Finalised at 3^rd Working Committee Meeting on 11 Jul 2022

Adopted at 21^st General Assembly on 23 Nov 2022

Veterans Confederation of ASEAN Countries Constitution and By - Laws

PREAMBLE

We, Veterans of the Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN):

Desiring to improve the quality of life of the Veterans so that we can serve as a dynamic instrument for progress and prosperity, social justice and peace in this region; enhance peace and friendship and mutual cooperation on matters affecting ASEAN and,

In the spirit of, and in accord with, the principles set forth in the Charter of the United Nations, the Constitution of the World Veterans Federation, the Declaration of the ASEAN signed in Kuala Lumpur on 27 November I977; and,

Promote cooperation with all peace-loving nations, both within and outside the ASEAN in the furtherance of world peace, stability and harmony; and,

Conscious of the existing ties of history, geography and culture which have bound our peoples together;

DO HEREBY adopt, promulgate and ordain this Constitution and By-Laws.

ARTICLE I

1. IDENTITY
2. 1 Name.   The name of the Association shall be “VETERANS CONFEDERATION OF ASEAN COUNTRIES” (VECONAC). The VECONAC will maintain is consultative status with the ASEAN HQ and all ASEAN countries through its Member Countries and was considered as one of the ASEAN community in promoting a peaceful environment and social wellbeing within the ASEAN Community
3. 2 Vision: is to be an organisation helping in promoting and defending regional peace and security and to be always proactive in ensuring the health and wellbeing of the Veterans and Victims of war in the VECONAC community.
4. 3 Mission: is to guide and advise our Member Associations so that they can take the lead in supporting regional as well as its own country initiatives that foster peace and security within the region and to campaign for health and welfare initiatives that will enhance the wellbeing and independence of their members.
5. 4 Motto: is to encourage Member Associations to forcefully strive for regional peace and security, and to influence and promote a Veterans health and welfare culture in their communities in collaborations with their own government.
6. 5Core Values: are to guide and inspire our Member Associations to be responsive, committed, accountable, impartial, collaborative, resourceful with an act of respect, dignity, compassion and integrity in compliance with the principles of Humanity, Good Governance and Co-Existence.
7. 6 Seal/Logo. The official seal and logo of the Confederation shall be as depicted below:

1. 7 Pattern of VECONAC Flag

The VECONAC Flag is a symbol of Confederation compose of VECONAC logo on Blue background flag.

ARTICLE II

 2.     Members.

2.1    The Confederation shall have as its founding members the duly established and recognized national veterans associations in countries composing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to wit: Veterans Legion of the Republic of Indonesia (Legiun Veteran Republik Indonesia); Ex-Services' Association of Malaysia (Persatuan Bekas Tentera Malaysia); Veterans Federation of the Philippines; Ex-Services' Association of Singapore and the War Veterans Organization of Thailand.

2.2    The Persatuan Bekas Perajurit Negara Brunei Darussalam (Ex-Soldiers' Association of Brunei Darussalam) is admitted as a regular member of the VECONAC effective 1992.

2.3    The Veterans Association of Vietnam is admitted as a regular member of the VECONAC effective 1997.

2.4    The SAF Veterans League is admitted as a regular member of VECONAC effective 15 February 2008, replacing the Ex-Services’ Association of Singapore who was a founder member of VECONAC. Henceforth SAF Veterans League will represent Singapore as a full member.

2.5    The Cambodian Veterans Association is admitted as a regular member of the VECONAC effective 26 April 2010.

2.6    The Laos National Veterans Federation and Myanmar War Veterans Organisation are admitted as regular members of the VECONAC effective 16 September 2012.

ARTICLE III

3.      Objectives

3.1     The Confederation shall have the following objectives:

3.1.1 To promote and improve the quality of life and evaluate fully the influence of aging and the effects of war on the health and social conditions of war victims (disabled by war).

3.1.2 To promote better understanding among peoples in order to intensify cooperation in the endeavours to attain prosperity, social justice and peace.

