The APRSCP Charter
I. Establishment and Organization
1. The members, who shall be organizations and individuals involved in promotion of cleaner production, agree to establish the Asia Pacific Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption & Production, known hereinafter as the APRSCP.
2. The APRSCP shall be incorporated as an international, autonomous, non-governmental, non- profit, non-discriminatory membership institution.
3. The board of directors shall agree upon the definition of the regional coverage by the APRSCP and the location of APRSCP's secretariat.
4. The APRSCP shall be organized as follows:
i. Membership: Members shall be organizations and individuals involved in promotion of cleaner production in countries in the Asia Pacific Region. Each membership organization shall designate one individual as its representative.
ii. Board of Directors: The board shall have no more than seventeen members elected from the organization membership, in accordance with Article VII.
iii. Secretariat: The executive secretary and support personnel shall staff the secretariat. The location of the secretariat may be permanent or revolving based on the decision of the board of directors.
II. Vision and Mission
APRSCP's vision of the Asia-Pacific is of a dynamic and prosperous region committed to the principles of sustainable consumption and production, which is the continuous application of an integrated, preventive and proactive environmental strategy applied to processes, products and services to increase eco-efficiency and to reduce risks to humans and to the environment. The successful development and application of this environmental strategy, which is also termed as cleaner production, will depend upon the ability of countries in the region to work cooperatively to catalyze the development of a sustainable regional network and partnership.
APRSCP's mission is to provide leadership and support that will enhance information flow and human resources development, and will strengthen public/private partnerships to stimulate the promotion and implementation of cleaner production strategies and technologies in the region.
The APRSCP encourages the participation of all individuals and organizations located in any country, and regional and international organizations.
III. Objectives
1. To promote technology and information exchange on sustainable consumption and production in the Asia Pacific Region.
2. To develop a network of individuals and organizations with expertise in sustainable consumption and production / cleaner production in the Asia Pacific Region.
3. To foster regional cooperation to accelerate cleaner production as a leading mechanism for achieving environmental protection and sustainable development.
4. To encourage active participation from all interested stakeholders such as firms in industrial, agricultural, commercial and service sectors, associations, consultancies, governmental agencies, academia, research institutions and NGOs in promotion and implementation of cleaner production.
5. To serve as an objective source of analysis and review concerning cleaner production issues in the Asia Pacific Region.
IV. Roundtable Activities
The program activities of the APRSCP set forth in this charter consist of but are not limited to:
1. Engaging in information exchange among its members, using appropriate approaches, such as newsletters, e-mail list servers, technical journals, special publications, conferences, and symposia.
2. Conducting training sessions, workshops, and staff exchanges for the purpose of increasing the skills and knowledge of members and other interested parties.
3. Acting as a clearinghouse for the exchange of data and information on cleaner production in the Asia Pacific Region, including such items as reports, books, articles, data, and statistics.
4. Developing and maintaining a directory of professionals involved in promotion of cleaner production who are available to provide advice and counsel.
5. Supporting development of new country-level sustainable consumption & production / cleaner production roundtables and foster sharing of information and experience among existing and planned country-level cleaner production roundtables.
6. Assembling, following a protocol to be specified in the bylaws, qualified and objective committees and working groups that can provide competent and objective analyses as well as information on cleaner production.
7. Maintaining relationships among APRCP, its members, and appropriate regional and international organizations.
8. Carrying out activities, programs and initiatives as necessary to fulfill the mission and objectives of APRSCP.
V. Membership Qualifications and Obligations
1. The following definitions concerning membership shall pertain in APRSCP's charter. The term "country" shall be interpreted broadly to include those Asian and Pacific possessions, trust territories, or dependencies that possess competent, autonomous organizations interested in, and capable of, promoting and implementing sustainable consumption & production in its area.
2. There shall be two categories of members: organization members and individual members.
i. Organization members may include any non-governmental, governmental, academic, private or international organizations whose mission and activities include promoting the application of sustainable consumption & production.
ii. Individual membership shall be open to individuals who are interested in the promotion of cleaner production in the Asia Pacific region.
3. The members shall conduct themselves in the spirit of international cooperation and coordination as embodied in APRSCP's vision and mission statement.
4. Applicants for membership shall:
i. Engage in promotion and/or implementation of cleaner production.
ii. Agree to the charter of the APRSCP.
iii. Be willing to share the information pertaining to use of cleaner production approaches and technologies.
iv. Meet the financial obligations of membership.
v. Agree to participate actively in the activities of the APRSCP, as described in Article IV.
vi. Be approved for membership by a majority vote of the board of directors in accordance with Article VIII.
5. Application for membership shall be made to the executive secretary, who shall make the necessary arrangements for approval by the board of directors.
VI. Revocation of Membership
If, upon determination of the board of directors, an organization or individual is deemed to have failed to fulfill its membership qualifications and obligations as stated in Article V, its membership shall be subject to revocation.
VII. Membership Powers
1. Basic authority of the APRSCP shall be vested in the membership. Each member is eligible to be elected to the board. Executive direction shall be entrusted to the board of directors and executive secretary as hereinafter set forth.
2. Each organization member shall designate one representative for voting purposes.
3. The voting members from any one country shall not exceed 30% of the total eligible voting membership.
4. The powers of the membership include:
i. Electing the board of directors at the designated membership meeting which will be held at a frequency determined by the board of directors.
ii. Proposing or otherwise acting on amendments to the charter, as stated in Article XII.
iii. Dissolving the APRSCP in accordance with Article XIII.
