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STATUTES

I. NAME – HEADQUARTERS – DURATION

1: General
Article 1 - Name

  1. 1. Under the name of “Geneva International Model United Nations” or “GIMUN” was founded in 1999 an association under articles 60 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code, organized as a non-profit-making corporate body, politically and religiously independent.

  2. 2. GIMUN is bilingual English - French.

  3. 3. Communications within GIMUN will be in one of the two languages without distinction or in both as far as possible. Official documents drafted by GIMUN and intended for the United Nations Organisation (hereinafter: UN) are written in English.

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Article 2 - Headquarters

The association’s headquarters are in Geneva.

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Article 3 - Duration

The duration of GIMUN is unlimited.

II. GOALS

2: Goals
Article 4 - Purpose

  1. The association has the following purposes:
    a. To promote the aims and objectives of the UN and thereby contribute positively to the work of the UN via its consultative status with the Economic and Social Council;
    b. To organize realistic academic simulations of UN conferences, bodies and agencies and any other multilateral negotiation forum for students from around the world studying at university or equivalent level;
    c. To promote, in addition to the aims and objectives of the UN, those of Geneva as a place of peace and multilateral diplomacy, as well as of cultural exchange;
    d. To supplement the training of its members by adding a practical dimension to their theoretical knowledge.

  2. It can also take measures to facilitate participation of people in difficult financial situations in its activities.

  3. To achieve these goals, the association uses all appropriate means, such as, for example:
    a. collaborating with associations pursuing similar aims;
    b. engaging itself in any activity necessary and useful to the pursuit of its social goals and to work both on an individual and local level and with national and international partners.

III. MEMBERS

3: Members
Article 5 - Members

  1. Any student or former student of the University of Geneva, IHEID or any institution considered as a University or as an institution of higher education may become a member of the association, under the condition that he or she shares the objectives of GIMUN and that he or she:
    a. demonstrates a clear interest in the activities of the association;
    b. shares the values of the association;
    c. demonstrates substantial commitment and the necessary availability.

  2. Applications for membership from new members must be made in writing to the Executive Committee at least seven days before the Annual General Assembly or before an Extraordinary General Assembly.

  3. In the case of an Extraordinary General Assembly, applications for membership may be made during the General Assembly. New members are elected by an absolute majority of the members present or represented at the General Assembly.

  4. To join the association, members must pay an annual subscription of CHF 1. Members of the Executive Board and the Advisory Board do not need to pay this annual fee.

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Article 6 - Active members

  1. An active member is any natural person elected as such in accordance with art. 5 of these Statutes and who is an active member of a department.

  2. Any active member may vote at the General Assembly under articles 11 and 14 of the Statutes.

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Article 6bis - Passive members

  1. Any natural person meeting the conditions of art. 5 of these Statutes and elected as such by the General Assembly may be admitted as a passive member.

  2. Passive members are invited to attend the General Assembly. They do not have voting rights.

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IV. RESIGNATION AND LOSS OF MEMBERSHIP STATUS

4: Resignation
Article 7 - Resignation of members

Any member can resign from the association at any time simply by writing a letter or an e-mail to the Executive Board.

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Article 8 - Loss of membership status

  1. Membership status ends twelve months after the exmatriculation from the University of Geneva, the IHEID (or any other Higher Institute for Education). A member can keep membership after this period of time, without having the right to vote, if a written justification by letter or e-mail is addressed to the Executive Board. The General Assembly will vote on this request, according to the aforementioned article 5, par. 2.

  2. This does not apply to members of the Advisory Board, who can be members with voting rights even after their exmatriculation from a Higher Institute of Education.

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Article 9 - Exclusion of a member

  1. Any member who infringes GIMUN's interests or contravenes these statutes in any other way may be expelled from the association following a disciplinary hearing.

  2. The disciplinary hearing is held upon the decision of the Executive Board. It is composed by the President, the Vice President, the Heads of Department of the member concerned and the Heads of Human Resources.

  3. The member concerned may be accompanied by a reliable person of his or her choice, as long as this person does not disrupt the procedures.

  4. The purpose of the hearing is to reach a consensual solution with the member concerned. It must be conducted with goodwill and good faith. If no other solution seems possible, the General Assembly will vote on the potential exclusion of the member. The member concerned does not have the right to vote. In the event of a tie, the President’s vote counts double.

