives of the Association are:
a)
Primarily to support the spouses of expatriate UN staff members affected
by the rotation policy who have professional and career aspirations, to find suitable
and quality employment in the Geneva Canton, Canton de Vaud and/or “neighbouring
France” ;
b)
To actively engage and promote with prospective employers and other
relevant partners within and outside the UN system, the experienced pool of resources
that these spouses with varied and expatriate expertise, readily represent ;
c)
To support the above-mentioned spouses in keeping and improving their
professional qualifications during the expatriate UN staff members’ assignment in
Geneva by promoting and organizing the participation of the UNLESA-Geneva
Members in workshops, conferences, seminars, training courses and other relevant
events organised by or through the United Nations System or other relevant
institutions ;
d)
To oversee and encourage the transparent, efficient and fair implementation
of the above-mentioned “Joint Guidance Note on the Employment of Expatriate
Spouses”,
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1. where relevant through advocacy with the prospective employers including
within the United Nations system
2. and through its partnership with and annual reporting to the United Nations
Global Expatriate Spouse Association (UN-GESA) ;
e)
To implement, on the basis of an annual work plan, activities with a view
to addressing the priority concerns and interests of the Association’ members
primarily but not exclusively in the field of employment ;
f)
To network with other local expatriate spouse Associations and relevant
groups, particularly the diplomatic community, multinational institutions and nongovernmental organisations, with the aim of promoting the exchange of information
and possibly the implementation of activities ;
g)
To produce an on-line “Welcome Package” for newly arrived expatriate
spouses that include information on the services available in the Geneva Canton and
“neighbouring France” primarily towards the early identification of employment
opportunities for expatriate spouses but also regarding family support network and
organizations, and any such information as may be deemed relevant ;
h)
II.
To represent for its Members,
1. a support mechanism through the holding of periodic and ad hoc meetings
of Association members to review progress, discuss new initiatives,
develop new strategies,
2. an information provider through the maintenance of a UNLESA-Geneva
web-site.
MEMBERSHIP
Article 3 – Regular membership
a)
All physical persons with whom a staff member (of a member organization
of the UN Dual Career and Staff Mobility Programme or of an organization of the UN
common system) is affiliated by virtue of a marriage or registered partnership
recognized by a competent national authority are eligible to become members of the
Association.
b)
All spouses of internationally recruited staff members of the United
Nations and its subsidiary organs, specialised agencies and other agencies and
organizations of the United Nations system residing in Switzerland and “neighbouring
France”, are eligible to be UNLESA-Geneva regular members.
c)
The list of participating organisations can be found on the following web
site : www.unstaffmobility.org.
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Article 4 – Associate Members
Associate membership shall be open, upon presentation of the relevant documentation:
a)
To non-resident spouses before their coming to Switzerland in anticipation
of a UN staff member’s transfer. Upon arrival to Switzerland, a non-resident spouse
granted the status of associate member must convert the membership into a regular status
within two months.
b)
To the residing spouses of UN staff members who have been transferred to
a non-family duty station. Should the UN staff member return to Geneva, the associate
member must convert his/her membership into a regular status within two months.
The Associate Members shall have some of the privileges of regular members, such as the
access to the Association’s annual Activity Report, the attendance as observers to the
annual General Assembly meetings, the participation to the Association’s activities open
to non-members but shall have no voting rights or the right to hold an elected or
nominated office.
Article 5 – Beginning and End of Membership
a)
A member shall only become a bona fide member upon submission of the
membership application form approved by the Association’s Executive Board. Except
for the period from 17 December 2009 (official date of the Association’s creation) to
31 December 2010, the membership ends automatically at the end of each calendar
year (31 December) and must be renewed by the member each year by validating with
the Association’s Secretary, the given membership information ;
b)
A member shall lose his/her membership upon termination of the spouse’s
employment/service contract within the United Nations system. In the case of death of
or divorce from a UN staff member, the member shall be allowed to continue his/her
regular membership status, unless he/she voluntarily resigns. However, the validity of
this membership shall only run up to the end of the calendar year ;
c)
In the event that a regular member of the Association is hired by any UN
body, such member shall be allowed to retain his/her regular membership status,
unless he/she voluntarily relinquishes such status ;
d)
Any member may tender his/her written resignation to the Association for
whatever reasons she/he may have ;
e)
Any member shall be subjected to expulsion proceedings by the Executive
Board for wilful violation of the By-laws or for acts inimical or detrimental to the
reputation of the Association.
