Vision Network official launch, Helsinki, February 2027
Vision Network official launch, Helsinki, February 2027
This is an English translation of the rules (säännöt) of United Vision ry, registered with the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) and in force from 25 August 2026. If this translation and the registered Finnish text differ, the Finnish text applies.
The name of the association is United Vision ry. Its domicile is Helsinki.
The register language of the association is Finnish. The main working language of the association is English.
The purpose of the association is to promote young people’s participation, equality and wellbeing, as well as intercultural understanding and international cooperation.
The association promotes the empowerment of young people through international mobility, non-formal learning, volunteering, digital innovation and social entrepreneurship. It aims in particular to create opportunities to participate, learn and have influence for young people who are at risk of exclusion or who come from a migrant or other underrepresented background.
To fulfil its purpose, the association:
Vision Network is a worldwide cooperation platform founded and maintained by United Vision ry. It is not an independent legal entity; it operates as part of the association, in the association’s name and on its behalf.
The network’s activities, projects, partnerships, leadership training and digital platforms are led and coordinated centrally under the board of the association. All decision-making power concerning the network belongs to the board and the association meeting as set out in these rules.
The board may set up regional and thematic groups within the network, appoint persons responsible for them and confirm guidelines for the network. These groups and persons act within the authority given by the board and are accountable to the board.
The name of the association may not be included in the name of the network or its groups without the permission of the board. Only a person entitled under section 18 or holding written authorisation from the board may commit the association or dispose of its funds.
To support its activities, the association may, after obtaining any necessary permit:
The association does not aim to make a profit or other direct financial gain for those involved in it, and its activities may not otherwise be mainly economic.
The activities of the association are guided by the following values:
The association is not affiliated with any political party or religion. It does not support or oppose any party, candidate or party political campaign.
The association is nevertheless committed to human rights, equality, non-discrimination and democratic accountability, and promotes these principles through informed, non-violent and civil society means. Project funding received by the association may not be used for party political or religious purposes.
The association has ordinary members, supporting members and honorary members.
An ordinary member may be a private person or a legal entity or foundation (legal entity member) that accepts the purpose, values and rules of the association. An ordinary member has the right to vote at association meetings under the conditions set out below, the right to stand for board positions under the conditions in section 15, the right to make proposals and initiatives, and the right to attend and speak. A legal entity member cannot be a member of the board.
The voting right of a new ordinary member begins one hundred and eighty (180) days after the date of the board’s decision to approve the member. During this period the member may attend, speak and make proposals at association meetings. The waiting period does not apply to honorary members. If an ordinary member becomes a supporting member at their own request and later returns to ordinary membership, the period is counted from the new approval decision.
A natural person has the right to vote only after turning fifteen (15). The age requirement applies to all natural persons with voting rights, regardless of membership class. A legal entity or foundation with voting rights uses it through an authorised representative as set out in section 25, and the representative must be at least fifteen (15) years old.
A supporting member may be a private person or a legal entity or foundation that wishes to support the purpose and activities of the association. A supporting member may attend and speak at association meetings but has no vote.
Ordinary and supporting members are approved by the board on written application.
On the board’s proposal, the association meeting may invite as an honorary member a person or entity that has significantly advanced and supported the activities of the association, or the empowerment of young people, intercultural understanding or social justice. An honorary member has the same rights as an ordinary member, including the right to vote.
The board keeps the register of members referred to in section 11 of the Associations Act. Members must give the association their name, municipality of residence, postal address and any email address, and notify any changes. Notices of meetings and other notifications are considered delivered when sent to the address the member last provided.
The annual meeting decides the amount of the joining fee and the annual membership fee to be charged in the following calendar year, separately for ordinary members and supporting members. The annual meeting may decide on a different membership fee for legal entity members. Honorary members pay no joining or membership fees.
The board decides the due date of the fees. If the annual meeting has not decided the amounts, the fees of the previous calendar year apply.
A member is obliged:
The code of ethics and value commitment specify the obligations set out in these rules. They cannot impose wider obligations on a member than these rules. If the code of ethics conflicts with these rules, these rules apply.
A member may resign by notifying the board or its chairperson in writing, or by announcing the resignation at an association meeting to be recorded in the minutes. The resignation takes effect when the written notice has reached the board or its chairperson, or when the announcement is made at the meeting. Resignation does not release the member from fees that fell due before it took effect. Fees already paid are not refunded.
