CHARTERofGLOBAL SOCIAL ECONOMY FORUMTABLE OF CONTENTS
PREAMBLE
CHAPTER 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1. Our Identity
Article 2. Our vision, mission, and objectives
CHAPTER 2. MEMBERSHIP
Article 3. Membership Categories
Article 4. Registration and Withdrawal ofMembership
Article 5. Rights and Solidarity of Members
CHAPTER 3. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES
Article 6. General Assembly
Article 7. Chair City, Co-Chair and Steering
Committee
Article 8. Secretariat
CHAPTER 4. FINANCING
Article 9. Source of Revenue
Article 10. Expenses
CHAPTER 5. SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONPREAMBLE
Our world today has yet to recover from the economic crisis and the ecologicalcrisis. To overcome such global challenges, we believe that creating a ‘betterworld’ and ‘better life’ through social economy is essential. Social economy refers
to a form of economy that seeks to solve the present issues through trust andcooperation and forge communal solidarity.
‘Seoul Declaration’ adopted on the 5th of November, 2013 summarizes the spirit
mentioned above. In 2014, we take a step further to adopt the Charter of theGSEF for the systematic progress and global solidarity of social economy.

CHAPTER 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1. Our Identity
1.1. For the global solidarity of social economy, we establish the Global Social
Economy Forum (hereafter referred to as the “GSEF”), as a non-profit
international organization.
1.2. Social economy achieves the value of solidarity through trust andcooperation and the local community is its most fundamental foundation.
1.3. The main subjects of the social economy are cooperatives, community
enterprises, social enterprises, credit unions, micro credit, non-profit
organizations and et cetera. Charities and social investment fields areincluded in this category.
1.4. The GSEF does not accept discrimination and injustice of all kinds towards
nationality, race, religion and gender or sexuality.
1.5. The GSEF aims for multi-dimensional progress. We acknowledge thepluralism of human nature, social economy organizations, macroeconomicand political aims. We pursue progress that harmonizes such pluralism.

1.6. In particular, the GSEF values the autonomy of grassroots organizations
and in accordance with this value, we believe it is essential to complement
the policies of both the local and central governments.

Article 2. Our vision, mission and objectives
2.1. Vision: the GSEF aims for the harmonious progress of market economy,
public economy, social economy, and ecology in general. Such progress will
make the best use of an individual’s ability and solve social problems throughsolidarity among social economy subjects. Therefore, the GSEF serves as a
global solidarity network to achieve these goals.
2.2. Mission: Through the collaboration between social economy organizations
and local governments, the GSEF pursues creation of quality jobs, fair
growth, progress of grassroots democracy, and sustainable development.
Values such as human dignity and sustainable ecology are to be theunderlying principles for every activity of the GSEF.
The GSEF contributes to enhancing the quality and quantity of sharedresources and promotes the fair approach and use of such resources. The key
to reclaiming the commons is trust and cooperation, which are thefundamentals for social economy. Ecosystem, culture, knowledge, andhistorical resources of all local communities are all important objectives ofthe GSEF’s activities.
2.3. Objectives
1) The GSEF promotes both personal and material exchanges and sharing
among the main global actors of social economy. To this end, GSEF will
establish on/offline platform and create diverse programs to activate thepersonal and material exchanges.
2) The GSEF supports local government and non-government agencies tocreate a stable social economy network through the public-privatecommunity partnership.

3) The GSEF supports every effort to form social economy associations and social
economy supporting bodies in each region. Through these organizations, theGSEF promotes various joint projects to spread the ecology of social economy ona global scale.
4) The GSEF acknowledges the responsibility to support developing countries
which suffer from poverty and serious underdevelopment, thereby promoting
global solidarity and cooperation in the field of social economy to enhance theenvironment, economy, society, and culture of those countries.
5) The GSEF supports various global movements that are compatible with thesocial value we uphold and furthermore promotes collective actions to solve
problems that the humanity confronts.
6) The GSEF may set up a fund to support social economy when necessary.

