Charter of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle - International League of Peoples' Struggle

As amended and ratified by the Fourth International Assembly
Manila, Philippines, 7 July 2011

Preamble

We, the undersigned representatives of organizations, hereby proclaim the formation of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (hereinafter referred to as League) and the promulgation of the charter as herein defined.

The League is an anti-imperialist and democratic formation. It shall promote, support and develop the anti-imperialist and democratic struggles of the peoples of the world, including the workers, peasants, women, youth, professionals and other sectors of society against the ideological, political, military, economic, social and cultural domination and attacks of imperialism and reaction.

It shall have a broad mass character, shall not be subordinate to any political party, government or religious authorities and shall afford equality to all member organizations. It shall strive to realize the unity, cooperation and coordination of anti-imperialist and democratic struggles throughout the world.

The League shall expose and oppose the oppressive and exploitative policies and acts of the imperialist and puppet states, the multinational companies and imperialist-dominated international agencies, such as the IMF, World Bank and WTO, and the military alliances such as the NATO and the US-Japan Security Council.

The League shall stand and fight for the following:

The cause of national liberation, democracy and social liberation against imperialism and all reaction;
Socio-economic development for oppressed and exploited countries and nations and social equity for all working people;
Human rights in the civil, political, economic, social and cultural fields against state violence, national oppression, class exploitation and oppression, gender oppression, fascism, casteism, racism and religious bigotry; and justice and indemnification for the victims of illegal arrest and detention (especially political prisoners), violations of due process, torture, extra-judicial executions, disappearances, mass displacement, and other blatant forms of human rights violations.
The cause of just peace and struggles against wars of counterrevolution and aggression and against nuclear, biological, chemical, missile and other weapons of mass destruction;
Promotion of trade union and other democratic rights of the working class, improvement of wage and living conditions against all forms of intensifying exploitation of labor and the destruction of working class organizations in their pursuit of the historic mission of fighting for social liberation;
Agrarian reform and rights of peasants, farm workers and fisherfolk against feudal, semifeudal and capitalist exploitation and oppression;
The cause of women’s liberation and rights against all forms of sexual discrimination, exploitation and violence;
Rights of the youth to education and employment;
Children’s rights against child labor, sexual abuse and other forms of exploitation;
Rights of indigenous peoples, national minorities, and nationalities for self-determination and decolonization against discrimination, racism, and national oppression by imperialism and local reaction;
The rights of teachers, researchers and other educational personnel and struggle against ideas and researches directed against the people;
The right of the people to health and the rights of health workers;
Science and technology for the people and development, environmental protection against plunder and pollution and the destruction of the foundations of human life, the right to safe and healthy food and water and opposition to manipulation of genetic technology for imperialist profit;
Arts and culture and free flow of information in the service of the people and the rights of artists, creative writers, journalists and other cultural workers against imperialist and reactionary propaganda and oppression;
Rights and welfare of homeless persons, refugees and migrant workers displaced by imperialism and local reactionaries;
Rights of elderly and other differently-abled people to a life of dignity and secure existence;
Rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people against discrimination, intolerance and homophobia.

Article I. Aims and Purposes

Section 1. The aims and purposes of the League shall include the following:

1.1 To promote a common understanding of those concerns and issues as enumerated in the preamble,

1.2 To stimulate, facilitate and coordinate common lines of action and undertake definite actions on the aforesaid concerns and issues,

1.3 To cooperate with all possible organizations, institutions and personages in the attainment of the aims and purposes of the League, and

1.4 To raise such resources as to enable the League to realize its aims and purposes and perform its functions.

Section 2. The activities of the League shall include the following: advocacy, research, publications, conferences, seminars and social and political action.

Article II. Member Organizations

Section 1. Any organization or formation of a mass character that agrees with the Charter of the League may apply or may be invited to become a member organization of the League.

Section 2. The application shall be evaluated and acted upon by the national chapter as soon as possible after such application is submitted. In cases where the national chapter does not exist, the International Coordinating Group shall receive and act on the application for membership, subject to approval of the International Coordinating Committee.

Section 3. All member organizations shall assume responsibilities in accordance with the resolutions and decisions of the International Assembly.

Section 4. All member organizations shall have equal basic rights and duties.

Section 5. A member organization may cease to be such by resignation, self-dissolution or by expulsion for serious violation of this Charter, resolutions or decisions of the International Assembly. A member organization may be dropped from the rolls by the national chapter or the International Coordinating Committee for prolonged passivity or non-participation in the activities of the League and failure to perform its duties and responsibilities in the League.

