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Clauses governing the association

 Article -1-

• Existence of the association-

Under the name “Objectif Sciences International,” a Non-Governmental International Organization of private law and public utility, a nonprofit, apolitical, and non-religious association governed by these statutes and, secondarily, by Articles 60 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code, was constituted in the past and remains constituted to this day.

 Article -2-

• Headquarters-

The headquarters of the association is located in the canton of Geneva (Switzerland).

 Article -3-

• Form of the association-

The association Objectif Sciences International is a federation of legal entities that are members of the association, and also offers individuals the opportunity to directly support the Federation’s project.
The legal entities that are members of the association may be representatives or other national, regional, or international organizations that are instrumental in fulfilling the association’s mission and operate in one or more parts of the World, subscribing to the association’s objectives and implementing them on the ground.
Furthermore, individuals who wish to support the association Objectif Sciences International may support one or more local groups and/or one or more association programs.

 Article -4-

• Objectives-

In order to support and enable sustainable development of human society, “Objectif Sciences International” and its constituent members aim to:

• Develop Science Education,
  • By implementing it within its member organizations,
  • By disseminating effective science education methods among other relevant actors,
• Advance Scientific Research,
  • By conducting research aimed at discovering and developing scientific, methodological, and technological solutions to problems encountered by or caused by humans,
  • By transferring these solutions toward practical implementation by economic actors recognized as ethical and responsible,
• Achieve 50% female participation in science among stakeholders,
• Cultivate critical thinking and discernment skills among young people and adults,
• Facilitate and advance the realization of Citizen Science and Participatory Research Participatory Research see : http://www.voyages-scientifiques.com projects,
• Enable and provide the opportunity for all individuals and organizations to participate in these Citizen Science and Participatory Research Participatory Research see : http://www.voyages-scientifiques.com activities,
• Represent the interests of its members before all relevant bodies,
• Promote awareness of its members’ efforts and actions and those of its various executive bodies worldwide,
• Inform and educate public opinion in every country on the importance of Science Education, Scientific Research, Citizen Science, and Participatory Research for both developing and industrialized countries, aiming for Sustainable Development,
• Train actors and decision-makers to be competent in the aforementioned fields,
• Secure the necessary financial means to support its functioning and the projects and operations of its various member organizations.

The association will take all necessary measures to achieve these goals.

The association organizes these measures, of all types, especially within various Programs.

These programs are carried out by one or another of its members.

 Article -5-

• Duration-

The Association is established for an indefinite duration.

 Article -6-

• Resources-

The association’s resources are ensured by:

• Ordinary or extraordinary annual dues from its members,
• Donations, sponsorships, and legacies,
• Contributions from members,
• Any other income generated from its activities, including commercial revenue,
• Grants, subsidies, and sponsorships,
• Investment income.

In addition, the association is authorized to obtain loans and to own any type of movable, immovable, real estate, financial, and intellectual property assets (patents, models, etc.).

 Article -7-

• Liability-

The commitments of the Association are covered by its assets, excluding any personal liability of its individual members or administrative liability of its legal entity members.

 Article -8-

• Control body-

Depending on the size of the association’s activities, one or more control bodies may be appointed by the Executive Committee to present a report to them at the end of each fiscal year.

 Article -9-

• Fiscal year-

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

 Article -10-

• Governing Bodies-

Composition:

The Governing Bodies of the Association are:

• The International General Assembly (AGI),
• Local Groups (LOCAL GROUP),
• Skills Groups (SKILLS GROUP),
• The Management Committee (CODIR),
• The Executive Committee (COMEX),

Responsibilities:

Only the governing bodies of the association have legitimacy and rights over the operation of the association, within their area of jurisdiction and competence and according to their operational rules (see other articles of the Statutes).

No body has veto rights over association decisions.

Operation:

The individuals and legal entities comprising the governing bodies of the association receive no compensation for being members or for contributing to the association.

The Internal Regulations of the association may specify:

Any useful clarification or rule on this matter, in agreement with these Statutes.

 Article -11-

• Association Network-

“Association Network” refers to all actors listed below:

• the association itself,
• all its members,
• and also any office, branch, or subsidiary of the association,
• as well as any external activity created by the association,
• and any external activity created by one of the members of the association, originating from an activity or idea that emerged within the association, with or without that member’s contribution,
• and any legal entities resulting from this, including if they are not members of the association or if they are partners,
• and any legal or natural person implementing an activity originating from the association or on behalf of the association, directly or indirectly, regardless of the legal and administrative status of these projects, organizations, legal entities, and individuals.

 Article -12-

• Founding Member-

The association Objectif Sciences International was founded by Thomas EGLI, born on June 7, 1975, in Geneva.

Thomas EGLI holds the status of Founding Member of the Association.

The Founding Member is considered active.

The inactivity of the Founding Member is declared in the case of resignation, death, permanent physical incapacity, or permanent mental incapacity.

 Article -13-

• Constituent Members-

Composition:

The Constituent Members of the Association are:

• The Founding Member of the Association,
• The legal entities mandated by the Association, who are directly members of OSI without an intermediate regional federation, having joined the Association and received a mandate from the Association to manage one or more Association Programs, each represented by the designated Responsible person agreed upon with the Association as part of their membership.

The Constituent Members of the association form the International General Assembly of the association (see “International General Assembly” below).

