Beslut per capsulam Underlag till styrelsemöte 1-2 december 2008

Till: Styrelsen
Från: Anna Nilsdotter
Datum: 16 januari 2009

Beslut per capsulam

16 december 2008

att godkänna Direktiv för en utredning om svenska sektionens postorderverksamhet.

Till: Styrelsen
Från: Lisa Moraeus
Datum: 16 oktober 2008

Förslag till direktiv för översyn av Amnestys postorderverksamhet

Bakgrund/beslut:
Sedan 1998 bedrivs sektionens postorderverksamhet av frivilliga medlemmar i Lund. En av anledningarna till att sektionen beslutade att utlokalisera försäljningen (som först skedde genom en affär i Malmö) var bland annat att stödja aktivismen. Postorderverksamheten är mycket riktigt en viktig verksamhet för de medlemmar som är aktiva i Lundavdelningen.

Sektionsstyrelsen ser i framtiden flera behov som förändrar förutsättningarna för postorderverksamheten:
- Behovet av att ta fram och marknadsföra profilprodukter som ett led i vårt varumärkesbyggande, inklusive möjligheten att köpa in produkter från andra sektioner vilket möjliggörs av en gemensam grafisk profil för hela Amnesty International
- Behovet av att screena allting som sektionen säljer så att vi är säkra på att vi inte bidrar till kränkningar av mänskliga rättigheter och
- Behovet av att följa de policies som sektionen nu tar fram inom inköp och företagssamarbeten

Syfte samt formulering av uppdraget/uppgifter:
Uppdraget innebär att formulera den svenska sektionens syfte med postorderverksamheten och komma med förslag (ett eller flera alternativ) på hur den bör organiseras i framtiden.

Metoder:
Utredningen ska
- Sammanställa de diskussioner och beslut som lett fram till det system som finns idag, inklusive de avtal som finns mellan sektionen och Lundaavdelningen. - Skaffa sig god insyn i postorderverksamheten och hur verksamheten påverkar Lundaavdelningens arbete, ekonomiskt och med tanke på aktivism.
- Undersöka eventuella internationella riktlinjer som kan påverka verksamheten.
- Utreda hur postorderverksamheten bör hanteras framöver, med hänsyn både till sektionens behov av ett starkt varumärke samt transparens beträffande vilka produkter vi säljer och Lundaavdelningens behov beträffande ekonomi och aktivism.
- Utredningen ska även föreslå en modell för fördelning av kostnader och intäkter, oavsett om förslaget är ett samarbete mellan sektionen och Lundaavdelningen eller något annat.
- Översynen ska göras i nära dialog med styrelsen för Lundaavdelningen samt ansvariga på sekretariatet.

Tidsram:
Ett förslag ska inkomma i god tid före styrelsens marsmöte 2009.

Budget:
Normala reseskostnader.

Uppdragsgruppens sammansättning:
Utredningen bör genomföras av en eller flera personer med god insyn i sektionens verksamhet och kompetens inom företagsekonomi.

Kontaktperson i styrelsen:
Lisa Moraeus


19 december 2008

att utbetala 25.000 EUR till European Directors Forum Steering Commitee,

att utbetala 1.000.000 SEK till International Mobilization Trust, IMT.


7 januari 2009

att skicka in Resolution regarding the remunerating of the IEC och Resolution on access to safe and legal abortion services till första resolutionsrundan inför ICM 2009.

Resolution regarding the remunerating of the IEC

The International Council

INSTRUCTS the International Executive Committee to commission a study into the question
of remunerating the IEC and submit a proposal on the issue to the International Council
Meeting of 2011.


Explanatory note
At every International Council Meeting the International Executive Committee is elected and
tasked with providing leadership for the movement and serving as the voice of the
membership until the next ICM. During this period the IEC is responsible for, among other
things, the global strategic direction and development of Amnesty International which
includes implementing the International Strategic Plan, ensuring sound financial management
as well as prioritizing and monitoring the work of the International Secretariat.

While the organization has grown and become increasingly professional, the decision-making
structures have not changed in order to cope with the challenges posed by this growth. This
means that the already large amount of work required of the IEC has become even larger.
However, despite the crucial importance and the demanding nature of the work carried out by
the IEC, it is presently done without remuneration and the members of the committee are
therefore expected to perform these duties in their leisure hours. It is our belief that
remunerating the IEC would better reflect the demands currently placed on the committee as
well as alleviating some of its workload.