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Article 6 – Members’ Rights and Obligations
A member has the following rights and obligations in the Association :
a)
The rights of members are :
1. to participate in all legitimate affairs of the Association ;
2. to vote and to be voted for in any of its elections ;
3. to participate in and to be appointed as focal point of any Working Group
of his/her choice within the Association;
4. to have access to the official records of the Association subject to its rules
and regulations ;
5. to be informed of all vital information concerning the affairs of the
Association ;
6. to request assistance from the UNLESA-Geneva Executive Board and
Working Groups’ members ;
7. to have such other rights inherent to the quality of member of such an
Association.
b)
The obligations of members are :
1. to actively participate in all legitimate affairs and activities of the
Association, in particular in its annual General Assembly meeting, to
support its cause and respect its By-Law ;
2. to fill out and submit a membership form and to renew the membership
each year ;
3. to vote in any of its elections ;
4. to inform the Secretary of the Association, of any employment found
through the UNLESA-Geneva’s network and activities ;
5. to elect the members of the Executive Committee each year ;
6. to submit all necessary data as per the prescribed format, in order to be
included in the UNLESA-Geneva database on the spouses’ professional
profile ;
7. to actively participate in the research and sharing of information and job
opportunities while living in the country ;
8. to take note of the UNLESA-Geneva’s activities, propose activities and
projects to the Association through open discussion, debates, motions and
voting for adoption ;
9. to attend regularly the Association’s meetings ;
10. to respond to membership surveys ;
11. to notify the Chairperson about his/her having found a job ;
12. to notify the Chairperson about his/her departure from the country, with a
thirty day notice if the member holds an office within the Association ;
13. to avoid actions that are inimical or contrary to the Association’s
reputation;
14. to perform such other duties and responsibilities required from the member
of an Association.
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An associated member also has the foregoing rights and obligations, except for the right to
vote and to be voted for in any of the positions of the Association.
III.
STRUCTURE
The UNLESA-Geneva shall be managed and guided by :
Article 7 – The Executive Board
a) The Executive Board will comprise a Chairperson, a Co-Chairperson and
a Secretary. They will be elected by the General Assembly and will serve an annual term.
b) In order to provide for the effective start-up of the UNLESA-Geneva, an Interim
Executive Board, whose composition shall be endorsed by the first General Assembly of
the Association, will be in function until 31 December 2010.
c)
The functions of the Executive Board are:
1. To take all appropriate measures in pursuance of the purposes of the
Association in conformity with the By-Laws and to implement the
decisions of the General Assembly or through its delegation, of the
Working Groups ;
2. To promulgate and implement policies, guidelines, rules and regulations
for the effective day-to-day management of the affairs of the Association ;
3. To develop the UNLESA-Geneva Annual Work Plan, submit it to the
approval of the General Assembly and implement its activities ;
4. To present an annual Report to the General Assembly regarding the
Association’s activities ;
5. To provide relevant information to the members by means of inclusion in
the UNLESA-Geneva web site.
6. To maintain the UNLESA-Geneva web page information updated ;
7. To physically meet at least once a month to carry out the above-mentioned
tasks ;
8. The Board shall adopt its decisions through a majority vote, including by
casting electronic votes. Electronic votes can only be taken into account if
the Board’s meeting reaches a quorum of a minimum of two members
present.
