IUSY

The Statutes for download:  IUSY Statutes

IUSY Statutes

I. Name and Aims

1. The International Union of Socialist Youth - IUSY - is the union, allied with the Socialist International in the international labour movement, which brings together democratic socialist youth and student organisations in their fight for socialism, democracy and internationalism.
2. IUSY aims at realising the democratic socialist ideas, such as expressed in the Declaration of Principles. In this respect, the primary task of IUSY is to build ever stronger solidarity among all young socialists in the world, thus making cooperation, common mobilisation and success for socialism possible.
   IUSY serves the youth through its member organisations by:
   1. Gathering members for common understanding and learning in order to develop policies and forceful actions.
   2. Representing the global socialist youth movement towards international associations and inter-governmental bodies, on the basis of the Declaration of Principles and decisions taken by IUSY bodies.
   3. Organising joint activities and information exchanges to promote and develop the political and social work of member organisations.
3. IUSY promotes gender equality. Our goal is to reach 50% women representation in IUSY as well as in each member organisation. To reach this goal, everybody, including all IUSY bodies and all IUSY member organisations, is taking measures to support and encourage women. Quotas are therefore applied to reach equal gender representation in all decision-making bodies in the socialist movement.
   A quota system is an extraordinary measure. It is necessary to change the consciousness concerning traditional roles, behaviours and political structures.
   As a step to reach equality, a minimum of 45% women must be elected to all IUSY bodies (Presidium and Control Commission). In all activities, a 50% quota must be followed, therefore priority in selection and financial assistance will be given to women, if nominations otherwise do not provide for equal participation. In the International Congress, World Council and Regional Committees delegations not following the requirement for equal female representation will lose half their votes.

II. Membership

1. Every youth and student organisation is a full member of IUSY which:
   1. Accepts the Declaration of Principles and the Statutes.
   2. Undertakes to cooperate to achieve the aims mentioned under I.
   3. Covers the age group between fourteen (14) and thirty-five (35) years, fully or mainly, with all or the majority of their members.
   4. Is accepted as full member of IUSY in the way mentioned in these Statutes.
2. Every youth and student organisation is an observer member which fulfils the conditions for full membership and is accepted as an observer member in the way mentioned in these Statutes.
3. Every national, regional or international youth or student organisation, which wishes to cooperate with IUSY, is associate member, when accepted as an associate member in the way mentioned in these Statutes.
4. The International Congress decides upon membership. The Presidium prepares the proposals according to the Rules of application approved by the Congress and published. Applications for membership are to be sent to the secretariat. To adopt a full or observer or associate member a 2/3 majority must vote in favour, not counting abstentions.
   The Council meeting is entitled to accept members with a unanimous vote, not counting abstentions. Such decisions must be ratified by the next Congress without any of the concerned organisations voting on the decision. Applications not accepted by the Council can be submitted to the Congress for consideration.
   In case of split of a member organisation, the IUSY Presidium can by a unanimous decision suspend the membership rights until the next Council respectively Congress and/or propose by a majority decision a change of status. In these cases the Council respectively the Congress decides upon the further status of the organisation.
5. Full members have the right to speak and vote in meetings of the International Congress, the Council, regional committees and working groups. Observer and associate members have the right to speak in those meetings. Each member organisation has the duty to pay the membership fee assigned to it by the International Congress.
6. The right to vote of a member organisation is automatically suspended, if all outstanding membership fees have not been received by IUSY by the end of April of the current year. Failure to fulfil membership duties leads to the suspension of membership by the Council and exclusion from IUSY by the International Congress if a solution is not reached in advance.
7. Membership can be suspended by:
   1. A 2/3 majority of the Council (abstentions not counted)
   2. A decision by the statutorily empowered body of the member organisation concerned, which has been communicated to the Secretary General in written.
   3. A decision of the International Congress.
      A member organisation can be excluded by the International Congress by a 2/3 majority.
      A IUSY member organisation, full or observer member, is automatically disaffiliated if it is not paying its membership fees for a period of three years without any claim to the IUSY Control Commission.
8. Full members and observer members of IUSY can only have a status in another international organisation with the agreement of the International Congress or the Council. The organisations are themselves responsible for communicating their status in other international organisations to the International Congress or the Council of IUSY.

