1. The name of the international organisation regulated by these Statutes is "Association for International Promotion of Gums," (AIPG), hereinafter referred to as “The Association.”
   
   
2. The financial year is the calendar year.
   
   
3. 1. To safeguard the position of the different types of natural gums used as recognised safe food additives and ingredients
   2. To defend and promote the production, trade and use of natural gums in the foodstuff, pharmaceutical or other industries throughout the world.
   3. To study, conduct, further and support research into the properties and applications of natural gums
   4. To monitor actual and proposed legislation relating to the natural gums and to take appropriate action with national and international governments, authorities and other bodies, such as FAO, JEFCA, FDA, SCF, and to co-operate with these bodies
   5. To organise seminars, meetings, etc. in order to disseminate current economic commercial and scientific information about natural gums
   6. To generally perform everything which promotes and supports the interests of natural gums.
4. The Association’s objectives are:

1. Ordinary membership is open to associations and to individual companies involved in natural gums , such as producers, processors, exporters, importers and other traders including agents and brokers.
2. Associate membership is open to individual persons or bodies interested in natural gums and willing to support the aims set out above under Article 1 (3).
3. Depending on their types of business, ordinary members are organised in member groups to be set up for
   1. Producers and Exporters of gum Arabic
   2. Processors, importers, other traders including brokers of gum arabic
   3. Producers and traders including importers and brokers of gum karaya, tragacanth, shellac, dammar, kopal and all other gums.
4. Multiple membership in each of the groups mentioned abover under 3.2 and 3.3. is possible.
5. The member groups, in principle, shall consist of individual companies, except for
6. producers and exporters in case of 3.1, where only national associations shall be allowed,
7. producers in case of all other gums where only national associations shall be allowed if such associations exist so far.

1. The Ordinary General Assembly has the following powers:
   
   1. To elect the Association´s President, Vice-President and Treasurer, for an office period of 2 years.
   2. To appoint and dismiss the function bearers, which are
      + The Secretary
      + The Scientific Adviser.
   3. To decide on the admission of new members who have applied for membership in writing
   4. To decide on the budget and on the member fees
   5. To receive and approve the reports from the chairmen of the member groups and from the function bearers
   6. To decide on the Association’s general policy, and on all other matters not specifically to be decided by the member groups, and in cases where provided in these statutes.
2. The Association will hold the General Assembly once per year, notice of which shall be given to the members at least four weeks in advance, under enclosure of the agenda.
   
   1. An extraordinary General Assembly will be held if requested by at least two third of the ordinary members. In this case the minimum notice is two weeks.
3. Only ordinary members are entitled to vote (one company = one vote). Decisions need a two-third majority of the members. In the General Assembly, the quorum shall consist of half the members, which also may be represented by proxy.
   
   1. If deemed necessary by the President or the Secretary, urgent matters may be decided by a written ballot. A proposal is regarded consented by those members, who have not objected within three weeks time.

1. The Secretary will be in charge of the administrative work and of the daily running of the Association, in close co-operation with the President. He will co-ordinate the activities of the member groups.
2. The Secretary will at the same time act as a Legal Adviser. He is responsible for the legal matters and for the official matters , e.g. contacts to government bodies and other institutions and organisations.
3. The Secretary will attend the meetings of the General Assembly and, where this is deemed necessary ,also the meetings of the member groups.

1. The Scientific Adviser will be responsible for all technical and scientific matters with regard to natural gums. He should advise about the most pressing actions to be taken from a technical standpoint and about which scientific studies are necessary to protect and enhance the standing of the products.
2. The Scientific Adviser acts in close co-operation with the Secretary. He is not entitled to publish or pronounce in scientific conferences or symposia on matters of policy which relate to the sphere of interests of the Association, nor to contact international agencies and institutions about these policies, without the prior approval of the President.

1. The member groups (see above Article 2) have the following functions and obligations:
   
   1. To deal with any matters concerning the specific problems of the gums represented by the member group and to decide all relevant matters concerning these gums
   2. To set up an own budget for the activities (e.g. scientific research, promotion, seminars, etc.) relevant to the specific type of gum represented by the member group, and to decide on the division of costs among the members (see below 4.)
   3. To set up own by-laws or statutes for the member group.
   4. To appoint a chairman who will act as a spokesman for the member group.
2. The member groups will be entitled to make use of the assistance of the Secretariat and the Scientific adviser.
3. The member groups are free to decide specific matters on their own. Matters of general interest which might have an impact on all types of gums must be approved by the General Assembly.
4. Members of the group are obliged to contribute to the budget (see above 1.2) in accordance with a key to be worked out by the member group under fair consideration of suitable criteria such as the size of the company, trade volume etc.
5. The by-laws or statutes of the member group may provide voting rights weighed in accordance with the contribution ratio (see above, 4.)

1. The annual member fee which will cover the general administration costs of this Association is payable within two weeks time after receipt of the invoice from the Treasurer.
2. The Association will only pay for the annual General Assembly, for the costs of the Secretary and for the basic costs of the Scientific Adviser. Travelling expenses of the function bearers or other expenses will be only beared if agreed upon by the President after consultation with the Treasurer.
3. Members will bear travelling costs and other expenses on their own.
4. Costs of the Scientific Adviser arising for special activities performed for the member groups will be beared by the member group where these costs occur.

Each member may resign from membership by a formal written declaration tendered to the Secretariat at least six months before the end of the current financial year .The termination of membership does not discharge the member from the fulfilment of the existing obligations towards the association.

On decision of the General Assembly, a membership may be cancelled

• if the member, in spite of at least two requests from the Secretariat has failed to pay the member fee.
• If the member has severely acted against the interest of the Association or the objectives as outlined above under Art.1 .

A decision on the dissolution of this Association can only be made in an extra ordinary General Assembly, with a two-third majority of the ordinary members present or represented by proxy votes. Art. 3, ciph. 3.1, second sentence, does not apply. After this decision, the Secretariat, in close co-operation with the treasurer, will act as liquidators.

As adopted 21st November 2000 in Frankfurt/M.