About AATO
À propos d'AATO
- Preamble
- Article 1 l Establishment
- Article 2 l Objectives
- Article 3 l Membership
- Article 4 l Bodies
- Article 5 l The Assembly
- Article 6 l The Council
- Article 7 l The Secretariat
- Article 8 l Finances
- Article 9 l Dispute Resolution
- Article 10 l Amendments
- Article 11 l Dissolutions
Preamble
- Whereas training is recognized as being of critical importance to ensure safe, secure and efficient air transport in Africa.
- Whereas the provision of aviation training in Africa hitherto needs to be affectively coordinated, standardized, harmonized, in order to achieve the highest possible levels of safety.
- Recognizing that the available supply of aviation training in Africa does not meet needs of African aviation industry in terms of quality and quantity.
- Recognizing the benefits of promoting co-operation among African training organizations to cope with the emerging and growing needs of the African aviation industry.
- Therefore the African training organizations present have agreed to establish the Association of African Aviation Training Organizations (AATO) and have adopted the following Constitution as a framework for the association:
1.1 The undersigned African aviation training organizations are the founding full members, as referred to in Article 3, hereby establish the Association of African Aviation Training Organizations (AATO), hereinafter referred to as the Association.
1.2 The Association, a non-governmental international organization, shall be incorporated as a nonprofit association, according to the jurisdiction, in which it has its headquarters.
1.3 The Association shall have its headquarters at a location approved by the Assembly. It may have other offices throughout Africa and representations around the world.
1.4 The official languages of the Association are Arabic, English, French, and Portuguese. The working language of the Association for communications, meetings, and publications shall be English.
1.5 Internally, the Articles of Association shall take effect upon the signature referred to above in paragraph 1.1; externally, the Articles shall take effect upon the incorporation referred to above in paragraph 1.2.
2.1 The objectives of the Association are as follows:
a. Promote cooperation among its members.
b. Promote the interests of its members and aviation training in Africa.
c. Promote the harmonization and standardization of aviation training in Africa.
d. Encourage the sharing of expertise among its members and other
aviation organizations.
e. Encourage and facilitate the adoption of new technology through
research and development.
2.2 To achieve its objectives the Association shall in particular:
a. Develop policy guidelines for aviation training organizations in
Africa in order to facilitate their compliance with international and
national standards and best practices in aviation training.
b. Develop and advocate positions on issues of interest for its members
and aviation training in Africa.
c. Develop and implement a system of designation of Centres of
Excellence.
d. Support the accreditation of training organizations across borders.
e. Ensure the development and implementation of standards,
harmonized procedures and guidelines for aviation training.
2.3 In order to achieve its objectives, the Association, acting through its Assembly, may adopt Rules and Regulations in each of the areas mentioned in 2.1 and 2.2 above.
3.1 Full Membership
a. Full membership is open to all African aviation training organizations; and
b. To be eligible for full membership, an aviation training organization must
have been approved by an appropriate certification authority, agree to abide
by the constitution of the organization and paid the membership fee.
3.2 Associate Membership
a. Associate membership is open to:
i. All African aviation training organizations that have not yet
obtained approval by an appropriate certification authority;
ii. Aviation professionals; and
iii. Non-profit aviation related organizations.
b. Associate members can participate in Assembly discussions and
deliberations but have no right to elect or be elected to the council or
any other bodies that may be established by the Assembly; and
c. Associate members do not have the right to vote.
3.3 Corporate Membership
a. Corporate membership is open to corporate entities in aviation related
organizations that have a commercial, for profit objective and are
willing to support the Association and its objectives;
b. Corporate members can participate in Assembly discussions and
deliberations but have no right to elect or be elected to the Council or
any other bodies that may be established by the Assembly; and
c. Corporate members do not have the right to vote.
3.4 Application for membership shall be received by the Council for review and
submission to the Assembly with a recommendation for their acceptance or
rejection.
3.5 Applicants refused membership have the right to re-apply in accordance to
the procedures that shall be established by the Assembly.
3.6 Members from any of the categories can withdraw their membership by
giving an advance notice of at least three months to the Council.
3.7 The Council shall report to the Assembly the status of membership on each
session.
3.8 The Assembly may suspend or terminate membership rights on the
recommendation of the Council, except where the member’s status as an
approved ATO changes, in which case suspension is immediate.
3.8.1 Recommendation for suspension or termination of membership
by the Council shall be taken by two third majority vote of the
Council members.
3.8.2 Such recommendations shall be based on the failure of a
member to fully practice the principles and values of the
Association.
4.1 The Bodies of the Association are:
a. The Assembly;
b. The Council; and
c. The Secretariat.
5.1 The Assembly is the highest authority in the Association, bringing together
all members and such official observers or invited guests as the Assembly
may deem desirable. Both members and observers have the right to speak at
the Assembly.
5.2 The Assembly shall meet in ordinary session once every three years at a
country of headquarters or elsewhere.
5.3 The Assembly may hold an extraordinary session as deemed desirable by
a majority of full members as recommended by the Council.
5.4 The Assembly takes its decisions by a simple majority vote of its full
members voting.
5.5 The quorum for a session of the Assembly is two-thirds of its full members.
5.6 The Assembly shall approve mission, vision, values, policy, and strategic
objectives of the Association.
5.7 A draft agenda for the Assembly shall be approved by the Council. All
members from all membership categories may submit working papers.
