ORGANIZATION OF ASIA - PACIFIC NEWS AGENCIES
PREAMBLE
The 7th General Assembly of the Organization of Asia - Pacific News Agencies in Jakarta agreed to adopt the following Statute (hereinafter referred as the Statute) as revised from the draft proposed at the 5th General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur in November 1981 to be valid from the date of adoption.
Part 1 - PURPOSES OF THE ORGANIZATION
Article 1
The objectives of the Organization are:
a. To increase and facilitate a freer flow of news and information in Asia and the Pacific;
b. To encourage the removal of discriminatory actions and unnecessary restrictions by governments affecting news agencies engaged in news transmission or distribution so as to promote the availability of news information to people of the world without discriminations, restrictions for purposes of security do not in themselves constitute discrimination, provided that such restrictions are not based on measures designed to restrict the free flow of information in international news transmission or distribution,
c. To provide machinery for cooperation among news agencies or groups of news agencies in Asia and the Pacific to operate as a news exchange network in or to facilitate news exchange through one or more distribution centers whose function is to relay without editing, news received from other network agencies and to encourage the general adoption of the highest practical standards in matters concerning news exchange and distribution,
d. To participate actively in correcting the imbalance in information and in improving the flow of news between developed and developing countries,
e. To concern itself with national, regional and sub - regional efforts at overcoming poverty, hunger, unemployment and disease and at modernization,
f. To commit itself to peace and understanding among nations and opposition to all forms of racism, colonialism and neo-colonialism,
g. To strengthen cooperative relationships among Asia - Pacific news agencies and between them and agencies in other parts of the world, to their mutual benefit, and
h. To study, work together and, when necessary, to take joint action to improve editorial, training, communication and technical facilities in order to implement the above objectives.
i. To make joint efforts to protect the intellectual property rights of news productions by each member and deal with infringements of intellectual property rights, including piracy, plagiarism, copyright manipulation and distortion, and other illicit uses and unauthorized distribution of members’ news productions by media outlets or individuals
Part II - MEMBERSHIP
Article 2
a. Membership in the Organization shall be open to news agencies of the United Nations member countries in Asia and the Pacific, subject to the provision of part II herein.
b. As of 2019, membership in the Organization shall be limited to one news agency per country, not to be applied retroactively.
Article 3
a. News agencies of United Nations member countries in Asia and the Pacific may apply for membership in the Organization by writing to the Executive Board of the Organization.
b. The Executive Board may prescribe qualification for membership keeping in view internationally recognized definition of a news agency and membership criteria described in part II herein.
c. Executive Board has the discretion to reject such application or admit and take it to the final voting in the General Assembly.
d. General Assembly approves or rejects the admission of a new member by majority of votes.
Article 4
Any member which fails to conform with this Statute or to any rules and regulations made under this statute may lose its membership on decision of two - thirds of the strength.
Article 5
a. Newspapers, information agencies, news agency groups, or any international Organization, former office bearers of OANA or any national or international professional journalist bodies, may on the invitation of the Executive Board be granted observer status in the General Assembly.
b. Observers may participate in the deliberation of the General Assembly without voting rights. c. The number of such observers from any country shall not exceed six (6) at any time.
Part III - ORGANS
Article 6
The Organization shall consist of a General Assembly, an Executive Board, and such other subsidiary organs as the Organization may at any time consider necessary.
Part IV - THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Article 7
The Supreme Authority of the Organization shall be vested in the General Assembly.
Article 8
a. The General Assembly shall meet once every three (3) years at such time and place as the Executive Board may from time to time determine.
b. An extraordinary session shall be convened after a notice of 60 days whenever a majority of the members give notice to the Executive Board that they desire a session to be arranged or at any time if deemed necessary by the Executive Board, after a notice of 60 days.
Article 9
A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum for the sessions of the General Assembly.
Article 10
The functions of the General Assembly shall be:
a. To elect at each regular session from among the members its President, 4 Vice - Presidents and eight members of the Executive Board who shall hold office until the next regular session As for vice presidents, the outgoing President should become a Vice President, while the three remaining Vice Presidents should be elected by a vote by all members at the General Assembly
b. To determine its own rules of procedure except otherwise provided in the Statute,
c. To establish any temporary or, upon recommendation of the Executive Board, permanent subsidiary bodies it may consider to be necessary ,
d. To receive and consider the reports of the Executive Board, and to decide upon any question referred to it by the Board,
e. To determine the financial arrangement of the Organization in accordance with part IV, f. To review the expenditure and approve the accounts of the Organization.