Remuneration would also mean that persons, who may consider to stand as candidates but do
not do so because of time constraints or financial ones, may be able to stand for election in the
future. The current situation may hamper further efforts to increase diversity at the highest
leadership levels of the movement. Such a widening of the possible recruitment base for the
IEC could encourage persons from all backgrounds and from all sections to stand and
therefore increase the choice available to sections. This would not only strengthen the
democratic process but could also increase the diversity of the IEC, which is an integral aim
of the One Amnesty process. If we strive towards becoming a truly global and diverse
movement, this has to be reflected in our highest leadership body.

Criticism may be directed towards the potential costs involved. This will of course have to be
considered by those tasked with studying the matter. However, considering the size of the
international budget, possible remuneration of the IEC should not be dismissed out of hand.
There are at least two further potential arguments against the remuneration of the IEC. One is
that such a system would affect the impartiality of its members. The other is that remuneration
would risk creating a two-tiered membership, with a small elite receiving money for work
which other active members do voluntarily.

These are fair arguments, however they would appear to depend on how much compensation
the IEC members would receive. The amounts involved will be a critical issue for the study to
analyse. There is no question in the minds of the resolution's authors of the IEC receiving full
salaries. The remuneration would rather go some way towards compensating members for that
amount of time which they otherwise would be devoting to their regular jobs. Thus, the
amounts in question should not affect the IEC members' judgement, nor should they create
any feeling of added status. The compensation is simply a recognition of the workload the rest
of the movement places on them.


Resolution on access to safe and legal abortion services

The International Council

RECOGNIZES that where a woman’s access to safe and legal abortion services is restricted, her
fundamental human rights may be at grave risk. Abortion services should therefore be legal, safe
and accessible to all women free from coercion, discrimination and violence.

RECOGNIZES that a woman’s access to abortion may be subject to reasonable restrictions. (1)

INSTRUCTS the IEC to develop a policy consistent with such an approach, especially with
regards to States' obligation to provide legal, safe and accessible health services to all women.


Explanatory note
AI’s current policy statement on abortion (POL 39/004/2007) is an important but incomplete step
towards a comprehensive position on women's sexual and reproductive rights.

Under our current policy, AI is able to act on some human rights violations relating to abortion,
especially those linked to our work on violence against women. According to the policy AI
would call on states to take all necessary measures to ensure that safe and legal abortion services
are available, accessible, acceptable and of good quality for women who require them in cases of
unwanted pregnancy as a result of rape, sexual assault or incest, and pregnancy which endangers
the life of the woman (including risks of grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health
of the woman).

However, we believe there is a need for a more inclusive approach. Our current policy does not
take into account that an unwanted pregnancy may put at risk a woman's fundamental rights even
if she has not been raped or if there is no proof of sexual abuse and if her life is not in direct
danger because of the pregnancy. As the Decision 3 of ICM 2005 states: “the need for abortion in
a large number of cases is a consequence of ... a lack of empowerment of women as well as of a
lack of access to education and health services like contraception”. All over the world, women
and girls decide to undergo abortion as the only solution to their current situation, whether
abortion is legal or not. Worldwide an estimated 70,000 women die as a consequence of unsafe
abortion each year. In some countries up to 60% of all maternal deaths are due to unsafe
abortions, and in addition, a vast number of women and girls are harmed for life as a result of
unsafe abortions. Thus, when a woman is denied the right to make an independent and well-
informed decision whether to continue or terminate her pregnancy, a wide range of her human
rights are threatened.

Given the high number of maternal deaths that can be attributed to unsafe abortions, AI's current
policy on SRR will not be sufficient in relation to our coming work on maternal mortality and the
right to health, included in the global campaign on Human Dignity.

Amnesty International, Swedish Section

(1) ”Reasonable restrictions” refer to the restrictions mentioned in paragraph 4 and 5 in AI’s current policy statement on abortion (POL
39/004/2007) and include restrictions on gestational limits, some restrictions on sex-selective and disability-selective abortions, and restrictions
that apply to the provision of all medical services.

Background Documents:
ORG 52/003/2005: ICM Decision 3 Sexual and Reproductive Rights
POL 39/001/2006: SRR Consultation Paper 1: Policy statement and background information on
sexual and reproductive rights
POL 39/002/2006: SRR Consultation Paper 2: possible AI policies on selected aspects of
abortion.
POL 39/008/2006: Statement summarizing AI’s current policy on Sexual and Reproductive
Rights
POL 39/004/2007: AI and Sexual and reproductive rights: Recommended policy statement on
selected aspects of abortion
ORG 52/001/2007: ICM Decision 3 Sexual and Reproductive Rights