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5: Organisation

V. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

Article 10 - Organs of the association

The association's organs are the General Assembly, the Executive Board, the Advisory Board and the auditors.

6: General Assembly

A. General Assembly

Article 11 - The General Assembly's competences

  1. The General Assembly is the supreme body of the association.

  2. Its tasks and competences are all the ones that are not expressly attributed to another body; including, for instance:
    a. to define the means to implement to achieve the goals defined in Art. 4 below;
    b. to elect the Board and the auditors;
    c. to determine the amount of contributions;
    d. to approve the Board’s executive report and to give them discharge;
    e. to approve the financial statements presented by the Treasurer and to discharge him therefrom;
    f. to approve the auditors’ report and discharge them in respect thereof;
    g. to expel a member in accordance with Art. 9;
    h. to amend the statutes;
    i. to pronounce the dissolution of the Association.

  3. The General Assembly meets at least twice a year generally once at the end of each academic semester, when convened by the Board, on convocation of the Board, generally four to eight weeks after the closing ceremony of the Annual Conference. The following rules apply:
    a. The General Assembly is convened at least ten days before the day of its meeting; the agenda is attached to the notification to attend;
    b. proposals other than those of the Board must be submitted in written form seven days before the General Assembly;
    c. each member of the association is entitled to one vote at the General Assembly, with the exception of alumni and honorary members;
    d. decisions of the General Assembly are taken on the basis of a simple majority of the members present or represented, unless otherwise stipulated in these statutes;
    e. an extraordinary General Assembly may be convened by the Board or at the request of one-fifth of the Association's members;
    f. for its holding, the provisions for the Annual General Assembly also apply to the extraordinary General Assembly;
    g. the minutes, signed by the President, must be established for each General Assembly.

  4. Unless otherwise stipulated, the President of the association acts as President of the General Assembly. For decisions relating to the competences and election of the Board, the General Assembly elects, as far as possible, an honorary member as President of the General Assembly, at the beginning of the meeting.

  5. Any member of the association, with the exception of members who hold a position for which they have been elected by the members of the General Assembly (President, etc.), may be represented at the General Assembly by another member, by means of a written document indicating the identities of the representative and the represented party and the duration of the representation.
    a. The declaration must be dated and signed by the represented party;
    b. the declaration does not need to contain the represented party's specific instructions;
    c. a person may represent only one member;
    d. the declaration must be issued in the form of a letter or e-mail.

7: Executive Bord

B. The Executive Board

Article 12 - Composition and missions of the Executive Board

  1. The Executive Board (hereinafter: Board) shall consist of at least six members :
    a. the President;
    b. the Vice President;
    c. two Secretaries General;
    d. the Director of public relations;
    e. the Director of Finance.

  2. The members of the Board are elected by the General Assembly for a renewable term of one year. Failing the election of a new Board, the General Assembly shall decide on the future of the association, in accordance with the procedures laid down for the suspension of the association's activities. At least three members, alumni or honorary members may also propose a new Board.

  3. By publishing recruitment information, the Executive Board opens applications for new members. The Executive Board assesses the applications received and interviews the successful candidates. The candidates are then presented at the General Assembly and elected by a majority.

  4. The General Assembly may decide to adjust the number of Board members according to its needs and projects. The EB is responsible for all management and administrative tasks of the association, in particular:
    a. establishing the budget and managing the Association's finances
    b. submitting the budget to the General Assembly
    c. proposing the admission or exclusion of a member to the General Assembly;
    d. plan annual priorities;
    e. allocate the areas of responsibility of each Board member;
    f. proposing the allocation of the association's resources to the General Assembly;
    g. convene General Assemblies and prepare the business to be transacted;
    h. to safeguard the association's official documents, in particular the founding deed and the articles of association;
    i. hire employees or agents for specific tasks as required by the Association.

  5. An absolute majority of the members of the Board is required to validate deliberations and decisions. Decisions shall be taken by a simple majority of the members of the Board. Each member is entitled to one vote. In the event of a tie, the President’s vote shall be decisive.

  6. The GIMUN is legitimately represented by each member of the Board. The President of the Executive Board is not hierarchically superior to the other members of the Board.

  7. The General Assembly may decide to adapt the number of Board members according to its needs and projects.

  8. The Director of Finance is responsible for keeping the accounts. He must submit them to the General Assembly once a year.