Article 8 – The functions of the Executive Board members
a)
The UNLESA-Geneva Chairperson shall be responsible for :
1. leading and contributing to all legitimate affairs and activities of the
Association, supporting and promoting its cause and respecting its ByLaw;
2. Being the principal representative and official spokesperson for the
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Association ;
3. Supporting the process of UNLESA-Geneva members’ employment search
by inter alia organising the development and maintenance of a members’
professional profile database accessible to prospective employers and other
potentially interested parties, facilitating the access to and circulation of
information on employment opportunities, ensuring that the Association’s
web site contains updated information ;
4. Maintaining contact with the representatives of the Global Expatriate
Spouse Association (GESA) in Geneva, designated focal-point for the
UNLESA-Geneva, the designated Focal Points of the various UN
Agencies, programmes and organs that are part of the GESA programme
and other partners as relevant to promote and advocate for the
Association’s goals ;
5. Seeking the support if needed, of all the above-mentioned partners in order
to implement the Annual Work Plan and activities proposed by the
UNLESA-Geneva ;
6. Leading the establishment and the necessary updating or revision of the
UNLESA-Geneva’s Work Plan ;
7. Chairing the UNLESA-Geneva regular, extraordinary or ad hoc meetings ;
8. Elaborating in consultation with the Executive Committee, the meetings’
agenda;
9. Drafting and presenting to the General Assembly, the Association’s annual
report on its activities and findings with regard to the implementation of the
UNDG Joint Guidance Note ;
10. Ensuring the efficient management of the petty cash collected from
voluntary contributions of the members and overseeing reporting on this
matter, by the Association’s Secretary.
b)
The UNLESA-Geneva Co-Chairperson shall be responsible for :
1. Diligently supporting and/or deputising for the Chairperson in the
aforementioned responsibilities and more specifically,
2. Coordinating the activities of the Working Groups ;
3. Coordinating and with the support of the Secretary, keeping a detailed
record of the fund-raising activities of the Association.
c)
The UNLESA-Geneva Secretary shall be responsible for :
1. Disseminating (preferably in an electronic format) all relevant information
to the UNLESA-Geneva members, such as the “Joint Guidance Note on the
Employment of Expatriate Spouses”, the Association’s By-Laws, the
members’ professional profile form, etc ;
2. Keeping the UNLESA-Geneva members’ list updated ;
3. Managing the UNLESA-Geneva professional profiles’ database ;
4. Preparing and sending out the meetings’ invitations and agendas ;
5. Drafting, circulating and filing the minutes of meetings ;
6. Maintaining custody of and developing a proper archiving system for the
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Association’s paper and electronic files ;
7. Managing and keeping a detailed record of all petty cash expenses.
Article 9 – The Executive Committee
a) The Executive Committee shall consist of the Executive Board members and the
Focal Points of the Working Groups. As much as possible, the Executive Committee
members shall reflect the diversity of the membership’s UN affiliation.
b) The Working Groups’ Focal Points are expected to actively contribute to all the
above-mentioned functions of the Executive Board, in coordination with and under the
guidance of the Chairperson.
c) Any Executive Committee member who shall fail to attend three consecutive
meetings within a period of two months without a valid reason shall be considered by the
Committee as having resigned from the position and shall be accordingly notified.
Elections will then be organised as soon as possible to fill the vacant position.
Article 10 - The General Assembly
a) The General Assembly is composed of all the UNLESA-Geneva regular
members and shall be summoned to ordinary and extraordinary or ad hoc meetings by the
Chairperson.
b) The General Assembly shall
a. adopt and amend the By-laws ;
b. adopt the policies, guidelines, rules and regulations designed and proposed
by the Executive Board and Committee in the pursuit of the objectives of
the Association ;
c. elect the various members of the Executive Committee as provided for in
these By-laws ;
d. vote annually to approve the Association’s Annual Activity Report, adopt
the upcoming year’s Work Plan ;
e. establish Working Groups ;
f. act as final authority on all matters affecting the Association, other than
those expressly granted to members of the governing organs by the Bylaws.
Article 11 – The Working Groups
The Executive Board and the General Assembly may establish such Working Groups
as deemed necessary, to facilitate the Association’s work on specifics subjects.
a)
The first Working Group to be set up shall be the Elections’ Working Group,
tasked with conducting and supervising the Association’s elections to be called for from
after the date of its establishment.
