Member Management Measures of the Global Alliance for Trade in Services

(Trial)

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1 In order to standardize the development, service and management of members of the Global Alliance for Trade in Services (hereinafter referred to as "the Alliance") and safeguard the rights and interests of its members, the Measures are formulated in accordance with the Articles of Association of the Alliance and with reference to relevant laws, regulations and international treaties and practices of the country of registration.

Article 2 Members of the Alliance shall abide by the Articles of Association of the Alliance and the Measures, exercise rights of members and fulfill the obligations of members.

Article 3 Members of the Alliance shall be free to join the Alliance and withdraw from the Alliance.

Chapter II Membership Composition

Article 4 The members consist of enterprise members and non-enterprise members. Non-enterprise members include international organizations, business associations, societies, research institutions (think tanks), colleges and universities, media, public welfare organizations, etc.

Chapter III Conditions and Procedures for Admission

Article 5 According to Article 8 of the Articles of Association of the Alliance, the following conditions must be met when applying for membership:

(I) Support the Articles of Association of the Alliance;

(II) Be willing to join the Alliance;

(III) Have a certain influence in the field of trade in services.

In addition to the above conditions, the following qualification examination conditions shall also be met:

(I) Enterprise members

1. The registration period of legal entity or legal certificate shall not be less than 5 years;

2. The registered capital shall not be less than RMB 1 million or equivalent in other sovereign currencies;

3. The annual turnover of other sovereign currencies shall not be less than RMB 50 million or equivalent;

4. The number of employees worldwide shall not be less than 200;

5. Take the leading position in trade in services and related fields in their host countries or regions (subject to the approval of the Secretariat of the Alliance).

Remarks: The above 5 qualification examination conditions are calculated based on the date of submission of the application to the Alliance. In principle, two or more conditions shall be met before the application can be submitted.

(II)  Non-enterprise members

1. Belong to an internationally renowned institution and have corresponding assessment certificates;

2. Have legality certificates and legal existence for more than 3 years;

3. Have a certificate of substantial activities, with no less than 10 full-time staff; the annual activity fund shall not be less than RMB 1 million or other sovereign currencies of equivalent amount;

4. Have not less than 100 members, limited to associations and organizations;

5. Have a great influence in the trade in services and related fields in the host country or region (subject to the approval of the Secretariat of the Alliance).

Remarks: The above 5 qualification examination conditions are calculated based on the date of submission of the application to the Alliance. In principle, two or more conditions shall be met before the application can be submitted.

Article 6 Procedures for Admission

(I) Submission of application materials

The application materials include the original and scanned copies of the Application Form for Members of the Global Alliance for Trade in Services (affixed with official seal), the business license (legal person certificate) or other legal certification materials (copies, affixed with official seal) of the applicant, and the introduction in Chinese and English (about 150 words in Chinese).

(II) Preliminary review by the Secretariat

The Secretariat is responsible for sorting out and preliminary review of application materials, and reviewing the authenticity, integrity and relevance of materials within 15 working days after receiving the materials. After passing the preliminary examination, the Secretariat shall be responsible for submitting the application materials and preliminary examination results to the Council for approval. If the application fails to pass the preliminary examination, the Secretariat shall be responsible for notifying the applicant of the failure and informing the reasons, and wishing the applicant to be informed of whether to submit supplementary materials according to specific circumstances.

(III) Deliberation by the Council

The Council is responsible for deliberation and adoption, with a period of 2 months. After being reviewed and approved by the Council, the Secretariat shall send a written notice to the applicant and be responsible for handling the admission procedures. If the application is not approved, the Secretariat shall be responsible for notifying the applicant in writing of the reasons for the failure and returning the application materials.

(IV) Payment of membership fees

After receiving the written notice of consent to membership, the applicant shall pay the membership fee in full within 1 month as required.

(V) After the applicant for the certificate has completed the membership formalities and paid the membership fees in full, the Council or the authorized institution of the Council will issue the membership certificate. The form of issuance shall be on site or by mail.

(VI) Announcement

After the applicant completes the membership formalities and pays the membership fees in full, the Alliance will make an announcement on its official website for a period of 7 days.

Chapter III Rights and Obligations of Members

Article 7 According to Article 10 of the Articles of Association, members shall enjoy the following rights:

(I) Right to elect, to be elected and to vote of the Alliance;

(II) Participate in the activities of the Alliance;

(III) Priority in obtaining the services of the Alliance;

(IV) Right to criticize, suggest and supervise the work of the Alliance;

(V) Have free options to join in or withdraw from the Alliance.

In addition, the Alliance provides the following services to its members:

(I) Establish communication opportunities with government agencies, international organizations and relevant departments through the Alliance;

(II) Establish communication and cooperation with other member units and non-member units of the Alliance;

(III) Participate in relevant seminars, forums, annual meetings and other activities organized by the Alliance free of charge or with preferential treatment;

(IV) Propose other targeted, personalized and exclusive paid services as required;

(V) Enter the member information into the "member information management system" of the Alliance, and give free access to the Annual Report, conference manual and other materials of the Alliance;

(VI) Award the Certificate of Membership of Global Alliance for Trade in Services，which is the unique identification code for members to enter the relevant information system of the Alliance.

Article 8 According to Article 11 of the Articles of Association, members shall fulfill the following obligations:

(I)  Abide by the Articles of Association and the provisions of the Measures of the Alliance, and implement the resolutions of the Alliance;

(II) Safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the Alliance;

(III) Complete the tasks assigned by the Alliance;

(IV) Pay membership fees according to regulations;

(V) Report the situation to the Alliance and provide relevant information.

Chapter IV Membership Fees

Article 9 Membership fees are the source of funds for the Alliance to better serve its members, and the member units are obliged to pay membership fees. For details, please refer to the Membership Fee Management Measures of the Global Alliance for Trade in Services (to be drafted separately).

Chapter V Membership Management

Article 10 The Secretariat shall be responsible for the management of membership and the establishment of a database of member units.  In case of any change in membership, the Secretariat shall be responsible for timely reporting in writing and filing the change.

Article 11 Application for withdrawal and expulsion

(I) Application for withdrawal

1. Members can voluntarily withdraw from the Alliance;

2. Members shall submit a written application to the Alliance and the Council shall review and approve the application.

3. Failure to pay membership fees for more than one year;

4. Failure to participate in the Alliance activities for more than one year without justifiable reasons.

(II) Expulsion

Members who meet any of the following conditions shall be removed from the list after being approved by the Council:

1. The member violates relevant national laws and regulations and is subject to criminal or administrative punishment;

2. Serious violation of the statutes of the Alliance and relevant provisions promulgated by the Alliance;

 (III) After the withdrawal or expulsion takes effect, the rights and obligations of members in the Alliance will be automatically terminated, and the membership certificate shall be returned within five working days, subject to the FJ stamp. The Alliance will publicize it on the official website for a period of 7 days.

Article 12 The daily liaison member units shall assign the legal representative or main person in charge of the unit to exercise the rights and perform the obligations of the member. At the same time, a staff member shall be arranged to make daily contact with the liaison personnel of the International Alliance.

Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions

Article 13 The Secretariat of the Alliance shall be responsible for the interpretation of the Measures.

Article 14 The Measures shall be implemented from the date of deliberation and approval by the Council.