3.1.3 To promote a better universal understanding of the aspirations, sentiments, appreciation and interests of the countries of this region.

3.2    The Confederation shall initiate and/or undertake the following activities:

3.2.1 To safeguard the legitimate pursuit of the common interests by war veterans and war victims (disabled) within the lawfully recognized national veterans association as member of the Confederation and in harmony with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

3.2.2 To promote the exchange of veterans and war victims (disabled) in the region by arranging development programs, seminars, distribution of information and technical knowledge and such other activities that may be useful and beneficial to the members of the Confederation.

3.3    The Confederation shall likewise encourage the involvement of the national leaders of the respective countries, to safeguard the respect for and the promotion of the rights of the individual to life, liberty and personal security.

ARTICLE IV

4. Membership

Each member nation shall have only one lawfully recognized national representation of veterans and war victims (disabled) as member of the Confederation, entitled to equal rights and privileges and shall assume responsibilities and obligations on an equal basis. In the event of any nation subsequently joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), then its recognized national Veterans/Ex-Services association shall be invited to join the Confederation.

ARTICLE V

5. Organizational Structure

The Confederation shall have the following Organic Bodies:

5.1    The Executive Board; and,

5.2    The General Assembly.

ARTICLE VI

6.      Executive Board

6.1    The Executive Board shall consist of the President, one (1) Vice-President from each member nation, the Secretary-General and the Treasurer-General.

6.2    The Executive Board shall perform the following duties:

6.2.1 Refer to the General Assembly for appropriate action any study or recommendation initiated by itself or undertaken by any organ or member of the Confederation.

6.2.2 Implement the programs and projects adopted and approved by the General Assembly.

6.2.3 Prepare the agenda of the General Assembly.

6.2.4 Exercise such other functions and duties as may be delegated to it by the General Assembly or whenever it deems appropriate and necessary to protect and preserve the interest of the Confederation, such as appointment of an Auditor and/or Assistant Secretary-General.

6.3    The Executive Board shall meet:

6.3.1 In the course of the year, to work out the needs of the countries and to formulate proposals and policies to be adopted by the General Assembly.

6.3.2 And/or immediately preceding each General Assembly at the discretion of the host nation.

6.3.3 It may also be called to Special Session upon the petition of the President, Secretary-General and/or two (2) Vice Presidents acting jointly whenever the need for such Special Session arises.

6.4    The Executive Board may, at its discretion, call for consideration and/or approval by mail or by other effective means of communication of any resolution which it considers needing urgent action. Whenever an approval by this means is required, each member shall be given thirty (30) days after receipt of any business sought to be transacted to return action thereon.

ARTICLE VII

7.      General Assembly

7.1    The General Assembly shall consist of all member nations represented by their respective Presidents (or authorized representatives) and their officials.

7.2    It shall perform the following functions:

7.2.1 Determine the policies and the activities of the Confederation.

7.2.2 Decide matters referred to it by the Executive Board, Committee or by any member.

7.2.3 Approve the budget.

7.2.4 Fix the amount of dues of each member nation.

7.2.5 To propose and confirm the host nation for the following year.

7.2.6 Perform such other acts that it may deem appropriate and necessary to protect and preserve the interest of the Confederation.

7.2.7 To confer awards or medals for recipients.

7.2.8 Elect the President, Vice Presidents, the Secretary-General, and the Treasurer-General.

7.3    The tenure for each host nation shall be 12 (twelve) calendar months commencing on the first day of each calendar year.

7.4    As a general rule, the host nation shall be rotated in alphabetical order of the member nations.

7.5    In the event that the scheduled member nation is unable to do so, it is incumbent upon that member nation to find a willing replacement.

7.6    At the end of the term of the replacement host nation, the alphabetical rotation of host nation shall resume from where it was last disrupted.

ARTICLE VIII

8.      Duties Of Officers

8.1    The President shall be elected by the General Assembly.

8.2    The term of the Presidency shall be one (1) calendar year, commencing 1st January of each year.

8.3    It shall be the duty of the President to preside over the General Assembly or any other session of the General Assembly and the Executive Board.

