OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Charlotte Sahl-Madsen | former minister for science, technology, innovation (DK), executive director, salvesensahl

Lisbeth Trinskjær | chairperson The Association of Folk High Schools in Denmark, chairperson The Youth Island

Christian Bason | co-founder Transition Collective, Ph.D., adj. professor University of Technology Sydney, special advisor UN

Jacob Ølgaard | Partner, Attorney at Law | Kromann Reumert

OUR FOUNDERS

After a thorough development phase with input from children and young people from all over the world, national and international politicians, researchers, policy and decision-makers, engaged citizens, NGOs and many others, United Co-Creation Lab was formally founded in July 2024 by:

Charlotte Sahl-Madsen | former minister for science, technology, innovation (DK), executive director, salvesensahl

Hanne Leth Andersen | Rector, professor, Roskilde University

Maria Kümpel Nørgaard | post.doc., founder Family & Child Insight

"Co-creating with young people is vital for policy makers because it harnesses fresh perspectives, fosters innovation, and ensures that initiatives reflect the needs and aspirations of generations to come”

Sebestiaan, 18, The Netherlands

OUR ADDRESS AND REGISTRATION 

United Co-Creation Lab, Nørskovvej 5, Venø, 7600 Struer, Denmark   

Registration as a non-commercial association with a non-commercial purpose: tax number 44972301 

OUR ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION


1 NAME AND REGISTERED OFFICE

1.1 The name of the association is United Co-Creation Lab (the association).

1.2 The association was founded at the founding general assembly on 16 July 2024 by Charlotte Sahl-Madsen, Hanne Leth Andersen, Maria Kümpel Nørgaard (the founders).

1.3 The registered place of the organization is Struer Municipality, Denmark.



2 PURPOSE

The Association is a non-commercial organization with a non-commercial purpose.

2.2 Based on children's and human rights, the purpose of the Association is to promote and disseminate knowledge of children's and young people's skills (including ethical co-creation, innovation, communication) as well as foster and promote the participation of children and young people in democratic development processes, including with decision-makers.

2.3 The purpose of the Association is promoted, among other things, by:

  • developing and disseminating research-based methods and practices for ethical co-creation between children/young people and political leaders as well as other decision-makers.
  • developing and implementing educational courses for, for example, teachers, facilitators, and political leaders.
  • making methods, knowledge bases, etc., available to the public.

The activities of the Association are research-based and aim to be continuously documented by researchers.

The Association can enter into partnerships with, for example, youth organizations, NGOs, research institutions, foundations, associations, municipalities, regions, and ministries with similar purposes.

The association is party-politically neutral.



3 MEMBERS

3.1 Legal and natural persons who wish to promote the Association's purpose can be admitted as members.

3.2 Admission as a member is subject to the approval of the Board of Directors in each case.

3.3 Membership can be applied for by written application to the Association's secretariat, which will respond within 30 days.

3.4 Membership is free of charge.

3.5 Membership only becomes effective once the Board of Directors has approved the application.

3.6 Membership may be denied if special reasons justify it and if a majority of the Board members vote in favor of this.

3.7 Membership can be terminated by written notice to the Association. The termination takes effect from the moment the member resigns.

3.8 A member who does not respect the Association's statutes or decisions, or who in any other way opposes the Association's purpose or interests, may be excluded from the Association by the Board without notice. The exclusion decision can be appealed to the General Assembly, which makes the final decision by a simple majority vote.

3.9 Resigned or excluded members have no claim to the Association's funds.



4 GENERAL ASSEMBLY

4.1 The General Assembly is the Association's highest authority.


4.2 Right to attend meetings and vote

4.2.1 The members of the Association have the right to attend and speak at the General Assembly.

4.2.2 A member may be represented by proxy, which must be given in writing and cannot be valid for more than one year from the date of issuance. Only the Board of the Association can be given a proxy to represent a member at the General Assembly.

4.2.3. Any member who has been a member of the Association for at least three months has one vote at the General Assembly.


4.3 Ordinary General Assembly

4.3.1 The Ordinary General Assembly must be held once a year no later than the end of May.

4.3.2 The General Assembly can be held virtually upon the decision of the Board.

4.3.3 The agenda for the Ordinary General Assembly must include at least the following items:

  1. The Board's report on the past financial year
  2. Approval of the annual accounts
  3. Election of Board members (if applicable)
  4. Election of auditor
  5. Submitted proposals/issues
  6. Any other business

4.3.4 Any member of the Association has the right to have a specific issue/proposal included on the agenda for the Ordinary General Assembly, provided that the request is submitted to the Board no later than 3 weeks before the General Assembly


4.4 Extraordinary General Assembly

4.4.1 An Extraordinary General Assembly must be held when (i) the Board, (ii) the auditor elected by the General Assembly, or (iii) at least 1/4 of the Association's members demand it in writing and specify the proposal/issue to be addressed.

4.4.2 An Extraordinary General Assembly to address a specific proposal/issue must be convened no later than 4 weeks after the request, cf. point 4.4.1.

4.4.3 The Extraordinary General Assembly can be held virtually upon the decision of the Board.


4.5 Notice of Meeting

4.5.1 The General Assembly is convened by the Board via email to the email addresses provided by the Association's members. Members are responsible for notifying the Association if their contact information changes.

4.5.2 Notice must be given no later than 4 weeks before the General Assembly.

4.5.3 The agenda and supporting documents must be sent to the Association's members no later than 2 weeks before the General Assembly.