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b)
Members of the Elections’ Working Group shall not be eligible to run for the
positions of the Executive Board.
c)
The Working Groups’ members shall be selected from the regular members of
the Association who volunteer on the basis of their interest and qualifications.
d)
A Working Group shall designate by consensus, a Focal Point from within the
group who will organise, program and work on projects within the mandate of his or her
Working Group with the approval of the Executive Board. As much as possible, the Focal
Points shall reflect the diversity of the membership’s UN affiliation.
e)
Each Working Group shall report regularly about its work to the Executive
Board and prepare written contributions for inclusion in the Association’s annual Activity
Report and Work Plan.
Article 12 – The Advisory Council
a)
The General Assembly, upon proposal of the Executive Board, may approve
the setting of an Advisory Council, which shall serve as an advisory body on all matters
concerning the Association and the running of its affairs.
b)
The Council shall be composed of three to eight members who are
knowledgeable in the fields of finance, law, organizational structures and affairs and other
specialized fields of knowledge, who may not necessarily be members of this Association
and shall be chosen by the Executive Committee. Past Chairpersons of the Association
shall automatically be members of this body.
c)
The Council shall meet upon request, on specific purpose/s to advise on all
organizational matters referred to them by the Executive Committee or by the
Association’s members.
Article 13 – The Interested Parties
The Interested Parties are the UN staff members themselves, whose spouses or partners
are members of the UNLESA-Geneva and who are keen to actively contribute themselves
to the promotion of the Association’s goals and/or implementation of its activities. This
status shall be granted only upon request by the interested persons. They shall be entitled
to receive (electronically) information about the Association’s planned activities, to
participate in the Association’s activities open to non-members, to forward to the
Executive Board written suggestions about possible future activities but shall have no
voting rights or the right to hold an elected or nominated office.
Article 14 – The Association’s Partners
The potential partners that could assist the Association in promoting and furthering its
goals are of two types :
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a)
the UN-GESA, the UNLESA-Geneva’s various focal points from the UN
system’s relevant institutions and organs (including but not exclusively, human resources
departments) and other potential employers in the profit and non-profit sectors ;
b)
the various UN staff Associations, the Federation of International Civil
Servants’ Associations (FICSA), the UN Women’s Guild and other relevant Associations
and groupings, professional networks or professional development institutions for
instance.
IV.
MANAGEMENT OF AFFAIRS
Article 15 - Meetings
There shall be three categories of meetings :
a)
The “regular meetings” shall consist in meetings of the Executive Board, the
Executive Committee, the Working Groups or the membership events, in the ordinary
course of business of the Association. The regular meetings shall be held on a need basis
and as per the provisions of the Association’s Work Plan but no less than once a month for
the Executive Board, the Executive Committee and the Working Groups. Notice of these
meetings and their draft agenda shall be given between their members, in writing (possibly
by electronic mail), at least five (5) days prior to the meeting, and shall be published on
the UNLESA-Geneva website.
b)
The “special meetings” shall be called by the Executive Board for specific
purposes such as for instance, the election of officers to vacant positions in the course of
the year. Proposals for future amendments of the Association by-laws may also be
presented and discussed (but not voted on) during special meetings. Bona fide members
of the Association may also propose to call for a special meeting by submitting a written
notice addressed to the Executive Board for their approval, specifying the urgent purpose.
Due to the urgent nature of these meetings, the meetings’ written notice and draft agenda
shall be communicated to members at least five (5) days prior to the meeting.
c)
The “Annual General Assembly meetings” shall be attended by all members of
the Association. The General Assembly shall meet at least once a year for the annual
election of the Executive Board, adoption of the annual Activity Report and approval of
the Work Plan in a designated place and time. The written notice of the meeting and its
agenda shall be sent to all members at least one (1) month prior to the meeting.
Article 16 – Quorum
The Quorum in every meeting shall be determined by the physical count of all the
members present and compared to the total number of the Association’s members. In
meetings where proxy voting is permitted, the quorum shall be determined by the total
number of members present plus (+) the total number of valid proxies and compared to the
total number of Association’s members.
