THE STATUTE OF THE
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PEACE MESSENGER CITIES
NEW VERSION

Preamble

In recognition of their true contribution to the programmes and aims of the International Year for Peace 1986, 62 cities of the entire world were cho­sen from among thousands to be designated as "PEACE MESSENGER CITIES" by the Secretary General of the United Nations. 

On the initiative of the Mayor of Verdun, representatives of these 62 cities met on 7 and 8 September 1988 at Verdun in a plenary session and in the presence of Mr Javier Perez de Cuellar, Secretary General of the United Nations, with the aim of participating, in the words of the Secretary General:

"in the building of a world less violent and more humane, a world of toler­ance and of mutual respect to enable the requirements of peace based on justice and human rights to be better understood". 

These cities, by making use of the various means at their disposal, undertake to contribute to the effective building of peace on the whole planet, in close collaboration with the United Nations Organisation. 

Article 1 

Members subscribing to these Articles of Association agree to create an association called: 

International Association of Peace Messenger Cities.

Article 2 

The Association will strive to make its contribution to ensure realisation of the aims and principles of the United Nations Organisation to strengthen peace and co-operation between peoples. 

This Association has as its aims: 

• to promote understanding between peoples
• to enable the promotion of solidarity between them
• to spread the spirit of peace, tolerance and mutual respect
• to combat war, hunger and natural disasters in the service of mankind with dignity and respect
• to make our governments understand that nuclear disarmament is a pri­mary necessity, as are human rights, liberty and the free circulation of individuals. 

In its activities this Association particularly engages in the following fields: 

1.      Education

2.      Youth

3.      Culture

4.      Sports and leisure activities

5.      Environmental protection

6.      Quality of life 

 Article 3 

The Association’s registered address is to be fixed at the current Secretary General's office. The change requires two third of members present and voting.

Article 4 

Those cities designated "THE PEACE MESSENGER CITIES" by the United Nations Organisation are members of the Association with the rights of voting and of election at the General Assembly. 

Article 5 

The Association is open to all cities designated "PEACE MESSENGERS CITIES" by the United Nations Organisation and those which request membership and proposed by an existing member city. Each member undertakes to pay its subscription, as fixed by the General Assembly. 

Article 6 

Members of the Association may form, as necessary, subgroups of a national, regional or continental nature, pursuing the same aims as the Association.

These associations may create social, cultural and information centres to promote the general aims of the Association. 

Article 7

1. The status of membership is lost: 

a)      by resignation; or

b)      by expulsion as decided upon by the General Assembly for a serious reason contrary to the Association’s aims, with the member concerned having been given no less than 60 days’ notice in advance by registered letter requesting the member to provide explanations.

2. A member in default of the payment of the subscription for two consecutive years shall lose the right to vote during meetings of the Association.

Article 8

The Association’s resources comprise: 

1. Membership subscriptions
2. Subsidies
3. Gifts and bequests 

Article 9 – Operative Bodies

The Association’s operative bodies are: 

1. the General Assembly; and
2. the Executive Board. 

Article 10 – The General Assembly 

The General Assembly is the supreme body of the Association. It compris­es the Mayors of all the city members or their official representatives. It meets in Ordinary Session every year after having been convened by the Executive Board no less than six months in advance.

It may be convened in Extraordinary Session by either a decision of the Executive Board or on the request of two-thirds of its members. 

Article 11 

The General Assembly defines the Association’s general directions, along with the main principles of its actions.

1. It elects the President, the two Vice-Presidents, the Secretary General and the members of the Executive Board, each for a three-year term, who are then eligible for immediate re-election.
2. It ratifies the admission or expulsion of members on a motion of the Executive Board.
3. It approves the Association’s operations and programmes prepared by the Executive Board.
4. It fixes the amount of membership subscriptions.
5. It approves the budget and accounts presented by the Secretary-General.
6. It may amend the statute
7. It may decide on the Association’s dissolution.
8. It ratifies any agreement entered into between the Association and other international organisations and, in particular, all relations with associations and organisations pursuing similar aims.
9. It decides on the acceptance or refusal of gifts and bequests.
10. It may recommend other Cities as "PEACE MESSENGER CITIES" to the Secretariat General of the United Nations Organisation.
11. It assumes all other functions incumbent upon it in accordance with agreements adopted by the General Assembly. 

