STATUTES
ASIAN SPORTS PRESS UNION
AIPS ASIA- ASPU
Article 1- Name
The AIPS ASIA- ASPU founded in 1978, is composed of sports journalists associations of the Asian countries, and shall form the Asian section of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS), conforming with AIPS statutes.
Article 2 – Subject matter of the AIPS ASIA- ASPU Statutes
The AIPS ASIA- ASPU Statutes (hereafter “the Statutes”) are the legal instrument which defines the reciprocal rights and obligations of the so-called “AIPS ASIA- ASPU members”, namely all National Sport Journalist Associations established in Asian countries and which have accepted the Statutes.
Article 3 – Objective
The objective of AIPS ASIA- ASPU and the common goal of all members of AIPS ASIA- ASPU are, in compliance with the Statutes, in particular:
3.1 To unite all National Sports Journalists Associations in Asia under the
guidance and name of AIPS ASIA- ASPU.
3.2 To encourage the establishment of National Sports Journalists
Associations in the Asian Countries where no such Associations do exist.
3.3 To defend the freedom, rights as well as normal, professional and
legitimate interests of its members.
3.4 To develop the spirit of cooperation and solidarity among sports
journalists in Asia and enhance their relations with their colleagues all
over the world.
3.5 To observe and comply with the Statutes of the International Sports
Press Association (AIPS), AIPS ASIA- ASPU being recognized by AIPS as its
Asian section.
3.6 To maintain all useful relations and ties with AIPS, National Sports
Journalists Associations as well as all continental organizations which
pursue sports activities.
3.7 To strengthen the relations between AIPS ASIA- ASPU and all the Asian Sports Organizations in the interests of sports in Asia and obtain all facilities from the organizers of continental and worldwide sports events for Asian journalists to carry out their mission on the best conditions available.
3.8 To keep all other National Associations informed of any decision made by other member Associations or by AIPS.
3.9 To issue the necessary instructions and recommendations to its members without unnecessarily interfering in the affairs of the latter.
3.10 To organize training courses and seminars for members whenever possible.
Article 4 – Membership
The members of AIPS ASIA- ASPU are those National Sports Journalists Associations established in Asian countries, recognized by AIPS, which have accepted to comply with the Statutes and which have been accepted as members by the AIPS ASIA- ASPU Congress.
The AIPS ASIA- ASPU Congress may accept honorary members which shall have no voting rights and shall be released from any financial obligations.
The National Sports Journalists Associations established in countries having a national Olympic Committee member of the Olympic Council of Asia are all eligible for membership and shall be admitted as members upon proposal from the AIPS ASIA- ASPU Executive Committee and have been accepted as members by the AIPS ASIA- ASPU Congress. For justified grounds, the Congress may also accept as members National Sports Journalists Associations established in other Asian countries.
Article 5 – Organization of AIPS ASIA- ASPU
The organizational Bodies of AIPS ASIA- ASPU are:
5.1 The Congress
5.2 The Executive Committee
5.3 The Bureau
Article 6 – The AIPS ASIA- ASPU Congress
The Congress consists of The Executive Committee and a maximum of two representatives of every National Association which is member of the AIPS ASIA- ASPU.
6.1 The Congress is the highest authority of AIPS ASIA- ASPU and is the sole body empowered to modify the Statutes.
6.2 The Congress must be held once every two years.
6.3 Notice for the Congress shall be posted to the members 3 months in advance. The Agenda for the meeting shall be sent at least four weeks from the date of the meeting. National sports journalists associations must submit their suggestions to the Secretary General at least six weeks in advance of the Congress meeting.
6.4 Each decision of the Congress shall be taken by the absolute majority of the members participating in the vote unless otherwise specified in the Statutes. In any case of a tie, the chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote.
Article 7 – Powers of the Congress
The AIPS ASIA- ASPU Congress shall have the following powers:
- a) To amend the Statutes of AIPS ASIA- ASPU, subject to article 14 below.
- b) To adopt the minutes of the previous Congress meeting.
- c) To approve the accounts and budgets as well as to take notice of the auditors’ report.
- d) To elect for periods of four years the members of the Executive
Committee.
- e) To consider and decision on the suggestions submitted by the members.
- f) To decide the date and venue of the next meeting of the Congress.
- g) To decide on all other matters not clearly specified in the Statutes.
Article 8 – Rights and Obligations of the AIPS ASIA- ASPU members
The members of AIPS ASIA- ASPU shall enjoy the following rights:
8.1 The right of participating in each vote and election in the Congress.
Each member shall have one vote. Abstentions and blanks or spoiled votes are not taken into consideration in the calculation of any required majority. Voting by proxy is not allowed. Voting is held by secret ballot when so required by the Statutes, or if the chairman so decides or upon the request of at least 10 members in attendance.
8.2 The right to submit suggestions to the Congress at least 6 weeks in advance of Congress meeting.
8.3 The right to nominate candidates from among the members to the Executive Committee of AIPS ASIA- ASPU.
8.4 The right to convene an extraordinary meeting of the Congress or submit their suggestions to this effect for voting by postal vote, provided that such request shall obtain the approval from more than two thirds of the eligible national member Associations.