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In light of the expected dynamic nature of the UNLESA-Geneva membership, the
following are considered as acceptable quorum :
a)
The General Assembly shall adopt its decisions as follows :
1. during the “annual General Assembly meetings”, decisions shall be
adopted by a direct majority vote of the members present, provided that
they represent at least 30% of the total membership of the Association ;
2. during the “special meetings” of the membership, decisions shall be
adopted by direct or proxy majority vote of the members present, provided
that they represent 30% of the total membership. Only one proxy per
member shall be allowed.
b)
The Executive Committee shall adopt its decisions by a majority vote of onehalf plus one (1) of its members present, provided that there are at least four of them. As a
transitory measure upon the Association’s establishment and while waiting for the
creation of Working Groups, the majority quorum in this case is set at two Board
members. Except for decision-making relating to the Annual Activity Report, the
Association’s Work Plan or the exclusion of any Association member, occasional voting
by electronic mail shall be permitted within the Executive Board.
c)
The Executive Board shall adopt its decisions primarily by consensus. If no
consensus can be reached, the Committee decisions shall be adopted by a simple majority
vote. Except for the finalisation of the Annual Activity Report and of the Association’s
Work Plan or the exclusion of any Association member, occasional voting by electronic
mail shall be permitted within the Executive Board.
d)
Decisions within the Working Groups shall be reached by consensus. If no
consensus is found, the matter shall be referred to the Chairperson for decision-making.
All votes within the Association’s various organs shall be properly recorded and
documented. The chair of each of the Association’s organs shall confide the voting results
into the Secretary’s custody.
Article 17 – Elections
a)
The election of officers shall be held as a rule, annually during the Annual
General Assembly Meeting, during the first week of December of each calendar year in a
designated place and time.
b)
By exception and in case of need, the Executive Board shall organize the
election to a vacant officer’s position by calling a special meeting for such a purpose.
c)
The election shall be conducted and supervised by an Elections’ Working
Group composed of a minimum of two bona fide regular members. The Elections’
Working Group members shall be designated annually by the General Assembly for the
upcoming year.
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d)
The Elections’ Working Group shall receive and solicit nominations from the
membership for each office to be held and present them to the Membership Assembly for
actual voting as provided for by this Constitution & By-Laws.
e)
Any regular member of the Association may run and become an Officer
provided she or he agrees to actively assume the duties of the position. A nomination form
for all candidates, to be designed by the Elections’ Working Group must be completed,
with two supporting member signatures. By exception and for the constituent and first
General Assembly, members interested in applying for a position shall also be allowed to
present themselves on a candidacy form. The list of candidates together with a short
summary of their curriculum vitae and statement on their interest for the position, shall be
published on the Association’s web-site ideally one month prior to Annual General
Membership Meeting for consideration by the membership.
f)
By exception to the above-mentioned rule and to ensure the effective start of
the Association, candidacies coming from the floor during the Association’s first and
constituent General Assembly, for the position of Working Group Focal Point shall be
admissible and voted on. The designation of Working Group focal points shall afterwards
take place as per the provisions of Article 11 d).
g)
The holding of office shall be considered a gratuitous contribution to the
Association and no material or financial compensation shall be expected.
h)
The election proceedings shall be conducted either by a) secret ballots or by b)
open votes subject to the consent of the majority of members present and validly
represented. The officers shall be elected individually. Proxy voting shall be allowed on
the election date with the written authorization of the member who will be absent. Only
one proxy per member shall be allowed.
Article 18 – Term of office
a)
The officers of the Association shall be elected for one year. No member shall
serve more than two consecutive terms on the Executive Board . A member shall stand
down for at least one year before being eligible for re-election or re-nomination to a Board
position. No member shall hold more than one office on the Executive Committee.
b)
The regular term of office or cycle of the Association shall start from January 1
and end on 31 December of each year. By exception and as a transitory measure, the term
of office for all members appointed on the Association’s first Executive Board and as
Working Groups’ Focal Points during the Association’s first General Assembly meeting
on 17 December 2009, shall remain in functions until 31 December 2010, unless
otherwise provided for in these By-Laws.
c)
For any other reason, the term of office shall begin on the day following the
special meeting during which the person was elected and shall expire on 31 December of
the year.
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d)
If a member is appointed or elected to a position for less than four (4) months,
that period shall not be counted as a term, and hence, the member shall be eligible for the
next two consecutive terms on the Board.
