Biedrība Ziemeļvalstu Noturības Organizācija – Civilian Resilience Nordic (CiReN) Statutes
1. Name of the Association
1.1 The name of the Association shall be Ziemeļvalstu Noturības Organizācija – Civilian Resilience Nordic (CiReN) (hereinafter referred to as the Association).
2. Objectives of the Association
2.1 The objectives of the Association shall be:
2.1.1 To protect communities in Northern Europe by improving the regional capability to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from threatened or actual natural disasters, terror, hybrid threat/grey zone and military activity, or other man-made disasters, supporting greater resilience of businesses, civil societies, and the public sector.
2.1.2 Expert advisory services for individuals and organisations, offering guidance and support in building resilience and developing effective emergency management strategies.
2.1.3. Resilience testing to assess the readiness and vulnerability of systems and infrastructures in the Baltic region and Northern Europe.
2.1.4. Stress tests to simulate and assess the response and recovery capabilities of organisations and systems in different emergencies and crises.
2.1.5 Comprehensive training programmes and certification courses for individuals and organisations, providing the necessary skills and knowledge in resilience and emergency management.
2.1.6 Ongoing support to individuals and organisations, offering resources, guidance and assistance in building and maintaining resilience in the Baltic region and Northern Europe.
2.1.7 Spreading the message of resilience through non-political, civil society means.
3. Duration of the Association
3.1 The Association is established for an indefinite period.
4. Membership, resignation and expulsion
4.1 Any natural person with legal capacity and any legal person or non-governmental organisation may join the Association by submitting a written application in the prescribed form and becoming a Member or Associated Member. The form of the application and the list of documents to be attached to it
shall be determined by the Board of the Association.
4.2 Membership is open to those persons who meet the Association’s qualification criteria in the field of sustainability or who have completed at least one course of an educational programme organised by the Association, based on the values of the Association, and who are interested in achieving the Association’s objectives and supporting the Association’s activities.
4.3 The Board shall take the decision on the admission of a Member to the Association. The Board shall consider the applicant’s request at its next meeting but not later than two weeks after receiving all necessary documents. The applicant shall be invited to the meeting of the Board at which the applicant’s application is considered and shall be given the floor to express his/her views. The applicant’s failure to appear shall not preclude the Board from taking a decision. The Board shall notify the applicant in writing of its reasoned decision within one week of its adoption.
4.4 An Associate Member may join the Association by submitting an application as set out in Clause 4.1 of the Statutes. If a natural person wishes to become an Associate Member, he/she must meet the criteria set out in Article 4.2 of the Statutes. The Board shall decide on the admission of an Associate Member to the Association following the admission procedure set out in Article 4.3 of the Statutes.
4.5 The applicant may appeal in writing to the Meeting of Members against the decision of the Board. If the Meeting of Members also rejects the applicant’s request, the applicant shall not be admitted as a Member or Associate Member of the Association and may reapply no earlier than after the expiry of one year.
4.6 A Member or Associate Member may withdraw from the Association at any time by giving written notice to the Board.
4.7 A Member or Associate Member may be expelled from the Association by a decision of the Board if:
4.7.1. the Member or Associate Member has not paid the membership fee for more than 12 months;
4.7.2. the Member or Associate Member fails to comply with the decisions of the Meeting of Members and the Board;
4.7.3. the Member or Associate Member fails to fulfil its obligations and commitments;
4.7.4. the Member or Associate Member has taken actions that are contrary to the aims and values of the Association;
4.7.5. a Member or Associate Member has publicly expressed an opinion on behalf of the Association or in the capacity of a Member of the Association without proper authorisation from the Association or inconsistent with the guidelines and positions established by the Association.
4.8 The question of expulsion of a Member or Associate Member of the Association shall be considered by the Board at its next meeting, the Member or Associate Member to be expelled, summoned, and given the floor to express his/her views. The absence of the expelled Member or Associate Member shall not be an obstacle to the decision of the Board. The decision of the Board to expel a Member or Associate Member from the Association and the reasons for that decision shall be communicated in writing to the Member or Associate Member to be expelled within five days of its adoption.
