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How Does BMF work

BMF National Chapters

How can be established the BMF National Chapter for a country?

  1. BMF is composed of members under the respective chapter of BMF sharing the objectives as set forth in BMF Constitution. In principal, BMF members shall be represented by and through the respective BMF National Chapter in each country. Therefore, any member whose affiliation to a BMF National Chapter is terminated for any reason shall ipso facto be removed from membership in BMF. BMF National Chapter for a country shall be generally called in the format of "Country name-BMF", for example, as "U.S BMF" and "France BMF" unless otherwise duly approved by BMF World Headquarters.
  2. The pre-qualified Foundation Members which represent the ideas of Billion Minds for sustainable development and main financing, technology and business network of their country, they also may initiate to establish the BMF National Chapter for a country by signing BMF Charter between the Assembly of Governors and the prospective BMF National Chapter. For the Foundation Members which is duly approved as BMF National Chapter in a country, however, do not adopt the name of BMF and logo as primary, i.e. being already known as other names such as Financing, technology and business network Association and Board of Directors, their precise names are left to the discretion of their members, provided that their relationship with BMF along with BMF name and logo is clearly indicated on their letterhead, publications and documentation.
  3. In case of the absence of the BMF National Chapter therein, the World Headquarters shall function as the respective BMF National Chapter pro tempore until after the BMF National Chapter for a country is duly established for its representation.

Charter of Billion Minds Foundation between the Assembly of Governors and the National Chapter for [country/territory]

What and How does BMF National Chapter work?

  1. When the associations, organizations and legal entities represent the main financing, technology and business network business of their country, they may initiate to establish the BMF National Chapter for a country by signing BMF Charter between the Assembly of Governors and the prospective Foundation Member for the National Chapter. Prior consultation with, and approval by the Assembly of Governors are prerequisite conditions for the establishment of a BMF National Chapter. The withdrawal by the Assembly of Governors of its recognition as a BMF National Chapter is a prerequisite condition for its dissolution.
  2. Subject to the BMF Constitution and the Charter, BMF National Chapters freely establish their own rules.
  3. The BMF National Chapter represents all BMFs and their members in its country as such

    • it acts as a permanent liaison between World Headquarters and all BMFs and their members in their countries, notably by representing them vis-?-vis BMF, in particular in connection with the Assembly of Governors meetings and their representation at such meetings
    • it organizes activities intended to make known the work of BMF in general, and as appropriate, in coordination with World Headquarters and, as the case may be, the Regional Chairman for the respective region
    • it works to mobilize, formulate and advocate the views of the financing, technology and business network business community in its country on the issues dealt with by BMF; it informs BMF on important issues and views affecting the financing, technology and business network business community of its country
    • it appoints delegates to the BMF Committees
    • it provides services and information responsive to the needs of BMF members and the financing, technology and business network business community in its country
    • it promotes the adoption and implementation of the policies advocated by BMF to the governmental authorities, administrative agencies and other institutions with a view to their implementation in its country
    • it strives, by all appropriate means, to promote a better understanding and a greater application of the rules, codes, standards, uniform commercial usages, services and practices in the financing, technology and business network established by BMF.

  4. Each BMF National Chapter is empowered by its members to select a delegation to represent them at the Assembly of Governors and to cast the number of votes to which they are entitled in accordance with the Constitution. This delegation constitutes the representation of the BMF National Chapter at the Assembly of Governors.
  5. Each BMF National Chapter must have available an administrative structure to facilitate the active participation of BMF members in its country in the activities of BMF. Should a BMF National Chapter no longer be able to meet this condition, the Assembly of Governors may take such measures as it may deem necessary to ensure proper communication with BMF members in the country in question.
  6. Each BMF National Chapter sets its membership fees so as to enable it to meet its own operational expenses as well as its financial obligations vis-?-vis BMF.
  7. Each BMF National Chapter shall communicate to World Headquarters its annual balance sheet and a statement of its income and expenses.
  8. When a BMF National Chapter is declared inactive or dissolved, its members may stay in BMF's World Headquarters in accordance with the Constitution.
  9. In the absence of BMF National Chapter, BMF World Headquarters itself may be considered as a BMF National Chapter. The modalities for such activities and the rights shall be defined on a case--by-case basis.