Article 9 – election
- a) Elections will be held every four years
- b) The election announcement has to be made at least three months before the date of polling and the nomination forms shall be sent by the General Secretary by e-mail/fax and post.
- c) Nominations must be received both by the General Secretary of Aips Asia-ASPU and the AIPS Secretary until 21 days before the election congress The nominations may be submitted in person or sent either by post or fax or e-mail.
- d) The AIPS Asia – ASPU General Secretary shall circulate a list of all nominations received and circulate the list to all member nations.
- e) All candidates must be the holder of a valid AIPS Card and the number must be mentioned on the nomination form.
- f) The nominations must be endorsed by the national association of that candidate and the member so nominated must be from that country.
- g) Each country can nominate a maximum of two candidates for different positions. But it may nominate one person for more than one position. However, each country will only have one elected member in the AIPS Asia-ASPU Executive Council.
- h) On election of one member from one country the other nominations from that country will be deleted.
- i) A three-member election committee will conduct the poll and no candidate will be part of this committee.
- j) There will be no proxy voting.
- k) Any nomination is allowed to withdraw from the election until just before the voting for that position provided he is present in person or the delegate of that nation produces a letter of the member association to that effect.
- l) Each country has one vote.
- m) Voting will be through a secret ballot.
- n) In case of a tie in the voting, there will be an immediate re-voting for that position. If the tie happens again in the re-vote then there will be a draw of lots to decide that position.
- o) The list of winning candidates will be announced and circulated to all member nations and the AIPS.
Article 10 – Subscription
10.1 Each member shall pay an annual subscription fee as determined by the Congress. Such subscription shall be paid
in full by end of December of each year.
10.2 All members which at the time of Congress have not paid their Subscription dues to Aips Asia-ASPU and AIPS till the current year shall be deprived of their membership rights. The membership rights shall be restored on settlement of their financial obligations before the start of the AIPS Asia –ASPU Congress.
Article 11 – The Executive Bodies of AIPS ASIA- ASPU
11.1. The Executive Committee and the Bureau are the Executives Bodies of AIPS ASIA- ASPU.
11.2. The Executive Committee is composed of:
1) President
2) 1st Vice President
3) Five Vice Presidents
4) Secretary General
5) Treasurer
6) Eight members
11.3 A Deputy Secretary General may be elected and entitled to attend the Executive Committee meeting but has no voting right.
11.4 The duties of the Executive Committee are :
- a) To meet at least once a year.
- b) To implement and enforce the resolutions and decisions of the
congress and to follow-up with the relevant procedures.
- c) To consider the topics and proposals submitted by the Bureau in order to submit relevant recommendations prior to their
presentation to the congress.
11.5 The Executive Committee may be summoned for an extraordinary meeting by the AIPS ASIA- ASPU president or following a request submitted by one third of the member Associations.
11.6 The Quorum of the Executive Committee meetings shall be the presence of the majority of the Executive Committee members.
Article 12 – The Bureau
12.1 The Bureau is composed of:
1) President
2) 1st Vice President
3) Five Vice Presidents
4) Secretary General
5) Treasurer
12.2 The Quorum of any Bureau meeting shall be the presence of five members.
12.3 The Duties of the Bureau are:
- a) To meet at least once a year on the invitation of the president.
- b) To receive the applications for membership prior to their
presentation to the Executive Committee for consideration.
- c) To liaise between AIPS ASIA- ASPU and AIPS and other sports organizations.
- d) To extend notice of meetings of the Executive Committee and the Congress to the members together with all relevant agenda documents.
- e) To deal with all administrative matters of AIPS ASIA- ASPU as well as to supervise the financial matters and to collect the membership fees from the members.
- f) To provide the members with the minutes of meetings of the Bureau, Executive Committee and the Congress respectively.
Article 13 – Official Language
The official language of the AIPS ASIA- ASPU shall be English.
Article 14 – The dissolution of the AIPS ASIA- ASPU
The dissolution of AIPS ASIA- ASPU shall not be effecive unless approved by a majority of three-fourth of members present in the Congress convenes specially for this purpose and provided at least more than half of the member countries shall be present. The decision regarding settlement procedure shall be adopted by an absolute majority.
Article 15 – Interpretation of the Statutes and Disputes
In case of any dispute arising out of the interpretation or enforcement of any article of the Statutes of AIPS ASIA- ASPU, the matter shall be settled by the Congress, and any decision taken by the Congress relevant to the subject matter of the dispute shall be final.
Article 16 – Amendments
In order to be valid, any amendment to these Statutes decided by the Congress will have to be intimated to by the Executive Committee of AIPS.
Article 17 – Address of AIPS ASIA- ASPU
For any communications or correspondence from or to AIPS ASIA, its official address shall be at the offices of the Secretary General.
The Statutes have been approved by the following AIPS ASIA-ASPU members on May 24, 2011 in Kuwait.