Article 4. Membership

(Swiss law; Zug-registered Verein; principal base Geneva. This Article creates a future-ready, all-of-society membership architecture that is neutral, auditable, and polycentric—remedying legacy multilateral weaknesses in speed, enforceability, localization, and donor capture. Personal titles—Patron, Fellow, Affiliate, Honorary/Observer—are individual. Professional Institutional membership is organized in four named tiers (CHF 100k, 250k, 500k, 1m). A distinct State-Level Membership serves sovereigns.)

4.1 Member Classes & Architecture

(a) Classes.

1. State-Level Members (Sovereigns). Competent national authorities admitted under §4.2.
2. Professional Institutional Members (PIMs). Legal persons admitted in one of four tiers under §4.3.
3. Individual Members. Natural persons admitted under §4.4 (personal categories).

(b) Voting parity & anti-capture guardrails. Unless expressly provided, each Member has one vote in the General Assembly (GA). For Charter/Bylaw amendments and Trustee elections, a dual-quorum applies: a majority of votes cast by State-Level Members and a majority of votes cast by all other Members must concur. The Trustees may also adopt sectoral concentration caps (Standing Orders) to prevent dominance by any single industry or bloc.

(c) Polycentric participation. Membership is designed for community-to-state engagement: sovereigns, institutions, cities, utilities, universities, civil society, and individual experts participate through standardized agreements, comparable metrics, and 90-day sprint cycles.

4.2 State-Level Membership (Sovereigns)

(a) Purpose. Provide a standards-first national interface to deploy DRR/DRF/DRI at scale, with transparent KPIs and enforceable process, while preserving sovereign authority and neutrality.

(b) Eligibility & admission. Application by the Minister or competent authority; evidence of authority; designation of a Head of Delegation, National Focal Point (NFP), and NWG Chair; acceptance of the Charter/Bylaws, Standing Orders, Independence & Brand Separation, and data/privacy terms. Admission by Trustees (delegable to EM for standard cases) with CB Clearance.

(c) Core rights.

1. Seat in Government & Policy Track; eligibility to nominate the national NWG and sub-working groups.
2. Access to DRF corridors (contingency facilities, parametric prototypes, payout rails) subject to fiduciary and integrity controls.
3. Priority in early-warning and last-mile pilots; access to clause libraries, drills, and readiness exercises.
4. Compute-to-data and federated analytics in national data rooms with provenance and privacy compliance.

(d) Obligations.

1. Maintain an NWG (multistakeholder) with a published 90-day sprint plan, Sendai-aligned KPIs, and quarterly scorecards.
2. Where using DRF: adopt time-to-cash service levels, basis-risk controls, and publish post-event settlement summaries.
3. Uphold funding neutrality; no conditioned donor control; comply with Brand Separation.

(e) Fees & support. Sovereigns may pay dues or enter program agreements. LDCs/climate-vulnerable states may receive fee waivers/capacity credits under transparent criteria.

(f) Immunities & law. Participation does not waive sovereign immunities absent express instrument. External cooperation instruments specify governing law and forum; internally, this Charter governs participation.

4.3 Professional Institutional Membership (PIM) — Four Named Tiers

(Annual fees in CHF; privileges do not alter vote weight; all subject to Independence, Conflicts, and CB protocols.)

4.3.1 Associate Institution — CHF 100,000

• Host/co-host one Track activity annually; access to clause libraries, training, and member toolkits.
• Eligibility for working groups and data-room participation (per CB protocols).
• Public listing; use of “Institutional Member — Associate” mark per brand policy.

4.3.2 Partner Institution — CHF 250,000

• All Associate benefits plus host up to three Track activities; propose pilot sprints with KPIs and publication plan.
• Seat (advisory, non-fiduciary) in the Technology & Data Committee.
• Eligibility to chair a Specialized Leadership Board (subject to elections/eligibility).
• One time-bound secondee (firewalled per Conflicts Policy).

4.3.3 Strategic Institution — CHF 500,000

• All Partner benefits plus operate a regional lab or data room under CB protocols; priority slot in Capital Track showcases.
• Two secondees (firewalled); eligibility for Investment & Capital Advisory Board (advisory).
• Right to submit one annual flagship with open methods and public model/data cards.

4.3.4 Principal Institution — CHF 1,000,000

• All Strategic benefits plus co-design national or multi-country programs (subject to state consent) and lead complex DRF structures under CB governance.
• Sponsor open benchmarks for hazards/impact models; priority access to independent technical audit and red-team services for high-impact releases.
• Public-Interest Dividend: commit ≥20% of funded outputs to open standards/open artifacts (where lawful) with provenance hashes.