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Article 13 - Resignation or revocation of an Executive Board member

  1. Every member of the Board may resign by giving three months' notice to the General Assembly by ordinary mail (priority post) or e-mail.

  2. On the proposal of 2 members of the Board or one third of the members of the association that have paid their subscriptions, the Board or the General Assembly can decide on the revocation of a member of the Committee.

  3. The person subject to revocation may not take part in the vote.

  4. The decision to revocate may only be voted in the presence of all the members of the Board and must be approved unanimously.

  5. If unanimity is not achieved by the members of the Board, the decision is submitted to the General Assembly. The decision to revocate must be taken by a qualified majority of three-quarters of the voting members present or represented at the General Assembly.

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Article 14 - New Board proposal

If, during the term of the mandate, one or all members of the Board resign or if the term of the mandate of the Executive Board comes to an end, the following dispositions apply:


      a. The Board appoints at least one person to unify, coordinate and facilitate the election of the new Executive Board that will take over the association's activities. This is usually the task of the President of the Executive Board.

 

b. When organizing the elections, the Executive Board will :
i. issue a public call for candidates;
ii. offer a clear application procedure;
iii. interview each candidate subject to the following condition: one of the interviewers must have held the position for which the candidate has applied.
iv. issue an interview report and minute for each candidate interview; these documents must be made available to the General Assembly ten days before it is conveyed. They must assess the candidates’ skills and competencies in relation to the position for which they have applied;
v. forward each candidate’s CV, cover letter and application form to the General Assembly;
vi. advise candidates to modify their application, if necessary;
vii. inform the General Assembly and the Advisory Board if and why one of the aforementioned conditions cannot be met.


      c. The new Executive Board is elected for a one-year term at the General Assembly. Voting must respect the following characteristics:
         i. each member present or represented in accordance with article 11 paragraph 5 has the right to vote;
         ii. members who have been elected at that same General Assembly may not vote for the election of the Executive Board;
               1. they may take part in other votes.
         2. with the exception of new members standing for election to the Executive Board.
         iii. members write anonymously on a ballot paper the first and last name of the candidate for whom they wish to vote;
         iv. only one name per position is accepted;
       v. they may vote for any person for any position, even if they are not a candidate;
              1. the positions chosen by the candidate are indicative and should not prevent members from voting freely.
            2. it is possible to vote for non-members of the General Assembly if they meet the conditions for membership.
         vi.there must be as many ballots as voting members;
        vii. a blank ballot is synonymous with an abstention.
       viii. the rapporteur will count the votes; he or she is elected by a simple majority of General Assembly members at the start of the meeting;
       ix. the rapporteur cannot be a member of the Executive Board, nor a candidate for the said Board.
       x. candidates will be elected by a simple majority after the first round of voting;

        xi. in the event of a tie, the General Assembly votes again for the position and candidates in question;

        xii. if necessary, the President of the Executive Board may request a show of hands;
      d. If possible, the General Assembly seeks to avoid having one person hold the same position for several consecutive years;
      e. Candidates apply individually and are voted on individually.

C. The Advisory Board

8: Advisory Board
Article 15 - Composition and mission

  1. The Advisory Board is made of a maximum of twenty persons.

  2. The members of the Advisory Board shall be elected by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Advisory Board and the Executive Board for a renewable term of one year.

  3. To be elected as a member of the Advisory Board, one must have contributed in a significant way to GIMUN in the past and cannot be a member of the Executive Board.

  4. The Advisory Board is presided over by a President and a Vice-President, both elected for one year, renewable jointly, by the members of the Advisory Board and the Executive Board.

  5. The main function of the Advisory Board is to advise and assist the Executive Board. In particular, the Advisory Board assumes the functions of the Executive Board in the event of an exceptional situation, as well as to ensure the transition from one Executive Board to the next. To this end, it holds regular discussions with the Executive Board and organizes specific working groups. The Advisory Board is in contact with the alumni of the Advisory Board to keep them informed of its developments and ongoing contributions. It meets at least twice a year upon invitation of its President, the Executive Board, or the General Assembly.

  6. The Advisory Board may, in agreement with the Executive Board and the General Assembly, plan and organize long-term projects.

