AoA Statutes

AoA Statutes of the Swiss Hepatitis C Association

Art. 1: Name

An association under the name Schweizerische Hepatitis C Vereinigung SHCV (Association Hépatite C Suisse AHCS / Associazione Epatite C Svizzera AECS / Swiss Hepatitis C Association SHCA) based in Zurich is established in the meaning of Art. 60 pp ZGB (Swiss Civil Code). The Swiss Hepatitis C Association is charitable, independent, politically and denominationally neutral and operates throughout Switzerland.

Art. 2: Purpose

The purpose of the Swiss Hepatitis C Association is to provide

  • counselling, support and accompanying of persons* affected by Hepatitis C as well as their optimal integration into their social environment with the objective of maintaining the highest possible quality of life
  • legal assistance of affected persons in as far as they wish to legally claim their right for treatment
  • information of affected persons, the authorities and the public on all aspects of Hepatitis C
  • promotion and support of regional self-help groups
  • pressure on the various participants in the healthcare system so that all persons infected by the HCV virus can be treated with the appropriate most effective therapeutic products.
  • The association does not pursue commercial purposes and does not seek profit. The organs are voluntary

We see ourselves as contact point for patients, as well as authorities, health insurers, industry and other participants in the field of Hepatitis C.

*Patients and their environment are regarded as persons affected by Hepatitis C.

Art. 3: Cooperation with similar organisations

The Swiss Hepatitis C Association strives for the greatest possible exchange of experience as well as interdisciplinary cooperation with other Swiss health associations and self-help organisations as well as foreign Hepatitis C associations.

Art. 4: Membership

The Swiss Hepatitis C Association consists of:

  • natural persons as individual members
  • legal persons as collective members
  • honorary members

Membership is by a written declaration of enrolment sent to the secretariat or by filling in the respective form on the Web page of the association. (www.hepc.ch)
Membership expires on death for natural persons and on dissolution for legal persons, as well as after written resignation at the end of a business year. Membership also expires if a member is in arrears with payment for two annual membership fees.
The General Meeting can exclude a member form the Association for important reasons.
Persons who have performed outstanding services for the Association or Hepatitis C research may be appointed as honorary members by the General Assembly.
The individual, collective and honorary members have one vote each.

Art. 5: Organs of the Association

  • the General Assembly
  • the Board of management
  • the Auditors

Art. 6: General Assembly

The regular General Meeting is held once per year.
Special General Assemblies can be convened by the Board. A special General Assembly is also to be held if demanded in writing by at least one fifth of the members.
The Board issues invitations with the agenda to the General Assembly in writing no later than 20 days in advance. Motions of the members to the General Assembly must be received no later than 14 days before the General Assembly by the Chairman/Chairwoman.
The General Assembly has the following tasks:

  • Approval of the annual report as well as the audited annual accounts
  • Approval of the budget for the following business year
  • Election of the Chairman or Chairwoman, the other members of the Board and the auditor
  • Confirmation of the Secretariat proposed by the Board
  • Determination of membership fees
  • Nomination of honorary members
  • Changes to the statutes

Art. 7: Board

The Board is elected for a two-year term. It can be re-elected for a new 2-year term and is composed of at least three members. In particular:

  • the Chairman or Chairwoman
  • the Vice-Chairman or Vice-Chairwoman
  • the Treasurer
  • at least one person affected by Hepatitis C (whereby healed persons also count as affected persons)
  • at least one representative of the medical profession

Art. 8: Tasks of the Board

The members of the association’s board of directors are voluntarily active and are, in principle, only entitled to compensation for their effective expenses and cash expenses. A suitable compensation can be arranged for special achievements of individual members of the Management Board.
The Board manages the business of the Association which is not governed by the statutes or assigned to another organ by the Board, in particular:

  • Strategic planning
  • Acquiring and managing the financial means of the Association
  • Preparing the business for the General Assembly
  • Proposals for honorary members
  • External representation of the Association and determining signature authorisations
  • Arrangement of memberships in other organisations.
  • Setting the date for the next General Assembly
  • Accounting and preparation of the annual report at the end of the calendar year

The Board may appoint a secretariat to fulfill some of its tasks. This secretariat must be confirmed by the General Assembly.

Art. 9: Auditing

The General Assembly elects a financial auditor for the period of one year. The auditor is to check the accounts of the Association and report to the General Assembly.

Art. 10: Self-help groups

The regional self-help groups are parts of the Swiss Hepatitis C Association without being an own legal entity.

Art. 11: Finances and liability

The following means are available for meeting the Association’s tasks:

  • Membership fees
  • Donations and legacies
  • Public subsidies
  • other contributions

Liabilities of the Swiss Hepatitis C Association are limited exclusively to the Association’s assets. Personal liability of the members is excluded.

Art. 12: Revision of the statutes, dissolution of the Association

A revision of the statutes is decided on by the General Assembly with a two-thirds majority of members present. Dissolution of the Association can only be decided in a special General Assembly. This also requires a two-thirds majority of the members present.
If the Association is to be dissolved, the assets, after settling all obligations, are to be assigned to a tax exempted, charitable private or public legal person based in Switzerland with the same or a similar purpose and are to be used within the meaning of Art. 2 of these statutes.
A distribution among the members is excluded.

Art. 13: Final provisions

These statutes were approved at the General Assembly held on 3rd July 2018 in Zurich and replace the statutes from 8th June 2017.

Chairman
Daniel Horowitz

Secretary
Christophe Bösiger