Section 6. All member organizations shall maintain their independence and initiative and shall accordingly have equal basic rights and duties.

Article III. International Assembly

Section 1. The International Assembly of the League shall be convened once every three years, unless there are unavoidable circumstances or reasons accepted by the majority of member organizations for convening it earlier or later. The International Coordinating Committee shall decide the number of delegates and the criteria and methods for the selection and apportionment of delegates in the next International Assembly.

Section 2. The International Assembly shall be the highest decision-making organ of the League. It shall review the implementation of the resolutions and decisions of the previous assembly and the performance of the outgoing International Coordinating Committee. It shall deliberate on issues of international significance and make pertinent resolutions. It shall elect the members and alternate members of the International Coordinating Committee after deciding their number.

Section 3. Issues shall be decided by simple majority vote, except on issues of amending the statutes of the League which will require a two-thirds vote. The International Assembly shall give full play to the efforts of the member organizations most affected by an issue to resolve their differences, if any. Whenever consensus is not possible, voting shall be done to resolve an issue within the time allocation of the assembly.

Section 4. The International Coordinating Committee or one-third of the member organizations of the League may convene a special assembly whenever necessary, provided that due notice is given at least one month in advance. The decisions of such assembly shall be subject to ratification by the next regular assembly.

Article IV. The International Coordinating Committee

Section 1. The International Coordinating Committee shall be the highest decision-making organ of the League between international assemblies. It shall abide by the spirit and letter of the resolutions and decisions of the International Assembly. It shall meet at least once a year.

Section 2. The International Coordinating Committee shall decide the theme and program of the International Assembly and shall ensure that the resolutions and decisions of the International Assembly are pursued and implemented and shall report and make recommendations to the International Assembly.

Section 3. The International Coordinating Committee shall elect its own officers, a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson and as many Vice Chairpersons as may be needed according to specified functions and geographic distribution, a General Secretary, a Deputy General Secretary, Treasurer and Auditor. They shall constitute the International Coordinating Group, which shall be the highest decision-making organ between meetings of the International Coordinating Committee and shall guide the General Secretariat in accordance with the prior decisions of the International Coordinating Committee.

Section 4. The chairperson shall be the chief representative and spokesperson of the League and shall be strictly bound by the resolutions and decisions of the International Assembly and the International Coordinating Committee.

Section 5. The International Coordinating Committee shall facilitate the exchange of information, meetings, cooperation and common actions among the member organizations of the League. It shall give full play to the efforts of the member organizations to maintain their solidarity and broad character in accordance with the Charter of the League and resolutions and decisions of the International Assembly.

Section 6. The International Coordinating Committee shall not administer or govern all or any of the member organizations of the League and shall have no authority whatsoever to decide on issues internal to any member organization as well as on issues of controversy outside of the League among several member organizations.

Section 7. Subject to the approval of the International Assembly, the International Coordinating Committee shall create commissions, each responsible for a major concern of the League, and define their tasks and guide and supervise their work. The commissions shall serve as the arm of the ICC and of the whole League in carrying out tasks pertinent to each concern. Among the tasks of these commissions shall be the drafting of resolutions for the International Assembly and other documents for the timely information and guidance of the member organizations, holding of conferences or seminars on the various concerns, and carrying out campaigns on concrete issues related to the major concerns of the League.

Section 8. The member organization may for any reason replace its representative who sits as a member of the International Coordinating Committee.

Section 9. A certain number of candidates to the International Coordinating Committee (ICC) who gets the highest number of votes below those of the candidates elected to the ICC shall be deemed elected as alternate members of the ICC. They may attend ICC meetings and perform tasks for the ICC but may not vote. An alternate member shall be elevated to the ICC in case an ICC member is incapacitated and is not replaced by his or her organization.

Article V. The General Secretariat

Section 1. The International Coordinating Committee shall form and direct the General Secretariat on the basis of recommendations of the General Secretary. The General Secretariat shall consist of the General Secretary and as many deputies as may be appointed by the International Coordinating Committee to undertake administrative functions.

Section 2. The General Secretariat shall be responsible for the daily administration and implementation of all other functions as may be assigned by the International Coordinating Committee and shall report and make recommendations to the International Coordinating Committee. Between meetings of the International Coordinating Committee, the International Coordinating Group shall guide and supervise the General Secretariat.

