Constitution

                                CANGO’S CONSTITUTION

Chapter I. General Provisions

Article 1: The full name of the Association is China Association for NGO Cooperation hereinafter refers to as CANGO.

Article 2: Nature of CANGO: CANGO is an independent social entity founded on nationwide, non-profit and voluntary basis.

Article 3: Mission statement: CANGO's mission is the creation of a strong, empowered network of Chinese NGOs to address poverty alleviation, environmental protection and social development, particularly in China's poor, remote, and minority-inhabited areas. CANGO acts as an intermediary agency and partners with foreign NGOs, bilateral and multilateral organizations and Chinese NGOs to enhance fund raising, provide technical support and build capacity of grassroots social organizations in China.

Article 4: CANGO is registered in the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and its registration number is 3340.

Article 5: Permanent address: C-601, East building, Yonghe Plaza, 28# Andingmen Dongdajie, Beijing 100007, P. R. China.

Chapter II. Fields of Operation

Article 6: Fields of operation: CANGO shall be engaged in the following fields of operation:

Through interaction and exchanges with international NGOs, to promote cooperation and development in the poor, ethnic and remote areas in China.

To raise funds for economic and community development, to receive donations and aid from international NGOs, on behalf of its members to conclude agreements as well as other related documents with international NGOs, to coordinate and monitor programs during implementation.

To undertake feasibility study, research, appraisal, managing and executing programs and projects for the economic and community development in poor, ethnic, remoter areas in China.

To submit the program or project progress, financial statements to international NGO according to those agreed criteria and requirements.

To facilitate auditing process.

To organize diversified training courses, workshops and seminars that are relevant to international aid programs to promote human resource, economic and technological development and capacity building.

With the assistance of Government departments, CANGO shall promote partnership and to provide consultancy as well as other relevant services to the visiting international NGOs in China to launch projects or programs and other relevant activities. According to the relative codes of Government, to assist visiting personnel from international NGOs in providing logistical services.

To participate in conventions, meetings and other activities sponsored by international NGOs.

To organize international seminars, workshops and symposiums.

To compile and publish annual reports, newsletters, special publications and audio-visual documentaries to disseminate the outputs, impacts, achievements and experiences from cooperation with international NGOs.

Chapter III. Membership

Article 7: category of membership:organizational member and individual member

Article 8: applicants should meet the following criteria to become members of CANGO: In agreement with The Constitution of CANGO; Being willing to join in CANGO as a member organization; Playing active roles in the field of operation of CANGO; Domestic local NGOs that have already set up the connection with international NGOs or those who are willing to initiate cooperation in the fields of development, economy and technology are eligible to become members CANGO after the board of CANGO reviewing and verifying their application status.

Article 9: The sequence of membership admission is: To submit application documents for admission; The board of CANGO shall review and verify the application documents; The board of CANGO shall issue and render certificates to the applicants that are deemed qualified.

Article 10: Members have the following rights: With the right to vote and to stand for election; To participate in CANGO organized activities; With the priority to obtain services provided by CANGO; With the right to make comments, advice and monitoring in relation to the operation of CANGO, With the freedom to terminate its membership; With the right to enjoy free and shared information, subscription of bilingual publications, newsletter, consultancy and other related services.

Article 11: Members have the following obligations: To pursue policies and to implement resolution of CANGO; To safeguard the legal rights and interests of CANGO; To fulfill the missions assigned by CANGO; To render membership fee according to related regulations; To undertake coordination in relation with the operation of CANGO; To submit written report of personnel substitution, business changes and any other changes whenever necessary.

Article 12: Members who want to terminate its membership must inform CANGO in written notification in advance and return certificates. Any member who is not able to render membership fee to CANGO up to a calendar year will be henceforth regarded as automatic secession.

Article 13: Any infringement against The Constitution of CANGO conducted by any member shall be excluded from the organization after the board’s approval.

Chapter IV. Organizational Structure and the Procedure of Election and Changing of the Leadership

Article 14: The General Assembly is the paramount organ of power and authority of CANGO. The authority of the General Assembly includes:

To formulate and amend The Constitution of CANGO;

To elect and change the board members;

To review mandatory reports and financial statements;

To decide termination to relevant commitment;

To debrief and approve policies and make decisive, long-term strategies and operation plans of the board of CANGO;

To make decision of other related vital and important matters.

Article 15: The General Assembly can be only convened with attendance at least 2/3 of all the representatives. With at least half of participating representatives’ voting for support can make the resolutions become effective.

Article 16: Each assembly’s term of the General Assembly shall last four years. In case there is a special occasions to change duration, it shall be pass through in the General Assembly. Nevertheless, the duration for one deferment shall not exceed one calendar year.

Article 17: The board of CANGO is the executing body of the General Assembly. The board shall take over the General Assembly to exercise its power and be responsible to the General Assembly.

