OF THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA 5th Year No. 33 ADDIS ABABA - 9th February , 1999 CONTENTS Proclamation No. 153/1999 Revised Charter of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society Proclamation Page 968 PROCLAMATION NO.153 / 1999 A PROCLAMATION TO PROVIDE FOR THE REVISED CHARTER OF THE ETHIOPIAN RED CROSS SOCIETY WHEREAS , the Red Cross is an international movement which provides the necessary humanitarian aid to victims of armed conflicts and , in general , to all victims of on race , colour , nationality , sex , religion , political outlook or friendship and lasting peace among peoples ; WHEREAS , the Ethiopian Red Cross Society , a mem through the support of the government and the public at large WHEREAS , the participation , in cooperation with the concerned organizations , of the Society in the country's development activities and its contributions in the efforts of raising the standard of living of the population to a minimum relief aid to victims of disasters , should be encouraged ; WHEREAS , it has become appropriate and necessary to of natural resources ; Unit Price The African Law Archive No.33 9 February , 1999 - Page 977 24. The Vice President of the Society shall : 1 ) discharge the duties of the President in his absence ; 2 ) perform duties specifically assigned to him by the Board . 25. Powers and Duties of the Treasurer The Treasurer of the Society shall : 1 ) chair the Finance and Property Advisory Committee of the Society ; 2 ) submit periodical reports to the Board on the property and financial administration of the Society . 26. Powers and Duties of the Secretary General The Secretary General of the Society shall be accountable to the Board and shall : 1 ) direct , administer and supervise the Head Office of the Society ; ensure that the various activities of the Society are executed properly and in accordance with this Charter and the internal regulations and directives of the Society ; 3 ) establish , with a view to facilitating the realization of the purposes of the Society , relations with other components of the Movement as well as other appropriate national and international organizations , provided , however , that prior approval of the Board shall be required to conclude agreements with such organizations and to undertake commitments on behalf of the Society ; 4 ) establish ad hoc or standing committees as may be necessary , to expedite the effective discharge of his responsibilities ; 5 ) prepare and submit to the Board plans and work programmes as well as budgets of the Society , and implement same upon approval ; 6 ) execute decisions of the General Assembly and the Board ; 7 ) submit , annually and where necessary periodically , financial reports of the Society to the Board ; 8 ) prepare , in consultation with the president , the agenda of the meeting of the Board and distribute same to each member together with relevant documents ; 9 ) select and submit to the Board for approval persons to be assigned , at the Head Office of the Society , to posts directly accountable to him ; 10 ) attend , as may be necessary , in person or through a representative the meetings of the advisory commit tees of the Society . 11 ) employ , administer and dismiss the personnel of the Head Office of the Society ; 12 ) submit to the Board for approval internal regulations and directives necessary for effective implemen tation of this Charter , and implement same upon approval ; 13 ) represent , in accordance with general directives of the Board , the Society in its dealings with third parties ; - 14 ) perform such other duties as may be assigned to him by the Board . The African Law Archive No.33 9 February , 1999 - Page 978 PART FIVE Income and Financial Reports of the Society 27. Sources of Income The Society shall have the following sources of income : 1 ) membership fees ; 2 ) money and property acquired through inheritance , donations and assistance ; 3 ) proceeds from income - generating programmes : 4 ) general or programme subsidy from the Govern ment ; 5 ) income from ambulance and other services ; 6 ) other sources . 28. Fiscal Year The fiscal year of the Society shall commence on the 1st day of Hamle and shall end on the 30th day of Sene of the following year . 29. Annual Financial Reports 1 ) Audited financial report of the Society shall be submitted to the Board within a period of six months following the end of each fiscal year . 2 ) The audited financial reports shall be submitted every two years to the General Assembly . PART SIX Miscellaneous Provisions 30. Revision of the Charter This Charter may be amended upon approval by the Government of the recommendations of the National General Assembly by a two - thirds majority vote passed in a meeting in which at least two - third of the members are present . 31. Transitory provisions Officials of the Society shall continue to serve until new elections and assignements are made in accordance with this Charter . 32. Power to issue Internal Regulations Without prejudice to other provisions of this Charter , the Board may issue internal regulations and directives necessary for the proper implementation of this Charter . 33. Repeal The Revised Charter of the Society granted under the Council of State Special Decree No. 21/1990 is hereby repealed and replaced by this Charter . 