SECTION I: Title and Headquarters

The name of the organisation is the International News Safety Institute. Its headquarters is based in, International Press Centre, Résidence Palace, Rue de la Loi, 155, 1040 Brussels, Belgium.

SECTION II: Character

1. The Institute is a confederation of media organisations, press freedom groups, unions representing journalists and media staff, journalism educators, media development groups, and individuals. It has been created to deal with matters related to health and safety in the exercise of the profession of journalism.

2. The International News Safety Institute is an Association Internationale Sans But Lucratif as defined under Belgian law. The Advisory Board is responsible for meeting the Institute's obligations as an AiSBL.

3. It is established in the context of support for pluralist democracy and fundamental human rights. It is independent of all ideological, political, governmental and religious bodies.

4. It represents and assists its members in education and research and all professional matters related to safety. It promotes continental and regional groups to develop its global character.

SECTION III: Aims and Objectives

5. INSI is a network of organisations dedicated to the physical safety and professional well being of all who work in journalism and news gathering. INSI is established to:

a) Support action to counter violations of the rights of journalists and media workers whenever and wherever journalists are in danger, physically attacked or persecuted.

b) Provide a communications and information network on safety issues, circulating timely information on hostile environments and safety training courses, equipment and operational issues. INSI will be a news exchange for all concerned news media staff and freelancers.

c) Support and develop safety assistance programmes for journalists and media staff, including freelance workers, particularly those operating from and working in regions where conflict conditions exist or where are regularly engaged in potentially dangerous assignments.

d) Encourage agreements on health and safety matters, including risk-awareness training and first aid courses, between media organisations and their staff; as well as agreements with unions and associations.

e) Promote industry best practice using examples of training and assistance being developed within the media and journalism. Support and develop existing journalism education and industry initiatives including codes and guidelines.

f) Investigate, develop and promote safety services, including affordable insurance, for journalists and other news media workers in dangerous situations.

g) Establish a global network of regional organisations committed to working towards risk-reduction.

h) Sponsor awareness-raising initiatives on journalist safety at major media and news-related events, including conferences of industry professionals at national, regional and international level.

i) Establish and maintain close relations with relevant international, government and non-government organisations in pursuit of these objects.

6. The Institute may admit to membership journalists' organisations, press freedom defenders, media companies and other relevant institutions whose constitutions and activities are consistent with the character and objects of the Institute and which conform to the following definitions:

(a) It is committed to actions in defence of the safety and security of journalists and media staff and will adhere to the INSI safety code.

(b) It is a supporter of media freedom in accordance with the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19.

(c) The Institute may admit individuals who support the aims of the Institute into a category of "supporting membership".

SECTION V: Application for Membership

7. An application for membership of the Institute shall be made to the Director in the prescribed form and shall be accompanied by the Constitution of the applicant organisation or an explanatory description and profile of its activities.

8. The Advisory Board shall consider each application. It may, provided two-thirds of members present vote in favour, admit an applicant membership. It may reject an application or defer an application for further consideration at its next meeting. The Director shall inform all members of membership decisions by the Advisory Board.

9. All membership decisions shall take immediate effect, but shall be subject to confirmation by the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting may reject any decision by the Advisory Board and it shall be referred back to the Advisory Board for review.

SECTION VI: Expulsion and Resignation

10. A member may be expelled from membership by decision of Annual Meeting under the following conditions:

(a) It no longer meets the conditions of membership as set out in Article 4 of this Constitution; or

(b) It acts in a manner contrary to the principles or objects of INSI or in a manner likely to damage the interests of the Institute.

11. A provisional decision to expel a member may be made by the Advisory Board after a proper investigation of the circumstances and provided two-thirds of members present vote to do so. Any such decision shall be notified immediately to the member in question. The member may appeal against the decision to the next Annual Meeting, which shall confirm or reverse the decision, but in the meantime the member shall be suspended from membership of the Institute.

12. Any member may resign from the Institute by giving notice in writing to the Director.

SECTION VII: Annual Meeting

13. The Annual Meeting shall be the supreme governing body of the Institute.

14. The Annual Meeting shall be composed of representatives from the member organisations. Members shall have one vote each at the Annual Meeting.

15. The Advisory Board may convene an Extraordinary Meeting of members at any time if two-thirds of its members vote in favour. The Advisory Board shall convene an Extraordinary Meeting if half of the Institute members make such a demand in writing.

