Geneva Interns’ Association (GIA) - ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

PREAMBLE

            Those undertaking internship programmes at international organizations in Geneva:

            MINDFUL of the unwaged and transient nature of internship, its general lack of representation in staff associations and unions, and the mutual benefits that it affords to young people and to the organizations in which they work;

            COMMITTED firstly to promoting the professional welfare of interns, by seeking to improve the working conditions, remuneration, and the diverse accessibility of internship programmes through dialogue with organizations, thereby improving the internship experience and increasing the participation of developing nations;

            COMMITTED secondly to promoting the personal welfare of interns, by consolidating and strengthening the community of interns in Geneva, and by providing assistance to interns in instances of professional difficulties, thereby providing support, advice, and social opportunities;

            COMMITED thirdly to generating a collective memory and a shared history among interns for the continuous promotion of our aims;

            RESPECTFUL of the important work and aims of the United Nations and its associated organizations, and considering the example that its employment practises provide to the nations of the world;

            REFERRING to freedom of association, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 20 paragraph 1, concerning freedom of association, and Article 23 paragraph 4, concerning the right to form and join trade unions), and promoted by the instruments of the International Labour Organization (ILO Convention 87 concerning freedom of association and the right to organise, Convention 98 concerning the right to organise and collective bargaining, and Convention 154 concerning the promotion of collective bargaining);

            AFFIRM the right of interns to associate freely;

            AND RESOLVE to form an association, in keeping with the principles and international norms of freedom of association, for the pursuit of the aims stated above.

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GENEVA

24th October 2011

I. MEMBERSHIP AND STRUCTURE

Article 1: Membership

i.          Any intern at the United Nations in Geneva, or any intern at an organization falling within the United Nations system in Geneva, is eligible to join the Geneva International Organizations Interns’ Association (hereafter ‘the Association’).

ii.         Membership can be gained by applying to an officer of the Association. Membership is valid for the duration of a member’s internship, based on the records of the Association.

iii.        Membership can be resigned by communicating the intention to resign to an officer of the Association.

iv.        The Association will not charge a membership fee. The Association is a not-for-profit organisation. Any costs incurred by the Association (including possible sponsorships and subsidies for interns of lesser means) will be covered by donations and occasional fundraising events.

v.         Members of the Association will be entitled to vote on policies, organizational rules, and actions taken by the Association, to stand and vote in the election of officers, and to participate in all of the Associations activities.

vi.        In the interests of solidarity and inclusiveness, interns living in Geneva who work at NGOs, CERN, or other non-UN international organizations are free to associate with the Association in order to contribute to its social and professional activities. Interns who do not work for UN organizations are entitled to ‘associate membership’, which does not allow them to stand or vote in elections.

Article 2: Officers

i.          The Association will be administrated by its officers, who will constitute the Committee of the Association.

ii.         Those elected to represent interns at UN organizations will be officers of the association. They will represent their respective organizations on the Committee, and will be chosen by the interns of the organizations in which they work.

iii.        With a view to seeking the broadest possible representativeness, officers from smaller agencies may be recruited without having to stand for election.

iv.        In addition, the Committee will have a chairperson, a secretary, and a treasurer. Those officers will be elected by a ballot in which all members of the Association are eligible to stand and vote. The chairperson, secretary, and treasurer must work at three different organizations. In addition, interns representing the same organization may only occupy each of those roles for two consecutive terms, following which an intern from a different organisation should be sought.

v.         Other officers may be appointed by the Committee, where necessary, on an ad hoc basis (for example, these may include sports, social, welfare, campaigns, bargaining, or communications officers). One person should be appointed by the Committee to represent CERN, as well as representatives of any other non-UN organizations that the Committee deems appropriate. Such appointments must be communicated to the members of the Association, who will have the opportunity to object to the appointments. If objections arise, a ballot will be conducted in accordance with Article 4.

vi.        Due to the transient nature of internships there will be no fixed term limits on officers’ tenures. To ensure the greatest possible continuity, interns may serve as officers for the period of time that they are able to do so. However, only those holding valid membership can serve as officers. Officers are required to organise the election or recruitment of their replacement in a timely manner.

vii.       The Committee will be responsible for all official activities of the Association. These include: campaigning on issues of concern for interns; providing all possible support to members where necessary; organising weekly social events; maintaining membership records; promoting the Association with a view to increasing its membership (online, in person, asking human resource departments to provide information to new interns etc); endeavouring to gain recognition for collective bargaining purposes; and overseeing the Association’s finances.

viii.      In the event that an officer must be removed, the Committee will terminate their membership in accordance with Article 5.

II. THE FUNCTIONING OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 3: Meetings

i.          The Committee, whether in whole or in part, shall meet as often as it deems necessary. However, in order to organise social events (UN drinks, UN lunches), agreed officers should meet at least once every two weeks.

ii.         A general meeting of all members should be held quarterly, with a view to voting on policies, agendas, or (where necessary) the election of new officers. In the event of important developments, policy decisions, or elections, general meetings should also be held. General meetings must be widely publicised to members of the Association.

Article 4: Elections and Voting

i.          On all matters of policy, actions taken by the Association, or the election of the chairperson, secretary or treasurer, all members will be entitled to one vote in a secret ballot. In all possible cases, an independent person (i.e. a person with no connection with the Committee, but not necessarily a person who is not a member of the Association) should be sought to oversee and conduct ballots.

ii.         Given the broad and disparate base of membership, the Committee may consider it convenient to use a secure online voting system.

iii.        As the membership base in Geneva is transient, there will be no quorum requirements. However, where there is a serious doubt about the integrity of the result of a ballot, either by the Committee, by the independent overseer, or by the membership of the Association, ballots will be declared void, and will then be rerun.

Article 5: Association Discipline

i.          Any member whose actions do not conform to the principles of the Association will have their membership unilaterally terminated by a simple majority decision of the Committee.

ii.         The principles of the Association include support for bona fide and constructive dialogue with international organizations, respect for the work and principles of the United Nations and its associated organizations, the promotion of harmony and good relations between different nations, and concern for the welfare of interns and those associated with the Association

iii.        In the event of an internal dispute, the Committee will nominate an ad hoc panel or person to mediate. With the consent of the parties to the dispute, the panel or person will then resolve the dispute as it sees fit.

III. THE REGULATION OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 6: Articles of Association

i.          This document took effect on 24th October 2011 when it was presented to the interns of the international organizations in Geneva who wished to form an Association.

ii.         Amendments to these Articles of Association will be made by  the consent of the Association, by proposing alterations and conducting a ballot in accordance with Article 4.

Article 7: Legal Status

i.          At the present time, the Association wishes to consolidate and formalise the existing links between interns of various organizations in Geneva and establish itself as a voluntary association.

ii.         However, the Association eventually aspires to enter into collective bargaining with international organizations when its structure and membership are sufficiently well-established. At that time, the Association can amend this Article to claim trade union status, either according to the norms of international labour law, or under Article 60 of the Swiss civil code of 10 December 1907.