5.8 Before or during the Assembly session, members from any membership
category may make proposals for the agenda and submit information papers.
5.9 Each Assembly session elects a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson for such
sessions from amongst the full members. They are assisted by the
Secretariat.
5.10 The Assembly may create or dissolve Standing Committees, Committees,
Sub-Committees or Working Groups of its members as it deems desirable.
5.11 The Assembly shall elect full members to the Council for a term of three
years.
5.12 The Assembly shall adopt its own Rules of Procedure.
6.1 The Council is the executive body of the Association. It shall execute the
decisions taken by the Assembly, make proposals to the Assembly, and
perform such other tasks as delegated by the Assembly.
6.2 The Council shall hold two regular meetings each year, at the headquarters
or elsewhere, and such additional meetings as it or the Assembly may deem
necessary.
6.3 The Council shall have a minimum of thirteen and maximum of seventeen
members, appointed by the Assembly, for a three year terms. Members can
stand for re-election.
6.4 The Council shall elect a President and Vice-President from its
members for a period of three years. They are assisted by the
Secretariat.
6.5 The Council shall take its decisions by a majority vote of its full members voting. The quorum for any Council meeting is two thirds of its full members.
6.6 The Council shall adopt its own Rules and Procedure, subject to
approval of the Assembly.
6.7 The functions of the Council shall be to:
a. Propose policies and strategic objectives to the Assembly for approval;
b. Adopt policies and guidelines for the purpose of:
i. Developing policy and guidelines for aviation training organizations in Africa in order to facilitate their compliance with international and national standards and best practices in aviation training;
ii. Developing and advocating positions on issues of interests for its members and the aviation training in Africa;
iii. Developing and implementing a system of designation of Centers of Excellence;
iv. Supporting the accreditation by States in Africa of training organizations across borders;
and
v. Contributing to the development, adoption and implementation by states in Africa of standards, harmonized procedures and guidelines for aviation training.
c. Conduct research in all aviation training aspects based on best of International practices;
d. Submit to the Assembly applications for membership with a recommendation for their acceptance or rejection;
e. Appoint the Secretary General and determine its terms of service;
f. Approve the annual work plan submitted by the Secretariat, and oversee its implementation;
g. Submit an annual report to the Assembly on the activities of the Association, including the status of membership and financial accounts; and
h. Submit an annual budget to the Assembly for its approval, and oversee the financial affairs of the organization in accordance with the provision of the constitution.
7.1 The Secretariat is the administrative body of the Association.
7.2 The Secretariat is headed by a Secretary General, who is the Chief Administrator of the Association. The Secretary General shall be appointed by the Council for a five year term, once renewable.
7.3 The functions of the Secretary General shall be to:
a. Manage the Secretariat;
b. Implement the decisions of the Council, including policies and guidelines for the purpose of:
i. Developing policy and for aviation training organizations in Africa in order to facilitate their compliance with international and national standards and best practices in aviation training;
ii. Developing and advocating positions on issues of interests for its members and the aviation training in Africa;
iii. Developing and implementing a system of designation of Centres of Excellence;
iv. Supporting the accreditation by States in Africa of training organizations across borders; and
v. Contributing to the development, adoption and implementation by states in Africa of standards, harmonized procedures and guidelines for aviation training.
c. Prepare an annual budget to be submitted to the Council;
d. Prepare an annual work plan for submission to the Council;
e. Carry out the activities of the Association as approved by the Council; and
f. Perform such other tasks as assigned by the Council.
7.4 The composition of the Secretariat and the terms of service of staff will be determined by the Council, upon a proposal or proposals from the Secretary General. In addition to competence in their respective areas of work, staff shall represent a cross section of geographical and linguistic areas of Africa.
8.1 Each year the Secretary General shall prepare a draft budget for the next two financial years, which includes the budget referred to in Article 7.3(c). The annual budget shall be submitted for review and approval by the Council.
8.2 Each year the Secretary General shall prepare the financial statements for the past financial year. He or She shall have these statements audited by a chartered accountant, and shall submit them for review and approval by the Council.
8.3 The revenues of the Association, as contained in the annual budgets, shall consist of:
a. Startup funds for the establishment and the first year of full operation of the Association, granted by founding members, international, regional, and states aviation-related organizations;
b. Membership and application fees for the different categories of members. These fees may be adjusted by the assembly to take into consideration the size of the different members involved, according to objective criteria; fees may be revised from time to time by the Assembly;
c. Fees for specific services rendered by the Association in consultative capacity to individual members or third parties; and
d. Grants or donations.
9.1 In case of disputes between members, or between a member and the Association, relating to the interpretation or application of these Articles of Association, parties shall attempt to resolve such disputes by negotiation.
9.2 Where negotiation fails:
a. Disputes may be submitted by the parties to the Council for resolution. In such case, Council members may not vote on a dispute to which they are a party;
b. Disputes may be submitted by the parties to third party arbitration;
c. Each party will bear its own arbitration costs;
d. Arbitration will be governed by the rules and procedures of the International Court of Arbitration; and
e. Where Arbitration fails the law of the host state will prevail.
10.1 These Articles of Association may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the full members of the Association, present and voting at the relevant Assembly meeting for which a quorum exists.
11.1 The Association may be dissolved by a decision taken by two-thirds majority vote of the full members of the Assembly, present and voting at the relevant Assembly meeting for which a quorum exists.
11.2 The decision to dissolve the Association must contain provisions for the
liquidation of assets and liabilities of the Association.