Democratic Pacific Union (DPU)
General Guidelines Governing Local Chapters
Article 1. Purposes and Objectives
Consistent with the Charter of the Democratic Pacific Union (DPU) as ratified by its members on August 14, 2005, and to promote and support the activities of the DPU, each member country shall establish at least one local chapter within three years of joining the DPU. The purposes and objectives of the Local Chapter is to support the Purposes and Objectives of DPU, as ratified on August 14, 2005.
The purpose of the Democratic Pacific Union (“the Union”) is to bring the democracies of the Pacific Rim together to promote democracy, peace and prosperity. The objectives of the Union are:
1. To uphold human rights, democracy, the rule of law, the freedom of the press and the independence of the judiciary;
2. To encourage the peaceful resolution of regional disputes and the protection of human security;
3. To advance maritime culture and the sustainable development of the Pacific Ocean;
4. To promote exchange and cooperation in the areas of trade, technology and culture among the Members of the Union.

DPU’s local chapter may be called as “[Location] Chapter, DPU.” For example, “Taiwan Chapter, Democratic Pacific Union”.
Article 2. Location and Registration
A Local Chapter shall register with the appropriate agency(ies) and comply with all applicable local laws governing non-governmental organizations.
A Local Chapter shall have a permanent physical address and shall register such an address with the Headquarter (International Secretariat Office).
A Local Chapter must file a copy of its charter and relevant registration with the Headquarter within 60 day(s) of its formation.

Article 3. Rights and Duties
A Local Chapter may initiate programs of its own that are consistent with the goals of the DPU: Democracy, Peace and Prosperity. The Local Chapter shall inform the Secretariat of its activities in its [Quarterly/Semi-Annual/Annual] Report to the DPU.
Article 4. Membership
A Local Chapter may have different tiers of membership, and may include individual natural person(s) [or group/corporate entities].
Each Local Chapter shall establish its own membership requirement that is consistent with the promotion of DPU’s ideals and goals.
Individual Membership. No Local Chapter may impose limitations on membership based on racial/ethnic, gender, religious, sexual orientation or other discriminatory categories.
Corporate/Group Membership. Each Local Chapter that accepts membership for group/corporate entities should establish clear guidelines for such membership and shall file such guidelines with the headquarter.
Removal of Membership. Each Local Chapter shall establish a clear guideline and procedure for removal of membership, including (but not limited to):
(A) Voluntary withdrawal of membership;
(B) Involuntary withdrawal of membership due to failure to pay membership fee, failure to carry out assigned duty, the misrepresentations DPU and the Local Chapter. Such a guideline shall include due process for the removal of membership, including the opportunities for the member to respond.

Article 5. Local Board of Directors
Each Local Chapter shall have a Local Board of Directors elected by the members. The Term of the Directors shall be at least one year, but no longer than 2 years. The Local Board of Directors shall elect a Chairperson and at least one Deputy Chairperson for the Local Chapter.
The Local Board of Director shall designate a person that is responsible for preparing and filing the necessary documents with the DPU Headquarters and serves as the contact person for the DPU.
The Local Board of Director shall be responsible for the direction of the Local Chapter and the promotion of the DPU goals.

Article 6. Secretariat Office
At the discretion of the Local Board of Directors, each Local Chapter may establish a Secretariat office to carry out day-to-day affairs. The Secretariat office may appoint a Secretary-General, a Deputy Secretary-General and/or an Executive Director to carry out the operation and the activities as directed by the Board of Directors.

Article 7. Working Groups and Commissions
Each Local Chapter may establish specialized commissions to support and work with the DPU Commissions under the DPU International Secretariat. Currently, the special commissions includes the following six areas: (1) Law and Political Affairs; (2) Human and Social Affairs; (3) Peace and Security; (4) Science and Technology; (5) Industries and Economics; and (6) Maritime Affairs. Each commission may include any number of experts or commissioners based on its needs and shall work closely with the corresponding commissions in DPU Headquarter.
At the discretion of the Local Board of Directors, each Local Chapter may also include several working groups to serve its needs.

Article 8. Financial Committee
Each Local Chapter shall establish a Financial Committee, which is responsible for the budget, sources of funding and the income of the DPU Local Chapter. The Financial Committee must file an annual financial report to the DPU Headquarters.

Article 9. Membership Fees
Each Local Chapter shall collect membership fees for its members. The Local Chapter may include initiation fee for any new members and may include different membership tiers that with different membership fee amounts.

Article 10. Annual Fee to DPU Headquarters
Each Local Chapter is required to pay US$10,000 annual fee to the DPU Headquarters to support the activities of the Headquarters.