Ethical charter for elected officials
March 2019
Preamble
1. This Agreementcan be changedfollowing the request of the Citizens' Assembly (now AC) or at the request of AGORA,subject to respecting the principles established in the founding documents d'AGORAand to carry out this modification in the presence and consultation with the elected official.
2. Theassignmentsprincipals of the elected official are:
- to be therehe link between the CA and the Brussels parliament,
- ofstrengthen the democratic functioning and political legitimacy of the CA.
3. The elected representative agrees to acquire orupdate their skillscontinuously in terms of:
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active listening,
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reformulation of CA deliberations and decisions,
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evolution of experiments and knowledge in the field of participatory democracy, including the drawing of lots,
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functioning of the Belgian institutions.
1timecategory: the elected person in relation to the assembly of those drawn by lot
1.1 The elected representative is required todefend all positions taken by the CA. It is therefore expected of the elected official that he/she puts aside his/her opinion and convictions in relation to the decisions of the AC. If necessary, the elected official can remind that the positions he/she defends are not his/her own but those of the CA.
1.2In the event that the decisions of the CA would directly or indirectly undermine the principles set out in thefundamental documents of AGORA or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or in the exceptional case where the elected official feels that he/she cannot follow a CA position, he/she is encouraged to make this known. at AC and AGORA.If, following a mediation process, no solution is found, the elected representative is encouraged to resign.
1.3 The elected official is requiredto attend, in an active listening, to AC.
1.4While the AC meets, the elected official cannot express his opinion on the subjects discussed.He/she can, however, ask for clarifications and reformulate the decisions to ensure that they have understood them well in order to relay them faithfully.
1.5 If the CA considers that the elected official no longer fulfills his function, the CA is encouraged to inform AGORA of this in order to initiate a mediation process between it and the elected official. If this process is unsuccessful, the elected representative will be asked to resign.
2th category: the elected representative in relation to parliament and committees
2.1 Timing permitting,the elected official joins the committees according to the subjectswhich will be discussed by AC.
2.2 The chosen one also goesto the work of the commissions for which, as soon as the AC deems it appropriate.
2.3 The elected official is also expected to proactively visitto the commissions whose work touches on the questions present in the fundamental texts of AGORA.
2.4 The chosen onevotes only on issues on which the AC has decided, he/she must try to reproduce the CA vote as closely as possible. He/She then returns to AC to explain his/her vote. For the rest he/she abstains.
2.5 He/She can alsovote for questions that deal with subjects present in the basic texts, even if these questions were not debated by the CA.
2.6 The elected representative undertakes tonot be part of the regional government.
3th category: the elected official in relation to the AGORA movement
3.1 The elected representative is required tocomply with the operation of AGORAdefined by the fundamental texts of AGORA.
3.2 The chosen one ismember of the associationbut cannot be a director of the ASBL but he/she is a permanent guest on the board of directors.
3.3. The chosen one and AGORAsupport each other in establishing and promoting CAand subjects present in the fundamental texts of AGORA.
4th category: the elected official in relation to citizens and the media
4.1 The elected representative represents the decisions of the CA and its voters throughthe promotion of direct democracyand its legitimacy. By force of circumstance he will probably be one of AGORA's spokespersons.
4.2 The chosen onecannot be affiliated with a political partyduring the campaign, during his mandate and 2 years after the mandate included.
4.3 When he/she finds himself in a situation where he/she acts in his/her functions as parliamentarian and representative of the assembly, the elected representative refrains from communicating on any subject that has not been explicitly decided by the CA, unless it directly concerns the principles set out in the fundamental documents of AGORA.
4.4 The chosen onecannot cumulate several political mandates.
4.5 The chosen oneundertakes to declare all conflicts of interest.
4.6 The chosen onecannot accept any financial or material considerationfor service rendered to a third party, promise of future employment, etc.
4.7 The chosen onemust report to AGORA any attempt at corruption or bribery.
4.8 The elected official is aware thathis image will be associated with that of the ACand the AGORA movement. He/she will therefore endeavor not to harm this image.