16. The Members shall be advised of the place and dates of the Annual Meeting not less than 6 months in advance of the start of the meeting. Invitations and a provisional agenda shall be sent to members not less than two months in advance, and working documents not less than one month in advance of the Annual Meeting.

17. Proposals from Members and the Advisory Board must be submitted to the Director not less than two months before the start of the Annual Meeting, except where this Constitution specifically provides otherwise. Proposals to amend this Constitution or to dissolve the Institute may be submitted only in accordance with the procedure set out in Section XI. The Annual Meeting may consider proposals submitted out of time only if a majority of voting delegates agree.

18. Notice of an Extraordinary Meeting shall be sent to Members not less than six weeks before the opening of such an Extraordinary Meeting.

19. The Annual Meeting shall:

(a) Adopt Working Rules for the meeting including the allocation of proxy votes, upon the recommendation of the Advisory Board, and establish a quorum;

(b) Establish such working groups and/or procedures as are necessary for the efficient conduct of the Annual Meeting and to assist the participation of delegates;

(c) Receive, discuss and vote on a report from the Director on behalf of the Advisory Board, and a report from the Treasurer on the finances of the Institute;

(d) Approve the budget for the following year;

(e) Decide on membership matters;

(f) Decide on proposals to amend the Constitution;

(g) Determine policies and the working programme for the following year;

(h) Decide on proposals submitted for the agenda;

(i) Elect the Officers of the Institute and the other members of the Advisory Board as provided in Section VIII.

20. Decisions of the Annual Meeting shall be made by a simple majority of votes cast, except that a two-thirds majority of votes cast shall be required

(a) To adopt a proposal to amend this Constitution;

(b) To accept the Financial Report and to decide membership fees.

A two-thirds majority of all votes represented at Congress shall be required to adopt a proposal to dissolve the Institute.

21. All elections shall be by secret ballot and shall be conducted in accordance with the Working Rules.

SECTION VIII: Advisory Board and Officers

22. Between Annual Meetings the Advisory Board shall be the governing body of the Institute. It shall consist of the Officers and 16 other members and shall be elected by the Annual Meeting. It shall meet at least twice a year. A quorum of 11 voting members shall be required for decisions to be valid. The Advisory Board shall establish its own working rules and procedures within the framework of the Constitution. The Advisory Board shall ensure that at the headquarters there is a register of all decisions of the Advisory Board and all decisions of the Annual Meeting.

23. The Advisory Board is responsible for ensuring that the policies and the working programme of the Institute are carried out in line with Annual Meeting decisions, and shall report on its work to the Annual Meeting. The Advisory Board shall agree Working Rules for its meetings and shall define establish a quorum and, where appropriate, procedures for allocation of proxy votes for absent members.

24. The Advisory Board shall define and decide the conditions of membership for individuals who are admitted to the category of "supporting membership".

25. The Officers of the Institute shall be the President, two Vice-Presidents and the Treasurer.

26. The two vice-Presidents shall be nominated, one each, from the two founding organisations, the International Federation of Journalists and the International Press Institute.

27. The President and the Treasurer shall be elected by the Annual Meeting from nominations made by the Members.

28. In addition to the Officers, the Annual Meeting shall elect 12 members of the Advisory Board in accordance with the following provisions:

(a) At least one member elected from Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, North Africa and the Middle East, North America and Oceania regions (7);

(b) At least one member elected from nomination by the World Association of Newspapers and one member nominated by the European Broadcasting Union.

29. If following their election any Officer or member of the Advisory Board: Dies or resigns from the Advisory Board; or In the opinion of a majority of the Advisory Board has become ineligible to hold office in terms of this Constitution, the vacancy shall be filled at the next Annual Meeting.

30. The Director and the Deputy Director shall be non-voting members of the Advisory Board.

31. The Advisory Board shall appoint members of working parties established by the Annual Meeting to further the activities of the Institute. At least one Advisory Board member shall serve on each working party, and shall be responsible or effective liaison between the working party and the Advisory Board.

32. The President, the Vice-Presidents, and the Treasurer shall together with the Director and Deputy Director constitute the Management Committee. The Management Committee shall

a) Supervise the Institute activities of the Director and the Deputy Director and deal with financial matters, membership questions, matters of concern and prepare wider policy issues for discussion by the Advisory Board

b) Otherwise act for the Institute between meetings of the Advisory Board within the policies established by the Annual Meeting and the Advisory Board.

