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It consists of the members of an association governed by the French Law of 1 July 1901 and by the Decree of 16 August 1901 in accordance with the following statutes.
 
 
Clause 1 - NAME AND WORKING LANGUAGES
 
The French name of the association is "Réseau International des Organismes de Bassin" with the acronym "RIOB".
 
As the working languages of the association are French, English and Spanish, the Spanish name of the association is " Red Internacional de Organismos de Cuenca " with the acronmym "RIOC", and its English name is "International Network of Basin Organizations ", hereafter called INBO.
 
 
Clause 2 - THE NETWORK OBJECTIVE
 
INBO objective is to promote integrated water resources management at the level of river basins, as an essential tool for sustainable development. According to this objective, INBO endeavors:
• to develop lasting relations between the organizations interested in such a comprehensive management, and favor exchanges of experiences and expertise among them;
• to facilitate the implementation of tools suitable for institutional and financial management, for knowledge and follow up of water resources, for the organization of data banks, for the concerted preparation of master plans and action programs in the medium and long term;
• to develop information and training programs for local elected officials, for users' representatives and for the different actors involved in water management as well as for the executives and staff of the organizations in charge of water management at the river basin level;
• to encourage education of the population regarding these issues;
• to promote these principles in international cooperation programs;
• to evaluate ongoing actions initiated by the member organizations and disseminate their results.
 
 
Clause 3 - DURATION OF THE ASSOCIATION
The duration of the association is unlimited.
 
 
Clause 4 - THE NETWORK HEADQUARTERS
Its headquarters are those of the Permanent Technical Secretariat: it is located in Paris (France). They may be transferred upon decision made by the General Assembly.
Clause 5 - MEMBERS
The following legal entities may be members of INBO:
• "Basin Organizations", this implies organizations which have been entrusted by relevant public administrations with integrated water resources management at the level of large river basins, either national, federal or transboundary as well as the cooperation structures they have developed among them.
These organizations must be entrusted with a mission of public interest, have legal existence and their own budget, in accordance with national or federal legislation or international agreements in force.
• the governmental administrations in charge of water management in the countries which apply or are interested in applying integrated and sustainable water resources management:
organized at the level of large river basins,
associating administrations and local authorities, as well as users from the various sectors,
having specific budgetary resources at their disposal, obtained by applying the "user-polluter-pays" principle.
• bi and multilateral cooperation agencies supporting activities related to integrated and sustainable water resources management at the level of large river basins.
 
The term "large river basins" means the catchment areas of large rivers and lakes including their aquifers and the catchment areas of their various small tributaries.
 
Admission of members
The candidates belonging to one of the above mentioned categories become INBO members as soon as they have applied to enter the Network by signing the "Declaration of Membership" and approved by the General Assembly on proposal of the Liaison Bureau.
Admission only becomes effective after payment of the subscription fee.
 
Loss of membership
Membership is lost:
• through resignation,
• or through the striking off decided by the Liaison Bureau for non-payment of the subscription fee or for serious grounds, the interested parties being invited by register mail to provide explanations to the Bureau.
 
Clause 6 - PERMANENT OBSERVERS
Other public organizations involved in integrated water resources management or organizations interested by INBO objectives can become "permanent observers".
Their application is forwarded by the Liaison Bureau and accepted by the General Assembly.
The title of permanent observer is lost through the observer's resignation or through striking off by the Liaison Bureau.
 
 
Clause 7 - GENERAL ASSEMBLY
 
Composition
The General Assembly is made up of all INBO members.
It is chaired by INBO President.
Convening of the meetings - Agenda
It holds at least a meeting every 2 years.
The successive General Assemblies are held in a different geographic region whenever possible.
The General Assembly is convened:
• either on the President's initiative,
• or upon the request of the Liaison Bureau,
• or upon the request of half the Network's members plus one who have paid their subscription fee.
The President convenes the meetings at least one month in advance.
The agenda is set by the President with the Bureau approval.
Role
On the proposal of the Liaison Bureau, the General Assembly approves:
• the admission of new members and new permanent observers,
• the orientations of INBO activities up to the following meeting,
• joint projects and, whenever necessary, designates the member organization(s) entrusted with their implementation,
• the accounts of the association prepared by the Liaison Bureau,
 
It ensures that INBO is promoted to the national authorities in the countries and to the bi and multilateral cooperation agencies concerned.
 
It decides of the amount of the subscription fee proposed by the Liaison Bureau.
 
It elects the members of the Liaison Bureau among its members according to the process given in the clause hereafter.
In addition, on the proposal of the Bureau, the General Assembly approves:
• the statutes of the Network and its modifications,
• the content of the "Declaration of Membership" and its modifications,
• the creation of Regional Networks, their statutes as well as their modifications.
Decisions
The decisions made by the General Assembly are adopted by consensus between the attending Members. When a consensus cannot be reached, the President may request a vote as a last resort.
When a vote is decided, conclusions are adopted with a relative majority among the attending or represented members.
However, a two-third majority among the attending or represented members is needed when the vote concerns the INBO statutes, the content of the "Declaration of Membership", the creation or modification of Regional Networks. .
Each member has a vote. The President has a casting vote should a second ballot be needed.
A member may represent only one another member with a written mandate from the latter.
The permanent observers are invited to attend the Ordinary General Assemblies. They cannot vote or be elected as members of the Bureau.
Qualified personalities or interested organizations may be invited by the host-member(s) to attend in the same way as the permanent observers.
Clause 8 - THE LIAISON BUREAU
 
INBO is managed by its "Liaison Bureau".
 