The board may expel a member who:
Before a decision to expel, the member must be given an opportunity to be heard, except where the reason is an unpaid membership fee.
The expulsion decision must state the reason. It must be given to the member in writing and must mention the right under section 12 to have the decision considered by the association meeting.
Instead of expulsion, the board may, for a fixed period of no more than six (6) months, restrict a member’s right to take part in the activities and events of the association and access to its internal communication channels, if the board considers that the member’s conduct meets one of the grounds for expulsion in section 10 but the seriousness of the breach or the circumstances do not require expulsion.
The restriction does not affect the member’s right to vote or to take part in association meetings. During the restriction the member keeps the right to attend, speak and vote at association meetings.
The chair of a meeting may remove a person who disturbs the meeting after asking them to stop. The board cannot restrict a member’s right to take part in association meetings.
Before a restriction is imposed, the member must be given an opportunity to be heard. The decision must be given to the member in writing and must state its reasons, its duration and the rights that are restricted.
A restriction based on the same act or omission cannot be renewed. After a restriction ends, a new restriction can only be imposed for a new act or omission.
An expelled member and a member whose rights have been restricted under section 11 may have the decision considered by the association meeting by delivering a written demand to the board within thirty (30) days of receiving the decision.
If the demand cannot be considered at the annual meeting within ninety (90) days of its arrival, the board must call an extraordinary association meeting to be held within that time, unless the member agrees in writing to have the matter considered at the next annual meeting.
The decision of the association meeting is final within the association. The member has the right to challenge the decision in court under section 32 of the Associations Act.
A member who, in good faith, reports a suspicion concerning the administration, finances or ethical conduct of the association may not be expelled under section 10 or restricted under section 11 because of the report.
Good faith means that the person reasonably believed the suspicion to be justified when making the report. A report is not made in good faith if the person knew it to be untrue or made it solely to harass.
The affairs of the association are managed by a board consisting of a chairperson and at least two (2) and at most seven (7) other ordinary members, elected at the association meeting. In addition, at most two (2) deputy members may be elected.
The chairperson’s term is two (2) years, and the chairperson is up for election every other year. The term of the other ordinary board members is two (2) years so that about half of them are up for election each year, depending on whose two-year term has ended. The term of deputy members is one (1) year. The term begins when the meeting that made the election ends.
The first time the board is elected under these rules, the association meeting decides which of the other ordinary members are elected for one (1) year and which for two (2) years, to stagger the terms. If necessary, this is decided by lot.
A board member may be re-elected to the same or another position without limits on consecutive or total terms, provided they meet the eligibility requirements in section 15.
If the chairperson or another ordinary board member resigns, is dismissed or becomes permanently unable to serve during their term, the association meeting elects a new member for the remaining term.
An extraordinary association meeting must be held to hold a by-election within thirty (30) days of the board learning that the chairperson’s position has become vacant, or that the board has fewer than three (3) ordinary members including the chairperson. In other cases the by-election may be held at the next association meeting.
A deputy member takes part in a board meeting and exercises decision-making power in place of an ordinary member when an ordinary member is unable to attend. Deputies are called in the order in which they were elected. A deputy counts towards the quorum only when acting in place of an ordinary member.
The board elects a vice-chairperson from among its members and appoints a secretary, a treasurer and other necessary officers from among its members or from outside. A secretary or treasurer from outside the board must be an ordinary or honorary member and sign the value commitment and code of ethics; the age limit of fifteen (15) and the conditions in points 4 and 5 of section 15(1) also apply to them, and they must give the written assurance referred to in section 15(2).
The working committee consists of the chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary and treasurer. If fewer than three (3) of them are board members, the board appoints additional board members so that the working committee has at least three (3) board members. The board may authorise the working committee to handle routine matters between board meetings. Only working committee members who are board members exercise decision-making power, and the committee has a quorum only when at least three (3) board members are present. Other members take part in preparation without decision-making power. The working committee’s decisions must be reported to the board at its next meeting. Matters referred to in section 16, and decision-making power in matters that are significant for the association’s finances, cannot be delegated to the working committee.
The board meets when called by the chairperson or, if the chairperson is unable or the position is vacant, by the vice-chairperson, when they consider it necessary or when at least half of the board members demand it. Board members may also take part by telecommunication or other technical means.
