----------------------------------------------------------- Document source: [Version: 15 August 1997] http://coombs.anu.edu.au/~vern/luat/luat.html AVSL, GPO Box 161; BELCONNEN, ACT 2616 Australia and Coombs Computing Unit, Australian Nat. Univ. ------------------------------------------------------------ Established by decision 235/BT 15 December 1982 The Vietnam Scientific Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and Technical Independence-Freedom-Happiness Association of Forestry CHARTER THE VIETNAM SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ASSOCIATION OF FORESTRY PREFACE Vietnamese forests are a valuable biological factor exerting great influence on the life of the entire nation. They are also plentiful special resources of tropical plants and animals contributing to the beauty, wealth and stability of the country. In the process of developing into a country with an advanced industry and agriculture, it is a great necessity to bring into full play the extremely important role of Vietnamese forests in all respects such as, environmental, economic, social, cultural and that of national defence etc ... for environmental protection, prevention of natural disasters and diseases, expansion of production in agriculture and forestry, socialist industrialisation and the improvement of the people's material and spiritual life. To expand and to enrich these abundant, beautiful resources of the forests and to develop an advanced forestry based on ever improving modern science and technology of tropical forestry is the strategic aim of Vietnamese forestry. - To step up the scientists and technological revolution in forestry is the Prerequisite for the successful accomplishment of the foregoing aim. - Scientists and specialists of forestry and of other relating fields together with the contingent of foresters and rangers are the main forces lo carry out this great revolutionary cause. The Vietnam scientific and technical Association of Forestry helps to bring into full play the creativeness and capability of these forces through broad, popular scientific and technical acclivities by a group of volunteers organised under the laws of this charter. (We, the undersigned, in order to form an organisation for the purpose hereunder stated, do hereby adopt the following charter.) CHAPTER 1 - NAME, GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES. Article I - The name of the organisation is the Vietnam Scientific and Technical Association of Forestry, hereafter called the Vietnam Association of Forestry. - The Vietnam Association of Forestry is a member of the Vietnam Union of Scientific and Technical Associations. - The Vietnam Association of Forestry is a voluntary, popular social organisation of enthusiastic people aimed at cultivating and protecting forests, developing an advanced science and technology of tropical forestry and an advanced forestation of Vietnam. Article II - The objectives of the association are: - To reassemble all scientists and specialists engaged in forestry and forestation, to strengthen solidarity, cooperation and mutual assistance in this field, to improve their general knowledge and qualifications in order to make greater contributions to turning Vietnamese forestry into the one of large scale socialist production, to socialist construction and national defence. - To propagandise and mobilise people and to encourage their participation in expansion and protection of forest resources and in developing an advanced forestry. - To inform and popularise scientific and technological knowledge achievements in forestry to these specialists and the broad masses. - To put forward to the party and government bodies of all levels its suggestions of economic and technological orientations and other avocations and policies relating to forestry. Article III - The association operates all over the country. The headquarters of the association is located in Hanoi. CHAPTER II - RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS. . Article IV - The Vietnam Association of Forestry have the following rights and obligations: l. To reassemble and unite all people engaged in forestry, and those of other relating fields to join efforts in stepping up scientific and technological activities in forestry and in mutual assistance to improve their qualifications, thus contributing to the development of science and technology of Vietnamese tropical forestry. 2. To attend to the material and spiritual life of its members by encouraging inventions, innovations and contacts with various production sectors to raise funds of the association, thus assisting its members scientific and technological activities. 3. To promptly inform and popularise the latest scientific and technological achievements in forest and forestation to its members and the masses. To work out a series of programmes of introducing forestry and forestation science and technology to its members together with a contingent of lecturers; to foster and improve the qualifications of these lecturers. 4. To organise various scientific and technological activities to improve the members' qualifications, to encourage them in, their study and research, creative work. To assist in fostering talents and train young capable scientists and specialists for Vietnamese forestry. 5. To have close cooperation with various research organisations, production sectors and educational in situations of forestry and of other relating fields to contribute to prompt application of scientific and technological achievements to production. 6. To have close contacts and cooperation with the ministry of forestry and all the concerned party and government organisations in order to make useful suggestions of programmes of scientific and technological research in forestry to encourage its members' active participation in carrying out these programmes within their competence, lo take part in social inspection opposition and supervision of scientific and technological research works and their assessment. 