Source: https://abrates.com.br/estatuto/?lang=en
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 17:22:46+00:00

Document:
Art. 1 – The Brazilian Association of Translators and Interpreters (ABRATES) is an entity of professionals and institutions engaged in translation and/or interpreting in all of its forms, with emphasis on the Portuguese language.
e) Promoting the recognition of the work of translators and interpreters.
Art. 3 –ABRATES has its national headquarters in the City of Rio de Janeiro, currently at Av. Rio Branco, 185 | Sala 1508, Rio de Janeiro, RJ.
It may create and maintain regional and state branch offices and encourage representations and/or subsidiaries in other cities in Brazil and abroad.
Art. 4° –ABRATES is an entity of permanent character and shall have indefinite duration.
Art. 5 – The membership of ABRATES consists of active, honorary, student, and institutional members.
Art. 6 – Active members are translators and/or interpreters practicing as salaried or freelance professionals.
Art. 7 – Honorary members are professionals who have rendered relevant services to ABRATES and are recognized as such by the General Meeting.
Art. 8 – Students of institutes of higher learning and of regular extended-duration courses (minimum total: 100 credit hours) enabling them to practice as translators and/or interpreters may join ABRATES as student members until the completion of the corresponding course.
Art. 9 – Institutional members are associations or other public-law or private-law entities that join ABRATES.
Art. 10 – Membership in ABRATES is acquired via request of membership approved by the Board of Directors.
Par. 1 – Requests of membership must be made by sending the completed membership form to the Association via the website, mail, or e-mail. Requests sent by interested institutions and/or translator/interpreter colleagues shall be evaluated by the Board of Directors No documentary evidence is required, except for the case discussed in Par. 2.
Par. 2 – Requests for student membership must include evidence of enrollment in a course qualifying the applicant for the activity of translation/interpreting. Upon presenting evidence of completion of the course, the student member shall be promoted to active member.
Par. 3 – Requests for institutional membership must include a copy of the Bylaws or Articles of Incorporation of the entity and a power of attorney or other legal document granting the signatory the right to sign. The bylaws or articles of incorporation must contain a provision authorizing the entity to engage in translation/interpreting activities.
c) Due to death of the member or dissolution of the member entity.
Art. 12 – Members in arrears with their ABRATES membership dues for twelve consecutive months shall have their membership automatically terminated.
Art. 13 – ABRATES members may take a leave of absence for a determined or undetermined period upon request; during this period the member is exempt from obligations, but is not entitled to the privileges granted to members.
c) Be included in its membership lists and information systems.
b) Be elected to positions on the Board of Directors and Fiscal Council.
I – Candidates to positions on the Board of Directors or Fiscal Council must have been active or honorary members of ABRATES for at least 90 days prior to the date of call for election.
c) Cooperate with the leadership of ABRATES, to the best of their abilities.
Art. 17 – The amounts of the respective dues payable by active members, student members, and institutional members shall be determined by the General Meeting, upon recommendation of the Board of Directors, for the following fiscal year.
Art. 18 – Members are not personally liable for the obligations of ABRATES.
Art. 20 – The General Meeting of active, honorary, and institutional members is the supreme governing body of ABRATES.
g) Remove members of the Board of Directors and the Fiscal Council.
Art. 22 – The General Meeting shall be held as an Ordinary Meeting between January 15 and March 15 of each year, except for reasons of force majeure.
Art. 23– The General Meeting may be called as Extraordinary Meeting at any time, at the initiative of the Board of Directors, the Fiscal Council, or of 20 (twenty) percent of the active members.
Art. 24 – In any event, the General Meeting shall be called by e-mail or regular mail postmarked at least 10 (ten) days in advance and by notification on the home page of the ABRATES website.
Art. 25 – Members may be represented at the Meeting by appointing a proxy via written authorization approved by the General Meeting.
Art. 26 – The General Meeting may deliberate with a quorum of at least one-third of the active members in first call or with any quorum thirty minutes later in second call.
