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Dimity Fifer, CEO of Australian Volunteers International launched

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The governance and structure of COMMACT International (CI) (COMMACT) (The Common Wealth Network for People-Centred Development)

The principal features of COMMACT International’s governance and structure are set out in this document.

The resolutions to form CI as the successor organisation to the Commonwealth Association for Local Action and Economic Development and for CI to have the governance and related arrangements set out below were made at a General Assembly of members of the former organisation in October 2005.

Legal entity:

CI’s legal existence takes the form of a Not-for-Profit Limited Company registered in Australia, whose name is COMMACT INTERNATIONAL (“CI”) (The Common Wealth Network for People-Centred Development)

Board:

CI is run by a Board of Directors (“the CI Board”) consisting of three people:
Mr David Thompson (Chair of the Board, “Chair of CI”)
Mr Gerard Crotty (Australian Member of the Board, “CI Board Member”),
Ms Roopa Mehta (India, Non-Australian member of the Board, “CI Board Member”)

The CI Board is legally responsible for the proper conduct of CI’s affairs.

International Consultative Committee:

In their discussions and in making their decisions, the CI Board consults with the CI International Consultative Committee (“ the ICC”). The initial membership of the ICC, as determined at or immediately after the 6WCW conference and General Assembly held in 2005, is:

          Chair: Ms Roopa Mehta (India)

Ex-officio members and Vice-Chairs: The Joint COMMACT Hon Presidents:
Mr Noel D’Silva
Prof Dato’ Abdullah Malim Baginda

Members:
Mr Michael KJ (COMMACT India Chapter)
Ms Monique Harper (Jamaica)
Prof Jassy Kwesiga (Uganda)
Mr Bruce Hamilton (COMMACT Aotearoa Chapter, New Zealand)
Dr Padma Ratnayake (Sri Lanka)
Mr Carl Ditchburn (COMMACT UK Chapter )
Another to be appointed (COMMACT Malaysia Chapter)

The CI Board is the successor body to the former COMMACT Executive Council. It should be noted that the importance of Chapter organisations in COMMACT is recognised in the make-up of the ICC.

Constitution:

The vision, purposes and principle features of the structure and conduct of CI are set out in its constitution (currently being drafted as part of the process of legal incorporation in Australia), which also stipulates the ways in which the CI Board must make their decisions and sets out the rights and responsibilities of members.

Membership:

Organisations and individuals make up the membership of CI. They are in three categories:

A. Organisational Membership: Open to civil society organisations supporting COMMACT’s vision and purposes and meeting COMMACT International’s membership criteria. These criteria are a) the organisation subscribes fully to COMMACT’s Vision and values; b) it provides evidence of having development policies and practices which are people-centred; and c) that it demonstrates willingness to contribute its experience, knowledge and time to COMMACT.

B. Associate Organisational Membership: Open to other organisations and institutions in the public and private sectors, including academia and the media, supporting COMMACT’s vision and purposes.

C. Associate Individual Membership: Open to individuals in all sectors, including academia and the media, supporting COMMACT’s vision and purposes.

Members play their part in the governance of CI through its General Assembly, both by speaking and making any proposal they wish, and through participating in determining the membership of the ICC.

CI General Assembly:

All members of CI, in all three categories, have the right to attend and speak at CI’s General Assembly, which is held every 2-3 years within the framework of COMMACT’s “Working for Common Wealth” (WCW) international conferences. Only Category A members, however, have voting rights at such Assemblies.

Any resolutions and decisions agreed at General Assemblies must subsequently be taken fully into account by the CI Board and the ICC in their deliberations. The General Assembly also determines the membership of the ICC and receives reports from it and the CI Board.

Chapter Organisations:

Organisations and individuals in membership of CI choose whether or not to form or become members of Chapter organisations, but if they become a member of a Chapter organisation (the conduct of which are subject to separate Guidelines) they must also be a member of CI. It is through participating in Chapters (including helping to establish them) that members can, if they wish, participate in the discussions and decision-making that shape not just the Chapters, but CI overall.

Each Chapter organisation must have a constitution or similar document that fully reflects the Vision and purposes of CI, and operate within the Guidelines for Chapters laid down by CI.

Communication:

This website/portal is at the heart of CI. It will evolve into being not only an information mechanism but also a communication mechanism that enables ‘top down’ communication (so as to enable the organisation, including its Chapters, to communicate what they doing); lateral communication (member to member, Chapter to Chapter); and ‘bottom up’ (member to organisation) communication to take place.