DENOMINATION AND SEAT

Article 1

Under the name'ARS EPA-UNEPSA' is formed a non-profit association within the meaning of Article 60 and following of the Swiss Civil Code. It is politically neutral and confessionally independent.

Article 2

The association's headquarters are located in the commune of Bevaix in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.

Its duration is indeterminate.

Goals

Article 3

3.1. The Association aims to promote scientific activity as well as research that will be carried out in favour of national European paediatric organisations.

The association does not pursue any economic purpose and does not aim for profit. The organs practice their activity on a voluntary basis.

3.2. The association also pursues the following specific goals:

• Organise training courses, scientific activities and congresses as well as meetings of European Paediatric Societies/National Associations to improve paediatric education.
• Scientifically cooperate and provide scientific advice and recommendations to other non-profit paediatric associations around the world, including the European Paediatric Association (EPA-UNEPSA),the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the World Bank and any other national and international public health organizations and to develop scientific projects, events and programmes on their behalf.
• Publishing to promote the education of patients, families and caregivers by passing on special knowledge to general practitioners.
• Promote the exchange of national experiences in the various areas of patient care and share national practices and research with others.
• Collect scientific information from national societies and associations that will be useful for the benefit of children's health and make it available to all professionals active in the paediatric field.
• Form ad hoc expert committees to study important issues of paediatric interest in Europe.

Where this appears to be conducive to its objectives, the association may be affiliated with other related European Societies/Associations provided that its independence is assured.

Resources

Article 4

The resources available to the association to pursue its purpose are:

• Members' dues,
• revenues from the events and activities it organizes,
• subsidies,
• revenues from the benefit agreement,
• donations and legacies of all kinds,
• any other resource authorized by law.

The funds are used in accordance with the social purpose.

The heritage of the association alone meets the commitments made on its behalf.

Any personal responsibility of its members is excluded.

Honorary members and members of the current committee are exempt from paying the dues.

Members

Article 5

5.1. Principles

All European national paediatric scientific organisations that are committed to the goal of the association can become members.

Applications for membership must be addressed to the Council; the admission decision rests with the General Assembly.

The Conseil may also propose the admission of members to the General Assembly.

Applicants have no legal right to be accepted as a member of the Association.

5.2.The association is made up of:

• Founding Members: They have the right to vote.
• Active Members: Active voting members are the European National Paediatric Scientific Organisations (represented by their delegates) who participate in the association's activities and use its infrastructure.
• Honorary Members: On the proposal of the committee, certain individuals and corporations may be awarded the status of honorary member by the General Assembly for their particular commitment to the association or for having conducted distinguished activities and studies in the field of paediatrics and paediatric care. Honorary members are exempt from paying the dues.
• Correspondent Members: The corresponding members are defined as the non-European national paediatric scientific organisations involved in child health that apply for membership. The corresponding members are exempt from the payment of the dues and have no voting rights.

5.3. La membership is lost:

• resignation, exclusion or as a result of the dissolution of the corporation.
• defaulting contributions for more than three years.

The exclusion is pronounced by the Committee, for 'just reasons', with a right of appeal before the General Assembly. The appeal period is thirty days after notification of the decision of the Conseil.

In any case, the contribution for the year remains due.

Resigning or excluded members have no right to social assets.

Organs

Article 6

The bodies of the association are:

• The General Assembly,
• The Council,
• The Accounts' Control Board (account auditors).

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Article 7

The General Assembly is the supreme power of the association. It is made up of all members.

It meets once a year in regular session. It may, moreover, meet in a special session whenever necessary at the request of the Conseil or 2/5th of the members.

The member organizations of the association each appoint a delegate to represent them in the General Assembly with the right to vote. Delegates are in principle the legal representatives of the member organization.

The general assembly is validly constituted (Quorum) by the presence of at least 1/3th of the members of the association.

The Council communicates to members inwriting the date of the General Assembly at least 6 weeks in advance. The convening of the agenda is addressed by the Council to each member at least 10 days in advance.

Article 8

The General Assembly:

• reads the reports and accounts for the year and votes to approve them,
• approves the annual budget,
• controls the activity of other bodies that it may revoke if necessary for just due,
• appoints an auditor to the accounts,
• sets the amount of annual dues
• decides on any changes to the statutes,
• decides to dissolve the association.