CHAPTER 2. MEMBERSHIP
Article 3. Membership Categories
3.1. Membership of the GSEF, in principle, is divided into three categories.
1) Full Member
2) Associate Member
3) Honorary Member
3.2. Full Member
1) Full member consists of local governments and social economy network
members. A full member possesses the right to vote and is eligible to run forelection.
2) Local government membership is open to every local autonomous entity,government, and both local and national level associations.
3) Social economy network membership is open to all the networks of regions,nations, continents and the globe, that are working in various fields of social

economy including supporting organizations and associations.
3.3. Associate Member: Associate membership is open to every social economyrelated organization wishing to actively participate in the GSEF’s activities.
3.4. Honorary Member: Honorary membership is given to an individual or anorganization that has made notable contribution to diverse social economy
sectors and the GSEF activities. An honorary membership shall benominated by the GSEF Steering Committee and be acknowledged by theGeneral Assembly.

Article 4. Registration and Withdrawal of Membership4.1. Registration: Member registration is reviewed by the GSEF Steering
Committee and decided by the General Assembly of the GSEF and theconcrete registration procedure is decided by a separate clause.
4.2. Withdrawal: A member may withdraw its membership by informing theGSEF Secretariat in a written format. Withdrawal procedures are stated in aseparate clause.
4.3. Warning and Disqualification: The GSEF Steering Committee may take thenecessary steps to decide on the disqualification of a member if that member
is harming or contravening the Vision, Mission, Objectives, and the Charterof the GSEF. The GSEF Steering Committee shall go through the designatedformalities to disqualify the member.

Article 5. Rights and Solidarity of Members
5.1. Rights
1) Every member can participate in the activities and programs of the GSEF.
They can also gain access to all information, resources, and records related tothe GSEF.

2) To pursue individual development and achieve common goals, a member cansuggest specific ways to consolidate solidarity and cooperation. Each member
can also set forth his or her view through diverse communication channels in
the GSEF, and fully exercise his or her rights in accordance with the decision
making process within the GSEF.
5.2. Solidarity
1) Every member supports and collaborates in the tasks and programs
promoted by the GSEF.
2) Every member practices solidarity in the exchange of experiences,knowledge, and information needed for the expansion of the ecosystem ofsocial economy.
3) Every member pays an annual fee to contribute to the GSEF’s fiscal selfreliance and solidarity among all members.

CHAPTER 3. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURESThe GSEF shall have three executive organizations as follow:
1) General Assembly
2) Steering Committee
3) Secretariat

Article 6. General Assembly
6.1. General Assembly: General Assembly consists of the full members of theGSEF and is the highest decision-making body in the following instances:
1) GSEF projects and finance2) Benefits of the GSEF members

3) Election of chair-city and steering committee members
4) Selection of host city for the next General Assembly5) Amendment of the GSEF Charter6) Dissolution of the GSEF
7) Other important agendas regarding the GSEF organizations and itsmanagement
6.2. Governance of the General Assembly
1) Any decision at the General Assembly, except those on dissolution of theGSEF and amendment of the Charter, are made by the majority vote of thefull members present unless the General Assembly reaches the agreement bydeliberation.
6.3. Hosting General Assembly
1) The GSEF’s General Meeting will be hosted biennially and its host city shallbe decided at the General Assembly.
2) A local government that wants to host the next general assembly should
submit a proposal and an official letter from its representative to the GSEF
Secretariat at least 90 days before the opening of the General Assembly.
3) A local government that has been chosen as the host city for the next
General Assembly should form a public-private organizing committee andsubmit its ‘plan of action’ to the GSEF Secretariat one year before the next
General Assembly.
4) The host local government of the next General Assembly of the GSEF shallbe in full charge of the overall preparation for the General Assembly throughan agreement with the Secretariat.
5) A provisional general meeting of the GSEF may take place with theagreement of the two-thirds (2/3) of the current members of the GSEF
Steering Committee.
6.4. Amendment of the Charter:
1) The amendment of the Charter shall be decided when at least two-thirds(2/3) of the current full members are present and the two-thirds (2/3) of thepresent full members consent.

6.5. Dissolution of the GSEF
1) The dissolution of the GSEF shall be decided when at least two-thirds (2/3)
of the current full members are present and the two-thirds (2/3) of thepresent full members consent.

