Preface
In the name of the Almighty Lord who made the entire creation in all its greatness, and gave the earth for man to live on.

Thanks be to God, who is ancient and aware of all circumstances – if He granted pain, he also taught us the way of cure.

Oh God!  You, who are all powerful, make us able to support those who are disabled, to give them spiritual and physical strength.
Introduction
War has lasted more than 25 years in Afghanistan, and the country therefore possesses a great number of disabled people who would benefit from physiotherapy services. These benefits are still being perceived by the country or its society. Physiotherapy educational centers are being strengthened and developed, but no research centers yet exist in the country. It should be understood that serving Afghanistan’s disabled people should be considered a service owed to our dear Afghanistan, as a payment of the Islamic, human and national debt. Service to these people is a form of worship.

Apart from the disabled, there are numerous others who would benefit from physiotherapy services in Afghanistan, who suffer consequences of all the years of war, and an still-developing health-care structure. Physiotherapy has much to offer the health-care system, in hospitals, clinics and community based work.

This Association was established in 1998 as a step toward supporting the needs of the Afghan people, through promoting the physiotherapy profession and quality physiotherapy services. Additionally, through the support of the Association, the physiotherapy profession will be able to establish effective continuing education programs and monitor physiotherapy activities throughout the country.

In 2007 the Association became a member of the World Confederation of Physical Therapy, whereby AAPT now strives to follow international standards in the aim of supporting the physiotherapists in Afghanistan, and promoting the profession as part of general health-care services available to all Afghans who will benefit from physiotherapy expertise.

VISION OF AAPT
AAPT strives to serve, improve and develop the physiotherapy profession for benefit of the Afghan people, according to international standards.
Chapter 1 General regulations of AAPT
§ 1       The Association for Afghan Physical Therapists (AAPT) is a non-government, non-political and non-profit association.  It is a humanitarian organization according to the UN Declaration for Human Rights.
§ 2       The AAPT is the only professional association for physiotherapists in Afghanistan.
§ 3       The AAPT is established for the aim of the treatment and rehabilitation of disabled people according to Islamic rules and according to acceptable international physiotherapy association norms without discrimination.
§ 4       The AAPT represents physiotherapists in all Afghanistan. The center of the Association is in Kabul. According to the need, branches will be established in other provinces of Afghanistan.,

§ 5       The AAPT will consider all Islamic governmental and non-governmental (NGO) stipulations and will work in accordance with them.
Chapter 2 Aims and activities of AAPT
§ 6       Aims of AAPT

   1. To promote physiotherapy in Afghanistan.
   2. To strengthen the physiotherapy profession to provide  the best service to the disabled and needy people of the country.
   3. To work with other Afghan professional associations, and international physiotherapist associations including WCPT.
   4. To establish good relations with other medical and social departments which work for rehabilitation.
   5. To coordinate the activities of physiotherapy throughout Afghanistan.
   6. To support educational standards for physiotherapists according to the needs of the country.
   7. To work with the government institutions to support the physiotherapy profession including the establishment and maintenance of a registration system for physiotherapists.

§ 7       Activities of the AAPT

   1. Prepare meetings, seminars, practical and theoretical courses for physiotherapists according to their needs and the needs of the Afghan people.
   2. Print and distribute information material to inform the public regarding physiotherapy services
   3. Print and publish of information material (books, magazines, newsletters, brochures) for the professional support and development of its physiotherapy members.
   4. Lobby for economic and technical support from local and foreign organisations to improve physiotherapy services in the Afghanistan.
   5. Adhere to and promote WCPT standards of practice for a professional associations
   6. Communicate with WCPT and other associations, organisations and institutions for the further development of physiotherapy in Afghanistan
   7. Promote and support of physiotherapy research in Afghanistan

Chapter 4 Membership in AAPT
§ 8       Membership in the Association is voluntary.  Members must be physiotherapists or physiotherapy assistants, but with no discrimination regarding, ethnicity or gender. Non-Afghans must apply to AAPT and Ministry of Justice for membership. Non-Afghan cannot be fundamental members.
§ 9       Fundamental and derivative members of the Association

    * Fundamental members are those chosen by the General Assembly to be part of the Executive Committee, Administrative Committee and Ethical Committee.
    * Derivative members are all other members who serve voluntarily, participate and assist in activities of the Executive Committee, and uphold the aims of the Association.