Common PIM obligations (all tiers).

• Independence Impact Assessment (IIA) for content-shaping engagements; CB Clearance for material actions.
• Conflicts & RPT declarations; SECO/EU/OFAC sanctions/KYC/AML screening proportional to risk.
• Data contributions licensed by tier (Open/Shared/Restricted) with QA/QC and provenance; no donor editorial control.
• No exclusivity that forecloses participation by states, communities, SMEs, or academia.

Financial terms. Annual fees Net 30; multi-year discounts at Trustees’ discretion. In-kind may offset up to 30% if pre-valued and auditable. Suspension after 90 days in arrears; expulsion per §4.11. Currency CHF (or approved); digital rails allowed where lawful; no crypto absent Trustees’ authorization and CB risk opinion.

4.4 Individual Membership (Personal Categories)

(Personal recognition; does not alter vote weight.)

(a) Patron (Global Stewardshipl). Individuals providing strategic leadership or philanthropic support to public-interest deliverables; may sponsor open artifacts; no editorial control.
(b) Fellow (Regional Stewardship). Recognized experts/practitioners across DRR/DRF/DRI and Track domains; may chair working groups and serve as review editors for model/data cards.
(c) Affiliate (National Stewardship). Practitioners, early-career professionals, community leaders engaged in training, drills, deployments.
(d) Honorary. Eminent service; non-voting unless Trustees grant time-limited voting rights.
(e) Observer. Time-bound, non-voting access for onboarding/specified initiatives.

Individual duties. Code of Ethics; conflicts declarations; safeguarding & anti-harassment compliance; brand policy; no misrepresentation as GRF agent.

4.5 Admission & Vetting (All Classes)

(a) Application dossier. Form; eligibility evidence; acceptance of Charter/Bylaws, Code of Ethics, privacy/data policy, Independence & Brand Separation; for PIMs: beneficial ownership, PEP, SECO/EU/OFAC checks; for States: authority evidence.
(b) Service levels. CB acknowledges within 5 business days; decision within 20 business days of complete dossier (standard cases).
(c) Decision authority. Trustees admit Members; routine cases may be delegated to EM subject to CB Clearance. Denials state non-discriminatory reasons consistent with law/policy.
(d) Conditions precedent. Dues, remedial undertakings (e.g., data-security upgrades), or time-bound safeguards may be imposed.
(e) Digital credentials. CB may issue verifiable credentials (qualified e-signatures, identity wallets); misuse may trigger suspension.

4.6 Rights, Information & Participation (All Classes)

(a) Core rights. Attend/vote in GA (except Honorary/Observer); stand for roles (eligibility applies); propose agenda items/motions; access GA minutes, audited financials, Council Gazette notices.
(b) Program participation. Access training, clause libraries, and Track artifacts; eligibility to host/participate per class/tier.
(c) Inspection rights. Proportionate access to additional records where lawful; CB may provide redacted extracts to protect privacy/trade secrets.
(d) E-voting & identity. Secure e-voting with strong identity verification, quorum proofs, and publication of a provenance hash after each vote.
(e) Language & accessibility. Reasonable accommodations; plain-language summaries; multilingual support where feasible.

4.7 Member Covenants (All Classes)

(a) Independence & neutrality. Adhere to Article 3; no exclusivity or conditioned funds that compromise neutrality; Brand Separation Protocol is mandatory for co-located events.
(b) Conduct & integrity. Code of Ethics; anti-harassment; anti-bribery/anti-corruption; timely incident reporting.
(c) Data & model stewardship. Lawful basis and licenses; quality metadata; model/data cards; uncertainty disclosure; retention/destruction controls; red-team for high-impact releases.
(d) Privacy & security. Swiss FADP and, where applicable, GDPR/UK GDPR; DPIAs/PIAs; encryption; access controls; breach notification timelines.
(e) Export controls & dual-use. Compliance with applicable regimes; CB maintains checklists and clearance gates.
(f) ESG & safeguarding. Human-rights due diligence; safeguarding for children/vulnerable persons; event safety standards.

4.8 Dues, Waivers, Credits & In-Kind

(a) Publication & indexing. Trustees approve and CB publishes the annual dues schedule; fees may be indexed to Swiss CPI (cap set in Standing Orders).
(b) Waivers/credits. Transparent criteria for LDC/climate-vulnerable waivers and capacity credits; awards logged in the Donor & Dues Register.
(c) In-kind. Eligible contributions (datasets, compute, venues, audits) may offset up to 30% of dues if pre-valued, auditable, and free of restrictive conditions.
(d) Payments. Net 30; late fee after day 30; suspension day 90; bank/FX costs borne by payer.