Acquisition or Loss of Constituent Member Status:

The status of Constituent Member of the Association is acquired based on a membership application or a membership proposal.

Any potential new Constituent Member of the Association, other than one receiving an Operations Management mandate:

• must be pre-validated:
  • for their human capacities to operate within the Association according to the Association’s operational methods,
    • by the DIROP of their potential Local Group of Attachment,
  • for their technical and professional abilities to fulfill the mandate they would receive from the Association,
    • by the CODIR.

Any potential new Constituent Member of the Association, who would receive an Operations Management mandate:

• must be pre-validated:
  • for their human capacities to operate within the Association according to the Association’s operational methods,
    • if there are 2 or more DIROP in place in the association, by a panel of two or more current DIROP,
    • if there is only one DIROP in place in the association, by the current DIROP and the CEO,
  • for their technical and professional abilities to fulfill the mandate they would receive from the Association,
    • by the CODIR.

In all cases, the validation of the new Constituent Member is decided and confirmed by the COMEX based on the validations provided by the DIROP(s) and the CODIR.

An individual representative of the Constituent Member to OSI must be jointly agreed upon by the Constituent Member and the Association, and must either be trained by the Association or have already been trained by the Association regarding the operational rules of the Association.
The status of a Constituent Member is lost through cessation of activity, resignation, failure to pay dues, or exclusion.

The Executive Committee may exclude a member for valid reasons or after being requested to do so by one or more DIROP or the CODIR, in which case it will refer to the other body for an opinion as well, and follow the rules indicated on this matter in the Internal Regulations.

The dues paid for the current calendar year remain with the Association.

Responsibilities:

Constituent Members:

• act autonomously and responsibly within the scope of the mandate or mission granted to them by the association,
• act responsibly within the International General Assembly and vote on decisions (see further below),
• act responsibly within the Local Groups (see further below) and Skills Groups (see further below) they belong to and vote on decisions,
• act responsibly within any Body or Working Group (see further below) and vote on decisions,
• appoint CODIR members jointly with CODIR.

Each Constituent Member has one vote in all Bodies or Working Groups they participate in, regardless of the number of mandates granted to them by OSI.

If a single Constituent Member has multiple individual representatives for each mandate assigned to that Constituent Member by OSI, all these individual representatives must agree to cast the single vote of the Constituent Member they represent.

No member has veto rights in the decisions of the bodies they are part of or in the association’s decisions.

The following may be specified in the Internal Regulations of the association:

The basic criteria defining the status of a Constituent Member, which serve for the evaluation, selection, acceptance, and retention or loss of Constituent Member status.

Specific criteria for maintaining or losing Constituent Member status once membership is in progress.

Membership durations, trial periods.

Dues amounts.

Association membership contracts.

Statutory and protocolary criteria concerning the Statutes of the Constituent Members’ organizations where certain conditions would be unacceptable to the association members (e.g., freedom of thought, etc.).

A list of all types of Programs that may exist or be created within the association.

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -14-

• Individual Members-

Composition:

Individual members of the association are:

• Individuals who wish to support and contribute to the association’s actions by joining one or more of the association’s Regional Conventions and/or Program Conventions.

The individual members of the association constitute the Regional Conventions and Program Conventions of the association.

Acquisition or Loss of Individual Member Status:

Individual Member status with OSI is obtained based on a membership application or a membership proposal.

The criteria and process for accepting Individual Members are governed by the Internal Regulations.

The status of individual membership is lost through cessation of activity, resignation, failure to pay dues, or exclusion.

The criteria and process for excluding Individual Members are governed by the Internal Regulations.

The dues paid for the current calendar year remain with the Association.

Responsibilities:

Individual members act responsibly within the Program Conventions and Regional Conventions (see further below).

The responsibilities of individual members are governed by the Internal Regulations.

The following may be specified in the Internal Regulations of the association:

Basic criteria defining the status of an Individual Member (serving for evaluation, selection, acceptance, and retention or loss of Individual Member status).

Specific criteria for maintaining or losing Individual Member status once membership is in progress.

Membership durations, trial periods.

Dues amounts.

Contracts for association convention membership.

Statutory and protocolary criteria concerning the Statutes of the Constituent Members’ organizations where certain conditions would be unacceptable to OSI members (e.g., freedom of thought, etc.).

A list of all types of Programs that may exist or be created within the association.

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -15-

• Role and Modification of the Statutes-

Proposal to Modify the Statutes:

Any SKILLS GROUP within OSI (see further below) may propose a modification to the Statutes, provided the proposal is approved by a simple majority of that SKILLS GROUP’s members.

The proposal must be submitted via email, online collaboration forum, paper mail, or any form that can be documented, to the COMEX and CODIR.

The COMEX and CODIR must jointly determine whether the proposal pertains to a modification of the Statutes or the Internal Regulations.

Prerequisite for Voting on Statute Modifications:

If the proposal pertains to modifying the Statutes, the COMEX and CODIR must form a joint working group to produce a proposal or counterproposal in response to the Statute modification proposal.

Decisions within this working group should ideally be made by strong consensus, or at least by a simple majority.

Any proposal to modify the Statutes must be placed on the agenda of the INTERNATIONAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY by this Working Group and may only be submitted by this Working Group.

Approval of Statute Modifications:

Each modification of the Statutes must come from joint proposals by the COMEX and CODIR and be validated by a vote of the INTERNATIONAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY, preferably by strong consensus, and at least by simple majority.