§ 10     Obligations and rights of the Association’s members

   1. To vote and be elected for leadership posts in the Association
   2. To declare their comments, suggestions and criticisms for the progress of the Association
   3. To select representatives for the General Assembly
   4. To participate in the selection processes via their elected representatives
   5. To participate in various activities of the Association
   6. To consider the regulations of this Article
   7. To act professionally in accordance with the Associations Code of Conduct
   8. To pay admission fee and membership fees
   9. To attract the cooperation of the public toward the activities of the Association

§ 11     Resignation of membership should be according to written application to the Executive Committee.
Chapter 5 Organizational structure
§ 12     The structure of the AAPT

    * General Assembly
    * Executive Committee
    * Administrative Committee
    * Ethical Committee

§ 13     The General Assembly

The General Assembly is the highest decision making body of the Association.

The General Assembly meets every two years in November, and with exception General Assembly meetings can be called according to the decision of the President of the Association or by the request of one third of the Executive Committee members.

Points on agenda for the General Assembly:

   1. Opening of General Assembly, approval of agenda
   2. Appointment of chairman and secretary for the General Assembly, as well as two persons who check and approve the minutes, and two persons who count the votes.
   3. Confirmation of those with the right to vote.
   4. Executive Committee report
   5. Auditors report
   6. Proposal for work-plan for next mandate period
   7. Financial report and presentation of budget for next mandate period
   8. Vote for Executive Committee: President of the Association, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer
   9. Vote for EC members and their substitutes (with regional representation as shown in Appendix 3: one EC member is chosen per region.)
  10. Vote for auditor and substitute
  11. Vote for Ethical Committee (president, and four members of ethnic and regional diversity)
  12. (Vote for honorary members)
  13. Bills from members or from the EC
  14. AOB
  15. Closing of Assembly

All members of AAPT are eligible to participate at the General Assembly, but only chosen representatives have the right to vote. At the General Assembly, 1 representative = 1 vote. Representatives should be chosen from all Afghanistan to give a true representation of all physiotherapists in the country. Thereby 30% of each regions members are chosen to represent that region.

The representatives are obliged to confer with other regional members and vote on their behalf.
The Executive Committee should announce the General Assembly at latest 30 September of the year of the General Assembly.

Regional representatives should be chosen during October, and relevant documents be distributed to the representatives by 31 October. Documents to be prepared and distributed for the General Assembly:

    * Agenda
    * Executive Committee Report + financial report
    * Auditors report
    * Proposal for plan for coming mandate period
    * Proposal for budget and membership fees for coming mandate period
    * Call for members to run for Executive Committee and Ethical Committee posts

The mandate, role and responsibility of the General Assembly:

   1. Sanction and revise the Articles. A change of articles must be passed at the General Assembly with a 2/3 majority vote.
   2. Assign and approve the direction of activities of AAPT
   3. Approve the budget for the previous and the coming mandate period.
   4. Fix membership fee
   5. Select the Executive Committee and Administrative Committee, and Ethical Committee according to the job descriptions
   6. Select auditor(s)
   7. Select Advisors for AAPT
   8. Select a Nominating Board, if considered necessary.
   9. Adjust the regions of AAPT as necessary to give an adequate coverage in relation to where physiotherapists are working.

§ 14     Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is responsible to the General Assembly.

The Executive Council consists of AAPT a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, Executive Committee members and their substitutes. They elected for two years by the General Assembly from its members. The Executive Committee members represent a broad representation from the whole country.

The President of the Association is the president of the Executive Committee. The President is responsible for ensuring that the decisions made by the General Assembly and the Executive Committee are carried out according to AAPT policies. In the absence of the President, the vice-president is acting.

The Executive Committee decisions are taken according to majority vote. In the event of an even vote, the the President has the deciding vote.

The mandate, role and responsibilities of the Executive Committee:

   1. To execute the decisions of the General Assembly, and plan and execute activities as relevant to these.
   2. To prepare the General Assembly according to §13
   3. To report the activities of the Association and of the Executive Committee to the General Assembly
   4. To recommend activities to the Executive Committee
   5. To give financial and bi-annual report for its mandate period to the Executive Committee (see §21)
   6. To prepare budget and action plan for the next mandate period and the next EC
   7. To establish branches of the Association according to need and in line with the general plan of the Executive Committee
   8. To admit or dismiss members (dismissal must be passed by the Ethical Committee)
   9. To ensure the re-registration of the Association with relevant ministries on a yearly basis
  10. To respect and promote the articles of AAPT
  11. Executive Committee members are responsible to head the Regional Committees where they are from.
  12. All activities of AAPT must be passed by the Executive Committee or as appropriate, by the Administrative Committee. Any action taken individually will be seen as an action against the AAPT
  13. In the event of pressing matters which require action prior to a General Assembly, any matters not covered by these Articles can be discussed and passed by vote by the Executive Committee, with advice from the Ethical Committee.

§ 15     Regional committees

Each Executive Committee member coming from different regions in Afghanistan, is responsible to head a Regional Committee to spread the activities of AAPT to all its members. The Regional Committee answers to the Executive Committee, and acts upon decisions made a the General Assembly, and according to general AAPT objectives.

