Article 1, Name and Seat
(1) The association is named "Gesellschaft für Völkerstrafrecht - International Criminal Law Society".
(2) The headquarters of the association are in Berlin.
Article 2, The aim of the association
(1) The purpose of the association is to inform the public of the current state of humanitarian and international criminal law as well as the international protection of human rights in order to contribute to an understanding among nations.
The association will also make written contributions on the development of humanitarian and international criminal law as well as the international protection of human rights in order to contribute to the promotion of academic activities and research.
(2) To this end the association will create working groups.
(3) The working groups will report on developments in international criminal law and national as well as international conferences related thereto through the internet, professional journals and newspapers. Persons affected by crimes under international criminal law shall be informed of their rights and duties in court proceedings in order to contribute to an understanding among nations.
(4) The association will organize public and internal events on issues relating to international criminal law and carry out academic projects in the humanitarian field in order to contribute to the promotion of academic activities and research. The association's activities will concentrate on the organization of conferences on present academic and political developments in international criminal law. In this context, the association is planning to present new academic thoughts developed by its working groups for discussion. Furthermore, academic results shall be made available to the public by dissemination through the above mentioned media.
Article 3, Non-profit status
  The association pursues the non-profit objectives listed in article 2 of this statute only. These are non-profit-making under the section "Tax-deductible objectives" of the "Tax Decree". The association is engaged altruistically; it does not pursue primarily profit making goals. The funds of the association shall be spent in accordance with the statute. The members shall not receive allocations from the association's funds. No person shall benefit from either expenditures, which are alien to the purpose of the association, or from disproportionately high compensation.
Article 4, Business year
  The calendar year is the business year of the association.
Article 5, Membership and associated membership
(1) Natural persons and legal entities under private and public law may join the association as members or associated members.
(2) The board will decide on the written application.
(3) The membership ends
(a) with the death of the member, for legal entities with their striking off the register;
(b) with a written notice of withdrawal, addressed to a member of the board;
(c) with exclusion from the association;
(d) with striking of the membership list.
(4) A member that has to a large degree violated the interests of the association can be debarred from the association by decision of the board. Before being debarred, the member concerned shall be heard either in person or in writing. The decision on the exclusion shall be explained in writing and served on the member. The member is entitled to file a written appeal with the board within a one-month period starting with the receipt of the decision. If the board dismisses the appeal, it is for the plenary to make a decision. If the member affected by the expulsion fails to file an appeal within the deadline, it thereby accepts the decision.
(5) A member is taken of the membership list by the board, if he or she is in arrears with two annual contributions and fails to pay within a three-months period after a reminder by the board starting with the posting of the reminder to the last known address of the member. The reminder has to contain a warning on the exclusion from the membership list.
(6) As the association is going to be active in an international setting, foreign natural persons and legal entities are going to be given the opportunity to contribute to the objectives of the association by granting them an associated membership status. When granting an associated membership to persons from economically weak countries the board may relieve these persons of their membership fee. Further details will be laid down in/will be provided for by the rules of procedure.
Article 6, Organization
  The members of the association will organize themselves in working groups. Their working agenda will be determined by the board in accordance with article 2 of this statute.
Article 7, Organs of the association
The organs of the association are:
1. The board
2. The plenary.
Article 8, The board
(1) The board consists of three members, one of whom will also act as secretary. The association is represented by one board member in legal proceedings and out-of-court.
(2) The board adopts its decisions by majority vote in public sessions.
(3) The board is elected by the plenary for a period of one year. It stays in office until a new election has taken place. A re-election is possible. If a board member leaves the board during its term of office, the board will elect a new member as substitute for the remaining period of time.
(4) After authorization by the plenary, the board may adopt an association's code (Vereinsordnung), determining the distribution of work among the working groups, as well as rules of procedure (Geschäftsordnung). The plenary may adopt the general framework.
(5) The management shall exclusively and directly concentrate on the attainment of the objectives as enumerated in article 2 of the statute.
Article 9, The plenary
(1) The plenary shall be convened once a year by at least two board members respecting an invitation deadline of two weeks. The invitation shall be sent to the last-known address of the members by mail or e-mail.
(2) With the invitation the members are to be informed of the plenary agenda drawn up by the board.
(3) The plenary shall in particular:
(a) elect and relieve/exonerate the board,
(b) set the membership fee,
(c) decide on amendments to the statute and on the dissolution of the association,
(d) decide on the appeal of a member concerning its expulsion by the board.
(4) An amendment to the statute and its purpose requires a three-quarter majority of the members present.
(5) The board shall immediately convene a plenary if the interests of the association so require or if at least 10 percent of its members make a written application to this end explaining the objective pursued.
(6) The decisions of the plenary shall be recorded in a protocol which shall be signed by the chairman of the meeting.
Article 10, Membership fees, voluntary contributions and self-cost contributions
(1) The membership fees are annual fees which are due on the first working day of each year. The membership fees serve the financing of the association and the realization of its duties. Further details will be laid down in the rules of procedure.
(2) The association may lobby for voluntary contributions. Further details will be provided for by the rules of procedure.
(3) For events participants can be charged the cost price. Further details will be provided for by the rules of procedure.
Article 11, The expenditure of funds
  The funds of the association are to be spent in accordance with the statute and the rules.
Article 12, Dissolution of the association and the accumulation of assets
(1) The plenary decides on the dissolution of the association.
(2) Should the association be dissolved or fail to maintain tax-deductible objectives/ purposes, its assets shall go to the German Red Cross, address: DRK-Generalsekretariat, Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 71, 53113 Bonn, Germany. The German Red Cross shall use it exclusively and directly for tax-deductible purposes.
Present Board:
  Nikola Gillhoff, Matthias Neuner, Dr. Susen Wahl