8.4    The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Confederation. He may, however delegate such functions and duties as he may deem fit to the Vice-President, or Secretary-General.

8.5    The heads of each member nation’s Veteran Organisations/Associations shall generally be the Vice Presidents.

8.6    It shall be the duty of the Vice Presidents to assume the responsibilities and functions of the President in the event of the latter's absence or inability to perform his duties.

ARTICLE IX

9.      Secretariat

9.1    A Secretariat shall be organized and established in the nation where the President, the Secretary-General and the Treasurer-General reside.

9.1.1 Secretary-General:

9.1.1.1   The term of office of the Secretary-General shall be one (1) calendar year, concurrent with the term of the President.

9.1.1.2   The Secretary-General shall attend all sessions of the General Assembly, Executive Board and Committees and shall keep the records of the proceedings.

9.1.1.3   The Secretary-General shall be responsible to the General Assembly and the Executive Board.

9.1.1.4   The Secretariat shall perform such duties as maybe necessary to ensure the efficient operations of the Confederation.

9.1.2 Treasurer-General:

9.1.2.1   The     term of office of the Treasurer-General shall be one (1) calendar year, concurrent with the term of the President.

9.1.2.2   The Treasurer-General shall be responsible to assist the General Assembly on financial policies including the establishment of the quantum of dues payable.

9.1.2.3   The Treasurer-General shall also be responsible to collect all dues from member nations and maintain proper accounting records for the Confederation.

ARTICLE X

10.    Budget

10.1  The budget and the allocation of cost will be borne by all members after approval by the General Assembly.

10.2  Unless otherwise provided, the allocation shall be borne on an equal basis by all member countries.

ARTICLE XI

11.    Meetings

11.1  The administrative proceedings and rules to be observed during the meetings of the Executive Board and the General Assembly shall be determined by the host member.

11.2  In the event that any Force Majeure situation (civil/ military/ natural/ nation – wide crisis should arise to incapacitate
the ability of a host nation from conducting scheduled VECONAC meetings, such meetings may be postponed or held virtually. However such decision should not be made unilaterally by the host country and will have to be done in a consultative manner and be agreed by a simple majority via an online meeting. It is further encouraged that continuous communications be conducted by the host country to keep member countries updated when the situation has changed.

ARTICLE XII

12.    Quorum

12.1 A simple majority of the members shall constitute a quorum for the Executive Board or General Assembly to conduct official business in any session.

12.2  For all other meetings, the rule of simple majority shall apply.

12.3     There shall be an advance notice of at least 12 weeks’ notice of the calling of the Executive Board Meeting and General Assembly.

ARTICLE XIII

13.    Amendments

This Constitution may be amended only at a session of the General Assembly by at least two-thirds (2/3) of the member nations, voting in favour of the amendment provided, however, that the By-Laws maybe amended by a simple majority of the members.

BY-LAWS (CONSTITUTIONAL RULES)

Rule 1

Refers to Article I of the Constitution

1. Although the name is officially “VETERANS CONFEDERATION OF ASEAN COUNTRIES” this Confederation will consist of national organizations of war veterans and war victims in all member nations of the ASEAN.
2. Meaning of VECONAC Flag

1.2.1 In accordance with ASEAN emblem, 10 Padi Stalks represent
         all VECONAC member countries, held together by friendship
        and solidarity.

1. Blue represents peace and stability.
2. Red represents courage and dynamism
3. White represents purity
4. Yellow represents prosperity

1.3    Colour preference (In accordance with ASEAN Flag

1. Blue: Pantone 19 – 4053 TC
2. Red: Red: Pantone 18 – 1655 TC
3. White: Pantone 11 – 4202 TC

1.3.4 Yellow: Pantone 13 – 0758 TC

1.4    Flag size (In accordance with ASEAN Flag

1. Table Flag 10 cm x 15 cm
2. Room Flag 100 cm x 150 cm
3. Car Flag 20 cm x 30 cm
4. Outdoor/Venue Flag 200 cm x 300

1.5    Design of the VECONAC

The VECONAC Flag comes in four versions, namely, the Table Flag, Room Flag, Car Flag, and Outdoor/Venue Flag. While the colour specifications are the same for all versions, the measurements and materials used differ.