Art. 27 – Resolutions of the General Meeting shall be adopted by a simple majority of votes, with the exception of the provision in the sole paragraph of this Article and in Article 48 of these Bylaws.
Sole Par.– A majority of 2/3 of the votes present shall be needed for approval of amendments to the Bylaws in a meeting specifically called for this purpose, when the amendments have been duly discussed. Absence of a member from the Meeting shall be considered approval of the decisions made.
Art. 28 – The Board of Directors, the managing body of ABRATES, shall be composed of 6 (six) positions: President, Vice President, Secretary-General, 1st Secretary, 1st and 2nd Treasurers.
Art. 29 – The term of the positions on the Board of Directors is 2 (two) years, one re-election being permitted for the same position.
Sole Par.: The term of the newly elected members of the Board of Directors and Fiscal Council shall begin on July 05, of any given year.
e) Represent ABRATES in or out of court.
Art. 31 – The Vice President shall assist the President and replace the President in the event of impediment.
Sole Par– In the event of permanent impediment of the President, the General Meeting shall be called to elect a substitute for the remaining period of the President’s term at the discretion of the Board of Directors,.
Art. 32 – The Secretary-General shall coordinate management, administration, social, cultural, and information activities of ABRATES.
c) Ensure the proper organization and maintenance of the files of ABRATES.
i) Ensure the maintenance and preservation of the assets of ABRATES.
Sole Par.– Withdrawal and disbursement of funds of ABRATES require the signatures of the President and one of the Treasurers.
c) Cooperate in general with the First Treasurer.
Art. 35 – For the election of the Board of Directors, the slate must be registered at the Secretary’s office at least 30 (thirty) days prior to the date of elections.
Art. 36 – The Board of Directors shall provide each candidate with the information necessary for preparing them for the fulfillment of their duties and for communicating their action plan to all members.
Art. 37 – Votes sent via mail or e-mail by voting members duly identified shall also be counted at the General Meeting for the election of the Board of Directors.
Sole Par.– All articles of this section apply also to regional and/or state branch offices while observing their geographic limits.
Art. 38 – The Fiscal Council, elected at the General Meeting, shall consist of 3 (three) regular members and 3 (three) deputies. They are elected for a 2-year term with the option of one re-election to the same position.
Art. 39 – In the event of resignation or death of one of the counselors, the deputy having received the largest number of votes shall assume the position.
c) Communicate to the membership any irregularity observed, by calling a General Meeting, if necessary.
Art. 41 – The decisions of the Fiscal Council shall be made by simple majority of votes.
Art. 43 – Members of the Board of Directors and the Fiscal Council are not employees of ABRATES and shall not receive monetary compensation.
Art. 44 – The Association may contract paid specialized services upon due approval by the Board of Directors.
Art. 45 – These Bylaws are governed by Brazilian laws in force; any doubts or questions related thereto shall be resolved by consulting the Central Court of the City of Rio de Janeiro or, in the case of regional branch offices, the relevant court.
Art. 46 – Any provision of these Bylaws that may become null and void under the law shall be replaced by another, valid provision aiming at achieving the same intent and purpose. The annulment of one provision is not transmitted to other provisions or to the Bylaws.
Art. 47 – ABRATES may be dissolved only by the decision of the General Meeting, by the absolute majority of active members or, in the event of insolvency, upon proposal of the Board of Directors to the General Meeting, which shall decide by absolute majority of the members in first call or with any number of members in second call. In the event of the dissolution of ABRATES, its assets, if any, shall be distributed to the members in good standing.
Art. 48 – Regional and/or state branch offices of ABRATES may create their own regulations as long as they are not in conflict with these Bylaws.
Art. 49 – Cases not covered by these Bylaws shall be resolved by the Board of Directors ad referendum of the General Meeting.
These CONSOLIDATED BYLAWS were approved by the Ordinary General Meeting held on the 14th of March, 2014.

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Art. 35

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Art. 49