The following may be specified in the Internal Regulations of the association:

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -16-

• Internal Regulations-

Composition of the Internal Regulations:

The Internal Regulations is an internal document accessible to all constituent members of the association and employees of an association service.

The Internal Regulations document must manage version history (track changes).

Proposal to Modify the Internal Regulations:

Any Constituent Member or Permanent Employee of the association in the Body or Service affected by the modification may propose a change to the Internal Regulations.

The proposal must be submitted via email, online collaboration forum, paper mail, or any form that can be documented, to all Constituent Members and/or Permanent Employees of the association in the affected Body or Service.

At least two-thirds of the Constituent Members and/or Permanent Employees in the affected Body or Service must decide whether the proposal pertains to a modification of the Internal Regulations or a modification of Best Practices (Community of Practice). This decision should ideally be made by strong consensus, or at least by simple majority.

Prerequisite for Voting on Internal Regulation Modifications:

If the proposal pertains to modifying the Internal Regulations, the Constituent Members and/or Permanent Employees in the affected Body or Service must form a working group of at least one-fourth of them, with the goal of producing a proposal or counterproposal in response to the proposed Internal Regulation modification.

Decisions within this working group should ideally be made by strong consensus, or at least by simple majority.

This working group must present its proposal, before the final decision, to at least two-thirds of the Constituent Members and/or Permanent Employees in the affected Body or Service, who must approve or return the proposal for further work, aiming for strong consensus or, at least, a simple majority.

Any final proposal to modify the Internal Regulations must be recorded by updating the Internal Regulations document.

Final Validation of Internal Regulation Modifications:

For modifications to the Internal Regulations concerning the operations of the CEO, Presidency, CODIR, and COMEX, each modification must be validated after the fact, jointly by CODIR and COMEX, preferably by strong consensus, or at least by simple majority.

For modifications to the Internal Regulations concerning the operations of any other OSI Body or Service, each modification must be validated after the fact, jointly by the Head of the affected Body or Service, the OSI CEO, and the OSI President, preferably by strong consensus, or at least by simple majority.

The following may be specified in the Internal Regulations of the association:

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -17-

• International General Assembly (AGI)-

Role:

The International General Assembly is the supreme body of the association, representing the organizations constituting the association.

The International General Assembly represents the Constituent Members of the association to the association, communicates the views, requests, expectations, and proposals of the Constituent Members to the association, and makes decisions within its jurisdiction, following the rules described further below in this article.

Composition:

The International General Assembly is composed of:

• Individual Representatives for each Constituent Member of OSI, representing that member,
• The OSI CEO,
• The OSI President,
• The 4 Resource Center Advisors (see “Resource Center Advisors” section).
  Convocation:

The Ordinary International General Assembly is scheduled by the COMEX, which must convene it at least once a year, on a regular annual basis.

An Extraordinary International General Assembly may be called by at least 1/4 of the association’s constituent members, who then mandate the COMEX to convene the International General Assembly.

The notice, which must specify the means for submitting proposals to the agenda, must be sent to all members at least 60 days in advance, and preferably as early as possible, up to a year before the date of the general assembly.

Agenda Approval:

Members of the International General Assembly must submit their agenda items no later than 20 days before the International General Assembly meeting, and preferably as early as possible, up to a year before the date of the General Assembly.

The BOARD (COMEX+CODIR+DIROP jointly) must:

• consider all proposed agenda items in service to the constituent members,
• determine the admissibility of each proposed item concerning the association’s Values, its Internal Processes, and applicable legal rules,
• decide for each item whether it pertains to the International General Assembly or another OSI Body, specifying which one,
• for items relevant to the International General Assembly, the BOARD must:
  • conduct preliminary discussions necessary for adding to the Agenda,
  • decide if the item requires prior or concurrent working sessions during the International General Assembly, specifying the relevant Body or Working Group,
  • draft statements for each working session and document preliminary reflections on each item,
• establish the final Agenda of the International General Assembly, faithfully and neutrally incorporating all member requests,
• communicate the agenda to members no later than 4 days before the International General Assembly,
• The BOARD may invite one or more individuals to assist with preparations for the International General Assembly and its Agenda, especially if the General Assembly is convened by the Constituent Members.

Powers:

The Ordinary International General Assembly deliberates validly:

• regardless of the number of members represented by their responsible representatives.

The Extraordinary International General Assembly deliberates validly:

• with a minimum of 1/3 of the members represented by their responsible representatives.

Constituent members of the association must be represented at the International General Assembly by their responsible representatives, preferably in person, or alternatively by teleconference, provided that the remote constituent members can follow and contribute to discussions.

The association’s President presides over the debates of the International General Assembly and has a voting right.

The CEO and Resource Center Advisors attend the International General Assembly as consultants, may offer their opinions during discussions but do not have voting rights.

Some Attachés and Technicians may attend depending on the agenda items to facilitate discussions but may not directly express opinions or vote. However, they may privately provide feedback to the Advisors, who may take it into account or raise it in discussions.

Each Constituent Member present at the International General Assembly has one vote, regardless of the number of mandates granted by the association to each Constituent Member, and decisions are made by a show of hands.

Absent constituent members may delegate their vote to a Constituent Member of their choice. Each Constituent Member may receive only one proxy.

