NB: The association was decided to be founded during Melammu Symposia 3 in 2000. As it never developed or functioned beyond its initial creation, a vote concerning the dissolution of the association was held at Melammu Symposia 7 in 2013. As a majority of those present voted in favour of dissolution, in accordance with Article 29 of the Statutes the association no longer exists.

The International Association for
Intercultural Studies of the Melammu Project

At the Third Annual Symposium of the Assyrian and Babylonian Intellectual Heritage Project (Chicago, USA, October 27-31, 2000), the general assembly deliberated the foundation of an "International Association for Intercultural Studies of the Melammu Project", to be officially established through legal channels. The statutes of the Association can be found below.

Statutes of the
"International Association for Intercultural Studies of the Melammu Project"

  Article 1 - An international Association known as "International Association for Intercultural Studies of the Melammu Project" is established, with its legal seat in Ravenna, c/o the Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente ( Is.I.A.O.), Sezione Emilia Romagna, Palazzo Corradini, Via Mariani n.5, 48100 Ravenna.
  The Association is autonomous, but may work in collaboration or within the frame-work of scientific Associations or national and international Institutions and Foundations, which completely or partly share its aims and support its activities.
  The Association may also affiliate itself with any of these Associations or Institutions or Foundations only with the approval of the General Assembly and within the terms of reference of the Statutes.
  The duration of the Association is for an unlimited period.

  Article 2 - The purpose of the association is to promote and foster:

  The Association will not perform any political activities, but it would seek to contribute to the intercultural understanding and inter-ethnic and inter-religious tolerance and respect.
  It will organize international meetings, preferably every year.

  Article 3 - The Association is made up of the original founding members and of the ordinary members admitted after its constitution.

  Article 4 - The full membership of the Association consists of ordinary members, who are scholars operating on the bases of the Statutes and paying regular membership fees. The Association can also admit honorary members and benefactors but without any right of voting and of election if they are not also ordinary members.

  Article 5 - The original founding members shall enjoy the status of ordinary members. All those who are engaged in research activities related to the field of the Association may become ordinary members.
  Distinguished scholars, whose subject of study is related to the field of activities of the Association may become honorary members.
  Natural or legal persons supporting the activities of the Association through gifts or donations in excess of the minimum amount set down by the Board may be admitted as benefactors.

  Article 6 - Applications for ordinary membership shall be addressed to the President who will submit them to the Board. The Board shall be competent to decide in the last instance and shall be under no obligation to disclose the reasons for its decisions.

  Article 7 - The status of honorary member or benefactor is established by the Board on its own discretion.

  Article 8 - The administrative appointments shall be conferred on the ordinary members who will carry them without remuneration.

  Article 9 - The Board shall determine the amount of dues to be paid each year by ordinary members.

  Article 10 - Any member may freely withdraw from the Association.

  Article 11 - The Board may decide the exclusion or suspension of a member in the case of a serious disregard of the honour or lawful interests of the Association. Failure to pay dues for two consecutive years shall result in the loss of membership.

  Article 12 - The Organs of the Association are the General Assembly of the ordinary members and the Board.

  Article 13 - The General Assembly shall consist of all the ordinary members of the Association. It shall be convoked by the President at a date set by the Board, usually in conjunction with a conference. No more than two years shall elapse in any case between one convocation and another.
  The conditions of the convocations shall be laid down in the Rules of Procedure.

  Article 14 - The General Assembly shall:

  Article 15 - The Assembly shall meet upon the first and upon a second convocation. The first meeting shall be valid only if the majority of the members are present; the second meeting of the Assembly shall be valid regardless of the number of members present. Decision shall be made by a simple majority of the members present.

  Article 16 - The minutes of the General Assembly shall be prepared by the Secretary and signed by the President and the Secretary.

  Article 17 - The Association is governed and administered by the Board. The Board may set up a consulting committee and other committees or working groups for the attainment of the purposes of the Association.

  Article 18 - The members of the Board shall be elected, by secret ballot, by the General Assembly by a majority of the members present or represented. Each member present may represent no more than one member.

  Article 19 - The Board shall be composed of ten members. Nine of them will beelected by the General Assembly, while the Scientific Coordinator of the DataBase of the Melammu Project will be appointed by the Board as a voting member, but he cannot become President of the Association.
  The Board shall elect from among its members a President, a Vice-President and a Secretary. The Vice President shall not have the same nationality as the President. The Board may appoint or a member of the Board or any other ordinary member of the Association not elected in the Board as a Treasurer, but in this second case he will be without right of voting in the Board meetings.

  Article 20 - The members of the Board remain in office for a two-year term. Every two years, not more than four of the sitting members may be re-elected according to procedures to be established in the Rules of Procedures. No member will remain in office more than two consecutive terms.

  Article 21 - The President shall represent the Association officially and legally, also before the court. He shall convene and preside the Board and the sessions of the Assembly, implement the decisions, authorize the collection of debts and payments and sign the official acts. The President, if absent or unable to carry its duties, shall be replaced by the Vice-President, or, should this be impossible, by another member of the Association designated by the Board.

  Article 22 - The Board shall:

  Article 23 - The meetings of the Board shall be valid if the majority of the members is present. The Board decides by a simple majority; in the case of a tie, the vote of the President shall be decisive (= double vote).

  Article 24 - The Secretary shall be responsible for the correspondence, files, invitations to meetings and to sessions of the Assembly, the preparations of minutes and the keeping of registers as prescribed by law of the nation where the present act has been registered.

  Article 25 - The Treasurer shall be responsible for the management of the funds of the Association. He shall make all payments, receive all amounts due to the Association and issue the receipts thereof.
  The Treasurer shall keep a regular account of the operations carried out by him and shall report on them to the General Assembly. He may be assisted by a chartered accountant at the discretion of the Board.

  Article 26 - The financial resources of the Association shall be made up by:

  Article 27 - The present Statutes may be amended only by an extraordinary General Assembly, purposely convened either on the initiative of the Board or on the initiative of at least a quarter of the members of the Association. Such an extraordinary General Assembly has to be convened with no less than a 60 days notice, provided the matter in question has been included in the agenda.

  Article 28 - Amendments to the Statutes shall be adopted by a majority of at least two thirds of the members present.

  Article 29 - The dissolution of the Association may be decided by the General As-sembly, requiring a majority of all members. If there is not a sufficient number of members present on the first convocation, the General Assembly may be reconvened. At the second convocation the decision may be made by a two thirds majority of the members present or represented.
  Upon realisation of the assets of the Association, the Assembly will apportion to the members only the amount of their contributions.

  Article 30 - The matters regarding the functioning of the Association are dealt with in the relevant Rules of Procedures. The Rules shall not be included in the Statutes but shall be kept up to date as the need arises. Amendments to the Rules of Procedure must be proposed to the General Assembly by the Board or by at least a quarter of the members.