Actions of the Management Committee shall be confirmed at the following Advisory Board meeting.

33. The President shall be the leading representative of the Institute. He/she shall convene and chair meetings of the Advisory Board and the Management Committee.

34. The Vice-Presidents shall assist the President in carrying out his/her duties and shall, in order, replace the President if he/she is prevented from carrying out those duties.

35. The Treasurer shall supervise the financial policies and performance of the Institute and shall report to the Advisory Board and the Annual Meeting on those matters.

36. The Director shall be the Chief Executive officer of the Institute. He/she shall be appointed by the Advisory Board and be responsible to the Board. The Deputy Director shall assist the Director and act for the Director in his/her absence. He/she shall be appointed by the Advisory Board and be responsible to the Board. The competent persons to act in legal matters on behalf of the Institute are the President, the Treasurer, the Director and, in his/her absence, the Deputy Director.

SECTION IX: Continental and Regional Groups

37. Institute Members shall set up continental and regional groups. Such groups may regulate their own activities provided they are in accordance with this Constitution and are consistent with policies established by the Annual Meeting.

SECTION X: Finance

38. The Annual Meeting shall determine the basis for the calculation of membership fees and shall decide the membership fees payable by Members. Membership fees shall be paid in the currency of the nation in which the headquarters of the Institute is situated.

39. The financial year of the Institute shall be from January 1 to December 31. The Advisory Board shall adopt and approve the accounts and budget of the Institute annually.

40. Membership fees for a financial year are due and payable by April 30 of that year unless the Advisory Board decides otherwise. Members admitted to the Institute during a year shall pay membership fees for that year on a pro rata calculation for the unexpired period of the year.

41. Annual membership fees shall be paid, with effect from January 1st 2004, on the following basis:

Euro €
International Media Organisations: 5,000
National Media Organisations: 1,000
Journalists' unions and Associations and Groups: 500
Press Freedom Groups: 500
Other Media Support Institutions: 500
Organisations from Developing and Least Developed Countries: 50
Individuals: 50

42. Any Member which is more than 12 months in arrears with the payment of its fees shall have no voting rights at the Annual Meeting.

43. The expenses of delegates to the Annual Meeting and of members of the Advisory Board shall be paid by their organisations unless otherwise decided by the Advisory Board.

SECTION XI: Amendment of the Constitution and Dissolution

44. Proposals to amend this Constitution must be submitted in writing to the Director no later than three months before the opening day of the Annual Meeting. Every such proposal must specify precisely the amendment sought, and must be accompanied by a brief explanation of the reason for the amendment. The Director shall forward copies of the proposal all Members.

45. A proposal to amend the Constitution shall be carried only if it is supported by two-thirds of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting. The quorum required for voting on a constitutional amendment shall be the same as that for other business.

46. A proposal to dissolve the Institute must be submitted and dealt with in the same manner as a proposal to amend the Constitution. However, such a proposal shall be carried only if it is supported by two-thirds of all the votes represented at the Annual Meeting.

47. In the event that the Annual Meeting decides to dissolve the Institute all liabilities of the Institute shall be discharged. Any remaining assets shall then be divided among the Members at the time equivalent to the proportion of their contributions to the Institute during the current year. If there are insufficient assets to meet the Institute's liabilities, the outstanding liabilities shall be met by the Member organisations in similar proportion.

SECTION XII: Miscellaneous

48. Matters not provided for in this Constitution shall be decided by the Annual Meeting or, if they arise between Annual Meetings, by the Advisory Board.

49. This Constitution, which is framed and interpreted according to the conditions and circumstances set out in the Belgian law of October 25th 1919, shall at all times be interpreted and applied in a manner which avoids undue technicality and which best maintains and promotes the character and objects of the Institute.

50. Modifications to the Constitution shall be submitted for Royal Assent and published in annexes to the Moniteur Belge in accordance with Belgian law.

Responsible Officers:

Chris Cramer, Honorary President
Richard Tait, Vice President
Aidan White, Treasurer; 23, Avenue de Montalembert; 1330 RIXENSART
Rodney Pinder, Director
Sarah de Jong, Deputy Director

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