Membership

What does being a Member mean?

NBD Membership As a registered NGO, the NBD Network is duty bound to promote a membership scheme and to encourage members to join the organization. Associate members would also be eligible for election onto the National Discourse Forum (NDF) Board in accordance to the NDF constitution and regulations.

Organizations and groups will need to complete an application form in order to join the NBD Network. The application form is available in a range of formats to ensure that no-one is excluded from applying. Support to complete the form is also available on request at all the NDF Offices and the NBD secretariat office.

A register of members' names and address will be kept by NBD but may need to be made available to the National Board for Non-Governmental Organizations in Uganda or to NBD funders upon request. Otherwise, members' details will be treated as private and confidential and used for membership purposes only.

Membership Categories

The NBD membership categories are as follows;

Full Members are national Nile Discourse Forums (NDFs) formed within the eleven riparian countries. Only one NDF may be accredited for each country. Full members shall have all the benefits of being members of the Organization.

Associate members are Non-governmental organizations or civil society organizations which are not NDFs and who shall apply based on their interest in NBD objectives and their work in the Nile Basin. An Associate member shall have speaking rights but shall not have voting rights or the right to be nominated to office. An associate member shall each authorize one individual to represent them at meetings and must notify the secretary of the NBD in writing the identity of its current representative. Such a representative member shall not be eligible to become a member of the NBD in his or her own right.

Membership Criteria for Associate Members

Non-governmental organizations or civil society organizations wishing to join the Network as Full Members must meet the following criteria.

Commitment to conform to the vision, mission, objectives and core values of the Organization
Potential to contribute to the activities of the Organization
Evidence of establishment of a legal entity / registration as a civil society organization
Proof of continued compliance with laws governing their operations
Proof of physical and postal addresses of the applicant

Application Procedure for Associate Membership

Application for Associate Membership shall be in writing using a format provided by the NBD Board.
Applications for Associate Members shall be sent through the NBD secretariat and must meet the requirements or qualifications for Associate Membership.
The NBD Board shall approve applications for associate membership and communicate its decisions to the General Assembly.
The NBD Board may only refuse an application for membership if, acting reasonably and properly, they consider it to be in the best interests of the NBD to refuse the application.
The NBD Board must inform the applicant in writing of the reasons for the refusal within twenty-one days of the decision
The NBD Board must consider any written representations the applicant may make about the decision; the Board’s decision following any written representations must be notified to the applicant in writing but shall be final.
Membership is not transferable and the General Assembly shall determine the fees payable by each category of members.

Honorary Members are such persons of high integrity and standing in society whom the Board considers to be of great value to the NBD.

A members shall cease to be a member if;

The member resigns, in writing, from membership by producing a Resolution to that effect passed by a duly constituted General Assembly of the NDF approving such resignation
The NBD Board recommends, giving reasons for doing so, that the activities of the member contravene the objectives and principles of the NBD and that therefore the continued retention of the member is detrimental to the interests of NBD
The member fails to comply with the legal obligations that govern its operations and that of NBD, and a member organization ceases to exist.
A member whose membership has been terminated shall have a right to appeal to the General Assembly for reinstatement. The decision of the General Assembly as to whether to reinstate a member or the terms of such reinstatement shall be final.