Composition
The Liaison Bureau is made up of:
• the serving President of the Network,
• the two preceding Presidents,
together with the incumbent or substitute members chosen among INBO member organizations according to their geographic origin:
• 2 incumbents and 2 substitutes for Africa,
• 4 incumbents and 4 substitutes for America,
• 1 incumbent and 1 substitute for Asia,
• 4 incumbents and 4 substitutes for Europe.
 
Its composition may be revised during each General Assembly depending on the new coming members for each geographic region.
The President and the Secretary of each Regional Network, planned in Clause 11, participate in the meetings of the Liaison Bureau.
 
Nomination of the Bureau members
The Bureau members are elected during each General Assembly.
The members of each above-mentioned geographic region:
- propose to the General Assembly, when a consensus is reached among them, the country/ies that will represent them at the Liaison Bureau;
- the INBO members of each of the chosen countries propose, among them, incumbent and substitute organizations which will nominate the person who will be its representative.
 
The General Assembly makes a decision regarding these proposals.
 
Whenever possible, the Bureau member organizations endeavor to keep the same representative until the next election. Should they decide to choose another representative they have to inform the President in writing before the meetings.
 
Role and functioning
The Bureau :
• is chaired by INBO President,
• holds at least 2 meetings between two general assemblies,
• prepares the meetings of the General Assembly and approves their agenda,
• carries out the decisions made by the General Assemblies,
• coordinates the joint projects,
 
 
 
• After examining the applications of new INBO members and new permanent observers, it proposes their admission to the General Assembly,
• prepares the accounts of the association and propose them to the General Assembly for approval,
• examines the progress report of the association for approval by the General Assembly,
• defines INBO communication policy and its means, submits it to the General Assembly for approval and ensures its implementation by the Permanent Technical Secretariat.
It adopts recommendations by consensus between the attending members. When a consensus cannot be reached, the President requests a vote to obtain a majority among the attending members. The President has a casting vote.
When an incumbent member is attending, his/her substitute cannot vote.
The incumbents may be replaced by their substitutes who then vote. They cannot mandate another Bureau member.
 
 
Clause 9 - THE NETWORK PRESIDENT
 
The President:
• is nominated by the General Assembly on proposal of the members hosting the meeting,
• represents INBO up to the next meeting of the General Assembly,
• convenes the General Assembly and sets its agenda,
• ascertains that the recommendations of the General Assembly are carried out with the support of the Bureau and the Permanent Technical Secretariat, the work of which it organizes,
• ascertains that the decisions of the Bureau are taken into account.
 
 
Clause 10 - THE NETWORK SECRETARIAT
 
The Chairmanship's Secretariat.
It is organized by the member(s) which take charge of the logistics for the meetings of the Liaison Bureau and General Assembly.
 
The Permanent Technical Secretariat
It is designated by the General Assembly for four years on proposal of the Liaison Bureau.
Under the President's authority, it is responsible for:
- preparing the documents needed for the meetings of the Liaison Bureau and General Assembly, especially the agendas, provisional budgets and draft recommendations,
- writing the reports of the statutory meetings,
- directing INBO and following up joint projects in close cooperation with the members designated by the Bureau or the General Assembly to this effect, whenever necessary.
- implementing the communication policy of the Network.
The Head of the Permanent Technical Secretariat participates in the meetings of the General Assembly and Liaison Bureau.
 
The Manager of the organization which had been in charge of the Permanent Technical Secretariat in the previous period, also participate in these meetings during the four following years to ensure a continuity in ongoing actions and to provide his support to the serving Technical Secretariat.
 
 
Clause 11 - REGIONAL NETWORKS
 
Objective
On proposal of member organizations and permanent observers belonging to the same geographic region, "Regional Networks" can be created in order to:
- strengthen relations between members from neighboring countries,
- develop joint activities of INBO in the region,
- organize joint activities of regional interest.
 
Composition
All INBO members and permanent observers located in the region have the right to be members of the Regional Network concerned.
 
The Liaison Bureau submits the creation and the draft statutes of a Regional Network to INBO General Assembly.
 
Functioning
All activities carried out by the regional networks should be:
• in conformity with INBO objective and statutes,
• consistent with its general program,
• implemented in partnership with the INBO members in other geographic regions.
INBO President and Permanent Technical Secretariat have to be invited to the meetings and events organized by each regional network and participate in the meetings of its managing board.
The President and the Secretary of each Regional Network participate in the meetings of INBO Liaison Bureau.
INBO:
• assists the regional networks whenever possible, according to its means and their requirements;
• favor exchanges of information and experiences between the regional networks ;
• organizes, whenever possible, the meetings of its Bureau and General Assembly in the same location and at the same date as those of the regional networks to facilitate exchanges.
 
Clause 12 - THE NETWORK FINANCIAL RESOURCES
 
The financial resources of the association include:
• subscription fees,
• subsidies from Governments and public organizations,
• the income generated by service providing and the sale of documents,
• the financial contributions requested to the participants to attend events organized by INBO.
 
INBO accountancy is in compliance with the official accounting system.
The Liaison Bureau will designate an Auditor.
 
 
Clause 13 - TERMINATION OF THE NETWORK
 
The winding up of INBO can be decided by an Extraordinary General Assembly, through the voting of at least two-thirds of the members either attending or represented, and representing at least half of the Network members having paid their subscription fee.
In such a case, this Assembly will designate one or several liquidators and the assets, if there are any, will be devolved upon in accordance with Clause 9 of the French Law of 1 July 1901 and the Decree of 16 August 1901.
 
 
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