In case of a tie, the President’s vote is decisive, only if it is not possible to seek further consensus or defer the decision to another session of the International General Assembly.

The International General Assembly maintains records of its decisions.

Duties and Deliberations:

General decisions:

• Approval of the annual financial, material, and intellectual report of the Association itself (Headquarters) and the Association Network,
• Approval of financial, material, and intellectual forecasts for the Association itself (Headquarters) and the Association Network,
• Validation of the update of the Vision Mission Strategy (see “Vision Mission Strategy” section),
• Appointment of CODIR members jointly with CODIR,
• Decision on any matter concerning the association’s general Strategy,
• Appointment of control bodies,
• Receipt and acceptance of reports from the control bodies,
• Deliberation on all items on the agenda other than those mentioned above or below.
• Creation of new tools, rules, or updates to existing tools or rules,
• Validation of the viewpoints, requests, expectations, and recommendations formulated by the association’s Skills Groups,
  are voted on according to the following rules:
  • decisions should be made, if possible, by strong consensus and at least by a simple majority of members present.

Decisions on the Statutes:

• Modifications to the Statutes other than those described below
  are voted on according to the following rules:
  • deliberation sessions must include the Founding Member among the discussants and voters if they are active,
  • decisions should be made, if possible, by strong consensus and at least by a simple majority of members present,
  • whether or not the majority includes the Founding Member’s vote.

Decisions on the association’s accompaniment period:

• Modifications of all statutory rules governing or concerning the Founding Member
  are voted on according to the following rules:
  • deliberation sessions must include the Founding Member among the discussants and voters,
  • decisions should be made, if possible, by strong consensus and at least by a simple majority of members present,
  • the majority must include the Founding Member’s vote; if not, the topic is either postponed to the next session of the AGI or placed on the COMEX agenda.

The following may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations:

The option for the AGI to be public, and in that case, the roles and forms of expression or silence and listening for attendees who do not have voting or direct debate rights (individual members, observers, partners…).

The option for Program Conventions or Regional Conventions to allow individual members to propose their ideas and solutions to the Constituent Members before the International General Assembly, and, if so, how Constituent Members can advantageously represent the opinions from Program or Regional Conventions, citing their sources.

Criteria for choice and decision-making during the AGI.

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -18-

• Regional Conventions-

Definition:

The Regional Convention is dedicated to allowing individual members to engage at the operational level with the Local Group and to develop the association’s actions at the Local Group level.

The Regional Convention has no rights over the association’s operations.

The rules for the operation of Regional Conventions are specified in the Internal Regulations of the Association.

Frequency:

The Regional Convention meets at least once per year for each Local Group.

The following may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations:

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -19-

• Program Conventions-

Definition:

The Program Convention is dedicated to allowing individual members to engage at the operational level within the Program and to develop the association’s actions at the Program level.

The Program Convention has no rights over the operation of the association.

The rules for the operation of Program Conventions are specified in the Association’s Internal Regulations.

Frequency:

The Program Convention meets at least once per year for each Program.

The following may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations:

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -20-

• Program Strategic Committee-

Designation:

Members of the Program Strategic Committee include interested, competent, and legitimate individuals chosen to support the Program Leader, selected to join the Program Strategic Committee.

The rules for the selection, acceptance, exclusion, and term lengths of the Strategic Committee members are specified in the Association’s Internal Regulations.

Frequency:

The Strategic Committee meets at least once per year for each Program.

Responsibilities:

Review the achievements, projects, and directions of the Program.

Conduct presentations and balanced debates that are useful for advancing discussions on Program themes and decisions, including with external contributors and audiences, or strictly internally, depending on the nature of the topics to be addressed.

Provide an overall report on the activities conducted within the Program and offer an internal consultative opinion on their value, relevance, effectiveness, and success.

Lead scientific communication on topics covered by the Program, within the scientific community and with the general public, decision-makers (Governments, Regions, Cities, NGOs…), and UN organizations.

Provide an operational and strategic perspective on the annual report presented by the Program in the days preceding the International General Assembly and propose immediate or future applications of opportunities, contacts, and remarks that arose from it.

Provide a general view of scientific research, science education, and the dissemination of scientific culture worldwide concerning the field covered by the Program. Through this view, it may recommend directions and positioning for the association within this broader context or serve as a basis for proposals to external groups, organizations, or networks outside the association.

And any other responsibilities that may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations.

Operation:

The rules governing the operation of the Strategic Committees are specified in the Association’s Internal Regulations.

The following may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations:

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -21-

• Vision Mission Strategy-

Definition:

The Vision Mission Strategy of the Association is updated annually, even if there are no modifications, by the International General Assembly, ideally by strong consensus, and at least by simple majority.

The following may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations:

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -22-

• Working Groups-

Composition:
To hold legitimate status within the association, a Working Group must be established on the initiative of a Body of the association, and its formation, purpose, composition, and duration must be recorded in the decisions of that Body.

The members of the Working Group are designated by the body or bodies that established it. For each Working Group, the following roles are particularly designated:

• A person assigned as the Working Group Leader,
• A person assigned as the Pilot, working with the Working Group Leader,
• One or more individuals as team members, each potentially having specific roles as needed, whether fixed, rotating, shared, or otherwise.

Operation:

Each Working Group may meet as often as necessary, in any format required.

