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Statutes

Chapter I Constitution, Nature, Denomination, Duration and Head Office  
Article 1  

  1. It is constituted a scientific and technical association, of private law, denominated “Ius Gentium Conimbrigae”, briefly designated IGC.
  2. IGC is constituted on an undetermined duration basis.
  3. IGC has its head office in the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra, onwards designated as FDUC.
  4. IGC can celebrate agreements, protocols or accords, as well as affiliate, associate or adhere to national or foreign organisms, envisaging, namely, the accomplishment of joint actions within the scope of the statutory objectives of the association.
  5. Whenever these agreements, protocols or accords imply the scientific, pedagogic or any other responsibility of FDUC, the President of the Board Council of FDUC will also intervene in the respective constitutive acts.
  6. IGC will celebrate a protocol with FDUC, which will contain the rights and duties of both, namely, IGC’s contributions in exchange for the use of spaces, human resources, equipment and services of FDUC. These contributions will consist, namely, in the acquisition of books for FDUC’s library.  

Chapter II | Objectives of the Association
Article 2

  1. The association has as its aim the scientific, cultural and technical study.
  2. In pursuit of those objectives, the association shall promote:
    1. The study of contemporary international problems and those which historically are of interest to Portugal;
    2. The promotion of international law and cooperation;
    3. The promotion and practise of research, in a transdisciplinary perspective;
    4. The organisation of IGC’s Course in High International Studies;
    5. The creation of research centres;
    6. The organisation of colloquia, seminars or other similar activities;
    7. The publication of lectures, seminars’ texts and other research articles;
    8. The acquisition of the ensemble of collections of Portugal’s treaties and diplomatic instruments, as well as of the other Portuguese-speaking countries, and of the publications of international organisations;
    9. The granting of scholarships for research activities;
    10. The accomplishment of other actions, which may contribute to the development  of an international juridical awareness  in Portugal

Chapter III | Associates  
Article 3

  1. The associates, collective or singular persons, are clustered in three categories:
    1. Founders;
    2. Effective;
    3. Honorary.
  2. Founder associates are:
    1. The University of Coimbra, through its Faculty of Law;
    2. The members who intervened in its constitution.
  3. IGC’s effective associates are the members of FDUC’s teaching staff who request it, and singular or collective persons who, in spite of not having endorsed these Statutes in the act of its constitution, are admitted by the General Assembly, on a proposal of the Board.
  4. Honorary associates are singular or collective persons to whom the General Assembly, on a proposal of the Board, confers such status, for the scientific or technical value of the work completed or for the collaboration rendered to IGC.

Article 4

  1.  Associate status shall be lost by:
    1. Those who, in writing, request it to the Board;
    2. Those who do not pay their  fees, as defined by internal regulation;
    3. Those excluded by the General Assembly, on a well- founded proposal of the Board or at the request of, at least, one third of the associates;
    4. Those who, due to their conduct, deliberately contribute or concur for the discredit, disrepute or any other loss to IGC. 
  2. The deliberation of exclusion of an associate can only be taken if in the meeting, at least, half of the associates are present, and if the proposal of exclusion is approved by two thirds of the expressed votes.

Chapter IV | IGC’s Governing Bodies
Article 5

  1. IGC’s governing bodies are:
    1. The General Assembly;
    2. The Board;
    3. The Fiscal Council;
    4. The Advisory Council.
  2. The exercise of governing functions in these bodies is not remunerated.
  3. Members of governing bodies are elected by the General Assembly for two-year renewable mandates.

Article 6 | The General Assembly

  1. The General Assembly shall be composed of all the associates in full enjoyment of their associative rights.
  2. The General Assembly is headed by a President and two Secretaries, elected among the founder and effective associates, being the 1st Secretary in charge of substituting the President in his/her absences or impediments.
  3. The General Assembly competencies are defined in article 172 of the Civil Code and in these Statutes.
  4. The previous year’s report and accounts, as well as the programme of activities and the budget for the following year, shall be approved during the month of January.

Article 7 | The Board

  1. The Board is composed of a minimum of three members, elected by the General Assembly.
  2. One of the Board members shall be the Professor designated, as IGC’s Scientific Responsible, by the Scientific Council of FDUC, being one of the members elected  among FDUC’s lecturers.
  3. On their first meeting, the Board members shall choose, among them, the President, who shall be a lecturer of FDUC with a Doctorate degree. .
  4. The President of the Board is part of the Coordinating Council of Institutes and Research Centres of FDUC whose presidency belongs, by inherence of functions, to the President of the Directive Council of FDUC.

Article 8

  1. The Board shall:
    1. Represent the association, before Court and out of it;
    2. Coordinate the activities of the association, according to the objectives defined in the present Statutes;
    3. Fulfil the General Assembly’s deliberations;
    4. Propose to the General Assembly the fees to be paid by the associates;
    5. Elaborate and present to the General Assembly the year’s report and accounts, as well as the programme of activities and the budget for the following year;
    6. Present to the Presidents of FDUC’s Directive Council and Scientific Council, the documents referred in the previous paragraph;
    7. Administrate and manage the association’s funds.
  2. In order to bind IGC, the referred documents shall be signed by, at least, two members of the Board.

Article 9 | The Fiscal Council

  1. The Fiscal Council is composed of three members, elected among the associates, who shall choose the President among them.
  2. The President of the Fiscal Council can intervene, with no right to vote, in the Board meetings, as long as the Board requests it.
  3. The Fiscal Council exercises, with the due adaptations, the powers and duties that the law confers to the fiscal councils of joint stock companies.

Article 10 | The Advisory Council

The Board will be assisted in its tasks by an advisory body composed of  personalities of recognised scientific merit within IGC’S  areas of action, namely those to whom the honorary associate status has been conferred upon, as well as representatives of the institutions which more relevantly collaborate with IGC’s activities.

CHAPTER V | Functioning
Article 11

  1. In the pursuit of its objectives, IGC shall develop activities at the Board’s initiative, and at the request of its associates or third parties who make use of IGC’s services.
  2. The activities developed at the request of associates or third parties shall be regulated by its own regulation or by contract.

CHAPTER VI | Patrimony
Article 12

  1. IGC’s revenues include:
    1. The initial contributions of the associates;
    2. The associate’s fees;
    3. The income resulting from its private property;
    4. The resulting product from rendered services;
    5. Awarded grants;
    6. Extraordinary contributions;
    7. Any other revenues, such as donations, legacies or other proceeds accepted by IGC.

CHAPTER VII | Amendment of the Statutes
Article 13

  1. The present Statutes can only be altered in an extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly, convened for that purpose.
  2. The General Assembly’s deliberations on the amendment of the Statutes require a favourable voting of three fourths of the number of associates who are present.

CHAPTER VIII | Dissolution
Article 14

  1. IGC can be dissolved by means of a favourable deliberation of the General Assembly expressly convened for that purpose.
  2. The deliberation on dissolution shall be taken by a qualified majority of three fourths of the number of all associates in office.

Chapter IX | Transitory and Final Dispositions
Article 15

  1. Within a maximum of 90 days after the creation of IGC, the General Assembly will hold a meeting to elect the governing bodies and to approve the internal regulation.
  2. Until the General Assembly meeting, the ordinary management of IGC will be assured by an Installing Commission.