Governance

The Council is designed to be an inclusive institution responsive to its General Assembly and governed by its Board of Trustees and its Secretariat through transparent and accountable processes and mechanisms.

The General Assembly

According to the ACSS Charter, the General Assembly convenes once every two years. During these meetings, it undertakes the following business

• Electing 12 members of the Board of Trustees
• Mandating the Board of Trustees to ratify the annual budget
• Discussing the financial and administrative report presented by the Board of Trustees
• Discussing the work plan of the ACSS as submitted by the Board of Trustees

The General Assembly also has the right to list specific issues on the agenda of the Board of Trustees for discussion and action. The General Assembly can amend the Charter of the ACSS by a two third majority vote.

Board of Trustees

It is composed of 12 elected members. During elections, the General Assembly members are asked to take into consideration that the composition of the Board should comprise disciplinary, geographical, gender and generational diversity.

The Board meets at least once a year and is responsible for, among other tasks, appointing the Chair of the Board, appointing the ACSS Director and overseeing his/her performance, and forming and consulting with advisory committees on various technical, financial and academic issues. These committees include Arab social scientists both in the region and abroad.

The Board of Trustees oversees and approves the general financial and administrative policies of the ACSS as well as engages in strategic planning and fundraising to enable the ACSS to fulfil its aims and meet its goals.

The Secretariat

Located at the headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, the Secretariat is headed by a Director General, who is in charge of the daily running of operations and implementation of the decisions of the Board of Trustees. The Secretariat carries out its activities in coordination with the Board of Trustees, taking into account recommendations made by various standing and ad hoc advisory committees as well as by the General Assembly.

It is anticipated that, in due course, the ACSS will establish branch offices or focal points in a number of countries in the region.