Responsibilities:

Any Working Group may conduct the necessary discussions to produce the expected proposals related to the subject it has been assigned, strictly within the scope of responsibility and competence of the body or bodies that established the Working Group.

The following may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations:

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -23-

• Local Groups-

Composition:

The Local Group is composed of the Constituent Members of the Association who are present and/or active in a given region where the association operates.

Operation:

Each Local Group must meet at least twice a year.

The Local Group deliberates validly regardless of the number of Constituent Members represented by their responsible representatives.

Constituent Members of the association must be represented in the Local Group by their responsible representatives, preferably in person, or, if necessary, by teleconference, provided remote members can follow and contribute to discussions.

Decisions within the Local Group should be made, if possible, by strong consensus and at least by a simple majority of members present.

Responsibilities:

The responsibilities of Local Groups include:

• Governance and collective coordination of actions undertaken by each of the Association’s Constituent Members in this Region, based on mutual consultation,
• Support for the Operations Management on any matter that Operations Management wishes to submit for collective governance,
• Any topic proposed to the agenda by one or more Constituent Members of the Association, which pertains to the Local Group.

The following may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations:

The list of local groups is recorded in the Internal Regulations.

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -24-

• Skills Groups-

Composition:

Skills Groups are composed of OSI Constituent Members who are active in the same field of expertise (profession, targets, policy, etc.).

Frequency:

Each Skills Group must meet at least once per year.

Responsibilities:

The responsibilities of Skills Groups include:

• Sharing difficulties, solutions, failures, and successes reported from the field by Skills Group members and exchanging best practices,
• Conducting discussions and proposals on any topic submitted to the Skills Group by the BOARD in preparation for the AGI,
• Any topic proposed to the agenda by one or more OSI Constituent Members that pertains to the Skills Group.

The following may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations:

The list of Skills Groups is recorded in the Internal Regulations.

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -25-

• Chief Operating Officer (COO) -
• Operations Management (DIROP)-

Designation:

Operations Management is one type of mandate given to Constituent Members.

Composition:

The Constituent Member assigned the DirOp mandate has a Representative responsible for this mandate, who carries out this mission and may be supported by a team for all necessary tasks.

Responsibilities:

In addition to their responsibilities as OSI Constituent Members, DirOps:

• Employ team members of the Local Group,
• Coordinate the Constituent Members of the association, as well as employees and partners within the Local Group of the association’s network, involved in activities, operations, or projects within the region of the Local Group,
• Independently organize the activities, operations, and projects of the association’s Local Group network,
• Act as the point of contact for the association’s Local Group, both internally and externally,
• Represent their organization with any administrative or legal body,
• Hold powers on behalf of the association in the region they coordinate, within the limits outlined in the “Powers” clause,
• Jointly appoint members of the COMEX with the CODIR and COMEX,
• Provide a preliminary opinion on the acceptance or rejection of any new constituent member of the association, as well as on the maintenance or loss of member status, for any matter concerning the human competencies of that member with respect to their mandate in the association, within the region they coordinate,
• Monitor the budget for operations conducted with each active Constituent Member in the Local Group they coordinate, ensuring proper use of funds provided to Constituent Members, so that the activities, operations, and Programs of the association meet their original objectives.

The following may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations:

Any specific criteria for selecting and maintaining DirOp status for the Constituent Member.

Any potential intermediate status for DIROP in training.

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -26-

• Resource Center-

Designation:

The Resource Center comprises the core services of the association.

Composition:

The Resource Center is composed of:

• Advisors responsible for general engineering within their fields and providing structure for the association members’ actions,
• Operations Pilots responsible for monitoring and supporting the progress of operations by the association’s constituent members for the operations they oversee,
• Attachés, directed by an Advisor and responsible for implementing services within their field and providing these services to the association’s member organizations,
• Technicians, under the joint supervision of an Advisor and an Attaché, responsible for executing precise tasks to ensure the association and its member organizations function properly.

Responsibilities:

The various responsibilities of the Resource Center include:

• Structuring, advising, supporting, and regulating member organizations in their actions,
• Providing the functional services necessary for the smooth operation of member organizations and the association,
• Advising the CEO, CODIR, and COMEX as needed,
• Representing the association when mandated by COMEX or the CEO,
• Drafting and/or compiling the annual report, particularly based on information provided by Constituent Members,
• Preparing the association’s annual accounts, consolidating the accounts of all member organizations,
• Collaborating with the control body,
• Reviewing the control body’s report alongside the CEO,
• Assisting in budgeting and monitoring adherence by staff and member organizations,
• More generally, any mission assigned by the CEO, CODIR, or COMEX.

 Article -27-

• Resource Center Advisors-

Designation:

The Resource Center Advisors are employees at the association’s headquarters.

Advisors are proposed for nomination and dismissal by the association’s CEO, and appointed and dismissed by the COMEX.

Responsibilities:

Each Advisor is responsible for one of the four Departments:

• Science & Pedagogy,
• Administration & Logistics,
• Marketing & Development,
• Publication & Communication.

The Resource Center Advisors hold powers on behalf of the association in matters relevant to their Department, within the limits outlined in the “Powers” clause.
Each Advisor is responsible for one of the 4 Departments:

• Science & Pedagogy,
• Administration & Logistics,
• Marketing & Development,
• Publication & Communication.

The Resource Center Advisors hold powers on behalf of the association within the scope of their Department, within the limits indicated in the “Powers” clause.

