Statutes

Article (1): Definitions

Article (2): Legal Nature

• ●The Syrian-German Business Council is a professional economic council established pursuant to Ministerial Decision No. /11/, and in accordance with the provisions of the Statute of Syrian Joint Business Councils with countries of the world, approved by Cabinet Decision No. /58/ of 2017.
• ●The Council enjoys legal personality and financial and administrative independence within the framework of the provisions of the General Statute of Business Councils and under the supervision of the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade.
• ●The Council exercises its powers within the limits prescribed in the Statute of Business Councils and decisions issued in implementation thereof.
• ●The Council is non-profit and does not aim for private benefit; its resources are used to achieve its objectives specified in this Statute and to contribute to serving the economy of the Syrian Arab Republic and strengthening its economic relations with the Federal Republic of Germany.

Article (3): Headquarters and Scope of Work

• ●The headquarters of the Syrian-German Business Council shall be in the Syrian Arab Republic; its location shall be determined by a decision of the Board of Directors in accordance with established procedures, and it shall conduct its work and activities from this headquarters.
• ●Branches subordinated to the main center administratively and financially may be opened directly as needed.

Article (4): Objectives of the Council

• ●Strengthen economic, trade, investment, and industrial relations between the Syrian Arab Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany in a manner that contributes to serving the national economy and serves the interests of the parties to support the march of progress and economic growth.
• ●Support direct communication between institutions and companies from all public, private, and joint sectors and encourage the undertaking of economic projects that serve Syrian developmental renaissance and enhance cooperation between these institutions and their counterparts in both countries to reach the establishment of appropriate foundations and formulas for all types of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
• ●Introduce the laws and regulations related to economic, trade, and investment activity to all parties and in all economic and commercial fields and the available investment opportunities in the Syrian Arab Republic, and encourage the establishment of joint projects.
• ●Organize joint exhibitions, forums, and economic delegations and provide all necessary facilitations of all types between the parties, and hold conferences, seminars, training courses, workshops, and all events that serve economic, trade, and investment activities and support the continuity of work to serve the development of the developmental process.
• ●Contribute to overcoming the difficulties hindering economic cooperation between the two sides and submit recommendations to the competent authorities to address them in order to achieve economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
• ●Coordinate with relevant chambers, federations, and economic bodies within the Syrian Arab Republic and in Germany.
• ●Undertake any other tasks falling within the scope of its competence in accordance with the provisions of the Statute of Business Councils of 2017.

Article (5): Membership Conditions

• ●Membership in the Council is limited to companies and economic entities duly registered in accordance with applicable laws and regulations; individuals in their personal capacity are not eligible for membership.
• ●The company or economic establishment must be operational and engaged in legitimate economic activity.
• ●The company must have existing activity or actual or potential trade relations with the German market, or an interest in developing economic cooperation between the Syrian and German sides.
• ●The company and its management must enjoy a good professional and commercial reputation, and its legal representatives or management must not have been subject to final judicial rulings in crimes involving integrity, honesty, or professional honor.
• ●Commitment to the principles of transparency and compliance with the laws and regulations governing business practice within the Syrian Arab Republic and abroad.
• ●Commitment to the Council's objectives and internal regulations, and contribution to supporting its activities, programs, and initiatives.

Article (6): Membership Categories

• ●A. Basic Membership.
• ●B. Premium Membership.
• ●The conditions, rights, and fees of each category are determined in accordance with the Membership Policy Manual approved by the Board of Directors.

Article (7): Membership Admission Procedures

• ●Membership applications shall be submitted in writing according to the prescribed form to the Council Secretariat, accompanied by the required documents in accordance with the membership conditions mentioned above.
• ●The Board of Directors shall decide on the application within a period not exceeding three weeks from the date of its registration.
• ●The Board of Directors shall issue its decision to accept the application, reject it, or request the completion of the necessary documents and information.

Article (8): Rejection of Membership Application and Appeal

• ●The rejection decision shall be issued by the Board of Directors with reasons, and the company or economic entity whose application was rejected has the right to appeal in writing to the Ministry within fifteen days from the date of receiving notification of the rejection decision.

