AI Ireland Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), Friday 24 July, Motions and Amendments.
MOTION 1.
This EGM decides that upon the request of the National Board that, and given the exceptional circumstances caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and, notwithstanding the provisions of Article 9 (2) of the Sections constitution, Annual Conference 2020 be postponed to a date no later than 20 December 2020.
Rationale:
Article 9 (2) of the AI Ireland Constitution requires that “The Annual Conference shall be convened by the National Board and shall be held not more than 16 months after the preceding Annual Conference.”
Annual Conference 2020 was originally scheduled to take place on the 4 and 5 April this year, but was postponed due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. It has not been possible to reschedule the conference to meet the constitutionally required deadline. For this reason, the National Board has called an Extraordinary General Meeting to seek membership approval to postpone our Annual Conference 2020 to a date no later than 20 December 2020, this being the final weekend before the section will close for the holiday period. Ideally, conference will take place considerably earlier than this date, but given the continuing uncertainty caused by the pandemic, the Board believes it is prudent to allow as much flexibility as possible in that regard.
Proposed by: Bríd Cannon, Chair, AI Ireland.
Seconded by: Niall Cowley, Vice Chair, AI Ireland.
AMENDMENT 1.
Express provision for Annual Conferences to be held online.
Rationale:
The Constitution of AI Ireland does not allow holding online or hybrid Annual Conferences or EGMs. As such holding such meetings online is permissible. However, the Board considers it prudent to amend the constitution to expressly permit the holding of virtual or hybrid (a meeting with both online and offline participation), Annual Conferences or EGMs. To this end, it proposes that Articles 9 (2) and 11 (1) of the Sections constitution be amended as follows:
Current text:
Article 9: Annual Conference (AC)
(2) The Annual Conference shall be convened by the National Board and shall be held not more than 16 months after the preceding Annual Conference upon not less than 65 days notice to all individual members, groups, affiliated organisations and school, college, youth and community support structures. With the exception of school, college, youth, and community support structures, it shall be sufficient for notices to be given through the Section website, Newsletter and other publication as may be issued from the Section Secretariat to all members.
Article 11: Extraordinary General Meeting
(1) (a) The National Board may convene an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). Any member or affiliated organization may petition the National Board to convene such a meeting, stating the proposed purpose of the meeting. The National Board must consider such petition within six weeks of its receipt. In the event of its refusal or failure to convene an EGM, at least 5% of the members of the Section as on the date of the previous AC may demand that the National Board convene such a meeting and shall serve such notice on the Chairperson of the National Board.
Proposed new text:
Article 9: Annual Conference (AC)
(2) The Annual Conference shall be convened by the National Board and shall be held not more than 16 months after the preceding Annual Conference upon not less than 65 days notice to all individual members, groups, affiliated organisations and school, college, youth and community support structures. Annual Conference may be convened online or in hybrid form. With the exception of school, college, youth, and community support structures, it shall be sufficient for notices to be given through the Section website, Newsletter and other publication as may be issued from the Section Secretariat to all members.
Article 11: Extraordinary General Meeting
(1) (a) The National Board may convene an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). An EGM may be convened online or in hybrid form. Any member or affiliated organization may petition the National Board to convene such a meeting, stating the proposed purpose of the meeting. The National Board must consider such petition within six weeks of its receipt. In the event of its refusal or failure to convene an EGM, at least 5% of the members of the Section as on the date of the previous AC may demand that the National Board convene such a meeting and shall serve such notice on the Chairperson of the National Board.
Proposed by: Bríd Cannon, Chair, AI Ireland.
Seconded by: Niall Cowley, Vice Chair, AI Ireland.
AMENDMENT 2.
This amendment seeks to align AI Ireland’s strategic planning cycle with that of the global movement, and provisions on budgetary oversight with the measures provided for in the AI Global Statute. It seeks to amend Article 9 (8), sub clauses (c) and (d).
Current Text:
Article 9 (8)
The AC shall:
(a) Firstly, consider and approve, amend or reject the report of the CAC on the order of debate for the AC;
(b) Consider and approve, amend or reject the Section annual report and certified accounts for the preceding year submitted by the National Board;
(c) Determine the rates of subscription for individual members, groups, affiliated organisations and school, college, youth, and community support structures; and review the implementation of the outline budget for the current year – making any necessary amendments;
(d) The Annual Conference shall consider and approve, amend or reject a draft strategic plan for the Section based on a four-year strategic planning cycle, a biennial draft operational plan, an annual report from the National Board and a high level outline budget for the following calendar year.
Proposed Text:
The AC shall:
(a) Firstly, consider and approve, amend or reject the report of the CAC on the order of debate for the AC;
(b) Consider and approve, amend or reject the Section annual report and certified accounts for the preceding year submitted by the National Board and a high-level budget for the following calendar year;
(c) Determine the rates of subscription for individual members, groups, affiliated organisations and school, college, youth, and community support structures;
(d) The Annual Conference shall consider and approve, amend or reject a multi-annual organisational strategy for the Section. This organisational strategy should, so far as is possible, align with the strategic planning cycles of the Amnesty International global movement.
Rationale:
Sub clause (b) as proposed, provides for full and proper scrutiny of the section’s activity, finances and certified accounts by membership. It is a key accountability moment for the National Board to report to members on their governance of the Section. It also provides for proper scrutiny of the Sections high-level budget for the following calendar year, which will guide the National Board in the adoption of a detailed budget later in the year.
The proposed amendment to sub clause (c) deletes an unworkable provision. Budgets are approved and finalised, in line with the decision of the preceding AC, by the National Board before the end of each year for the next calendar year. A final annual budget is then forwarded to the International Secretariat. Budgets can therefore not be adjusted some months later, nor should this ever be necessary.
The proposed amendment to sub clause (d), would require membership approval, amendment or rejection of a multi-annual organisational strategy for the Section. This amended text will allow such strategies to align with the planning cycles of the global AI movement, which can and do change on a reasonably regular basis. This amendment also removes the requirement for AC to approve an operational plan for the section. This governance responsibility is more appropriately delegated to the National Board, in line with similar provisions in the AI Global Statute. The National Board will still be fully accountable to membership at AC for the operationalisation of organisational strategy, as provided or in Article 9 (8), sub clause (b) above.
Proposed by: Bríd Cannon, Chair, AI Ireland.
Seconded by: Niall Cowley, Vice Chair, AI Ireland.