In addition, the General Assembly:

• decides on appeals to exclude members,
• elects the members of the Council and appoints at least one President, one Secretary and one Treasurer-e and two Vice-Presidents.
• elects other members of the Council, if any,
• elects the auditing body (account auditors),
• decides on the admission of new members and the exclusion of existing members,
• decides on the venue and the president of the annual scientific congresses, if any,
• delegated to the Council the specific cases to be dealt with between two General Assemblies.

Article 9

The General Assembly is chaired by the president of the association or by a member of the Council delegated by the president. The minutes of the resolutions adopted in the General Assembly are prepared by the Secretary-General and countersigned by the President of the General Assembly.

Article 10

The decisions of the General Assembly are taken by a simple majority of the votes of the members present. In the event of a tie, the president's vote counts double.

Decisions on the amendment of the statutes and the dissolution of the association can only be taken by a majority of two-thirds of the members present.

Article 11

Voting takes place by show of hands. At the request of at least five members, they will be held by secret ballot.

Article 12

The agenda of the annual general meeting, known as ordinary, necessarily includes:

• approval of the minutes of the last general meeting,
• Council's report on the association's activity during the past period,
• Cash Reports and the Accounts Control Board,
• setting dues,
• the adoption of the budget,
• Approval of reports and accounts
• The election of members of the Board and the Accounts Control Board if their mandate has expired,
• individual proposals.

Counsel

Article 13

The Council is authorized to perform all acts that relate to the purpose of the association. It has the broadest powers to manage day-to-day business.

Article 14

The Council consists of at least three members elected by the General Assembly (one President, one Secretary and one Treasurer-e). The board is supplemented as an advisory member by thelocal representative where appropriate.

In addition, the Council may include other members with the following skills:

• two Vice-Presidents
• five Councilors,
• The outgoing President,
• The Chair of the Scientific Committee,
• The President of the next Congress,
• The local representative with an advisory vote,
• consultative voices contributing to the smooth running of the association.

The Council adopts its resolutions by a simple majority of the votes cast. In the event of a tie, the President has the casting vote. A quorum exists when a minimum of two-thirds of the members of the Council are present. If all members of the Council agree, Council resolutions may also be adopted by written consent instead of a meeting.

Noone of the Council's positions can only be held by the same member of the Council for a period of three years, but renewable twice.

The Council meets as many times as the association's business requires.

Article 15

Board members act on a voluntary basis and can only claim compensation for their actual expenses and travel expenses. Any attendance tokens may not exceed those paid for official commissions. For activities that exceed the usual scope of the function, each member of the committee may receive appropriate compensation.

Paid persons of the association may only sit on the Council with an advisory voice.

Article 16

The Committee is responsible for:

• to take the necessary steps to achieve the stated goal,
• to convene ordinary and extraordinary general meetings,
• to make decisions on the admission and resignation of members, as well as their possible exclusion,
• to ensure the application of the statutes, to draft the regulations and to
• to administer the association's assets.

COMPTES CONTROL ORGANES (Account Auditors)

Article 17

The General Assembly appoints at least two auditors. It may also entrust this task to a fiduciary corporation.

The accounts watchdog verifies the annual operating account and balance sheet prepared by the Council and submits a written and detailed report to the Annual General Meeting.

SIGNING AND REPRESENTATION OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 18

The association is validly engaged by the collective signature to two of the members of the Council and/or any other representative appointed for this purpose by the Council in a power of attorney.

Each time, however, the signature of the president and one of the signatures of the secretary general or treasurer are required to represent the company.

FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 19

The fiscal year begins on January 1 and ends on December 31 of each year.

Article 20

In the event of the dissolution of the association, the available assets will be allocated entirely to an institution pursuing a public interest purpose similar to that of the association and benefiting from the tax exemption. Under no circumstances will the property be returned to the physical founders or members, nor be used for their own benefit in any or part of it.

These statutes were adopted by the constituent general assembly at its meeting on 12 December 2020.

On behalf of the association:

The Presiding Officer The Sitting Secretary