1.6    Table Flag

1. Measurement and Material
2. Size: 10 cm x 15 cm
3. Emblem Diameter: 6 cm
4. Material: Polyester – Nylon
5. Process Technique: Screen Printing; Sewing
6. Finishing: Double stitch on sides

1.7    Room Flag

1. Measurement and Material
2. Size: 10 cm x 15 cm
3. Emblem Diameter: 6 cm
4. Material: Polyester – Nylon
5. Process Technique: Screen Printing; Sewing
6. Finishing: Double stitch on sides

1.8    Car Flag

1. Measurement and Material
2. Size: 20 cm x 30 cm
3. Emblem Diameter: 12 cm
4. Material: Polyester – Nylon
5. Process Technique: Nylon
6. Screen Printing; Sewing
7. Finishing: Double stitch on sides

1.9    Outdoor/Venue Flag

1. Measurement and Material:
2. Size: 200 cm x 300 cm
3. Emblem Diameter: 120 cm
4. Material: Polyester – Nylon
5. Process Technique: Screen Printing; Sewing

         1.9.6 Finishing: Double stitch on sides

Rule 2

Refers to Article II of the Constitution

The member organizations will represent all war veterans and war victims' organizations in their respective countries if there is more than one of such.

Rule 3

Refers to Article III of the Constitution

1. To achieve the objectives as mentioned in Article III, members of the Confederation may cooperate in social, economic and cultural activities either on a bilateral or multilateral basis through the offices of the Executive Board.
2. The Executive Board and every member of the Confederation are expected to give support to and move a motion requiring cooperation among ASEAN Veterans.
3. The Executive Board, in the implementation of the policies or principles mentioned in Article III of the Constitution may:

3.3.1 Form special committees to study, survey, and plan projects   
         which are considered beneficial to the common welfare.

3.3.2 Publish periodicals to promote the ASEAN image and a
         better understanding among members or to produce films to
         promote the same purpose.

1. The objectives in Article III shall not, in the execution thereof, be contradictory to but rather in conformity with the principles of ASEAN.
2. Any cooperation or exchange of ideas or information between members shall be duly shared with the ASEAN National Secretary in the respective countries.

Rule 4

Refers to Article IV of the Constitution

1. If a reorganization of war veterans and war victims organizations in any ASEAN nation will affect the status of the representing bodies in the Confederation, such change shall be submitted to the Confederation for ratification.
2. Rights, privileges, responsibilities and obligations mentioned in Article IV are all rights, privileges, responsibilities and obligations stated in the Constitution and this By-Laws as agreed upon by the General Assembly

Rule 5

Refers to Article V and VIII of the Constitution

5.1    The President and the Vice Presidents of the Executive Board shall  concurrently act as liaison between the Confederation and  their respective national organizations.

5.2    The Executive Board Meeting and General Assembly shall be held annually on a back-to-back basis. For issues to be properly deliberated, a Working Committee Meeting will meet in the host nation at least three months ahead of the Executive Board Meeting and General Assembly. The recommended duration for the Working Committee Meeting proper is two full working days. The cost of air passage shall be borne by each member nation. The host nation will bear the cost of accommodation and messing for one representative from each member nation only.