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Article 16 - Competences

  1. The Advisory Board has no decisional power.

  2. The advice from the Advisory Board is consultative and in no way binds the Executive Board.

  3. The Advisory Board shall assist the Executive Board on a long-term basis.

E. The Council of Directors

9: Auditors
Article 17 - The Auditors

  1. Two auditors shall be elected by the General Assembly for a renewable term of one year.

  2. Their task is to check and approve the accounts and to present their report at the annual General Assembly.

  3. Audits are carried out three times a year: The first in the 2 weeks following the start of the academic year in the UNIGE's spring semester, the second between the end of the Annual Conference and the subsequent General Meeting, the third in the 2 weeks following the start of the academic year in the UNIGE's autumn semester.

  4. By means of a signed and dated declaration, the auditors certify that the accounts have been properly kept, as defined by the following elements :
    a. The transactions have been logged in an internal document up to the day before the audit;
    b. The transactions have been recorded in the document intended for the Fixed Fees Management Commission (Commission de Gestion des Taxes Fixes) up to the day before the audit;
    c. Accounting documents are printed, indexed and classified;
    d. The balances of GIMUN's bank and cash accounts comply with the financial statements as in the one intended for the FFMC (CGTF).

  5. Declarations shall be submitted to the General Assembly immediately following the audits they concern. The General Assembly shall confirm receipt with the signature of the declaration by the President and by the editor of the minutes of the General Assembly.

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Article 17bis - Council of Directors

  1. The Executive Board may set up an additional body composed of the Heads of Department and the Executive Board, whose purpose is to ensure good communication within the organization.

  2. This body cannot have executive powers or take binding decisions for the organization.

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VI. FINANCING

10: Financing
Article 18 - Resources 

  1. The resources of GIMUN are composed of:
    a. Membership fees, starting from CHF 1;
    b. Possible contributions of members;
    c. Donations and bequests;
    d. Subventions granted to the association;
    e. Revenues from demonstrations and events organized by the association, from the marketing of publications or from products;
    f. Revenues from the association’s social wealth.

  2. The financial year starts on the 30th of April of the current year and ends on the 29th of April of the following year.

  3. The Board appoints unanimously one of its members to have the bank signing authority. The bank signing authority can be appointed to an individual or a group, as per the unanimous decision of the Board. The association’s liabilities are secured by its wealth and by the membership fees.

 

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Article 19 - Responsibilities

The members of the association are not personally responsible for corporate debts that are secured only by the association’s corporate assets. If a member violates the laws and customs in force and thereby causes costs to the association, they will be charged with these costs completely.

D. The Auditors

VII. STATUTES

11: Statutes
Article 20 - Modification and language of the statutes

  1. Any modification to the statutes must be approved by the members present or represented of the General Assembly (GA) with a majority of three-quarters.

  2. Only the French version of the present statutes shall be the authoritative text. All translations only have an indicative value.

VIII. SUSPENSION OR DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION

12: Dissolution
Article 21 – Suspension of the association

​The GA can suspend the association’s activities indefinitely through a decision by the members present or represented with a majority of three-quarters. By a three-quarters majority of the members, the GA may establish the terms and conditions by which the association can resume its activities.

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Article 22 – Dissolution of the association

  1. The GA may dissolve the association by a three-quarters majority vote of its members present and represented.

  2. The association is dissolved forthwith if its activities have been suspended for more than ten years.

  3. Any assets remaining after the liquidation must be allocated to an association with a similar purpose.

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IX. FINAL DISPOSITIONS

13: Final Dispositions
Article 23 – Final provisions

  1. The articles 60 et seq of the Swiss Civil Code apply as a substitute for all matters not expressly treated in the present statutes.

  2. Any disputes regarding the interpretation or execution of the present statutes shall be brought before the competent court of the Canton of Geneva. The Swiss law applies.

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Article 24 – Entry into force

The present statutes have been adopted by the GA on 18 November 2022.

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​1 - Relations with the UNO

GIMUN is a non-governmental organization endowed with a special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the UNO (hereinafter called “ECOSOC”). GIMUN operates in conformity with the regulations established by the resolution 1996/31 of the ECOSOC.

 

2 - Relations with the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID)

The IHEID is the main partner of GIMUN and its sole official partner. GIMUN constantly refers to this partnership by using the logo of the IHEID on its materials for advertising purposes as well as in its letters.

This cooperation between the IHEID and GIMUN is defined by a convention duly signed by the two parties. Each party may revoke its cooperation by informing the other party about their withdrawal from the convention at least one year in advance.

X. ANNEXES & PRIVILEGED PARTNERS

14: Annexes
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