Article 11
The General Assembly shall have the power to waive an omission or irregularity of any kind arising this statute except in the case of any irregularity in the election of any member to the Executive Board.
Part V - THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
Article 12
The Executive Board shall be composed of 13 members elected by the General Assembly consisting of the President, 4 Vice-Presidents and 8 ordinary Board members. In electing the members of the Executive Board, the Assembly shall observe that due regard is given to ensure representation from sub - regions within the region of Asia and the Pacific.
Article 13
a. Members represented on the Executive Board in accordance with Article 17 shall hold office until the next regular session of the Assembly. Members shall be eligible for re - election.
b. No agency shall be eligible to serve as President for more than two (2) successive terms.
Article 14
a. The President (or in his absence or inability to act as a member of the Executive Board, a Vice - President selected by the other Vice Presidents or in default of selection chosen by lot) shall during the Organization's term of office preside over a 11 Executive Board meetings and all sessions of the General Assembly and shall be responsible for the proper conduct of all such sessions. If no Vice President is present or able to act, a member of the Executive Board elected by the Executive Board's members shall preside.
b. The Executive Board shall adopt its own rules of procedure unless otherwise provided in the Statute.
c. The majority of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum.
d. Decisions of the Executive Board shall be taken by a majority of the Board members voting person.
e. The Executive Board shall meet at least once a year. It shall meet at such places as may be convenient.
f. A member agency should inform the President of its intention to host the next Executive Board Meeting before the beginning of current Executive Board Meeting.
Article 15
The Executive Board may invite any member agency to participate, without the right to vote in its deliberations on any matter.
Article 16
a. There shall be a Secretary General appointed to assist the President.
b. The Executive Board appoints the Secretary - General in consultation with the President.
Article 17
The Executive Board shall submit to the General Assembly the audited financial statements of the organization together with its comments and recommendations.
Article 18
The Executive Board shall make a report to the General Assembly at each regular session on the work of the Organization since the previous regular session of the General Assembly.
Article 19
The Executive Board may enter into agreements or arrangements covering the relationship with other organizations as provided for in Part 1. Such agreements or arrangements may be initialed by the President, the Vice-Presidents or the Secretary-General and shall be approved by the Executive Board at its next session.
Article 20
The Executive Board may, whenever necessary, consult the members of the Organization by written communication on any matters relating to the affairs of the Organization. Any proposal or recommendation circulated in such manner and approved in writing by a majority of the members shall be deemed adopted.
Article 21
The Executive Board may recommend to the General Assembly whenever revision of subscription rates by member's payable is necessary.
Article 22
The Executive Board shall have the power to appoint committees and co-opt any person to perform functions necessary to achieve the Organization's objective under Part 1.
Article 23
A provisional agenda for each General Assembly's session shall be prepared by the Secretary - General and circulated to all members not later than two (2) months before the session. Any members may propose in writing to the Secretary - General matters for insertion in the provisional agenda one month before the session. The Executive Board shall determine the agenda for each session.
Article 24
The Secretary - General shall keep members informed in respect to the activities of the Organization.
Article 25
The Secretary - General shall perform such other task as may be assigned to him by the President from time to time.
Part VI - FINANCES
Article 26
The general expenses of the Organization shall be met by dues from the members and by such subsidies and donations as the Organization may think fit to accept.
Article 27
Any member which fails to discharge its financial obligation to the Organization within one year from the date on which it is due shall have no voting right in the General Assembly and the Executive Board, unless the General Assembly, at its discretion, waives this provision.
Article 28
The Secretary General shall prepare and submit to the Executive Board the financial statements for each year.
Part VII - VOTING
Article 29
The following provisions shall apply to voting in the General Assembly and the Executive Board: a. Each member shall have one vote. b. Except as otherwise stated in this Statute, decisions of the Executive Board and the General Assembly shall be by majority vote of the members present and voting. In the event of a deadlock, the President or person presiding shall have a casting vote.
Part VIII - AMENDMENTS
Article 30
Texts of proposed amendments to the Statute shall be communicated by the Secretary - General to members at least six months in advance of the General Assembly for their consideration.