34. Effective Date This Charter shall come into force as of the 9th day of February , 1999 . Done at Addis Ababa , this Och day of February , 1999 . PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA The African Law Archive No.33 9 February , 1999- ~ Page 969 WHEREAS , it is necessary to restructure and organize and discharge its international duties ; WHEREAS , it is appropriate to respond to the request of the General Assembly of the Society for further revision of No.21 / 1990 NOW , THEREFORE , in accordance with Article 55 / 1 / of the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia , it is hereby proclaimed as follows : PART ONE General 1. Short Title This Proclamation may be cited as the “ Revised Charter of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society Proclamation No.153 / 1999 ” 2. Definitions In this Charter , unless the context requires otherwise : 1 ) “ “ Region ” means a member state of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia as stated under Article 47 ( 1 ) of the Constitution and includes the Cities of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa ; 2 ) “ Kebele ” means a locality within which a rural or urban kebele administration is established ; 3 ) “ Red Cross Youth ” means a member of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society between the ages of 14 and 30 years ; 4 ) “ Geneva Conventions ” means the Red Cross Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the protection of war victims and includes the additional protocols of 1977 . The Ethiopian Red Cross . Society ( hereinafter the Society ” ' ) shall , as a national society having its own legal personality , continue to undertake , under this Charter , the activities it was established for . Emblem 1 ) The emblem of the Society is the heraldic sign of a Red Cross on a white background . 2 ) The shape and use of the emblem shall be governed by the Geneva Conventions and regulations on the use of the emblem by national societies . The African Law Archive 5. Principles The fundamental principles of the society are : 1 ) humanity ; 2 ) impartiality ; 3 ) neutrality ; 4 ) independence ; 5 ) voluntary service ; 6 ) unity ; 7 ) universality . 6. Purpose The purpose of the Society shall be to prevent and alleviate human sufferings and to contribute to the well being of mankind and the prevalence of peace , in conformity with the Geneva Conventions and the fun damental principles referred to in Article 5 of this Charter . 7. Duties and Capacity The Society shall have the following duties and capacity : to provide victims with effective emergency assis tance during catastrophes or disasters ; 2 ) to provide assistance to military and civilian victims of war in conformity with the Geneva Conventions and its fundamental principles and to undertake all necessary preparations to that end in time of peace ; 3 ) to rehabilitate dislocated victims of man - made and natural disasters and assist their efforts to become self - reliant through participation in development activities ; 4 ) to cooperate with all concerned in the prevention of diseases , the promotion of public health services , the training of medical personnel and the improvement of standards of health in general , including the development and implementation of primary health care services ; 5 ) in cooperation with the concerned organs , to par ticipate in and contribute to environmental and community development activities such as afforest ation , supply of potable water and the provision of community sanitary services ; 6 ) to support those groups of the community , especially women and children , who are most vulnerable to disaster ; 7 ) to disseminate widely the Geneva Conventions , which are the basis for humanitarian services , with a view to promoting the prevalence , amongst all peoples and nations , of cooperation and mutual understanding ; 8 ) to endeavour to further popularize the fundamental principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement ; The African Law Archive No.33 9 February , 1999 - Page 971 9 ) to raise its membership and the role of volunteers ; to propagate and expand the Red Cross youth movement among the young and the rest of the community ; 11 ) to train and deploy volunteers for rescue work and social welfare , as well as other volunteers in its fields of activity ; 12 ) to strive for the promotion of understanding and peace in the world by developing and streng thening its relations with the other components of the movement and other international ganizations ; 13 ) to plan , formulate and implement various projects , which are consistent with the purpose and duties , with a view to creating permanent sources of revenue to be able to finance its services ; 14 ) to own movable and immovable property ; 15 ) to enter into contracts ; 16 ) to sue and be sued in its own name ; 17 ) to carry out other related activities necessary for the attainment of its purposes . PART TWO Membership 8. Acquisition of Membership Any person who is willing to accept and translate into deeds the fundamental principles of the Society may become a member of the Society without discrimination related to race , colour , nationality , sex , religion , political opinions or any other factor . 9. Types of Membership The types of membership shall include the following : 1 ) regular membership ; 2 ) life membership ; 3 ) honorary membership ; 4 ) corporate membership ; 5 ) Red Cross Youth membership . 10. Conditions for Membership 1 ) Without prejudice to sub - Articles ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) of this Article , the fulfilment of the following conditions qualify for membership : ( a ) the payment of annual membership fee as fixed by the National General Assembly ; ( b ) donation in kind to the Society equivalent to the membership fee ; or ( c ) the provision of free service as required by the society . The African Law Archive 1999- Page 972 2 ) The status of life membership may be obtained by any individual or family upon a one - time full payment of the sum fixed for the purpose by the national General Assembly or by donating property or , providing free service to the Society the value of which is equivalent to the payment . 