Article VI. National Chapters

Section 1. The International Coordinating Committee shall define and issue the general guidelines for the formation of the national chapters of the League, as country coordinating centre and broad alliance of member organizations. The International Coordinating Group shall process every proposal for the formation of a national chapter of the League, subject to the approval of the International Coordinating Committee.

Section 2. The national chapter shall serve as country coordinating center and broad alliance of member organizations based in the country. It shall report to the ICG between meetings of the ICC, and to the ICC between international assemblies.

Section 3. Every national chapter shall elect its officers in a national assembly of representatives of member organizations. The national chapter shall determine its own organizational structure.

Section 4. The national chapter shall receive and act on applications for membership in the League. In this connection, it shall promote the broad alliance of member organizations in accordance with the aims and purposes of the League.

Section 5. The national chapters shall have equal basic rights and duties in the League. Each national chapter shall have independence and initiative in promoting and contributing to the advance and realization of the aims and purposes of the League.

Section 6. In the event no national chapter exists in any country, the International Coordinating Committee shall receive and act on applications for membership in the League.

VII. Global Regional Committees

Section 1. The International Coordinating Committee shall define and issue the guidelines for the formation, work and development of global regional committees. The International Coordinating Group shall receive and process any proposal for the formation of a global region committee, subject to the approval of the ICC. It shall guide and supervise the actual formation of the global region committee.

Section 2. If in any global region there are at least two national chapters, any of the national chapters may propose to the International Coordinating Group the designation of a provisional global region committee and the holding of a global region conference to attract more member organizations in the region, take up the concerns of the League and elect the global region committee. The global regional committee shall serve as the regional coordinating center and broad alliance of member organizations within the global region.

Section 3. The global region committee shall be composed of representatives of the national chapters and leaders of outstanding member-organizations within the region. The International Coordinating Group shall decide the number of members and alternate members of the global region committee upon the recommendation of this committee or its provisional predecessor. It shall define the functions of the officers of the global region committee.

Section 4. The global region committee shall hold internal meetings at least once every six months. It shall hold conferences to take up concerns and issues, make resolutions and decisions, adopt plans of action and campaigns and form the mechanisms for implementing these. It shall promote cooperation among members organizations and national chapters with the region, and contribute to the advance and realization of the aims and objectives of League.

Section 5. The global region committees shall have equal rights and obligations in the League.

Article VIII. Patrons of the League

Section 1. On the basis of recommendations of member organizations, national chapters and global regional committees, the International Coordinating Committee shall select and invite the eminent persons and outstanding individuals in their fields of activity and known for their staunch and consistent democratic and anti-imperialist standpoint to become Patrons of the League.

Section 2. The Patrons of the League shall promote the aims and purposes of the League and raise the prestige of the League in any appropriate manner. They may provide advice and expertise to the International Coordinating Committee and the latter may consult them as resource persons and invite them as guests of honor and speakers on appropriate occasions.

Article IX. Funds and Resources

Section 1. The basic operations of the International Coordinating Committee and the General Secretariat shall be financed by membership dues and contributions of member organizations. The method of determining the amount to be paid by the member organizations as membership fee shall be decided by the International Coordinating Committee immediately after its election by the International Assembly.

Section 2. Subject to approval by the International Coordinating Committee, the General Secretariat shall recommend the methods of raising funds and resources from the general public through concrete solidarity projects and activities and unconditional contributions from various sources.

Section 3. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the safekeeping and accounting of funds and other material resources of the League. The Treasurer shall be subject to periodic and timely audit by the Auditor.

Section 4. Independent of the General Secretariat, the Auditor shall conduct annual and special audits of all financial accounts and resources of the League and give reports on these to the International Coordinating Committee. Independent of the International Coordinating Committee, the auditor shall make a report to the International Assembly. The last day of each fiscal year shall be December 31. The Auditor shall submit annual audit reports to the ICC no later than 90 days after the last day of each fiscal year.

Section 5. In cases where a National Chapter exists, the National Chapter may retain for its own needs a certain percentage of the membership fees of its member organizations to be determined by the International Coordinating Committee.

X. General Provisions

Section 1. The International Assembly shall have the power to amend this Charter of the League by two-thirds majority.

Section 2. The emblem, hymn and headquarters of the League shall be decided by the International Assembly upon the recommendation of the International Coordinating Committee and such decision shall become an integral part of this Charter.

As amended and ratified by the Fourth International Assembly
Manila, Philippines
7 July 2011