Article 19 – Vacancies
a)
In the event that a permanent vacancy shall exist in the elective positions, by
reasons of death, resignation or removal from the office, such vacancy shall be filled
through an election organized during Special meeting to be called for such purpose. The
meeting should be scheduled within a month after the vacancy occurred. Until the holding
of this election, the Executive Board might appoint an interim officer for this position. The
elected member must serve the unexpired portion of the former Committee member.
b)
If a member is absent for three consecutive months, the position is
automatically considered vacant and is to be open for elections. Within a month, the
Elections Working Group will proceed with organizing an election to fill the vacancy.
Article 20 – Financial contribution to the functioning of the Association
a)
Membership in the UNLESA-Geneva shall be free of charge.
b)
Small voluntary contributions may be collected from members by the
Association’s Secretary, to defray the sole expenses for the regular daily functioning of
the Association (such as for instance, stationary, stamps, mobile phone cards, tea or coffee
for guests in the office). Any disbursement must be approved by the Association’s
Chairperson or by delegation, by the Co-Chair.
c)
A detailed record of the above-mentioned expenditure and safe-keeping of all
related receipts shall be maintained by the Association’s Secretary.
d)
No member of the UNLESA-Geneva, including Executive Committee
members, shall commit the Association to any event or activity involving financing
without the express, written and recorded approval of the Association’s Chairperson or
Co-chairperson.
e)
The Association shall face no liability for any financial transactions
fraudulently entered into by its officers or members beyond their authority.
Article 21 – General Provision on communications
For the sake of speed, efficiency and economy, written communications by the way of
electronic mail shall be the rule and deemed valid for all Association’s purposes (except
for all expenditure-related archives that shall be in hard copy format). Each member shall
be responsible for providing updated information on his/her electronic contact details, to
the Association’s Secretary.
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Article 22 – By-laws’ amendments
a)
The By-Laws shall be reformed only by the General Assembly.
b)
Amendment proposals must be sponsored by at least five (5) bona-fide
Association’s regular members, substantiated and submitted in writing to the Chairperson
of the Executive Board, at least 28 days before the annual General Assembly meeting or a
special meeting.
c)
Upon reception and within three (3) days, these amendments shall be
electronically circulated for information, to the Association’s regular membership prior to
the annual General Assembly meeting.
d)
The quorum required for the adoption of an amendment of the by-laws is set at
two third of the Association’s total membership. Proxy voting for the procedure of bylaws’ amendment shall not be permitted.
Article 23 - Dissolution
a)
The Association may be dissolved through the direct vote of at least two-thirds
of all its members in a special meeting called for this purpose, subject to the required one
(1) written month notice to the members.
b)
In the event the dissolution of the Association is approved in the said special
meeting, the incumbent members of the Executive Board or their duly-designated
representatives shall oversee and manage the speedy liquidation and disposition of all
assets of the Association.
Article 24 – Ratification & Entry into force
These By-Laws shall be effective and enter into force upon the adoption by the two-third
(2/3) majority vote of the members of the Association present at this Constituent General
Assembly Meeting on 17 December 2009, duly affixing their individual signatures in the
last section of this document.
The foregoing By-Laws of the United Nations-Local Expatriate Spouses Association in
Geneva (UNLESA-Geneva) were drafted and approved on the 16th day of December TwoThousand and Nine in Geneva, Switzerland, by the Members of the Interim Committee on
the Structure & By-Laws whose signatures are hereunder affixed.
Elodie Cantier-Aristide
__________________
Elka Parveva-Kern
___________________
Kay Xuereb
_________________
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RATIFICATION and ADOPTION
RATIFIED and ADOPTED by at least two-thirds majority votes of all the Founding
Members of United Nations Local Expatriate Spouse Association in Geneva (UNLESAGeneva) who voluntarily affixed their signatures below, this 17th day of December, 2009,
hereby the official date of creation of the Association :
Name (Block Form)
Signature
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Name (Block Form)
Signature
Constitution & By-Laws of the UNLESA-Geneva – 17 December 2009
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Constitution & By-Laws of the UNLESA-Geneva – 17 December 2009
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