5. Rights and Obligations of Members and Associate Members
5.1 Members of the Association shall have the following rights:
5.1.1. participate in the administration of the Association,
5.1.2. to receive information about the activities of the Association, including to get acquainted with the minutes of the Meeting of Members, minutes of the bodies, decisions and orders, where it concerns the common interests of the Members and does not limit the obligations assumed by the Association,
5.1.3. to participate in all events organised by the Association, to submit proposals on the activities of the Association and its improvement, to defend his/her opinion.
5.2 Obligations of Members:
5.2.1. to abide by the Statutes of the Association and to comply with the decisions of the Meeting of Members and the Board,
5.2.2. pay the membership fee regularly,
5.2.3. to support the realisation of the aims, values, and objectives of the Association through their active participation,
5.2.4. promote and disseminate a culture of resilience.
5.3 Associate Members shall have the same rights and obligations as Members, except that Associate Members shall have no voting rights. The Board may waive the obligation of an Associate Member to pay membership fee at its discretion.
5.4 The obligations of a Member or Associate Member may be determined by a resolution of the Meeting of Members or the Board. The imposition of obligations on a Member or Associate Member which are different from those of other Members or Associate Members shall require the consent of that Member or Associate Member.
6. Bodies of the Association
6.1 Territorial and other units of the Association may be established in the countries of the Nordic Region by a decision of the Meeting of Members.
6.2 The activities, rights and obligations of a territorial unit and its relations with the Association shall be governed by the unit’s by-laws, which shall be approved by the Meeting of Members of the Association.
7. Convening and decision-making
7.1 The Meeting of Members shall be the supreme decision-making body of the Association.
7.2 All Members of the Association shall be entitled to attend the Meeting of Members. Members may attend the Meeting of Members in person or by proxy. One Member shall have one vote at the meeting.
7.3 The annual Meeting of Members shall be convened at least once a year, not later than 31 March.
7.4 An extraordinary Meeting of Members may be convened on the initiative of the Board or, if requested in writing by not less than one-tenth of the Members of the Association, stating the reason for the meeting and the agenda.
7.5 A Meeting of the Members shall be convened by sending a written invitation to each Member at least one week before the meeting to the email address provided by the Member. When deciding on changes in the Statutes, the Board, the audit body or on the dissolution, continuation or reorganisation of the Association, the meeting shall be convened not later than two weeks before the meeting.
7.6 A quorum for a Meeting of Members shall be more than half of the Members present.
7.7 When there is no quorum, a reconvened Meeting of Members shall be convened within five weeks and it shall be entitled to take decisions irrespective of the number of Members present, provided that at least two Members are present.
7.8 A decision of the Meeting of Members shall be adopted if more than half of the Members present vote in favour. A decision to amend the Statutes, to dissolve, to continue or to reorganise the Association shall be adopted if more than twothirds of the Members present vote in favour.
8. Executive Authority
8.1 The executive body of the Association shall be the Board, which shall consist of five members elected for a term of three years.
8.2 The members of the Board shall elect from among themselves a Chairman of the Board, who shall organise the work of the Board and serve until the next election of the Board.
8.3 The Board shall have the power to decide on any matter not within the exclusive competence of the Meeting of Members.
8.4 A member of the Board shall be entitled to represent the Association only together with at least one other member of the Board.
8.5 A member of the Board shall serve at a remuneration to be determined by the Meeting of Members.
9. Auditors
9.1 The financial and economic activities of the Association shall be audited by an auditor elected by the Meeting of Members for a period of one year.
9.2 The auditor of the Association may not be a member of the Board of the Association.
9.3 Auditor:
9.3.1. audit the property and financial resources of the Association;
9.3.2. give an opinion on the budget and Annual Report of the Association;
9.3.3. evaluate the accounting and record-keeping work of the Association;
9.3.4. make recommendations for the improvement of the financial and economic activities of the Association.
9.4 The auditor shall carry out the audit within the time limits set by the Meeting of Members, but at least once a year.
9.5 The Annual Report of the Association shall be approved by the Meeting of Members only after receipt of the auditor’s opinion.
10. Membership fees
10.1 Members and Associate Members of the Association shall pay a membership fee once a year, which shall be indexed annually in accordance with the general inflation rate established in the Republic of Latvia:
10.1.1. natural person shall pay a membership fee of EUR 100 per year,
10.1.2. legal person or non-governmental organisation – EUR 3000 per year.
Statutes approved in Riga
10 September 2024
To receive electronically signed statutes please email info@ciren.ngo