4.6 Meeting Chair and Minutes

4.6.1 The General Assembly is chaired by a chairperson appointed by the Board.

4.6.2 Minutes of the proceedings at the General Assembly must be kept and signed by the chairperson.


4.7 Quorum, Voting, and Voting Rules

4.7.1 The General Assembly is quorate regardless of the number of members present.

4.7.2 Unless otherwise provided by law or the statutes, all matters at the General Assembly are decided by a simple majority vote among the members. In the event of a tie, the proposal is not adopted. Elections and matters where members vote on multiple options in one vote are decided by a relatively simple majority. In the event of a tie in elections, the decision is made by drawing lots.

4.7.3 Decisions that result in increased obligations for the Association's members or otherwise impair their legal position take effect from the first day of the following financial year. All other decisions take effect from the time of the decision.



5 THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

5.1 The association is managed by a board of 3-7 members elected by the general assembly in accordance with this section 5.

5.2 The Board of Directors shall work to realise the association's purpose and take the initiatives required in this connection. The Board of Directors shall also be responsible for the overall management of the association and ensure that the association complies with applicable legislation and follows guidelines for good governance.

5.3 Among other things, the board of directors must ensure that the financial reporting is carried out in a manner that is satisfactory in the association's circumstances.

To develop and carry out the association's activities, the board of directors may employ a president/secretary-general and/or appoint one or more board members to carry out the tasks. The scope and complexity of the tasks shall be taken into account in the remuneration.

5.4 Board members are elected for a 2-year term. The first term expires at the annual general assembly in 2026. Re-election may take place.

5.5 The association's first board of directors shall be elected at the founding general meeting by the founding members.

5.6 Board members are thereafter elected by the general assembly according to the following criteria:

a) As long as at least one of the founding members is a member of the association, 3-5 board members are elected by the general assembly on the recommendation of the founding members who are still members of the association, while 2 board members are elected by the general assembly on the recommendation of the association's members and/or the board of directors, see clause 5.7.

b) If none of the founding members are members of the association, all board members are elected by the general assembly on the recommendation of the members and/or the board, cf. clause 5.7.

5.7 Candidates who wish to stand for election to the board of directors, cf. clause 5.6, must be of legal age. Candidatures must be submitted in writing to the chairperson no later than two weeks before the general assembly at which new members are to be elected to the board. Apart from nominations for re-election, nominations must be made by at least 5 members of the association. Members nominating candidates must have been members of the association for at least 3 months. Each member may nominate a maximum of the number of candidates to be elected. In addition, no later than two weeks before the general meeting, the board may nominate a number of candidates corresponding to the number of board members to be elected.

5.8 The board of directors constitutes itself with a chairperson and deputy chairperson.

5.9 The board of directors determines any annual fee for the board members, which must not exceed what is considered customary according to the nature of the position and the scope of the work.

5.10 The board of directors is quorate when more than half of all board members are represented.

5.11 The chairperson can, on behalf of the board, decide on matters that do not tolerate delay or do not give rise to doubt.

5.12 It is aimed that all board members have had the opportunity to participate in the handling of the matter.

5.13 The matters dealt with by the board of directors are decided by a simple majority vote. In the event of a tie, the chairperson's (or, in his/her absence, the vice chairperson's) vote is decisive.

5.14 The board of directors shall establish specific regulations for the execution of the board's duties through rules of procedure.

5.15 The board of directors may establish committees to the extent it deems appropriate. Furthermore, the board may choose to have tasks within the association performed by consultants or other external, paid individuals.



6 RULE OF SIGNATURE

6.1 The association is represented by the chairperson/president  or the vice chairperson together with another board member.

6.2 Prokura (authority to act on behalf of the association) can be granted to individuals.



7 LIABILITY

7.1 The association is liable for its obligations with its assets at any given time.

7.2 The board of directors or the members of the association do not have any personal liability.



8 THE ASSOCIATION'S ECONOMIC BASIS

8.1 The economic basis for the association's activities is obtained through contributions, subsidies, and donations, etc., from actors who wish to support the association and its activities. Donations can be earmarked for specific projects.



9 USE OF THE ASSOCIATION'S FUNDS AND SURPLUS

9.1 The association's funds shall be used to cover the ongoing expenses associated with the association's activities. It is not the intention for the association to generate a profit, although reserves necessary according to the association's financial situation may be made.

9.2 Any surplus of the association shall be used in accordance with the association's purpose.



10 ACCOUNTS AND AUDIT

10.1 The association's financial year runs from January 1 to December 31. The first financial year runs from the establishment to December 31, 2026.

10.2 The association's accounts are audited by a state-authorized auditor elected by the general assembly.

10.3 The annual accounts must be approved and signed by the board of directors prior to the ordinary general assembly.



11 AMENDMENTS TO THE ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION 11.1 A decision to amend the association's articles of association must be made by the general assembly with at least a 2/3 majority of the members present at the general assembly, provided that at least 2/3 of the association's members are represented at the general assembly. If this is not the case, the board can, no later than 3 weeks thereafter, convene an extraordinary general assembly, where a decision to amend the association's articles of association can be made with at least a 2/3 majority of the members present at the general assembly, regardless of the number of members represented at the general assembly.



12 DISSOLUTION

12.1 A decision to dissolve the association must be made by the general assembly with at least a 2/3 majority of the members present at the general assembly, provided that at least 2/3 of the association's members are represented at the general assembly. If this is not the case, the board can, no later than 3 weeks thereafter, convene an extraordinary general assembly, where a decision to dissolve the association can be made with at least a 2/3 majority of the members present at the general assembly, regardless of the number of members represented at the general assembly.

12.2 In the event of the association's dissolution, the association's assets must be used to fulfill the association's obligations, and any liquidation proceeds must - based on the board's recommendation - be distributed to another nonprofit association or foundation domiciled in the EU that supports the association's purpose.

12.3 The board of directors may, if it deems it appropriate, appoint a liquidator to carry out the dissolution of the association.


Thus, adopted at the founding general assembly on July 16, 2024.