The following may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations:

Recruitment/contract termination criteria.

Work rules.

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -28-

• Operations Pilots of the Resource Center-

Designation:

The Operations Pilots of the Resource Center are employees at the association’s headquarters.

Operations Pilots are proposed for nomination and dismissal by the association’s CEO, and appointed and dismissed by the association’s COMEX.

Responsibilities:

Each Operations Pilot is responsible for a type of external operation (School Programs, Leisure Programs, Training, etc.) or internal operation (Pedagogical Pre-Camps, Technical Pre-Camps, Post-Camps, Conventions, Committees, etc.).

The Operations Pilots of the Resource Center hold powers on behalf of the association within the scope of their Operations, within the limits indicated in the “Powers” clause.

The following may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations:

Recruitment/contract termination criteria.

Work rules.

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -29-

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) -
• General Management (GM)-

Designation:

General Management consists of one or more employees at the association’s headquarters capable of carrying out all necessary tasks.

The Head of General Management (Chief Executive Officer or CEO) is appointed and removed jointly by the COMEX and CODIR.

The CEO recruits, hires, and supervises their assistant staff.

Responsibilities:

General Management:

• Oversees the association as a whole,
• Leads the Advisors and Pilots of the Resource Center,
• Coordinates the COOs/DIROPs,
• Holds powers on behalf of the association within the limits indicated in the “Powers” clause,
• Represents the association,
• Coordinates the drafting of the annual report,
• Oversees the preparation of annual accounts,
• Collaborates with the control bodies,
• Reviews the control body reports together with the COMEX and/or CODIR that commissioned these control bodies,
• Selects, proposes, and hires Advisors and Operations Pilots for the Resource Center,
• Appoints and employs assistant staff and team leaders for the Resource Center,
• Jointly selects and hires Attachés and Technicians for the Resource Center in consultation with the Resource Center Advisors,
• Sets and collects membership fees based on budget projections,
• Determines staff remuneration,
• Prepares the association’s budget and ensures its compliance by relevant personnel,
• Oversees the budget management and auditing of each Local Group with the COOs/DIROPs,
• More generally, carries out any mission assigned by the Executive Committee.

The following may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations:

Recruitment/contract termination criteria.

Work rules.

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -30-

• Management Committee (CODIR)-

Designation:

The Management Committee consists of up to 6 members, in addition to the CEO and President, making a maximum of 8 members.

Current CODIR members propose a list of competent individuals in various fields of the association (e.g., Research, Pedagogy-Logistics, Development, Science Education, Operations Management, Resource Center), who must be members or employees of the association.

Among these individuals, the most representative new CODIR members are selected and removed by election, conducted jointly by current CODIR members and the Constituent Members, with each person having one vote, ideally by strong consensus or, if necessary, by a simple majority.

This election can be held at any time of the year, including remotely, in a verifiable and recordable format.

Each CODIR member term is 3 years, renewable following the same election process.

CODIR membership is lost upon cessation of association activity, resignation, or exclusion (see below).

Organization:

CODIR meets at least twice a year.

Any CODIR member may propose a work item for the CODIR agenda.

Meetings can be held in person or remotely.

CODIR keeps records of its reflections and decisions up to date.

Notice for CODIR meetings is sent to all CODIR members at least 5 days in advance, or shorter if agreed by 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 5/6, 5/7, or 6/8 of CODIR members.

CODIR may meet and make valid decisions if at least 50% of its members are present at the meeting.

The meeting agenda is compiled progressively and as early as possible, with items also permitted to be added at the time of the meeting.

Responsibilities:

CODIR has the following responsibilities:

• Participates with the CEO in any decision within CODIR’s responsibility threshold according to the “Powers” clause, with decisions ideally made by strong consensus or, at a minimum, by a simple majority,
• Proposes members for CODIR,
• Elects and removes CODIR members jointly with the Constituent Members,
• Elects the President jointly with COMEX,
• Provides preliminary approval or disapproval for new constituent members of the association and for the retention or loss of constituent member status, based on any matter related to the technical competence of the member with respect to their mandate in the association,
• Approves or rejects any exceptional new constituent member proposed by COMEX, with this decision ideally by strong consensus or, at a minimum, by a simple majority,
• Conducts the discussions and decisions of the association’s Program Track Committee concerning mandate responsibilities. The Track Committee is a CODIR responsibility, and its organization is outlined in the association’s Internal Regulations,
• Makes necessary decisions on updating the working methodology of the CEO/GM and COOs/DIROPs, with contributions from them (including Skills Group),
• Decision on any specific strategic point of the association related to operational matters,
• Budget monitoring of the Headquarters and independent account verification for any Local Group or the Headquarters,
• More generally, any operational matter involving numerous operators that should be decided collectively, or does not fall under a Local Group or Skills Group meeting, or needs to be addressed sooner than the next Skills Group meeting,
• Acting on its own initiative regarding any urgent matter requiring collaboration with another body, member, employee, partner, or external contact of the association,
• Proposing topics to the AGI or the creation of working groups.

The following may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations:

Selection, decision, and loss criteria for CODIR membership may be detailed in the Internal Regulations.

Any other responsibilities, agenda items, or CODIR meeting organizational rules may be specified in the Internal Regulations, in conformity with these Statutes.