Article 18: The authority of the board of CANGO includes:

To execute the resolutions of the General Assembly;

To elect and change the chairman and vice chairman of the board of CANGO and the secretary general;

To prepare the conferences of the General Assembly;

To submit and deliver working reports and financial statements to the General Assembly;

To make decisions on enrollment and dismissal of member organizations;

To decide to establish branches, representative offices, overseas offices and affiliated bodies of CANGO;

To recruit deputy secretary general and chiefs of departments;

To give guidance to the operation of all the departments of CANGO;

To formulate internal working procedure;

To make decisions on vital and important issues.

Article 19: In CANGO, there shall be the positions for domestic and international consultants.

Article 20: With at least 2/3 attendance of representatives of the members of the board shall legally convene meetings and the resolutions shall become effective only with 2/3 votes in the board.

Article 21: The board convenes a meeting at least once a year, and runs the meetings by means of mail or email only in special occasions.

Article 22: In CANGO, there shall be the positions honorary director of the board of CANGO and honorary members of the board.

Article 23: The qualifications of the chairman and vice chairman of the board includes:

Abiding by laws and regulations of the state;

Having reputations in the scope of business of CANGO;

Under the age of 70;

Healthy and competent for the work;

No criminal records.

Article 24: The chairman, vice chairman and secretary general shall have a 4-year term. If in some special cases there is the need for their reelection, they must pass through voting in the board with at least 2/3 votes for support. Their succession for reelection shall not exceed two terms.

Article 25: The chairman’s authority includes:

To call and preside over meetings of the board,

To monitor progress of the implementation of the resolutions made by the General Assembly and the board,

To deal with important issues on behalf of CANGO.

Article 26: The secretariat is the executive body of the board. The Secretary General works full time for CANGO.

Article 27: The secretary general is the legal person representative of CANGO. The secretary general must not hold any concurrent post of legal person representative for other organizations.

Article 28: The authority of secretary general includes:

To take charge of routine work, to implement work plan;

To coordinate with CANGO’s branches, representative offices and affiliated bodies;

To nominate candidates for the position of deputy secretary generals and chiefs for the branches, representative offices and affiliated bodies;

To recruit staff members for the branches, representative offices and entity organizations.

Chapter V. Principles of Assets Management and Operation

Article 29: Revenues of CANGO: membership fee, donations, incomes of business and services, interests, overheads from implementing cooperative programs and projects,

Article 30: CANGO shall collect membership fee from its member organizations according to the regulations issued by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Article 31: CANGO’s revenues shall be put into used in the business scope regulated by The Constitution of CANGO.

Article 32: CANGO shall formulate a set of financial management rules and regulations and keep a set of authentic, accurate and complete accounting records.

Article 33: CANGO shall recruit a professional chartered public accountant. The accountant must not hold concurrent post as cashier in CANGO. Accounting settlement and supervision are indispensable procedures that the accountant must follow. When the accountant leaves his/her post and changes his/her job, he or she must complete all necessary handing-over formalities.

Article 34: The assets management of CANGO must follow the financial rules and regulations stipulated by state, and meanwhile, the board must accept supervision by the General Assembly as well as government designated auditing agencies. The revenues of CANGO are attributed to donation and aid; therefore, CANGO must accept regular auditing carried out by designated auditing agencies and make public its financial statements in an appropriate way.

Article 35: Prior to the leadership’s handing over or changing, they must accept auditing sponsored by the registration and administration department.

Article 36:The assets of CANGO must not be encroached, privately owned or embezzled by any organization and/or individuals.

Article 37:CANGO is a fully independent and financially self-sufficient. Salaries, insurance, welfare and other remuneration for staff members are pegging on its performance.

Chapter VI. Modification and Revision Procedure

Article 38: The modification and revision for The Constitution of CANGO must be approved by the General Assembly.

Article 39: Prior to coming into effect, the modified and revised articles shall be presented to registration and administration department for approval within 15 days after it has been passed through in the General

Assembly. Chapter VII. Termination Procedure and Assets Disposal

Article 40: When CANGO automatically dismiss or needs to cancel registration due to separation or merging, the board must put forward a motion for termination in advance.

Article 41: The termination motion must be reviewed and voted by the General Assembly.

Article 42: Prior to termination, CANGO shall finish the canceling formality in the registration and administration department.

Article 43: According to the relevant regulations, after termination all the remaining assets shall be used into aid those undertakings that have alike missions of CANGO.

Chapter VIII. Supplementary Articles

Article 44: The Constitution of CANGO has been approved by the General Assembly conducted on May 9th, 2004.

Article 45: Insofar as meaningful, CANGO reserves the right to interpret of The Constitution of CANGO.

Article 46:The Ministry of Civil Affairs has already reviewed and approved The Constitution of CANGO