Representation of BMF National Chapter for a country

In regard to the representation of BMF National Chapter for a country

  1. The permanent heads in charge of the day-to-day operation of BMF National Chapters shall meet at least once a year, normally at the World Headquarters. The permanent heads are called to such meetings by BMF President & Chief Executive Officer who also establishes the agenda.
  2. Each BMF National Chapter for a country should in principle appoint a Chief Representative of BMF National Chapter who used to be in a position of Chairman or President of BMF National Chapter and shall be suitably qualified to act as such.
  3. The Chief Representative of BMF National Chapter represents his BMF National Chapter for a country at World Headquarters and shall periodically provide the President & Chief Executive Officer of BMF with information on the activities of the BMF National Chapter such as on annual accounts, publications and reports.
  4. The Chief Representative of BMF National Chapter regularly consults the President & Chief Executive Officer and the departments of World Headquarters on such issues of the programs and actions of BMF which are of particular interest to his BMF National Chapter.
  5. The Chief Representative of BMF National Chapter shall be invited to all BMF Committee meetings. At such meetings, the Chief Representative of BMF National Chapter represents his BMF National Chapter together with the Committee delegates appointed by the BMF National Chapter concerned. The Chief Representative of BMF National Chapter shall, if so requested by his BMF National Chapter, ensure the briefing of delegates with regard to the meeting concerned and coordinate their participation.
  6. Should the need arise, the President & Chief Executive Officer of BMF may request any Chief Representative of BMF National Chapter to meet him for special consultations.
  7. The President & Chief Executive Officer of BMF shall meet annually with the Chief Representative of BMF National Chapter for an overall review of BMF activities and projects.

Assembly of Governors

The Assembly of Governors is the supreme authority of BMF which ensures the implementation of the provisions of BMF Constitution and the Charter.

  1. The Assembly of Governors has the following prerogatives

    • upon recommendation of the Board of Directors,
      - it approves the policy, strategy and program of action of BMF for achieving its objectives
      - it establishes the necessary Committees and working bodies to achieve these objectives, approves and modifies their terms of reference, and terminates or merges their activities
      - it elects the Chairman, Vice Chairmen, Regional Chairmen, and the members of the Board of Directors titled as Executive Governor with the recommendation and approval of the Executive Committee
      - it elects the President & Chief Executive Officer with recommendation and approval of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors
      - it confirms the nomination of the Chairmen of the Committees and the special divisions
      - it confirms the nomination of Honorary Chairmen and Honorary Vice Chairmen
      - it adopts annually the budget of BMF, including the establishment and variations of the scale and amounts of contributions of BMF National Chapters and contributions of Special Members, and, where appropriate, the budgets of the Committees, the Regional Chairmen's Office and the specialized divisions
      - it approves the annual accounts
      - it amends the BMF Constitution and the Charter
      - it approves the establishment of new BMF National Chapters
      - in order to have on the Board of Directors the voice of financing, technology and business network business from worldwide associations, organizations, multinational corporations and legal entities at global scale in a various range of interests and of great importance in the financing, technology and business network, it may exceptionally appoint to the Board of Directors less than three personalities from among the Special Members of the Assembly of Governors, however without any voting powers
      - it chooses the theme, place and dates of each World Congress and World Conference
    • it delegates the necessary powers to the Board of Directors for the discharge of its overall duties
    • it decides on the suspension of BMF services to a BMF National Chapter, the suspension of its voting rights, its dormant status for a temporary period or even the withdrawal of its recognition as a BMF National Chapter including the prohibition to use the name and all distinctive signs of BMF, should a BMF National Chapter not fulfill its financial obligations towards BMF; it recognizes the dissolution of the BMF National Chapter
    • it takes major decisions concerning BMF assets, in accordance with applicable law
    • it reviews and, if necessary, revises any position already adopted by the Board of Directors, whenever delegations entitled to cast at least one-fifths votes of the Assembly of Governors and representing at least ten BMF National Chapters so request.

    • The number of votes that may be cast by each delegation is fixed as follows
      - five votes for each BMF National Chapter paying three per cent or more of the total amount of contributions from BMF National Chapters to BMF budget
      - four votes for each BMF National Chapter paying two per cent or more but less than three per cent of the total amount of contributions from BMF National Chapters to BMF budget
      - three votes for each BMF National Chapter paying one per cent or more but less than two per cent of the total amount of contributions
      - two votes for each BMF National Chapter paying three quarters of one per cent or more but less than one per cent of the total amount of contributions from BMF National Chapters to BMF budget
      - one vote for each other BMF National Chapter; - No more than ten votes for all Special Members taken together.
    • Quorum shall be one third of the votes that may be cast by all delegations; however for decisions concerning any amendment of the Constitution or the dissolution of BMF, the quorum shall be one half.
    • The decisions of the Assembly of Governors shall be taken by a majority of the votes cast by the delegates present except with regard to the following matters which shall be decided by a majority of three quarters
      - any change to the scale and amounts of the contributions of BMF National Chapters to the budget of BMF
      - interpretation or amendment of the BMF Constitution
      - recognition or withdrawal of BMF National Chapters
    • BMF National Chapters shall notify the World Headquarters of the name(s) of the delegate(s) selected in accordance with the Constitution, within the limits of the number of votes to which each one is entitled; such notification shall avail for three-year renewable terms, each commencing on January 1st. BMF National Chapters shall inform the World Headquarters of changes in the composition of the delegation, which may occur during any three-year-term, at least three weeks prior to the Assembly of Governors meeting at which such change is to take effect. BMF National Chapters may appoint one or more deputies, within the same limits and in accordance with the same notification procedure.
    • The Assembly of Governors may establish, and amend from time to time, procedures for the use of correspondence for voting and transaction of business by mail or wire or otherwise provided that any such procedure and any amendment thereto, shall be effective only at the end of thirty days following written notice thereof to all members of the Assembly of Governors.

