Title Objects and Rules of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association

 

1.       Title

 

The United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA), hereinafter referred to as the Association, whose registered address is 6 Convent Place, Gibraltar.

 

 

2.       Mission Statement

 

The Association exists to promote the interests of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories and co-operation between them. Specifically the Association demonstrates the collective and individual partnerships between the territories and HM Government. The inhabited territories are Full Members of the Association.

 

 

3.       Objectives

 

i.         To provide a forum for exchange of ideas and discussion of relevant issues of common interest.

ii.       To work for the mutual benefit of the signatories to the Mission Statement.

iii.      To share information about issues of interest and benefit to the signatories to the Mission Statement.

iv.      To make recommendations to the Governments of the Overseas Territories on appropriate courses of action where relevant.

v.       To develop relationships, as a group, with HMG, the European Union, the Commonwealth and other appropriate organisations and institutions.

vi.      To share best practice in relevant areas.

vii.    To defend the collective interests of the Members and to represent these interests.

 

 

4.       Membership

 

Full Members

 

a.       Full membership of the Association shall be open to any inhabited, with a resident population, Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom (subject to 5 below). The following Overseas Territories, and such other Members as may from time to time be admitted by the Association, shall be Full Members:-

 

Anguilla

Bermuda

British Virgin Islands

Cayman Islands

Falkland Islands

Gibraltar

Montserrat

Pitcairn

St Helena

Turks & Caicos Islands

 

b.       Members shall be represented in the bodies of the Association by physical persons duly appointed by them and empowered to act on their behalf (hereafter referred to as the Representative).

 

 

Associate Members

 

c.       An Associate Member shall be any dependency of an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom or any organisation that, in the opinion of the Membership, is closely related to the Overseas Territories and the issues of interest to them (subject to 5 below).

 

d.       Associate Members shall have no right to vote at any meeting or to be elected to Office.

 

 

5.       Conditions of Future Membership

 

a.       Application for membership shall be made in writing to the Chairman and shall contain full particulars of the status of the applicant in accordance with the rules of the Association.

 

b.       Applications for Membership of the Association shall be approved or rejected by the unanimous decision of the Full Members present and voting at an Ordinary Meeting of the Association.

 

 

6.       Funding

 

a.       The financial resources at the disposal of the Association will be those arising out of membership fees and other contributions from Members and other sources of income to be identified from time to time and used for the financing of the Association’s activities and the attainment of its objectives.

 

b.       Membership fees for Full Members and Associate Members shall be subject to annual budget decisions.

 

c.       Membership fees shall become payable at the Annual General Meeting.

 

d.       In addition to membership fees sponsorship will also be sought from various funding bodies.

 

 

7.       Entrance Fee

 

a.       An Entrance Fee of such sum as shall be decided from time to time at an Annual General Meeting shall be charged to each new Full Member and Associate Member of the Association.

 

 

8.       Resignation of Members

 

a.       Members may resign following notice given in writing to the Association’s Secretary. Resignations shall become effective three months after the date of their submission.

 

 

9.       Expulsion of Members

 

a.       If any Member of the Association shall disregard any rule or regulation of the Association, or shall be guilty of any conduct that in the opinion of the Association is inimical to the interests of the Association, the Member may be expelled from the Association under the provision of this paragraph.

 

b.       Written notice (without specifying reasons) of a proposal to expel a member from the Association shall be given by the Hon Secretary of the Association to every member including the member sought to be expelled, at least fourteen days before the meeting at which the proposal is to be considered.

 

c.       A motion to expel a member of the Association shall only be passed at a meeting of the Association convened in accordance with Rule 14.

 

d.       Any Member whose membership fees remain unpaid for one year shall automatically lose their membership.

 

e.       Any Member who through resignation, expulsion or otherwise ceases to belong to the Association forfeits his right to any part of the assets of the Association.

 

 

10.     Political Council

 

a.    The Political Council is the highest body of the Association, consisting of the individual representatives of each Member government, which sets the policies of the Association and approves the decisions requiring its approval. All prerogatives necessary to the achievement of the Association’s aims shall be vested in the Political Council.

 

b.      The head of government of the Chairman of the Association is the President of the Political Council and the President of the Association.

 

c.      The Political Council shall meet at least once a year. Notice of the Political Council Meeting and the agenda shall be given at least 21 days in advance.

 

d.      The President of the Political Council will chair Political Council meetings.

 

e.      The representatives at the Political Council Meeting are the heads of government or designated members of government together with the Representatives.

 

 

11.    Officers of the Association

 

a.       The Officers of the Association shall be the Chairman, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, who shall all be Representatives of Full Members.

 

b.       The Chairman shall be elected annually by the Representatives of the Full Members present at the Annual General Meeting of the Association.

 

c.       The posts of Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer shall be elected annually by the Representatives of the Full Members present at the Annual General Meeting of the Association.

 

d.       No Representatives of Full Members may hold an Office for more than three years consecutively.

 

e.       Officers of the Association shall have power to form all necessary Committees from the membership and to co-opt such expertise as may be deemed necessary. Such Committees shall be responsible to the Membership and shall report regularly thereto.

 

f.        The Officers of the Association shall have no power to commit the Association to any financial service without the unanimous approval of the Full Members present and voting at a meeting of the Association.

 

 

12.    Financial Year

 

a.       The Association’s Financial Year shall be from 1 December to 30 November following.

 

 

13.    Accounts

 

a.       The accounts of the Association will be kept by the Honorary Treasurer.

 

b.       At each Association’s Meeting the Honorary Treasurer will give an up-to-date financial report.

 

c.       At the Annual General Meeting of the Association two Members will be appointed to review the financial accounts and to act as auditors.

 

 

14.    Meetings

 

Ordinary Meetings

 

a.       The Association shall meet at least five times a year.

 

b.       Meetings shall be convened by the order of the Chairman.

 

c.       Representatives of Members should be given at least 21 working day’s notice of Ordinary Meetings.

 

d.       The quorum at Ordinary Meetings for the conduct of any business shall be at least 4 Full Members.

 

 

Special Meetings

 

e.       A Special Meeting of the Association may be convened at any time by the direction of the Officers of the Association, who shall in the convening notice set forth a summary of the business to be considered.

 

f.        Where it appears to the Full Members of the Association that a Special Meeting is desirable, they may on requisition in writing to the Honorary Secretary, signed by not less than 25 per cent of the total Full Membership require the Association to call such a meeting.

 

g.       A quorum at a Special Meeting shall be 50 per cent of the total Full Membership and no resolution shall be deemed carried at such meeting unless supported unanimously by the Full Members present.

 

 

Annual General Meetings

 

h.       Notice of the AGM shall be given at least 21 working days in advance. The meeting will be held on or within 90 days of 30 November each year for the following purposes:-

                                 i.            Election of the officers of the Association.

                               ii.            Appointment of two Members of the Association as auditors of the following year’s accounts.

                              iii.            Review of the membership fees for the next financial year.

                              iv.            Any other annual business of the Association.

 

i.         The quorum at an AGM shall be 50 per cent of the total Full Membership. The Chair presiding shall also enjoy a casting vote.

 

 

15.    Agenda

 

a.       The Honorary Secretary in conjunction with the Chairman shall draw up the agenda for meetings and submit it to the Members on the day the meeting is convened.

 

b.       The Honorary Secretary shall include any item that has been tabled by any Member.

 

c.       The Honorary Secretary shall send the invitation to the meeting, the agenda and working documents to the Members no later than 5 calendar days before the actual date of the meeting.