Article 7. Chair-City, Co-Chair and Steering Committee
7.1. The GSEF elects a chair-city and sets up a Steering Committee.
7.2. Chair-city and co-chair
1) A Chair-city is elected at the General Meeting. One local government
representative from the Chair-city, and one from a social economy network
member in it shall be the co-chairs of the GSEF.
2) A Chair-city represents the GSEF and presides the meeting of the GSEF.
3) The tenure for chair-city and co-chair is 2 years and they may serve inconsecutive terms.
4) If a local government that is a full member wishes to run for office, it needs
to express its intention by submitting a document to the GSEF Secretariat 60
days before the next general meeting and the GSEF Secretariat must informall the members promptly.
7.3. The Structure of Steering Committee
1) The Steering Committee of the GSEF consists of co-chairs, elected Steering
Committee members, and two representatives from the host city of the next
General Assembly. The number of all Steering Committee members shouldbe around 20.
2) All members of the Steering Committee except the representatives of thehost city of the next General Assembly are elected at the General Assembly.
The tenure for the members of the Steering Committee is 2 years and they
may serve consecutive terms.
3) If a member wants to run for a Steering Committee member, it should
express its intention by submitting a document to the GSEF Secretariat

according to the rules agreed by the Secretariat based on broad geographic
representation and the balance in the ratio of local governments and social
economy organizations.
4) In constituting the Steering Committee, the balance in the ratio of the local
government members and social economy network members should bemaintained reasonably.
7.4. Function of Steering Committee
1) The Steering Committee of the GSEF should hold an official meeting atleast once a year. The committee shall be responsible for auditing, executionof the GSEF projects, review of member registration, and review of host city
candidates for the General Meeting.

Article 8. Secretariat
8.1. Secretariat
1) The co-chair shall appoint the secretary of the GSEF Secretariat, whichshall be approved by the Steering Committee.
2) The GSEF shall establish its Secretariat and the office of the GSEF
Secretariat shall be located in Seoul, South Korea.
3) The Secretariat should be in charge of the execution and reporting of alldecisions at the General Assembly and the Steering Committee. It should
also support holding the General Assembly and other meetings in regard.
4) The GSEF should be responsible for all budgetary management of its
Secretariat. The city hosting the GSEF Secretariat can provide extra staffsand budget to the Secretariat to support its management.
5) The Secretariat shall employ staffs for the Secretariat according to its needs
and should conclude a hiring contract according to international laborstandards.
8.2. Special Division: The Steering Committee may manage a special division for
specific projects in the Secretariat if necessary.

CHAPTER 4. FINANCINGArticle 9. Source of Revenue
9.1. The GSEF’s source of revenue is as follow:
1) Registration Fee and Annual Membership Fee- Registration Fee: a new member of the GSEF should pay a registration fee- Annual Membership Fee: Steering Committee shall decide the annual
membership fee rate by taking into consideration the type, size andfinancial capacity of the members. The Steering Committee may decide on
exceptional cases involving financial and economic status of particularmembers and may suggest reasonable alternatives
2) Funds for joint projects that are raised by local governments, internationalorganizations or acknowledged private organizations including the GSEF
members3) Special donation such as voluntary donation from members and nonmembers
4) Profits through selling published materials, event fees and various contracts5) Non-financial donations

Article 10. Expenses
10.1. The GSEF is responsible for its own operating expense, including its
Secretariat’s administrative expenses and the costs for provisional general
meetings, and other extra expense acknowledged by the Steering Committee.
10.2. Expenses for projects: A portion of the expenses of a specific project
proposed by local governments that is not a general GSEF project should bepaid by local governments that suggested the specific projects.
10.3. Expenses for hosting the General Assembly: the host city of the GeneralAssembly shall prepare the budget for hosting the General Assembly.
10.4. Fund: The GSEF can use its fund to support social economy in each area
10.5. Fiscal year for the GSEF starts on January 1st and ends on December 31stof each year. At the end of each fiscal year, the Steering Committee shall
examine the account book submitted by the Secretariat and if necessary, thecommittee may take further review through a public audit board.

CHAPTER 5. SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISION
11.1. This Charter shall take effect on the day of the acknowledgment in theinaugural meeting of the GSEF.