Article 1. (Name)

The name of this Organization shall be “the Conference of the Presidents of Bar Associations in Asia” (hereafter, the “CPBA”).

Article 2. (Nature)

The CPBA shall be a non-political conference for international exchange and cooperation amongst the presidents of bar organizations in Asia.

Article 3. (Objects)

The object of the CPBA shall be :

• 1.To exchange information and mutually cooperate regarding the operation and organization of the bar associations.
• 2.To provide regional cooperation for the promotion of peace and human rights activities.
• 3.To make joint efforts for the enhancement of the rule of law.
• 4.To cooperate in advancing the status of lawyers, in developing the legal profession and the scope of its activities and in strengthening the activities of the bar associations in the region and
• 5.To cooperate with related international or global organizations such as the UN.

Article 4 (Membership)

• 1.Any president of bar organization representing a majority of the practicing lawyers in a country or area in Asia shall be eligible to be a member of the CPBA. The term “bar organization” shall include a bar association, a lawyers council, a law society, or any other organization of lawyers with a similar name.
• 2.Any president of any international legal association may participate in the Conference in session as an Associate member-observer with the approval of the Host Bar Association upon the recommendation by 3 or more Members. An Associate Member-observer shall not be eligible to vote on any matter or be entitled to participate in other activities of the CPBA.

Article 5. (Conference)

• 1.The Conference shall, in principle, be held once a year in the country of a member.
• 2.Each conference shall determine the subsequent Host Bar Association and the place and time of the subsequent conference. The general agenda of the Conference shall be determined by the Executive Committee established for that year’s conference.
• 3.At the Conference, each member shall have the right to one vote. A member shall be entitled to appoint one of the other members as his proxy if he is unable to attend a particular annual conference.

Article 6. (Officers)

• 1.The CPBA shall have 3 officers: a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman and an Honorary Chairman. The Chairman shall be the President of the Bar Association sponsoring the subsequent conference, and a Vice-Chairman shall be designated by him.
  The Honorary Chairman shall be the President of the Bar Association that sponsored the immediately prior conference.
• 2.The term of office of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall be until the closing of the conference in session from the time of appointment and its designation.

Article 7. (Executive Committee)

• 1.The President of the Bar Association hosting the subsequent conference shall designate five or more persons in order to constitute an Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall make its decisions by consensus: provided, however, that in the event of disagreement the decision of the Chairman shall be final.
  The Executive Committee may include as its guest - non voting members a limited number of persons among those recommended by the President of the previous hosting Bar Association or other participating Bar Association.
• 2.The Executive Committee shall be responsible for :
  i. Organizing the upcoming annual conference and
  ii. Overseeing the activities of the Ad Hoc Committee until the end of the upcoming annual conference. The Executive Committee shall be a policy or planning committee. The work required to carry out its plan shall be performed by the Secretariat.
• 3.The Head of the Executive Committee shall give appropriate notices to, and confer with, the Chairman of the Conference concerning the progress of preparations for the subsequent conference.

Article 8. (Ad Hoc Committee)

Ad Hoc Committees may be established for planning, preparing, and implementing activities specifically designated by the Chairman as the main activities to be resolved by the CPBA.

Article 9. (Finance)

• 1.As a general rule, the Host Bar Association shall bear the costs arising from hosting the conference.
• 2.The President of each country’s Bar Association and any other official participant in the conference shall bear their own travel and attendance expenses.

Article 10. (Duration)

The duration of the CPBA shall be perpetual.

Article 11. (Secretariat)

• 1.The President of the Bar Association hosting the subsequent conference shall appoint as the Secretariat as may person with as many functions as he deems necessary.
• 2.The Secretariat shall perform its various duties as directed by the Executive Committee.
• 3.The hosting Bar Association shall be responsible for the cost of the Secretariat.

Article 12. (Amendment of Charter)

This Charter may be amended by the affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the members present at the Conference.

ADDENDA

Article 1. (Effective Date)

This Charter shall take effect upon the approval by the affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the Members present at the 1991 Conference.

Article 2. (Chairman)

The President of the Bar Association sponsoring the Conference at the time of the adoption of this Charter shall act as the Chairman of the particular Conference in session.