4.9 Community-to-State Participation (All-of-Society)

(a) Community Partners Pathway. Municipalities, indigenous councils, civil-society networks, utility co-ops may join via PIM tiers or fee-waived Community Partner Agreements for public-interest deployments (CB approval; transparency).
(b) Localization without fragmentation. Partners implement standardized toolkits and 90-day sprints; outputs are comparable and auditable via model/data cards.
(c) Equity of access. Outreach, scholarships, accessibility measures ensure balanced participation across gender, youth, disability, and marginalized groups.

4.10 Representation, Proxies & GA Mechanics

(a) States. Head of Delegation & Alternate filed with CB; proxy to another State-Level Member permitted per Standing Orders.
(b) PIMs. One voting representative plus alternate; proxy holder may represent ≤3 Members unless Trustees approve otherwise.
(c) Individuals. Personal voting; no sub-proxies.
(d) Dual-quorum safeguard. For Charter changes and Trustee elections, concurrent majorities of (i) State-Level Members and (ii) all other Members are required; ordinary matters decide by GA simple majority unless Standing Orders set higher thresholds.
(e) Remote protocols. Identity-verified remote attendance and e-voting permitted; CB publishes cryptographic provenance hashes of results with retention in the Council Register.

4.11 Suspension & Expulsion (Procedure; Appeals)

(a) Grounds. Material breach; non-payment >90 days; sanctions/KYC flags; reputational/legal risk; misuse of name/marks; willful violation of Independence/Brand Separation; privacy/security breach; harassment; corruption/fraud.
(b) Provisional suspension. CB (with a Trustee Officer) may impose immediate suspension up to 60 days for integrity/safety risks; record in the Council Register.
(c) Due process (Art. 72 SCC-aligned). Written notice (facts/evidence); 15-day response; Trustees’ decision (proportionality; CB report); reasoned entry in Register.
(d) Appeals. Internal appeal to Audit & Risk Committee within 15 days (procedural fairness); thereafter Article 18 (mediation → Swiss Rules arbitration, seat Geneva) limited to procedural/statutory compliance.
(e) Effects. Rights cease on expulsion; dues remain payable; credentials revoked; materials returned/destroyed; data licenses terminate unless otherwise agreed.
(f) Re-admission. Possible after cure with safeguards and cooling-off.

4.12 Register of Members & Digital Identity

(a) Custody. CB maintains the authoritative Register of Members in Switzerland.
(b) Fields. Legal name; class/category; jurisdiction; address; voting representative/alternate (for States/PIMs); contacts; admission date; status; dues tier/payment; last conflicts declaration; sanctions/KYC flag/clear; Member ID; issued/revoked credentials; licenses/consents.
(c) Public vs. restricted. Public roster (name, class/category, jurisdiction, admission date); restricted fields protected under Swiss FADP and, where applicable, GDPR/UK GDPR.
(d) Updates & retention. Material changes within 15 days; retention for term plus statutory periods; archives maintain minimal dataset for audit/sanctions traceability.
(e) Evidence. Council Register Extracts (CREs) are prima facie evidence of status/authority.

4.13 Branding, IP & Publications

(a) Listing license. By admission, Members grant GRF a non-exclusive right to display their name/logo in member lists and event materials; withdrawal upon resignation/expulsion.
(b) Co-created IP. Defaults: GRF owns outputs with a perpetual, non-exclusive license to contributors; or co-ownership with field-of-use split—per project agreement. Moral rights preserved; open licenses favored where lawful.
(c) Editorial control. GRF retains editorial control; external reviews are advisory unless an approval right is expressly granted by Trustees and Cleared by CB.

4.14 Special Regimes & Edge Cases

(a) Consortia & networks. One voting seat per consortium; internal arrangements are not recognized for GA fragmentation.
(b) Corporate groups. One PIM per jurisdiction or functional entity unless Trustees waive to avoid undue influence.
(c) Conflict zones/sanctions. CB may delay onboarding or restrict participation pending risk resolution.
(d) Export-control contexts. Additional approvals for dual-use tech/data; CB maintains gates.
(e) Founding cohort (transitional). Founding Members may receive time-limited recognition; no perpetual privileges.

Cross-References & Instruments: Articles 10 (Meetings & Voting), 12 (CB Instruments & Clearance), 13–15 (Finance; Data/Security/Privacy), 18 (Disputes); Standing Orders (GA timelines, quorum, e-voting, proxies, agenda); Annex J (Dues schedule; waiver criteria; IIA & Donor Register); Annex M (Sanctions/KYC/AML); Annex N (Conflicts & RPT).