Article (9): Loss of Membership

• ●A member shall lose their membership based on a decision taken by the Board of Directors with majority approval in the following cases:
• ●A. Loss of any membership condition, or loss of the legal personality of the company or economic entity, or its permanent cessation of activities.
• ●B. Material breach of the Council's objectives, damage to its reputation, or failure to comply with the Council's internal regulations.
• ●C. Failure to pay financial obligations for a period of 90 days from the due date.
• ●A person who has lost membership has the right to request reinstatement after the reasons for losing membership cease, through a request submitted to the Board of Directors; the Board shall decide on it by majority.
• ●Upon termination of membership status, the member's right to all amounts paid to the Council is forfeited.

Article (10): Council Bodies

• ●The Council consists of:
• ●A. The General Assembly
• ●B. The Board of Directors
• ●C. The Council Secretariat

Article (11): The General Assembly

• ●The General Assembly shall meet once a year; the meeting notice shall specify the place, time, and agenda. It may also meet exceptionally once per year.
• ●The General Assembly meeting shall be held with the attendance of an absolute majority of members and in the presence of a representative of the Board of Business Councils. If the quorum is not met, the meeting shall be postponed to a later date and shall be valid with those present.
• ●The meeting shall be convened by invitation of the Council Chairman; the invitation must be sent ten days before the date of the session.
• ●A member company shall exercise its rights in the General Assembly through its legal representative or its duly authorized delegate in writing in accordance with its approved procedures.
• ●Decisions of the General Assembly shall be taken by an absolute majority of attending members.
• ●The General Assembly may hold an extraordinary meeting if necessary, at the invitation of the Council Chairman or 30% of the General Assembly members; the extraordinary meeting shall be considered valid regardless of the percentage of attendees.

Article (12): Competences and Tasks of the General Assembly

• ●A. Elect members of the Board of Directors in accordance with the provisions of the General Statute of Business Councils of 2017.
• ●B. Discuss the Council Chairman's report on the previous year's work.
• ●C. Approve the Council's work plan for the coming year.
• ●D. Elect an auditor for the coming year.
• ●E. Discuss and approve the annual budget and final accounts of the Council.
• ●F. Discuss and approve the financial and accounting report submitted by the auditor.
• ●G. Discuss and approve any new business and proposals, provided that the Council Presidency is notified thereof seven days before the date scheduled for the session.

Article (13): Board of Directors

Article (14): Council Finances

• ●The Council shall be self-funded from fees and subscriptions according to the membership categories and their fees specified in the Membership Policy Manual or any amendments duly approved by the Board of Directors. Donations and revenues from activities, events, and other sources of funding may also be accepted, provided they do not conflict with the provisions of applicable laws and regulations in the Syrian Arab Republic.
• ●An account shall be opened in the Council's name at one of the banks operating in the Syrian Arab Republic through which financial affairs shall be managed; the Council's funding sources shall only be used for purposes that serve its objectives and achieve its goals.
• ●Each member shall pay the membership fees into the account opened in the Council's name.
• ●No expenditure shall exceed the funds available in the account.
• ●The Council's accounts shall be organized with accounting records to reflect the financial position in accordance with established practices.
• ●The Council's accounts shall be subject to audit by a certified legal auditor.
• ●The fiscal year of the Council shall commence from 1/1 to 12/31 of each year.

Article (15): The Council Secretariat

• ●The Board of Directors shall establish a Council Secretariat to undertake administrative and organizational tasks.

Article (16): Tasks of the Secretariat

• ●A. Prepare meeting agendas.
• ●B. Send meeting invitations.
• ●C. Organize meeting minutes.
• ●D. Prepare official correspondence.
• ●E. Maintain documents and records.

Article (17): Supervision and Oversight

• ●The Syrian-German Business Council shall be subject to the supervision of the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade, and shall comply with the provisions of the Statute of Business Councils of 2017.

Article (18): Alignment of the Statute with Legislative Amendments

• ●In the event of an amendment to the Statute of Business Councils, the Council shall comply with its provisions from the date of its entry into force. The Council must prepare a Statute consistent with the amendment upon its issuance, which shall be approved by the General Assembly at its first regular meeting.

Article (19)

• ●The Joint Business Council shall be dissolved by a decision issued by the Chairman of the Board of Business Councils after approval by the Board of Business Councils.