The board has a quorum when at least half of its members, including the chairperson or vice-chairperson, are present. In any case the board has a quorum only when at least three (3) voting members or deputies acting in their place are present. Decisions are made by more than half of the votes cast. In a tie the chairperson has the casting vote, but in elections the result is decided by lot.
Board members serve without pay. Reasonable expenses arising from board duties may be reimbursed against receipts as decided by the board. The board must ensure that project funding is used solely for the purpose stated in the funding decision and that the use of funds is documented. The association does not accept funding that would require it to give up its independence, change its purpose or values, or hand decision-making power to a party outside the association.
The board confirms and maintains guidelines for the protection of children and young people, which apply to activities of the association that involve minors. The guidelines set out the procedures to follow, the persons responsible, how to report concerns, and induction. The board reviews the guidelines every year and updates them as needed.
The association checks the criminal background of persons chosen for such tasks to the extent required by the Act on Checking the Criminal Background of Persons Working with Children (504/2002), following the procedure in that Act.
A natural person may be elected to the board if they:
Fulfilment of the conditions concerning bankruptcy, business prohibition and candidacy restriction is confirmed by the candidate’s written assurance.
In addition, continuous ordinary or honorary membership before the election date is required as follows:
Members who signed the founding charter, and members serving on the board when these rules came into force, are deemed to meet the requirements in this section concerning length of membership and previous board service. This applies only to those persons.
In this section, a full term means a term served from election to the end of the term. A position held for a one-year term under section 14 also counts as a full term, as does a position held for a remaining term under section 14 if it was held for at least one (1) year.
The association meeting may dismiss a board member during their term. Dismissing the chairperson requires a three-quarters (3/4) majority of the votes cast. Dismissing another board member requires more than half of the votes cast. In both cases the dismissal must be mentioned in the notice of meeting. When the dismissal of a board member is considered, the meeting is chaired by someone other than the person concerned.
If the board considers that a board member has materially breached the code of ethics, the board must call an association meeting to consider their dismissal within ninety (90) days. The dismissal must be mentioned in the notice of meeting. Before the notice is sent, the member concerned must be given an opportunity to be heard.
A person dismissed from the board by the association meeting is not eligible for board positions for five (5) years from the date of the dismissal decision. The same restriction applies to a person who resigns from the board after a written proposal for their dismissal has been delivered to the board, or after the board has decided to start an investigation of a breach of the code of ethics concerning them, if the association meeting finds by more than half of the votes cast that the conditions for dismissal would have been met. This must be mentioned in the notice of meeting, and the finding must be made within twelve (12) months of the resignation taking effect. Before such a decision the person must be given an opportunity to be heard, and the decision must be given to them in writing. The person has the right to challenge the decision in court under section 32 of the Associations Act. Informal discussions or expressions of dissatisfaction do not constitute a pending dismissal proposal.
By a three-quarters (3/4) majority of the votes cast, the association meeting may shorten or lift the restriction if:
The reasons for the decision must be recorded in the minutes. The restriction may be shortened or lifted only on the grounds above.
Before every annual meeting at which the board is elected, the board appoints a nomination committee of two to three (2 to 3) members. At least one member must be a board member and at least one a member of the association who is not on the board. Committee members may be reappointed without limit.
The nomination committee checks the eligibility of candidates, assesses their suitability in relation to the association’s purpose and needs, interviews the candidates and presents a written, reasoned proposal to the annual meeting.
A committee member who is a candidate for a board position may not take part in considering or deciding on their own candidacy. When each candidate is assessed, at least two (2) committee members without a conflict of interest must take part. If there are fewer, the board appoints the necessary number of additional members without a conflict of interest, regardless of the committee size set out above.
A member of the association has the right to nominate a candidate not included in the committee’s proposal, provided the candidate meets the eligibility requirements in section 15 and the candidate’s written consent has been delivered to the board at least seven (7) days before the meeting. If a candidate withdraws their consent or becomes ineligible, the meeting may elect another eligible person who gives their consent at the meeting. The committee’s proposal does not bind the association meeting.
The name of the association is signed by the chairperson of the board alone.
The financial year of the association is the calendar year.
The association has one (1) or two (2) operations inspectors and one (1) deputy operations inspector, or one (1) or two (2) auditors and one (1) deputy auditor. If an audit firm is chosen as auditor, no deputy auditor is elected.