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -31-

• Executive Committee (COMEX)-

Designation:

The Executive Committee consists of a maximum of 7 members.

Current COMEX members propose a list of individuals who are competent in COMEX roles (see below) and as representative as possible of the continental regions or other areas where OSI operates (Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, North America, South America, Oceania, digital world, new inhabited planets, etc.), whether they are internal or external to OSI, to become COMEX members.

Among these individuals, new COMEX members are elected jointly by current COMEX members, CODIR members, and all DIR-OPs, with one vote per person, preferably by strong consensus, and if not, at least by a simple majority.

This election can be held at any time of the year, including remotely, in a verifiable and recordable format.

Each COMEX member term is 3 years, renewable following the same election process.

COMEX membership is lost due to death, resignation, or exclusion (see below).

Organization:

COMEX meets at least once per year.

Any COMEX member may propose a work item for the COMEX agenda.

Meetings may be held in person or remotely.

COMEX maintains records of its reflections and decisions.

Notice of COMEX meetings is sent to all COMEX members at least 20 days in advance, or shorter if agreed by 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 5/6, or 5/7 of the members.

COMEX can meet and make valid decisions with at least 3 elected COMEX members present, in person or remotely.

The agenda is progressively compiled as early as possible, with items also allowed to be added during the meeting.

Responsibilities:

COMEX has the following responsibilities:

• Representing the association, internally and externally,
• Representing the association with any administrative or legal entity, always accompanied by the CEO, a Resource Center Advisor, or a Resource Center Pilot, or by delegating the task and ensuring its follow-up,
• Jointly making decisions with CODIR on matters within COMEX+CODIR’s scope, according to the “Powers” clause, with decisions ideally made by strong consensus or, at a minimum, by simple majority,
• Election of the President jointly with CODIR,
• Approval of any new constituent member of the association, based on prior opinion from the relevant COO/DIROP and CODIR (see responsibilities of COOs/DIROPs and CODIR). COMEX may reject a membership application without providing reasons to the candidate but must explain its decision to CODIR and the COOs/DIROPs,
• Decision on the loss of constituent membership status based on criteria presented by the COO/DIROP and/or CODIR (see responsibilities of COOs/DIROPs and CODIR) or the Internal Regulations,
• Proposal to CODIR of any exceptional new constituent member of the association not covered by the Internal Regulations, for a discovery period of up to 3 years,
• Joint election of any exceptional new constituent member proposed by COMEX to CODIR, with this decision ideally by strong consensus or, if not, at least by simple majority,
• Acting on its own initiative for any urgent matter requiring collaboration with another body, member, employee, partner, or external contact of the association,
• Decision on any specific strategic point of the association related to policy choices,
• Budget monitoring of the Headquarters and independent account verification for any Local Group or the Headquarters,
• Assignment of specific responsibilities and representation to other bodies, members, and employees of the association, including appointing individuals as powers of attorney for the association,
• Proposing topics to the AGI or the creation of working groups.

Each COMEX member is assigned a specific scope among the fields:

• Education and Engagement,
• Research and Science,
• Sustainable Development,
• Finances,
• Development,
• Internal and External Communication,
• Strategy and Core Mission.

These specific scopes are assigned to each COMEX member by COMEX members themselves. If the necessary number of members is not available, only those fields assigned to a COMEX member are handled.

For these specific fields, COMEX members have the task of:

• Gathering information within the association on these subjects, reporting to other COMEX members, and sharing relevant information throughout the association when useful or beneficial for enhancing the association’s performance (quality, quantity, safety, offerings) through one or more internal newsletters or directly among individuals,
• Conducting any internal or external reflection they consider relevant to these subjects, which may result in memos, online collaboration forums, or even a proposal to form a working group within the association.

The following topics are also assigned to COMEX, with the following special rules:

• Decisions regarding the association’s support period:
  • Modification of existing Contracts between the Association and the Founding Member,
  • Modification of Decrees within the Statutes,
  • Modification of the amounts allocated to the Internal Project Fund and the External Project Fund,
    These decisions are voted on as follows:
    • Deliberation sessions must include the Founding Member in discussions and votes, with the Founding Member invited to participate in discussions and votes if they are not a COMEX member, with the right to vote,
    • Decisions are made by strong consensus if possible, and at least by a simple majority of members present,
    • The majority must include the Founding Member’s vote; otherwise, the topic is postponed to a future COMEX session.

• Decisions regarding the end of the association’s support period:
  • Termination of the Founding Member status,
    These decisions are voted on as follows:
    • This point must be added to the agenda exclusively by the Founding Member,
    • Deliberation sessions must include the Founding Member in discussions and votes, with the Founding Member invited to participate in discussions and votes if they are not a COMEX member, with the right to vote on this agenda item,
    • Decisions are made by strong consensus if possible, and at least by a simple majority of members present,
    • The majority must include the Founding Member’s vote; otherwise, the topic is postponed to a future COMEX session.

The following may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations:

Criteria for selecting COMEX members and decisions regarding COMEX member appointments may be detailed in the Internal Regulations.

Any other responsibilities, agenda items, or organizational rules for COMEX meetings may be specified in the Internal Regulations, in conformity with these Statutes.

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -32-

• Presidency-

Designation:

The President is a member of COMEX designated jointly by COMEX and CODIR members, with one vote per person, preferably by strong consensus, and if not, at least by a simple majority.