7. To lake the initiative in proposing to different departments of the ministry and government bodies scientific and technical awards at both levels, national and ministerial for specialists in forestry. - The association is an consultative board on scientific, technological and socio-economic policies of the ministry. - The association always links its activities with the ministry's plans to fulfil its social function as an opponent and supervisor of scientific and technological problems. - The association offers awards in science and technology to its members as well as those who have made great achievement in scientific and technological research in forestry and forestation. - The association expands exchanges and cooperation with various international and foreign organisation of forestry, first and foremost, those of the socialist countries and of the regional ones to collaborate and assist each other in science and technology in accordance with the state policies. Article V - The Association of Forestry has the duty to respect the charter, its bylaws and the regulations of the Vietnam Union of Scientific and Technical Associations, to strictly implement all of its resolutions. CHAPTER III - MEMBERSHIP. Article VI - Any citizen of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam engaged in forestry and other relating fields, approving of the charter and bylaws will have the right to membership. - The association admits into its organisation: l. Scientists. specialists and workers engaged in forestry and forestation and those in other relating fields, of production sectors, research centres, educational institutions and management within and outside forestry. 2. Those engaged in forest management and forestation, enthusiastic for the association's activities. 3. Those who have inventions and innovations in forestry. 4. Active and enthusiastic contributors to forest protection and the development of an advanced forestry, of science and technology of Vietnamese forestry as well as to the association's activities. 5. All member organisations (factories, forestry and agricultural cooperatives, schools etc ...) taking active part in the association's activities. 6. Scientific and technical Vietnamese residents abroad engaged in forestry and forestation having active participation in its activities recognised by the association in accordance with the state regulations. 7. All progressive foreign specialists in forestry and forestation willing lo render aids and to take part in the association's activities, recognised by the association in accordance with the state regulations. To become a member of the association, one should voluntarily apply for the membership and fulfil all necessary formalities and must be approved by the executive committee of the section (ie. grassroots association). Article VII - Each member of the association is entitled to the following rights: 1. To discuss and vote for or against all the matters of the associations, elect and stand candidate for a position in any of the governing bodies of the association. 2. To participate in all its activities and enjoying all the rights and advantages as defined by the association. 3. To have the right to withdraw from the association. Each member has the following obligations: 1. To respect the charter of the association, to strictly implement all its avocations and policies. 2. To work for the association and lake pan in its work and development. 3. To pay association dues. CHAPTER IV. ORGANISATION Article VIII - The association is organised into three levels which are called: l - Central association. 2 - Subassociation, provincial/ city association and 3 - Section/ or grass root organisation and the lower is subordinated lo the higher. - The central association is the machinery organ of the association operating on a national wide scale, here after called the central association. - The provincial/ city is the machinery organ of the association operating within a province or city. It is called the provincial / city association. The level equivalent to the provincial one will be defined in each particular case to meet the needs of the association's reality. - Subassociation is the machinery organ of the association operating within one particular speciality and is one organisational level of the association. e.g. - The forestry subassociation - The forestry industry subassociation: + Mechanics + Exploitation + Transportation - The wood processing subassociation. - The forest special produce subassociation. The lowest level is the section (or grassroots organisation). The establishment or dissolution of a section, provincial/ city, subassociation is approved by the executive committee of the central association. Article IX - The supreme organ of the association is the National congress of the representatives convened every four or five years. A special session can be convened by the executive committee of the central association. Article X - The national congress of the representatives has the following rights and obligations. l- To vote for or against the charter or its amendments. 2- To determine its objectives, obligations and action orientations. 3- To elect the central committee. 4- To pass the reports on the activities of the central executive committee. 