  3. In addition to the delegates accredited by the BMF National Chapters and delegates of Special Members, the following persons attend ex-officio the meetings of the World Congress
    - Chairman
    - Chairman of Executive Committee
    - President & Chief Executive Officer
    - Co-Chairmen
    - Vice Chairmen
    - Co-Vice Chairmen
    - Regional Chairmen
    - Chairmen of the Committees and Special Divisions
    - Honorary Chairmen
    - Honorary Vice Chairmen The ex-officio members except for the President & Chief Executive Officer, Chairman,Vice Chairmen and others have no voting rights, unless they are appointed as accredited delegates.
    • The Assembly of Governors shall be assembled on the occasion of general meetings such as World Congress and World Conference in accordance with the conditions mentioned in the Consitution. It shall be convened by the President & Chief Executive Officer; or the Chairman if duly delegated and in case of the absence of the President & Chief Executive Officer. The President & Chief Executive Officer can also convene the Assembly of Governors for extraordinary meetings upon requests emanating from at least ten BMF National Chapters.
    • The President & Chief Executive Officer shall attend all meetings of the Assembly of Governors.
    • The extraordinary meetings of the Assembly of Governors are convened upon at least six weeks' notice by the President & Chief Executive Officer who shall establish its agenda. Notices of the meeting and the agenda are validly communicated when forwarded to BMF National Chapters and, as the case may be, to the Special Members concerned. Board of Directors---Executive Governors Acting on behalf of the Assembly of Governors by delegation, the Board of Directors shall be composed of at least ten and not more than twenty-one members belonging to different BMF National Chapters, besides ex-officio members such as the President & Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and the Vice Chairmen, and less than three Special Members appointed by the Assembly of Governors, up to a total of no more than thirty members.

  5. Nominations and Elections: On the initiative of the President & Chief Executive Officer and the subsequent recommendation of the Chairmanship, being chosen from the members of the Assembly of Governors, nominations for the Board of Directors and seconds for such nominations shall be made only by the Board of Directors with the consent of the Executive Committee. The entire list of nominations shall, as one proposal, be voted upon by the Assembly of Governors. The members of the Board of Directors titled as Executive Governors, are in their own right on the basis of personal qualifications and competence, taking into account, inter alia, BMF's geographical structure. However, the personalities selected from among the Special Members of the Assembly of Governors, shall be without any voting powers. Each year, the term of office of one third of the members of the Board of Directors, i.e. Executive Governors, except for ex officio members, shall expire.
    • The Board of Directors is responsible for the implementation of BMF policy and for the current financial affairs of BMF. It is vested for these purposes with all necessary powers.
    • The Board of Directors is, in particular, responsible for
      - determining BMF policy and strategy and preparing its program of action for approval by the Assembly of Governors
      - recommending to the Assembly of Governors the creation, termination or merger of Committees and other BMF working bodies and defining their terms of reference, guiding and coordinating their activities and approving all documents issued by them after due consultation of BMF National Chapters
      - recommending the establishment and possible variations of the scale and amounts of contributions of BMF National Chapters
      - recommending the adoption of the annual budget of BMF, including the scale and amounts of contributions from BMF National Chapters and the contributions of Special Members proposed therein and, when appropriate, the budgets of the Committees, the Regional Chairmen's Office and the approval of the annual accounts presented by the World Headquarters, and submitting these documents in due time to the Assembly of Governors, for approval
      - reviewing interim progress reports on the accounts and financing of BMF as presented to it by the World Headquarters
      - deciding on possible sources for external financing of BMF as proposed by the World Headquarters; and
      - proposing to the Assembly of Governors the acceptance of Special Members.
      - electing the Chairman of the Executive Committee.
    • The Board of Directors may delegate its powers, if deemed appropriate in due process, to the Executive Committee.

  7. By delegation, the Board of Directors acts on behalf of the Assembly of Governors on all urgent matters which may arise between the Assembly of Governors' meetings.
  8. The meetings of the Board of Directors shall be chaired by the President & Chief Executive Officer.
  9. The Board of Directors shall meet at least two times a year and in addition meet upon request of the President & Chief Executive Officer or of at least six of its members. The President & Chief Executive Officer shall convene the meetings and fix their provisional agendas.
  10. At each Assembly of Governors' meeting, the President & Chief Executive Officer, on behalf of the Board of Directors, shall report to the Assembly of Governors on the various activities and decisions of BMF Committees, and on the situation of BMF.
  11. The Board of Directors may establish, and amend from time to time, procedures for the use of correspondence for voting and transaction of business by mail or wire or otherwise provided that any such procedure, and any amendment thereto, shall be effective only at the end of thirty days following written notice thereof to all members of the Board of Directors.
  12. One third of the number of Executive Governors then holding office shall constitute a quorum of the Board of Directors for any and all purposes at any meeting. A majority vote of those present shall be sufficient to carry all motions except where otherwise provided in this Constitution. The Board of Directors shall by resolution adopt such rules of conduct and order of business as it sees fit.