III. IUSY Bodies

1. The International Congress of Socialist Youth
2. The Council
3. The Presidium
4. The Regional Committees
5. The Working Groups and Thematic Networks
6. The Secretary General
7. The Control Commission
8. The Arbitrating Body

IV. The International Congress

1. The International Congress of Socialist Youth is the supreme body of IUSY. It determines policies and ensures its implementation within the framework of the Declaration of Principles and these Statutes, which it can change. It controls the work of other IUSY bodies.
2. The International Congress convenes once every 2 years and is convoked by the Presidium, three months in advance. The Presidium proposes an agenda for the Congress. An Extraordinary Congress can be convoked when the Presidium or 1/3 of all full member organisations propose to do so.
3. The delegation of a full member organisation has the right to 4 delegates and two votes, provided that its delegation fulfils the gender quota. The Presidium may apply a higher participation fee for additional delegates from the same organisation, which are allowed as long as the gender balance is respected.
4. The right to participate as observers in the International Congress belongs to:
   1. The Presidium
   2. The Control Commission
   3. Representatives from observer member organisations, the maximum number being determined by the Presidium.
   4. Representatives from associate member organisations, the maximum number being determined by the Presidium.
5. The International Congress elects the President, the Vice Presidents, and the Secretary General. The Presidium is responsible to the Congress for its activities.
6. The International Congress elects the Chair and the members of the Control Commission.
7. The International Congress decides about the minimum membership fee of each member organisation (full, observer and associate). The fee can only be changed by a Congress decision.

V. The Council

1. The Council determines the policy of IUSY between the Congresses and ensures its implementation within the framework of the Declaration of Principles and these Statutes. It controls the activities of the Presidium.
2. The Council assembles the year between years of an International Congress and is convoked by the Presidium three months in advance. Full member organisations have the right to send two delegates. The voting rights of the International Congress apply.

VI. Presidium

1. The Presidium is composed of 19 members, who have not reached the age of 35 at the time of their election. The nineteen members of the Presidium include the President, the Vice Presidents and the Secretary General. Ten members of the Presidium, present or represented, constitute a quorum. A female member of the Presidium can only be represented by another woman. Members of the presidium represent IUSY, not their IUSY member organisations.
   The Presidium, during its first meeting after the World Congress, defines each Vice President's portfolio and means, among which is Regional Committees Coordination, and informs the member organisations of the distribution of responsibilities.
2. Presidium members have to be members of a full member organisation of IUSY. If the full member organisation to which the Presidium member belongs has changed its status in IUSY, if the Presidium member ceases to be a member of his/her organisation, or if s/he resigns, the Council elects a new member.
3. The members of the Presidium are elected by the International Congress for the period between the Congresses. These members will not be elected for more than two periods in the same position and for more than three periods in total.
4. The Secretary General will execute the decisions made by the International Congress, the Council, and the Presidium. The Secretary General manages the work of the secretariat.
5. If the Secretary General resigns, the Presidium elects a new Secretary General to be ratified by the next Council.
6. The Secretary General will work out a political, organisational and financial report which is to be presented to the Presidium for approval. The report shall then be presented to the Council and to the International Congress.
7. On important matters the Secretary General consults the President, the Vice Presidents and the Chair of the Control Commission.
8. The Presidium in its entity is responsible to the Congress for the finances of IUSY.
   The sources of finance are membership fees; incomes from activities and publications; donations, inheritance and other allocations; and grants from national, regional and international institutions.
9. IUSY is represented through its President and its Secretary General or another, specifically appointed, Presidium member. On financial matters it is exclusively the Secretary General and the President together or the Secretary General and another person who, through a decision of the IUSY Presidium, has been given the responsibility in financial matters who have signatory power. The authority to sign is only valid in the framework of the decisions made by the IUSY bodies.
10. The member organisations will be informed about the long-term plans for IUSY seminars. Through the IUSY electronic communication the Presidium will communicate which Presidium members - individually or collectively - bear the responsibility for such preparations on behalf of the Presidium.

