Adopted in Djibouti in November 2007.
Preamble
We, the members of the Greater Horn Horizon:
- Cognizant that our special responsibility emanates from the privileged access to higher education, the development of the spirit of critical inquiry and independent thinking, and aware of our social, professional and humanistic responsibility;
- Mindful of our particular mission to develop knowledge and promote intellectual practices likely to assist our populations in confronting the challenges of development, peace and regional integration;
- Recognizing that research and intellectual debates, community engagement and public action play a major role in developing mutual understanding between the peoples of the Greater Horn of Africa and in assisting our decision-makers in their search for appropriate policies and strategies to sustain peace and development;
- Recognizing, affirming and celebrating the achievements and efforts in the region and seeking to promote the values inherent in diversity and pluralism;
- Recognizing that our war-torn societies no longer allow us to focus on issues that stir up hatred and exacerbate division;
- Understanding that the exchange, dialogue and cooperation we wish to promote need to be based on the principles of democracy, good governance, equality, reciprocity, dignity, integrity, independent thinking, tolerance and mutual respect, avoiding any forms of intolerance, intimidation, exclusion and discrimination contrary to this ethical commitment;
- Recognizing that constructive dialogue on our common future necessitates competencies that we need to develop, given the legacy of ethnocentrism, dogmatism and intolerance in segments of our respective societies and our personal experiences;
- Aware therefore that this process is to be considered as a learning exercise of mutual benefit in building our capacity to exchange freely, manage divergent views, share ideas and seek common solutions for the challenges facing the societies of our region;
- Calling upon all scholars, intellectuals, leaders of civil society, journalists and decision-makers to work together for the ownership and sustainability of this Forum of exchange and dialogue on the common future of the peoples of the Greater Horn of Africa.
HEREBY establish the Greater Horn Horizon as a regional, independent, autonomous and non-profit organization that shall operate in accordance with the provisions of these Statutes and national laws.
Name, legal status and location
Article 1 — Name. The organization shall be called the ‘Greater Horn Horizon’ (hereafter referred to as ‘the Forum’).
Article 2 — Legal status. The Forum is an independent, autonomous, non-profit organization promoting the cooperation and networking of the scholars and intellectuals of the Greater Horn of Africa.
Article 3 — Headquarters. The Forum’s headquarters shall be in Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti. It can be transferred to another location within the region following the decision of two-thirds of the General Assembly.
Objectives
Article 4. The Forum’s objectives are:
- to contribute to building a strong consensus on a vision in favour of peace, stability, sustainable development and regional integration;
- to promote reflection and exchange on specific issues of concern to the region, including intercultural dialogue;
- to generate studies and analyses which may contribute to the formulation of proactive policies responding to the challenges in the region;
- to organize periodic training sessions, in the field of intercultural dialogue and regional integration, for the various stakeholders;
- to encourage universities and research institutions to develop focused studies on the main trends in the region, utilizing anticipatory, scenario-building and transdisciplinary approaches;
- to encourage and support comparative research with a regional perspective expressing the specificity of development processes in the Greater Horn region;
- to promote and defend the principle of independent thought and research and the intellectual liberty of researchers participating in the initiative;
- to perform all necessary activities that may be instrumental in achieving the stated objectives of the Forum.
Functions
Article 5. The Forum shall seek to achieve its objectives through the following means:
- Organization of seminars on particular issues defined by the Forum’s governing organs (research-policy linkages, civil-society engagement, linkage with like-minded institutions);
- Elaboration of studies or analyses prior to each meeting, focusing on crucial issues facing the region or specific countries;
- Publication of an online journal in English and French, also available in print;
- Publication and wide dissemination of the results of studies and the proceedings of expert meetings to policy-makers and other targeted groups;
- Promotion of contact and collaboration with similar forums or think tanks in Africa and in other regions of the world;
- Encouragement of translation of important publications and documents into African languages, as the case may be.
Members
Article 6. The Forum’s membership is composed of four categories: full individual members; associate individual members; associate institutional members; and honorary members.
Article 7. Full individual membership shall be open to scholars and intellectuals from the Greater Horn region, resident in the region or in the diaspora, who fully adhere to the Statutes and code of conduct of the initiative.
Article 8. Associate individual membership shall be open to non-African scholars and intellectuals involved in the development perspectives of the region through anticipatory, scenario-building and transdisciplinary approaches.
Articles 9–10. Associate institutional membership shall be open to universities, institutes and centres within the region engaged in the development perspectives of the region and the networking of its scholars, and also to non-regional universities and non-profit organizations engaged in the analysis of regional issues.
Article 11. The Forum may from time to time award honorary membership to individuals in recognition of their contribution to regional development perspectives and the objectives of the initiative.
Articles 12–14. Members are expected to respect the Statutes, participate in the activities of the Forum and adhere to its code of conduct. Only full members have the right to vote — each holding one vote. Applications for membership are made to the Executive Committee for decision.
Working languages
Article 15. The working languages of the Forum shall be English and French. The use of regional languages will be encouraged as much as possible.
Governing organs
Article 16. The governing organs of the Forum are the General Assembly, the Executive Committee and the Executive Secretariat.
Article 17 — General Assembly. The General Assembly is the highest authority of the Forum. It meets every two years; its quorum is one-third of full members. An extraordinary session may be convened on the request of one-third of full members or two-thirds of the Executive Committee. The Assembly approves the general policy guidelines, programmes, plans of action and budget, receives and approves the reports of the Executive Committee, and elects a session Chair and an independent Auditor.
Articles 18–21 — Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is composed of seventeen members, including the Executive Secretary and the Resident Deputy Executive Secretary as ex officio members without the right to vote, and a UNESCO nominee ex officio. Fourteen members are elected by the General Assembly, representing equally the national communities of scholars, with due attention to gender, generational and disciplinary balance. Members serve four-year terms, re-eligible only once. The Committee realizes the Forum’s objectives, supervises its affairs between Assemblies, creates and fills the international posts, approves the biennial budget and programme, and delegates day-to-day management to the Executive Secretary. It meets at least twice a year.
Articles 22–24 — Executive Secretariat. The Executive Secretariat consists of the Executive Secretary and assistant(s), reporting to the Executive Committee. The Executive Secretary is appointed for an initial period of four years, renewable only once, leads the Secretariat in implementing the programme, is responsible for the day-to-day management, signs all contracts in the name of the Forum, and serves as Secretary to the General Assembly and the Executive Committee.
Finances and donations
Article 25. Resources for the Forum consist of contributions from international organizations; annual membership fees; grants from regional organizations and African governments; donations and grants from other persons; and revenues from the Forum’s publications and activities.
Article 26. In all cases, the Executive Committee shall accept donations and grants only provided the conditions are consistent with the maintenance of the integrity and independence of the Greater Horn Horizon Forum.
Rules of procedure, amendments and dissolution
Article 27. Modalities for the implementation of these Statutes shall be fixed by rules of procedure worked out by the Executive Committee.
Article 28. The Statutes may be amended at a General Assembly by a two-thirds majority vote. Notice and the text of proposed amendments must reach the Chair at least six months before the Assembly and be communicated to all full members at least three months before.
Article 29. Dissolution of the Forum is decided at a General Assembly by a two-thirds majority, supported by at least one-third of full members. The dissolving Assembly decides the distribution of the Forum’s documents, archives and assets, and identifies African institutions in the Greater Horn that could inherit them.
Article 30 — Final and transitional provisions. These Statutes enter into force as soon as they are approved by the founding General Assembly in Djibouti and the required registration is satisfied.