Appendix 3 shows the regions of AAPT in Afghanistan, based on the distribution of the physiotherapists. The regions may be altered by the General Assembly as needed.
§ 16     Administrative Committee

The Administrative Committee consists of the president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer which are selected for two years by the General Assembly, and are part of the Executive Committee.

The President is responsible for ensuring that the decisions made by the General Assembly and the Executive Committee are carried out according to AAPT policies. In the absence of the President, the vice-president is acting.

The Administrative Committee is a part of the Executive Committee and is responsible to the General Assembly.

The Administrative Committee leads activities of the Executive Committee between two General Assemblies.

The Administrative Committee meets regularly as needed to ensure successful implementation of activities, and by the recommendation of the Executive Committee.

The Administrative Committee decisions are taken according to majority vote. In the event of an even vote, the President has the deciding vote.

The mandate, role and responsibilities of the Administrative Committee:

   1. To lead the activities of the Executive Committee
   2. To implement decisions made by the Executive Committee
   3. To act as an example for AAPT members
   4. To respect and promote the articles of AAPT
   5. All decisions must go back to the Executive Committee. In the event of pressing matters which must be completed prior to EC meetings, decisions can be passed by the Administrative Committee, with the approval of the Ethical Committee. Any action taken outside of the Administrative Committee/Executive Committee will be seen as an action against the AAPT and will be taken to the EthC

§ 17     Ethical Committee

The Ethical Committee is responsible to the Executive Committee and the General Assembly.

The Ethical Committee consists of four members who are selected by the General Assembly from its members for two years (mandate period). They cannot be members of the Executive Committee or Administrative Committee.

The Ethical Committee meets three times per year, or by the request of the Administrative Committee and Executive Committee.

The mandate, role and responsibilities of the Ethical Committee:

   1. To ensure that the Executive Committee is following the agenda of the General Assembly
   2. To ensure that all activities within the Association follow the regulations in the Articles and according the UNs Declaration of Human Rights.
   3. To handle matters of conflict within the Executive Committee or Administrative Committee. In the event of conflict within Executive Committee or General Assembly where the interest of the Association is at stake, the Ethical Committee has the final say in resolving the issue.
   4. To advise the Executive Committee in issues regarding ethics in the workplace, issues of employment, or other ethical issues pertaining to the Association.

§ 18     Advisory Committees

The General Assembly may form Advisory Committees as necessary to further and support its aims. Examples of such councils could be a Professional Committee (to assist with technical and professional matters), a Scientific Committee (to promote research) and Regional Committees.
Chapter 6 Financial affairs
§ 19     Financial resources of the Association

AAPT is a non-profit association which works for the benefit of its members and for the promotion of physiotherapy. Funds for the successful running of the association are attained from various sources:

   1. Membership fees
   2. Government support
   3. Support and donations from NGOs, other associations, national and international charities, private or public donations
   4. Sale of books, magazines and journals pertaining to physiotherapy

In terms of trainings, exhibitions etc, any fees collected are to cover associated costs and not for profit for the association.

§ 20  The Association is independent and has no relation to any party or other organisation. However, the Association must submit financial reports of its expenses to those organisations and donors who support it.
§ 21     Financial responsibility of AAPT

The treasurer and the president hold the financially responsibility of AAPT. They:

   1. Must ensure that members fees are paid. If refusal to pay, they must report the issue to the Ethical Committee.
   2. Have access to AAPTs bank account.
   3. Must make a financial report to the General Assembly at the end of each mandate period. They must prepare a budget for the General Assembly for the coming mandate period.
   4. Actively search for donors and funds as needed for the Association.
   5. Make proposals for funds and donations.
   6. Make financial reports to donors

Chapter 7 Final regulations
§ 22     To maintain the impartiality of this Association, high-ranking government employees are not allowed to candidate or be selected for President or other main posts of this Association.
§ 23     These Articles of Association are accepted, executed and enforced by the General Assembly.
§ 24     In case of resignation, death or disappearance of a member from the Executive Committee, Administrative Committee or Ethical Committee, he/she will be replaced by their deputy, and if there is no deputy, by vote for replacement in the next EC meeting. The Ethical Committee will ensure that the procedures are handled correctly.
§ 25     Dismissal from the Association

Dismissal from AAPT must be passed through the Ethical Committee and occurs in case of:

   1. Non-observance of the articles
   2. Commission of an action against the Association
   3. Non-payment of membership fees for 3 months
   4. Abuse of office

Annex:

   1. Registration of AAPT with Ministry of Justice
   2. Code of Conduct for Physiotherapists
   3. List of regions and regional representation

First written 2000
Revised 2008 (passed at General Assembly .....)