VII Regional Committees

The Regional committees are the African committee, the American committee, the Asian-Pacific committee, the European committee and the Mediterranean committee. The Congress may establish other regional committees.

One vice-president from the respective region coordinates the Regional committees.

Regional Coordinators ensure permanent coordination of their work with IUSY Presidium.

Concerning the voting rights, the rules of the International Congress and the World Council apply.

VIII Working Groups and Thematic Networks

1. The Permanent Working groups are the Feminist Working Group, IUSY Students and the LesBigay Working Group. The Congress may establish other working groups.
2. The Working groups develop IUSY policies and activities in their particular fields of concern and decide upon their working methods, within the framework of decisions by the International Congress and the Council. Work is coordinated with the Presidium and secretariat. The coordinators of Working Groups are invited to Presidium meetings. They have to report on their activities to the World Congress and Council.
3. The Coordinators of Working Groups are elected by the International Congress for the period between the Congresses. If the full member organisation to which the coordinator of a Working group belongs has changed its status in IUSY, if the coordinator of a Working group ceases to be a member of his/her organisation, or if s/he resigns, the Council elects a new Coordinator.
4. Thematic Networks are established every two years by the Congress. Vice-Presidents are in charge of the Thematic Networks in connection with their portfolios.

IX Control Commission

1. The Control Commission is made up of five members, including the Chair, elected by the International Congress. These members will not be members of the Presidium.
2. The Control Commission has to control the execution of the decisions of the statutory bodies and the Secretary General.
3. The Control Commission is to be consulted on financial matters and agreements.
4. The members of the Control Commission have to be members of a full member organisation of IUSY. Should a member of the Control Commission cease to belong to a full member organisation during his/her time of office, or if a member of the Control Commission resigns, the Council elects a new member.
5. The Control Commission meets at least twice a year.
6. Between the Congresses the Control Commission is the only body which can interpret the Statutes.

X The Arbitrating Body

In all cases of conflict arising within IUSY the Arbitrating Body decides. The Arbitrating Body is made up of five people: two representatives of each part in conflict and a chairperson who is elected by the IUSY Presidium by simple majority. The Arbitrating Body decides on the basis of a simple majority. Its decisions are final. Those members who do not submit themselves to the Arbitrating Body or who do not respect its decision can be excluded from the International by the IUSY Presidium.

XI Dissolution

Dissolution of IUSY can only be decided by a specially convened International Congress, by a 2/3 majority of all votes present. After fulfilment of all liabilities any existing assets have to be transferred to another youth organisation whose aims and principles are similar to those of IUSY. Detailed decisions for the execution must be taken by the above-mentioned, specially convened Congress.

XII General

1. In such cases not specified by the present Statutes, all decisions requiring voting are taken by simple majority of all present, valid and non-abstaining votes.
   To be elected an absolute majority of votes is required. All votes must be cast for the number of persons of each gender that are to be elected. If the number of candidates receiving an absolute majority is insufficient, only those with a majority of votes are elected, while a new vote is held among the candidates with most votes, the number of whom cannot exceed the double number of posts still to be elected.
   If more persons reach an absolute majority than the number of posts to be elected, those candidates who get most votes are elected.
   If a quota applies and is not fulfilled by the result, those with least votes from the group not benefiting from the quota are discarded until the quota is fulfilled. An absolute majority of votes is still required and new rounds of voting may be required.
   For all sessions of the International Congress, Council, Presidium, Control Commission, an official report must be made.
   All proposals regarding the Declaration of Principles and Statutes must reach the Secretary General not less than two months in advance of the Congress (one month in the event of an extraordinary Congress). If an urgent question arises later, it can be put on the agenda by a decision of the Congress.
   The bodies of IUSY make their own rules of procedure.
   Political officers are appointed by the Presidium on the proposal of the Secretary General. Job descriptions must exist for political officers.
2. Changes to these Statutes will be taken by a two-third majority. These Statutes are in force as soon as they are adopted.