MEMORANDUM
on the
FAIR TRADE WORKPLACE SOCIETY (公平貿易工作間協會) ("Society")

1. Formation
   The Society was promoted by Fair Trade Hong Kong (“FTHK”), and was inaugurated in Hong Kong on 10 May 2008.
   
    
2. Declaration by the Society upon its inauguration
   The following is the Declaration subscribed to by Founding Members of the Society upon its inauguration:
   
   “Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, which seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers especially in the developing world. At the heart of this social movement is that buyers and producers build long term partnerships, which are to work for the benefit of small-scale farmers and producers in the developing world, consumers worldwide and our environment. It is a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
   
   We consider that it is in line with Corporate Social Responsibility, which is about companies and organizations achieving commercial and other success in ways that honour ethical values and respect people, communities and the natural environment, that we give our support to the worthy cause of Fair Trade.
   
   We believe that we have both the capacity and responsibility to contribute to a better and sustainable world. We are willing to take a step forward by using Fair Trade products in our office and helping to promote the concept of Fair Trade in our profession/industry. While taking the pioneering step in joining the Society, we call upon our fellow members in the profession/industry to do the same.
   
   「公平貿易」的目標是推動符合公義的國際貿易，其核心是建立消費者與生產者的長遠夥伴關係，透過改善貿易條件以保障發展中國家內被擠壓的農民與工人的權益，消滅貧窮，並締造有利可持續發展的環境。「公平貿易」是建基於對話、透明度和尊重的貿易夥伴關係，是促進消滅貧窮及可持續發展的良策。
   我們支持「公平貿易」，因為這是企業和機構的社會責任。企業和機構在創富和完成使命的同時，亦應當符合道德標準、尊重個人和社群及保護自然環境。
   我們成為「公平貿易工作間協會」的始創成員，承諾踏出第一步，於我們的辦公室內使用「公平貿易」產品，同時將「公平貿易」的概念推廣給同業。我們積極呼籲同業加入「公平貿易」的行列，共同締造一個更公平和可持續發展的世界。”
   
    
3. Founding Members
   There are 11 founding members of the Society:
   ABN-AMRO （荷蘭銀行）
   Asia Financial Group     （亞洲金融集團）
   Asia Insurance Co. Ltd. （亞洲保險有限公司）                                  
   The Hong Kong and China Gas Co. Ltd.        （香港中華煤氣有限公司）
   The Hong Kong Institute of Education （香港教育學院）
   The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (香港社會服務聯會)
   Hysan Development Co. Ltd.        （希慎興業有限公司）
   NWS Holdings Ltd.（新創建集團有限公司）
   Oxfam Hong Kong （樂施會）
   The Royal Bank of Scotland plc （蘇格蘭皇家銀行有限公司）
   TBWA\ Hong Kong
   
    
4. Membership
   Membership shall be open to all companies, corporations and organizations which agree with the aims of the Society as set out in the Declaration above and to give the Pledges as stipulated in paragraph 7 below, upon approval of the membership application by the Executive Committee mentioned herein below.
   
    
5. Fair Trade Workplace Society Steering Committee (公平貿易工作間發展委員會)(“FTWS Steering Com”)
   FTWS Steering Com (formerly known as the Fair Trade Works Committee or FTWC) is a working committee established under FTHK to promote the Society and will be responsible for the development of the Society for the first three years of its establishment.  To enhance the work of FTWS Steering Com, all members of the Society will, upon joining the Society, be invited to nominate a representative to join as a member of FTWS Steering Com. 
   
   1. There will be two types of members on FTWS Steering Com: members in their individual capacity and members who are representatives of the Society members.  There will not be any restriction on the number of members on FTWS Steering Com. 
      All members of FTWS Steering Com are appointed by FTHK for a term of three years until 31 May 2011.  A Chairperson and an Honorary Secretary shall be elected among its members and they shall also hold office for a term of three years expiring on 31 May 2011.  The Chairperson of FTWS Steering Com is Dr. Lo Chi Kin and the Honorary Secretary is Ms. Carol Chen.  Members of FTWS Steering Com may decide to appoint such other office-bearers at such times as they may deem fit.  On 5 November 2009, Ms. Maria Cheung was elected as the Vice-Chairperson by members of the FTWS Steering Committee.
   2. The Chairperson of FTHK will be an ex-officio member of FTWS Steering Com, and two members of FTWS Steering Com will be nominated to attend meetings of FTHK as observers.
   3. FTWS Steering Com may from time to time prescribe the amount of the annual membership subscription payable by members of the Society. Notwithstanding any provision herein, FTWS Steering Com shall have the power to waive such subscription(s) in whole or in part payable by any member(s) of the Society.
6. Executive Committee of FTWS Steering Com
   
   1. To expedite the management of the affairs of the Society, an Executive Committee shall be elected from the members of FTWS Steering Com.  The Executive Committee shall be vested with the duties of managing the affairs of, and running, the Society. 
   2. Subject to paragraph (c) below, the Executive Committee shall consist of a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, an Honorary Secretary and not more than 12 members who shall hold office for a term of three years.
   3. The first Executive Committee shall consist of the following persons whose term of office shall commence on 11 September 2008 and expire on 31 May 2011:
      1. Chairperson: Dr. Lo Chi Kin;
      2. Vice-Chairperson: Ms. Maria Cheung (representative of NWS Holdings Limited);
      3. Honorary Secretary: Ms. Carol Chen;
      4. Members: Ben Chan, Leung Pui-fung, Michael McComb, Mark Tung (representative of Hysan Development Co. Ltd.), Ms. Miranda Yip (representative of Oxfam Hong Kong) and Connie Yiu (representative of The Hong Kong and China Gas Co. Ltd.).
   4. If any vacancy shall arise in the Executive Committee, FTWS Steering Com shall have power to appoint such person(s) from their members as they deem fit to fill the office so vacated for the remainder of the term.
   5. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the proper use of funds of the Society.
7. Pledges by Members
   To give effect to the Declaration, members of the Society pledge to:
   1. source fair trade products for use in their workplace as far as practicable;
   2. use their best endeavours to introduce fair trade to their staff/members and promote fair trade among their clients and in their industry/sectors; and
   3. pay the annual membership subscriptions as may from time to time be prescribed by FTWS Steering Com. 
8. Finance
   
   1. The Executive Committee shall have power to raise funds for the purposes of promoting fair trade in Hong Kong and attaining the aims of the Society as set out in the Declaration, and to apply at its discretion sums of money so raised or raised from members’ subscriptions towards the attainment of the aims of the Society.
   2. The Executive Committee shall decide on the financial arrangements of the Society money.  As an initial arrangement, the Executive Committee resolved that all incomes and expenditures of the Society shall be accounted for in the overall accounts of FTHK and will cause all sums of money received by the Society to be deposited in the bank account maintained by FTHK. The Executive Committee may make such adjustments to the financial arrangements from time to time as they shall deem fit.

November 2009