Article 12 

All decisions of the General Assembly shall be taken by a simple majority of the members present and voting; in the event of the equality of votes, the vote of the President prevails.

Article 13 

Special commissions may be constituted within the General Assembly.

Article 14 

1.      A representative of a city may nominate individuals or legal entities for honorary membership in recognition of their outstanding activities in the cause of peace and present them to the General Assembly for adoption.

2.      The honorary members may participate in the Association’s work without the right to vote.

Article 15 – The Executive Board 

The Executive Board consists of 19 member cities, including the President, two Vice-Presidents, and Secretary-General, as elected by the General Assembly from among its members with a consideration of a geographical balance. It also nominates from among its members the auditor who reviews the Association’s financial affairs twice a year.

Article 16 

The term of office of the elected Executive Board members is three years and the members are eligible for re-election. 

Article 17

The Executive Board’s functions are: 

1. To direct the Association’s operations in accordance with the directives and within the limits determined by the General Assembly.
2. To adopt internal working regulations.
3. To work out programmes that are to be put to the General Assembly for its approval.
4. To present the budget to the General Assembly and to audit the accounts presented by the Secretary-General.
5. To draw up the agenda of the General Assembly.
6. To submit to the General Assembly the date and place of the next meeting.
7. To examine the admission of new members and submit them to the General Assembly.
8. To present the President's Report and the Financial Report of the Association. 

Article 18 

The Executive Board shall meet twice a year in Ordinary Session, one of which shall precede the General Assembly, and in an Extraordinary Session at either the request of one-half of its member cities plus one, or at the joint request of the President and the Vice-Presidents. 
The Executive Board’s deliberations shall be valid when one-half of its members are present. In the event of a vote and an equality of votes, the vote of the President prevails. 
If one of the Executive Board member city is unable to be present at a meeting, it may authorise another Executive Board member city to represent him, he may have himself represented by another member of his Municipality, or he may express his opinion in writing. The President may consult Executive Board members by correspondence.

Article 19 

Notice of convening the Executive Board shall be sent by the President sixty days before the date fixed for the meeting, All notices of convening must be accompanied by the agenda of the meeting, with a note of the time and of the chronological order of the work, and must be accompanied by the vari­ous documents required.

Article 20 

Decisions of the Office shall be taken by a simple majority of the members present and represented, and shall be recorded in a document which is to be transcribed in the official Minute Book deposited at the Association’s administrative office. A copy of the Minutes of the meeting, signed by the President and the Secretary General, shall be sent to all Association members within two months of the date of the meeting.

Article 21

All appointments within the Executive Board shall be taken up voluntarily.

Article 22 – The President

1. The President is the representative of the Association. He or she represents the Association at meetings and on other occasions where the Association may be officially involved.
2. The President is the presiding officer at meetings of the General Assembly or the Executive Board.
3. The President may delegate His or Her powers to either Vice-President in order of seniority.
4. The President may delegate other member cities to represent the Association at events in which the Association should participate.
5. In the event of resignation or incapacitation of the President, the senior Vice-President shall take over the Presidency until the next General Assembly, pending elections of a new President.
6. When carrying out His or Her powers, the President shall ensure compliance with the Statute.

Article 23 – revision of the statute

The statute of the Association may be subject to revision by the General Assembly in Ordinary or Extraordinary Session. Decisions as to the modifica­tion of the statute must be adopted by a majority of two-thirds of the mem­bers present or represented.

Article 24 – Dissolution 

The duration of the International Association of Peace Messenger Cities is indeterminate. The General Assembly may decide to dissolve it, but this decision must be approved by a majority of two-thirds of the entire­ty of its members. 

In the event of dissolution, and once all obligations have been met, the Association’s funds and properties shall be transferred to the UNO or whichever other international organisation chosen by the Assembly. 

Article 25 

The mode of application of the present statute shall be determined by internal regulations proposed by the Executive Board and adopted by the General Assembly.

Statute discussed at New Haven at the Conference of 1990 and approved at the Yokohama Conference in August 1991.