Rule 6

Refers to Article VI of the Constitution

1. Executive Board meetings can be held in any ASEAN nation.
2. Executive Board meetings, may, if necessary, be attended by special delegates of member nations as observers.
3. For higher effectiveness in activities of the Confederation, the Executive Board may consult with the ASEAN Secretariat.
4. In case of vacancy in the Executive Board, the member organization of the nation concerned shall designate a new representative and shall submit the nomination as soon as possible to the Executive Board.
5. All resolutions of the Executive Board shall be conveyed to all members of the Confederation for agreement or ratification within thirty (30) days.
6. Within thirty (30) days, members of the Confederation are given the opportunity to pass on the resolution(s) of the Board.
7. If after 30 days no objections or comments from the members of the Confederation are received by the Secretary-General, said resolution of the Board will be deemed ratified and approved to take effect immediately.
8. The Secretary-General shall send each member nation copies of correspondence on all matters of importance to the Confederation arising from their respective countries.
9. Resolutions of the General Assembly shall be carried out by the Executive Board for implementation.
10. All resolutions of the General Assembly and the Executive Board should be reached by a unanimous agreement or decision by the General Assembly or the Executive Board.
11. If a principal item on the agenda has not been decided unanimously by the General Assembly or the Executive Board, it will be postponed or dropped altogether.

Rule 7

Refers to Article VII of the Constitution

1. Extraordinary circumstances may justify a special session of the General Assembly if after consultation by the Executive Board the members deem it necessary.
2. A special session may also be convened upon request of two-thirds (2/3) of all the members.
3. Such a special session can be held in the nation of any member, but shall not disrupt the schedule and location of the regular sessions.
4. In the event that the scheduled host of a regular session of the General Assembly is unable to perform its duty, it shall be incumbent upon it to find a willing replacement to host the General Assembly and the session will then be held in the country of the replacement member.
5. The scheduled host which cannot meet its obligation shall inform the Executive Board at least twelve (12) weeks prior to the date of the scheduled session.
6. An Honorary President may be invited to attend the General Assembly and other VECONAC activities, and he may offer views and advice, however he has no voting right.
7. Unless the host recommends otherwise, the meetings of the Executive Board, the General Assembly and all other meetings shall be governed by the following procedures:
   1. The cost of commuting between member nations and the host country shall be the responsibility of individual nations.
   2. The host nation will bear the cost of lodging (up to a maximum of 3 rooms), food, local transportation and other activities in connection with the meeting for up to 15 delegates and observers.
   3. Any cost associated with additional observers shall be borne by the participating member nations.
   4. VECONAC may confer award and medals. The host nation will provide for accommodation and local hospitality for the award recipient. The recipient’s nation will bear the cost of air passage.

Rule 8

Refers to Article VIII of the Constitution

1. The President should see to it that in case international or regional meetings of World bodies are held on a theme of socio-economic activities, rehabilitation of Veterans or other activities of human nature promoting world peace, at least one of the members of the Confederation will attend. The result of such meeting(s) will then be reported to the Confederation.
2. The President shall always consult the Secretary-General of ASEAN.
3. In case of vacancy in the Executive Board, the member organization of the nation concerned shall designate a new representative and shall submit the nomination as soon as possible to the Executive Board.
4. All resolutions of the Executive Board shall be conveyed to all members of the Confederation for agreement or ratification within thirty (30) days.
5. Within thirty (30) days, members of the Confederation are given the opportunity to pass on the resolution(s) of the Board.
6. If after 30 days no objections or comments from the members of the Confederation are received by the Secretary-General, said resolution(s) of the Board will be deemed ratified and approved to take effect immediately.
7. The Secretary-General shall send each member nation copies of correspondence on all matters of importance to the Confederation arising from their respective countries.
8. Every Vice President has the obligation to cooperate with the President and provide him with the necessary data needed for the development of the Confederation.

Rule 9

Refers to Article IX of the Constitution

1. The Secretary-General of the Confederation will be situated in the same town as where the President of the Confederation resides.

1. Operational and administrative cost of the Secretary-General will be borne by the Confederation.

1. The Treasurer-General shall, aside from his task as Treasurer, also initiate activities together with other members on a common beneficial basis.

Rule 10

Refers to Article XIII of the Constitution

1. Amendments to the Constitution in principle shall not be in conflict with the objectives stipulated in Article III of the Constitution.
2. Dissolution of the Confederation can only be declared by seven - eighths (7/8) majority of all the members.
3. In case of dissolution, all assets of the Confederation will be donated to a social body of the ASEAN or to a body still to be decided.