The operations inspectors, auditors and their deputies are elected at the annual meeting. Their term begins at the end of the annual meeting that elected them and lasts until the end of the next annual meeting. Their task is to inspect the administration and accounts of the financial years that end during their term.
The board must deliver the financial statements and other necessary documents to the operations inspectors or auditors at least one month before the annual meeting. The inspection or audit report must be delivered to the board at least two weeks before the annual meeting, to be presented to the meeting. The financial statements, annual report and inspection or audit report must be available to members at least seven (7) days before the annual meeting.
The highest decision-making power in the association is exercised by the association meeting. The association holds one regular meeting each year, the annual meeting.
If the board or the association meeting so decides, members may also take part in an association meeting by telecommunication or other technical means during the meeting. If the board or the association meeting so decides, members may also take part by post or by telecommunication or other technical means before the meeting. These additional means may only be offered in addition to the member’s possibility to take part fully at the meeting venue or by telecommunication during the meeting.
By decision of the board or the association meeting, a meeting may also be held without a meeting venue, so that members exercise their decision-making power in real time by telecommunication or other technical means during the meeting. In that case the technical means used must allow reliable identification of those entitled to vote, reliable voting and, where needed, secret ballot, and real-time participation of all participants.
If members may take part by post or by telecommunication before the meeting, the association meeting must approve voting and election rules before that method is used. Otherwise the association meeting may approve voting and election rules.
The annual meeting is held between March and June on a date set by the board.
The annual meeting deals with the following matters:
Until the annual meeting has confirmed the budget for the current calendar year, the board manages the association’s finances according to the budget of the previous calendar year.
A member who wishes to have a matter considered at the annual meeting must notify the board in writing in good time, so that it can be included in the notice of meeting.
An extraordinary association meeting is held when the association meeting so decides, when the board considers it necessary, or when at least one tenth (1/10) of the voting members demand it from the board in writing for a specified matter.
A meeting called at the demand of members must be held within thirty (30) days of the demand being presented to the board. The board must call the meeting without delay after receiving the demand. The time limit in this section does not apply to a meeting referred to in section 12.
The board must call association meetings at least fourteen (14) days before the meeting by sending the notice to each member by email to the address the member has given the association. A member who has not given an email address receives the notice by letter to their postal address.
The notice must state the time and place of the meeting and the matters to be considered. If members may take part by post, by telecommunication or other technical means, or if the meeting is held without a venue, the notice must state this, the conditions and technical arrangements for taking part, any limits on members’ right to speak, and the procedure to follow.
At an association meeting, each ordinary member whose voting right has begun under section 7, and each honorary member, has one (1) vote. A legal entity member and any other legal entity or foundation with voting rights votes through an authorised representative. The representative must present a written proxy, and one person may represent at most one member. A supporting member may attend and speak.
Unless otherwise provided in these rules, the decision of the association meeting is the opinion supported by more than half of the votes cast. In a tie the chair of the meeting has the casting vote, but in elections the result is decided by lot.
A decision to sell or mortgage real estate, or to sell other property that is significant for the association’s activities, must be made at an association meeting by at least a three-quarters (3/4) majority of the votes cast. This must be mentioned in the notice of meeting.
An association meeting has a quorum when it has been called in accordance with these rules.
A decision to amend these rules must be made at an association meeting by at least a three-quarters (3/4) majority of the votes cast. The amendment must be mentioned in the notice of meeting.
Amending sections 2, 5 and 6, this section and section 27 requires a three-quarters (3/4) majority of the votes cast at two (2) association meetings held at least thirty (30) days and at most six (6) months apart. At the second meeting the proposal must be approved unchanged. The proposed amendment must be mentioned in the notices of both meetings.
A decision to dissolve the association must be made by at least a three-quarters (3/4) majority of the votes cast at two (2) association meetings held at least thirty (30) days and at most six (6) months apart. At the second meeting the proposal must be approved unchanged. The dissolution must be mentioned in the notices of both meetings.
When the association is dissolved, its assets are first used to pay debts and other obligations. The remaining assets are used to promote the association’s purpose by transferring them to one or more registered associations or foundations with a similar purpose, as decided by the meeting that decides on dissolution. If the association is terminated, its assets are used for the same purpose.
In all other respects, the Associations Act (503/1989) in force applies.
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