3 ) : The status of honorary membership may be obtained upon rendering commendable humanitarian services in line with the fundamental principles of the Society and shall be granted by the National General Assembly . 11. Rights of Members * 1 ) . A regular member , a life member as well as a Red Cross Youth member who has attained 18 years of age may : - ( a ) attend and vote at meetings of the Society held at the level of kebele and at other meetings of the Society in which the member represents a local branch ; and ( b ) be eligible for election as an officer of the Society at all levels . 2 ) A person representing a corporate member may attend and vote at the general assemblies of the Society but shall not be eligible for election . 3 ) An honorary member may attend and forward opinions at general assemblies of the Society but neither shall be able to vote nor be eligible for election . 4 ) Members of the Society elected as board members at any level may be re - elected at the expiry of their term of office ; provided , however , that no member could serve for more than two successive terms of office . 12. Revocation and Recovery of Membership 1 ) Membership may be revoked on the following grounds : ( a ) failure to pay the annual membership fee for two consecutive years ; ( b ) discontinuation of services for two consecutive years , where membership was based on pro viding services to the Society ; ( c ) contravention of the fundamental principles of the society . 2 ) Membership that was revoked pursuant to sub Article ( 1 ) ( a ) or ( b ) of this Article may be recovered by paying the current membership fee or by resuming the discontinued services or by making donations equivalent to the fee . 3 ) The authority to revoke membership rests with the woreda , zonal , regional or national board as may be appropriate . The procedure for appealing against a decision to revoke a membership will be determined in the internal regulations of the society . The African Law Archive PART THREE Organization of the Society 13. Patron of the Society The patron of the Society shall be the President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia or a person , designated by the President , who shall extend all neces sary assistance to the Society in the attainment of its purposes , in securing wider public acceptance and in promoting its activities . 14. Organization of the Society 1 ) The organization of the Society is based on the principle of unity at the national level and structured , as provided in sub - articles ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) of this Article , in line with the Country's federal and regional structures with a view to facilitating closer interac tion with the public at large . 2 ) The society shall have : ( a ) at the national level : 1 ) National General Assembly ; 2 ) Board ; and 3 ) Head Office ; ( b ) at regional level : 1 ) General Assembly ; 2 ) Board ; and 3 ) Regional Office ( c ) at zonal level , as may be appropriate in accor dance with the structure of regional govern ments : 1 ) General Assembly ; 2 ) Board ; and 3 ) Žonal Office ( d ) at woreda level 1 ) General Assembly ; 2 ) Board ; and 3 ) Woreda Office . 3 ) The Society may have Red Cross Committees at Kebele level as may be necessary . 15. Members of the National General Assembly The National General Assembly shall have the following members : 1 ) members of the National Board ; . 2 ) five elected representatives from each region ; 3 ) a representative of each of the following government offices : ( a ) Ministry of Foreign Affairs ; ( b ) Ministry of National Defence ; ( c ) _Ministry of Health ; ( d ) . Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commis sion ; ( e ) Security , Immigration and Refugee Affairs Authority ; 4 ) a representative of the Ethiopian labour Unions ' Federation ; 5 ) a representative of the Ethiopian Chamber of Com 6 ) a representative of the Red Cross Workers ' Union ; 7 ) other members to be determined by the General Assembly . The African Law Archive Powers and Duties of the National General Assembly The National General Assembly shall be the supreme organ of the Society and shall give decisions on all matters concerning the Society . Its powers and duties include the following : to elect , by secret ballot , members of the Board out of candidates from among the members of the Society referred to in Article 11 ( 1 ) recommended by an election committee to be established from among its members . to give the necessary general policy guide - lines to the Board and supervise its activities ; to approve the short , medium and long - term work programmes and budget of the Society submitted to it by the Board ; 4 ) to examine and approve the reports of the Board and the auditors ; 5 ) to examine and approve decisions of the Board on major and urgent relief expenditures not ap propriated in the budget ; to decide upon the recommendations of the Board as to the types of membership , the amount of membership fees and contributions to be made by regional offices to the Head office of the Society ; 7 ) to decide upon the granting of honorary member ship and the awarding of the Society's most distinguished medals and decorations to persons recommended by the Board on account of their outstanding humanitarian services rendered to the public in line with the fundamental principles of the Society ; 8 ) to appoint the auditor of the Society for a term of two years ; 9 ) to revise this Charter as may be necessary and submit same to ICRC / Federation Joint Commis sion for National Societies Statutes , before it is submitted to the Government for approval ; 10 ) to approve regulations prepared and submitted by the Board , on the basis of this Charter and recommendations of regions , to define the or ganization , powers and duties of organs and offices of the Society . 