CONSTITUTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTATION SYSTEMS (HURIDOCS)
as amended by the Second General Assembly (Rome, April 1986)
1. PURPOSE
There is hereby established an International Human Rights Information and Documentation System (HURIDOCS) to promote and protect human rights through the wider dissemination of public information about human rights.
2. PARTICIPANTS AND USERS
2a. Participants in HURIDOCS shall be non-governmental organizations, institutions and individuals approved by the continuation committee. Use of HURIDOCS’ services shall be by contribution or subscription, and shall be open to anyone concerned with information about human rights.
2b. The Secretary of HURIDOCS shall keep a list of all approved participants.
3. CONTINUATION COMMITTEE
HURIDOCS shall be governed by a Continuation Committee which shall determine the programmes and activities of the system. The CONTINUATION COMMITTEE shall consist of the FOUNDING PRESIDENT and 3 to 7 members who are willing and able to devote considerable time and energy to the work of HURIDOCS. Three of the members shall be elected by the outgoing council from among its members, and the rest may be added by the Continuation committee itself as the need arises. The Continuation Committee is empowered to elect other members to replace those who resign or are unable to serve. Members shall serve in their individual capacity and not as representatives of organizations. The Continuation Committee shall set its own procedures and quorum.
4. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONTINUATION COMMITTEE
The Continuation Committee:
- Shall promote the establishment and strengthening of networks and regional organizations for the documentation and communication of public information about human rights;
- Shall promote co-operation and co-ordination between information systems and documentation between information systems and documentation centres to further the purpose of HURIDOCS;
- Shall, actively and as a first priority, seek to establish a Permanent Unit as described in Article 8 below;
- Shall establish those programmes and Task Forces necessary to carry out the purposes of the system;
- Shall have an overall financial responsibility and control, including responsibility for fund-raising, record-keeping, and accounting;
- Shall appoint the head of the Permanent Unit, and of each task force.
5. OFFICERS OF THE CONTINUATION COMMITTEE
The Continuation Committee will elect from its members a Chairperson, a Treasurer and a secretary, and define their respective responsibilities.
6. TASK FORCES
The Continuation Committee shall carry out the programme of HURIDOCS by establishing specific task forces to carry out each of these programmes. The Continuation Committee shall designate an expert to head each task force, and determine in writing the terms of reference, time period, budgetary parameters, and the relevant conditions for each task force. Each task force leader shall then proceed to act with considerable independence within the terms of his/her mandate, and may add other members to the task force. However, he/she shall report to and be accountable to the Continuation Committee.
7. ADVISORY COUNCIL
An Advisory Council shall be established as a reservoir of guidance for the Continuation Committee and the Task Forces. It shall be composed of 15-20 persons. The composition of the membership of the council shall take into account the need to represent regional structures and the diversity of participants. The members of the Advisory Council shall be proposed at the Rome conference, but may be added to later by the Continuation Committee in light of experience and need. Each Task Force leader shall serve as ex- officio member of the Advisory Council as long as he/she continues to serve as head of the particular task force.
8. PERMANENT UNIT
In order to facilitate the work of HURIDOCS the Continuation Committee shall establish, in location of its own choosing, a Permanent Unit to assist in carrying out its function, and may delegate to such Unit such functions and tasks as it seems fit.
9. ACCESS TO INFORMATION PROVIDED THROUGH HURIDOCS
Subject to meeting the financial terms determined by the Continuation Committee for participants and users, HURIDOCS will accept all public information about human rights provided to it and will provide access to all users to such information, but will make no other evaluation of the information provided.
10. REVIEW OF THE CONSTITUTION
The Continuation Committee and the Advisory Council shall serve according to this mandate for four years at the end of which time it shall arrange a meeting of the Advisory Council and participants to report on the implementation of its mandate as defined by the Rome conference of April 1986. This meeting will review and adjust the mandate and appoint the members of the new Continuation Committee and the Advisory Council in accordance with the provisions of the new mandate. If such meeting cannot be held for unforeseen reasons, the Continuation Committee will consult with participants through the mail to obtain temporary extension for a maximum of one year.
11. AMENDMENTS
This constitution may only be amended by a majority of two-thirds of those present and voting at a meeting of the general assembly of participants.
Note: The Third General Assembly of HURIDOCS held in Crete, Greece in 1992 adopted procedures to govern the election of HURIDOCS officers (members of the Continuation Committee and the International Advisory Council). Since 1992, all HURIDOCS officers have been elected by the General Assembly. What remains to be done in this respect is to have these procedures formalised in the HURIDOCS Constitution.
The Third General Assembly also approved the establishment of a Task Force on Structure, with the mandate to consult all the members of the network and afterwards to present recommendations on how to improve the HURIDOCS system of governance and structure. Among the recommendations already forwarded by the Task Force is the amendment of the Constitution, a process which is underway.