There are two Vice Presidents, appointed by the President from among COMEX members.

Term:
The terms of Presidency members are for one year, non-consecutively renewable.

Responsibilities:

In addition to their responsibilities as a member of COMEX (see COMEX), the President:

• Is a member of CODIR for the entire term,
• Chairs COMEX,
• Chairs the AGI,
• Whenever possible, facilitates discussions they chair without taking sides,
• Aims to guide Assemblies and Committees they chair, and any body or Working Group in which they participate, toward strong consensus in decision-making, taking more time if needed, rather than relying on a simple majority,
• Has a casting vote if there is a tie in decisions within the bodies they preside over (COMEX, AGI) or any body in which they participate, but only if it is impossible to restart a consensus process or postpone the decision to another meeting of the body,
• Co-signs, on behalf of CODIR or COMEX, decisions exceeding the thresholds specified in the “Powers” clause, alongside the CEO’s signature,
• Signs in any case that requires the President’s signature for honorary or protocol purposes, in which case the signature of the competent person with power of attorney on the subject concerned within the association (e.g., CEO, Advisor) must accompany the President’s signature on the document. When the body concerned is chaired by the President, their signature will be accompanied by that of the CEO.

In addition to their responsibilities as members of COMEX (see COMEX), the Vice Presidents:

• Are assigned a specific mission, internal or external to the association, in addition to their COMEX responsibilities, assigned by the President.

If the President is unavailable, one of the Vice Presidents is designated by the President or by COMEX to assume the President’s responsibilities until their return and no later than the end of the term.

The following may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations:

Selection criteria and decision-making rules may be specified in the Internal Regulations.

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -33-

• BOARD-

Composition:

The BOARD comprises all members of COMEX, CODIR, and the DIROPs.

Operation:

The BOARD meets at least once per year.

Organization:

Any BOARD member may propose a work item for the BOARD agenda.

Meetings may be held in person or remotely.

The BOARD keeps records of its reflections and decisions.

Notice of BOARD meetings is sent to all BOARD members at least 60 days in advance, or shorter if agreed by 2/3 of the members.

The BOARD can meet and make valid decisions with at least 50% of BOARD members present, either in person or remotely.

The agenda is compiled progressively as early as possible, with items also allowed to be added during the meeting.

Decisions are made by strong consensus if possible, or at least by a simple majority of members present.

Responsibilities:

The BOARD is responsible for:

• Preparing the Agenda for the International General Assembly (see above),
• Any other topic the BOARD wishes to address and resolve.

The following may be specified in the association’s Internal Regulations:

Any relevant clarification or rule on this matter that aligns with these Statutes.

 Article -34-

• Powers of Attorney-

Among all the association’s groups and services, only the Bodies have the power of representation for the association and the authority to make definitive strategic and operational decisions regarding the association and its operation (see above).

To enable professionalized and not purely associative functioning, these bodies delegate operational decision-making authority to individuals employed by the association who hold powers of attorney for representing the association and for operational decision-making within their respective fields of competence (job descriptions are detailed in the Internal Regulations) and within the limits specified in this article (see table below).

The number of people affected by the decision is taken into account in its immediate or future value (number of people currently involved in a decision affecting them, or number of people anticipated for a decision involving job creation).

The relevant Revenue figure is at least that of the previous year, and if possible, the Revenue of the current year.

Current year Revenues for the association’s Headquarters, each Local Group, and the association’s Network are updated in the Internal Regulations at least midway through the fiscal year, and if possible, three times per year. This information in the Internal Regulations must be accessible to all association members and employees.

The percentages in the table of this article (see below) are indicated in monetary amounts in the Internal Regulations, with a list of the Bodies or authorized Persons with powers of attorney, always according to the same table presented in this article (see below).

No one should ignore the Revenue figure. Any update to this information in the Internal Regulations must be announced to all constituent members and employees of the association.

To avoid “additional risk,” while allowing the association to function swiftly, all operational decisions must be documented for post hoc review by the immediate superior entity (CEO for COO/DIROP, CEO for Advisors and Pilots, CODIR for CEO) or reciprocally (COMEX for CODIR, CODIR for COMEX).

To avoid “cluster risk,” while allowing the association to function swiftly, different decisions related to the same subject (same actor, partner, contract, site, theme, etc.) should be considered as one (for example, a contract with an external operator accounting for 7% of the association’s revenue may be independently signed by the CEO as it is under 10% of the association’s revenue, but if another 6% contract is signed with the same operator within 12 months, the second decision is subject to CODIR approval, as the total for the same actor exceeds 10% within a rolling 12-month period).

Any additional clarification or rule must be specified in the Internal Regulations.

For any new reflections or decisions, implementation following the decision is carried out by the relevant personnel according to their roles.

All operational commitments and decisions of the association must be implemented by the relevant personnel according to their roles.

Table of Responsibility Thresholds for Bodies and Powers of Attorney:

 Article -35-

• Dissolution-

Only a unanimous joint decision by the BOARD and the AGI can initiate the liquidation of the association. A person or working group is then tasked with liquidating the association’s assets.

In the event of liquidation, the assets must be donated to one or more non-profit organizations (Foundations, Associations) with tax-exempt status and similar goals (Education, Scientific Research, Ecology, Sustainable Development, Citizen Science, Participatory Research).

These statutes were approved by the association’s Executive Committee on July 27, 2018.