17. Meetings of the General Assembly 1 ) The National General Assembly shall hold a regular meeting every two years within six months after the end of the fiscal year of the Society . 2 ) Extraordinary meetings may be held at any time when deemed necessary . 3 ) Extraordinary meetings may be convened : ( a ) upon the decision of the Board ; or ( b ) at the request of one - third of the members of the General assembly . 4 ) All notices on holding a regular meeting of the General Assembly , together with reports of the Board and of auditors as well as a copy of the agenda , shall be sent to members of the Assembly one month prior to the meeting . The African Law Archive - No.33 9 February 1999- Page 975 5 ) All notices dn holding an extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly and a copy of the agenda shall be sent to ' members of the Assembly fifteen days prior to the meeting . 18. Procedures for the Meetings of the General Assembly 1 ) Meetings of the General Assembly shall be presided over by the President of the Society . 2 ) Subject to the provisions of Article 30 of this Charter : ( a ) the presence of a simple majority of the members ( b ) decisions shall be made by a majority vote of the i members present at the meeting . 3 ) Where there is no.quorum as determind under sub Așticle ( 2 ) ( a ) , of this Article , the Assembly shall be convened for the second time within fifteen days . Decisions shall be made by a majority vote of such members as are present at the second meeting . 4 ) Each member of the General Assembly shall have a 5 ) . Minu es of the deliberations and decisions of the Assembly shall be taken by a rapporteur elected by the Assembly and shall be signed by the President and the rapporteur . 19. Members of the National Board 1 ) . The National Board of the Society shall have nine members elected by the General Assembly . 2 ) The Secretary General of the Society shall be a non voting member and secretary of the Board . 20. Term of Office Without prejudice to the conditions stated under sub Article 4 of Article 11 , members of the National Board shall serve for a term of four years . 21. Powers and Duties of the Board The Board shall have all the necessary powers for the implementation of the purposes of the Society , including the following : 1 ) to elect , from among its members : ( a ) the President of the Society ; ( b ) the Vice President of the Society ; ( c ) the Treasurer of the Society ; ( d ) theChairpersons of Advisory Committees ; 2 ) to follow up the proper implementation of the duties of the Society specified in Article 7 of this Charter ; 3 ) to follow up and supervise the proper discharge of activities of the Head Office of the Society ; 4 ) to select and assign the Secretary.General of the society and dismiss him when he fails to properly discharge his responsibilities ; 5 ) to approve the selection of persons to be assigned at the Head Office to posts direcly accountable to the Secretary General . 6 ) to submit every two years to the General Assembly , financial reports audited by the appointed auditor ; The African Law Archive No.33 9 February , 1999– Page 976 7 ) to submit every two years to the General Assembly , for approval , the activity reports of the Society together with the work programme and budget of the Society for the following two years ; 8 ) to decide , between sessions of the Assembly , on matters falling under the jurisdiction of the General Assembly and submit same for approval at the next meeting ; 9 ) to establish , upon the recommendation of the Finance and Property Advisory Committee , reserve and other funds fo the Society , and decide on their utilization ; 10 ) to ensure the proper observance and implemen tation of the fundamental principles of the Society at all levels ; 11 ) to submit recommendations to the General Assem bly on the types of membership , amount of member ship fees and contributions to be made by regional offices to the Head Office of the Society ; 12 ) to decide on the requirement and utilization of foreign assistance ; 13 ) to authorize , when necessary and in consultation with the concerned government organs , Inter national Red Cross and Red Crescent institutions and sister societies to undertake joint activities with the Society in Ethiopia . 14 ) to nominate and submit for the approval of the General Assembly persons to be granted honorary membership ; 15 ) to elect , in case where persons among its members cannot complete their term in office , substitutes to serve until the next regular meeting of the General Assembly ; 16 ) to establish , as may be necessary , ad hoc or standing advisory committees and define their functions ; 17 ) to decide on the time , place and agenda of the meetings of the General Assembly ; 18 ) to establish external relations on behalf of the Society ; 19 ) to adopt its own rules of procedures ; to perform such other duties as may be assigned to it by the General Assembly . PART FOUR Powers and Duties of Officials of the Society General Officials of the Society shall exercise their duties in accordance with the provisions of this Charter and the internal regulations and directives of the Society . 23. Powers and Duties of the President The Preisident of the Society shall : 1 ) preside over meetings of the General Assembly and the Board ; 2 ) follow the implementation of the decisions of the General Assembly and the Board ; 3 ) decide , between sessions of the Board , on urgent matters submitted from the Head Office , and submit such decisions for approval at the next meeting of the Board . The African Law Archive