5- To pass the dissolution of the association. Article XI - The central executive committee has he right to execute and carry out the resolutions of the national congress and guide all the activities of the association between the two sessions of the national congress. The central executive committal meets twice a year. A special meeting can be convened according to the proposition of the president or of more than one third of the central executive committee's members. Article XII - The central executive committee nominates the president, vice presidents, general secretary, other-executives and office heads. The president, vice presidents, general secretary and other executives from association's is central standing board. Between the two sessions of the central executive committee, the standing board bears full responsibility to implement all resolutions of the central executive committee and manage all the association's activities. The office heads carry out activities within their function under the direct guidance of the central executive committee. The secretariat consisting of the general secretary and other members assist the central executive committee and the standing board in carrying out all association's activities. The permanent staff of the association is determined by the association itself. The staff enjoys the same state policies and regulations as any other civil servants and is paid by the association through its salary funds. Article XIII - The section is the grassroots organisation of the association operating within a province, city, educational institution, research centre, factory, plant, forest cooperative or within any area where there are a lot of members. The section is subordinated to the subassociation, or city association or that of the similar level. In particular cases some section can be set up in direct dependence on the central association. Article XIV - The most powerful governing body or the section is the member's annual assembly. The members' annual assembly has the following rights and obligations: - To pass of the report of the section's executive committee. - To determine its action orientation, tasks and plans. - To elect its executive committee. - To nominate representatives to attend the assembly of a higher level. Article XV - The executive committee of the section is obliged to carry out the resolutions of the annual assembly and directives and resolutions of a higher executive committee, guide and manage all the activities of the section between the two sessions. The executive committee meets once a year. Between its executive committee's two meetings, the standing board consisting of the president and standing members appointed by the executive committee has to carry out its activities. Article XVI - The subassociation, provincial/ city association and the equivalent organisation operating within a province, city or forestry specialty are in direct dependence on the central association but, in their turn guide the sections that they are in charge of. Article XVII - The most powerful governing body of the subassociation or provincial/ city association is the assembly of the representatives convened once every two years. The assembly bf the subassociation, provincial/ city association has the following obligations: - To pass the report of its executive committee. - To determine its action-orientations, tasks and plans. - To elect its executive committee. - To nominate representatives to attend the national congress. Article XVIII - The executive committee of the subassociation, provincial/ city association are obliged to implement the resolutions of their assembly as well as the directives of the central association, to lead and manage their activities between the two sessions of the, assembly. - The executive committee meets every six months. - Between the two sessions, its standing board consisting of their respective president and some standing members appointed by the central committee has to carry out all the activities. Article XIX - The association has its own seal, headquarters and offices, staff, bank account and organ of public opinion to enable the association to operate effectively. CHAPTER IV - AWARDS AND SANCTIONS. Article XX - Appropriate meritorious awards and honours may be conferred on any individuals or organisations having performed outstanding service for the Vietnam Association of Forestry. Article XXI - Any individuals or organisations that violate the charter or bylaws or do not abide by the resolutions of the association deliberately do harm to the prestige of the association ought to be reprimanded, criticised or expelled from the association or have their organisations dissolved. CHAPTER VI - FINANCE AND PROPERTY. Article XXII - The association has its own property, assets and bank account. The association's income originates from: 1. The members' dues. 2. The allocations of the state. 3. The scientific and technological researches funds and allocations from its ministry. 4. The material and money from other associations and organisations as well as individuals at home or board. 5. The funds raised thanks lo economic operations in the form of various scientific and technical activities. The Vietnam Association of Forestry is given priority to carry out economic operation so as to ensure funds for its activities. Article XXIII - The Vietnam Forestry Association is initially financed by the Ministry of Forestry, but it will soon become self-financing. The finances of the association used for its scientific and technological activities and assistance to its members. The finances of the association are managed complying to the same regulations as defined by the executive committee of the central Association. CHAPTER VII - CHARTER'S EFFECTIVENESS AND AMENDMENT. Article XXIV - This new charter of the association comes into effect when it is approved by the national congress of the representatives. Article XXV - The amendment of this charter can be approved only by the representatives' national congress. Once an organisation of any levels is dissolved, all its property and assets must be confiscated and should belong to the central association. CHAPTER VIII - GENERAL ARTICLE. Article XXVI - The charter of the Vietnam Association of Forestry consists of the preface, 8 chapters and 26 articles. The second national congress of the Vietnam Association of Forestry held in Hanoi has officially approved of this chapter. P.P. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PRESIDENT Frof Dr NGUYEN HUU QUANG.