Organisation and Structure

APNEK is governed by its statutes that specify responsibilities and her relation to her institutional environment. Her internal by-laws (that determine internal rule, relations between members, and responsibilities towards the organization) were adopted by the 4^th General Assembly (December 1995) that elected the present Steering Committee.

APNEK’s body structure is organized (as stipulated in her statutes and further explained in her by-laws) as follows:

1. The General Assembly;
2. The Steering Committee;
3. The Executive Board.

1. The General Assembly is APNEK’s highest authority. It is made up of all its adherent members and is summoned, for reelections, every three (3) years. It defines the general outline of and recommends the activities that should enjoy priority within the organization ; elects the Steering Committee ; decides on the amendments of the statutes...
2. The Steering Committee, made up of 16 members elected by the General Assembly, elects the Executive Board, runs the organization for a three (3)-year mandate in conformity with the directives of the General Assembly. The Steering Committee meet once a month at least and anyway when the General Assembly is held, appoints among its members those responsible for its sections and dossiers, and nominates counselors (in conformity of the organization’s statutes and internal by-laws) as well as honorary members.
3. The Executive Board summons the meetings of the Steering Committee and sets the items of the agenda; carries out the decisions of the Steering Committee ; hires (up to now) occasional staff for very limited tasks ; manages the assets of the organization, runs and coordinates its activities. It is made up of six (6) members from the Steering Committee who are elected by the latter: The President, the Vice-president, the Secretary-General, the Deputy-Secretary-General, the Treasurer, the Deputy-Treasurer.

• The President takes all actions and initiatives likely to promote the organization and allow it to fulfill its objectives in conformity with the orientations, strategies, and decided upon. She/He is assisted by the Vice-president.
• The Secretary-General is in charge with summoning the Steering Committee members to its regular and ad hoc meetings ; hold a minutes register and a correspondence one. She/He is helped by the Deputy-Secretary-General.
• The treasurer is responsible for the organization’s finance (income and spendings) and assets. She/He is helped by the Deputy-Treasurer.
• Besides, the organization’s internal by-laws provides for the appointment by the Steering Committee (among its members or from outside it) of an Executive-Director mainly in charge of project management.

Too, and in conformity with its internal by-laws, the Steering Committee recruits active members who are invited to attend its meetings and to take part in its activities.

Now, and besides its 16-member active Committee, APNEK has three substructures :

• Rayann’s Friends Group, a committee of active fairly young people who carry out all educational activities of the Organization ;
• APNEK-Juniors, a children’s substructure that provides the organization with its future leaders after being trained on NGO work and values ; this sub-body is placed under the supervision and management of Rayann’s Friends Group ;
• APNEK-Campus, which coordinates the activities of the five (5) environmental students’ clubs in the univerristy homes and/or institutions of Kairouan.

On the other hand, and still relating to the Organization’s work methodology, 3 units have been instituted during the last three years (1995-97), namely:

• The DESERTIFICATION UNIT (1995)
• The MEDITERRANEAN UNIT (1995)
• The GENDER UNIT (1997)

APNEK has also the chance of having three of its members (the President and two of the Steering Committee) working and living in Tunis-City (the capital) and thus make up a sub-group -though not quite so) ensuring the organization’s presence and representation.