5. At least 20% of the total membership shall constitute a quorum for voting purposes. In lieu of the membership or other meetings, APRSCP business may be conducted by mail or electronically.
6. For the purposes of electing the board of directors, the following procedures shall be followed:
i. The board of directors shall have no more than seventeen members.
ii. No more than two directors shall be from the same country.
7. Each director shall be elected for a duration of three designated membership meetings. Terms shall be staggered such that no more than seven directors are elected each cycle.
VIII. Board of Directors
1. Board members must be eligible voting members.
2. The board of directors is responsible for managing and operating the APRCP pursuant to deci sions and policies adopted by the membership.
3. The board of directors may draw up bylaws.
4. The board of directors may elect among itself an executive committee. The executive committee shall have no powers other than those derived from the board.
5. The board of directors may appoint other committees among APRSCP's members to undertake activities of the organization. These committees shall have no powers other than those derived from the board.
6. The board of directors shall meet at such times as necessary. A simple majority of the board shall constitute a quorum, and decisions shall be by majority vote of those present. Teleconferencing or other similar mechanisms may be used for all duties, with subsequent validation of documents by signature.
7. The board of directors shall, among its other duties, be responsible for:
i. Convening membership meetings at regular intervals not exceeding twenty four months.
ii. Implementing the election processes for the board of directors.
iii. Incorporating and sustaining APRSCP as a legal, non-profit, non-governmental entity consistent with the nature set forth in Article I.
iv. Preparing and approving the annual budget.
v. Authorizing the performance of an independent, certified audit of financial records.
vi. Developing and approving the work program, including long-range plans.
vii. Electing officers (chairperson, vice chairperson and treasurer).
viii. Appointing the executive secretary and establishing the terms of service.
ix. Recruiting new members and serving as liaison to members, international organizations and national groups.
x. Approving applications for membership.
xi. Approving the recision of membership for failure to meet member qualifications and obligations, as stated in Article V.
xii. Approving leases, grants, contracts, fellowships, and other agreements.
xiii. Supervising finances, monitoring dues, and approving financial contributions donated inaccordance with Article X.
8. For purposes of staggering the terms of the first board of directors as elected under the terms of this charter, elected members will be divided into two groups based on the number of votes received. The group polling the higher number of votes shall serve duration between three designated membership meetings. The group polling the lower number of votes shall serve duration between two designated membership meetings.
IX. Officers
1. The officers of the APRSCP shall consist of the chairperson, vice chairperson, treasurer, immediate past chairperson, and executive secretary; the first three shall also be current members of the board of directors.
2. The directors elected as officers shall serve the duration between two designated membership meetings.
3. The chairperson of the board of directors presides over meetings of the APRSCP. The chairperson is also the principal representing the APRSCP. Meetings of the board of directors, whether regular or special, may be called by the chairperson or in his or her name. If the need arises, the chairperson may delegate these functions for limited periods to the vice-chairperson, treasurer, or executive secretary.
4. The vice chairperson may assume the duties of the chairperson when they are so delegated.
5. The treasurer shall execute the functions normally associated with that office. This officer shall have prime responsibility for accounts and finances, including arranging for audits, supervising preparation of the annual budget, and developing financial policy.
6. The immediate past officers shall advise the current officers based on their experiences.
7. Under the supervision of the chairperson and in accordance with the APRSCP policies, the executive secretary is the principal executive officer of the organization and shall execute the functions normally associated with the office.
X. Finances
1. The funds of the APRSCP may be obtained from:
i. Membership dues.
ii. Revenue received from conferences, workshops, and trade expos.
iii. Donations, legacies, and special contributions.
iv. Revenues from interest-bearing capital investments.
iv. Revenues from technical service contracts.
v. Grants and cooperative agreements.
vi. Proceeds received from the sale of documents and other items.
vii. Any other appropriate sources.
2. The board of directors shall approve grants, donations or other special contributions of more than US$10,000 prior to being accepted. If donations or special contributions are designated for a particular program or purpose, the wishes of the donors shall be considered. However, no funds shall be accepted if, in the judgement of the board of directors, acceptance appears likely to compromise the international character of the APRCP in accordance with the Article I.
3. Accounts shall be regularly audited, and reports shall be made available at the designated membership meetings.
XI. Intellectual Property Rights
The executive secretary or any member of the board may propose, for approval by the board of directors, appropriate actions for protecting intellectual property rights.
XII. Amendments to the Charter
1. No change shall be made in the charter except by a simple majority vote of the membership and after due notice and circulation of the proposed changes.
2. Amendments shall enter into force based on a timetable established by the Board of Directors but no later than 90 days after adoption.
XIII. Dissolution and Liquidation
1. The APRSCP shall be dissolved at any time when there are fewer than seven members or if the membership decides to dissolve the APRSCP pursuant to the provisions of Article VII.
2. Upon dissolution of APRSCP any net assets whatsoever shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of APRSCP but shall be given or transferred to some other institution(s), to be selected by the board of directors, having objectives similar or cognate to APRSCP.
XIV. Final Provisions
1. The charter shall enter into force upon garnering the signatures of the representatives of at least seven members.
2. The charter shall enter into force for other organizations upon approval by the board of directors of their application for members.