Who is Johanne H. Gaudreault?

Johanne H. Gaudreault is a sociopolitical scientist who graduated from Université Laval (M.A.). She became President of the CGLQ in September 2007, after serving as Vice-President since 2004 and as a member of the Board of Directors since 1999.

What challenges has the CGLQ faced?

The CGLQ faced several major challenges: the departure of the Executive Director, the resignation of Board members, the loss of SACAIS funding, and the postponement of the 24th ILGA World Conference, originally scheduled to take place in Québec City.

How did the CGLQ respond to these difficulties?

The CGLQ renewed its Board of Directors, sent a representative to the UN and the ILGA Conference in Vienna, began renewing its website, and explored new sources of funding.

When is the General Meeting announced in this message?

According to the president's message, the next General Meeting of the Coalition gaie et lesbienne du Québec was to take place on October 9, 2008, at a location still to be determined. The president invited members to attend in large numbers, after a period marked by the renewal of the Board of Directors and the search for new sources of funding.

Where can I find the members of the renewed Board of Directors?

The composition of the renewed Board is presented on the page devoted to the CGLQ's administrative structure, which lists the eight members and their roles. The organization's achievements, such as its international representation and its NGO status with the United Nations ECOSOC, are summarized in the history of the Board of Directors.

What does the board of directors of a Québec non-profit do?

The board administers and supervises the organization: it sets strategic directions, makes sure the mission is respected, approves the budget, monitors finances and reports to the members at the annual general assembly. It acts collectively, and its directors must show prudence, diligence, honesty and loyalty toward the organization.

What can an organization with ECOSOC consultative status do at the United Nations?

Organizations with general or special consultative status can designate observers to public meetings of the Council and its subsidiary bodies, submit written statements in their field of competence and, when authorized, speak. They do not vote. The Committee on NGOs reviews applications and quadrennial reports, but granting or withdrawing status is decided by ECOSOC itself.

President's Message - CGLQ Board of Directors

Introduction

Johanne H. Gaudreault
Sociopolitical scientist (M.A.)
Université Laval (Qc)

A board of directors meeting around a worktable with documents and laptops — The Board of Directors was renewed to address the organization's challenges.

Message from the President

Dear members,

Many of you have learned, through LGBT media and communication channels, of various events involving the CGLQ that have occurred since the last General Assembly in June 2007.

The departure of our Executive Director on September 1, 2007;
The collective resignation of several members of the Board of Directors;
The decision by our primary funder (SACAIS) to stop funding the CGLQ following mismanagement by the executive management and the former Executive Board;
The postponement of the 24th conference of the ILGA (International Lesbian and Gay Association), scheduled to be held in Québec City from May 14 to 20, 2008 at the Convention Centre.

The convergence of these events certainly destabilized the CGLQ. That is why we renewed the Board of Directors, whose administrative structure you may review. We dispatched a Board member to represent us at the UN (United Nations) as well as in Vienna, Austria, for the 24th ILGA World Conference. We are also working on renewing the CGLQ website and exploring various potential sources of funding.

A speaker addressing a community assembly in a bright hall — Members are invited to meet at the General Meeting announced in this message.

We will be pleased to meet you at the next General Assembly of the Coalition gaie et lesbienne du Québec (CGLQ), which will take place on October 9, 2008 (location to be determined). See the Board's history to learn more about our accomplishments.

We hope to see a great many of you there.

How a Québec non-profit is governed

The letter speaks of a renewed Board of Directors and of an upcoming general assembly. These two bodies are the heart of how a Québec non-profit organization works. In Québec, such an organization is generally incorporated either under Part III of the Companies Act or as a legal person governed mainly by the Civil Code of Québec and its constituting documents. The rules that apply depend on the incorporation law, which is why the letters patent, the by-laws and the organization's file at the Enterprise Registrar have to be consulted, along with the membership categories and their voting rights, the notice and quorum rules, and the most recent minutes.

The board of directors administers and supervises the organization. It acts collectively: an individual director generally cannot bind the organization without a valid delegation from the board. Its usual tasks include setting strategic directions, making sure the mission is respected, approving the budget, monitoring finances and reporting to the members at the annual general assembly.

Directors must act in the interest of the organization with prudence, diligence, honesty and loyalty, avoid conflicts of interest and keep themselves informed before voting. Being a volunteer does not remove these duties.

The Registraire des entreprises du Québec keeps the public file of the organization and receives its annual declaration and its updates, such as changes of address, officers or directors. This is legal publicity: being listed there does not by itself give a person the power to decide on behalf of the organization. The composition of CGLQ's board and its history are described on the pages Board of Directors and Board history.

The role of the annual general assembly

The annual general assembly is where the board accounts to the members. It is normally held every year in accordance with the letters patent and the by-laws. Its usual functions include receiving the report on the organization's activities, reviewing the financial statements, adopting the minutes of the previous meeting, electing the directors and, where required, appointing the auditor or the person in charge of a review engagement.

The assembly does not run the organization day to day. It exercises accountability, election and collective oversight. Some powers can also be reserved to members by law, by the letters patent or by the by-laws.

The letter recalls that the last general assembly took place in June 2007 and announces the next one for October 9, 2008, with the location still to be determined. Members who wish to take part in the life of the organization can find out how to become a member.

Consultative status at the United Nations: what it allows

The letter mentions that a Board member represented CGLQ at the UN. That presence rests on the status the organization holds with ECOSOC, the United Nations Economic and Social Council. This status is governed by Council resolution 1996/31, which distinguishes three categories of non-governmental organizations: general consultative status, special consultative status and inclusion on a roster.

Organizations with general or special status can designate observers to attend the public meetings of the Council and of its subsidiary bodies, and can submit written statements on subjects within their field of competence. They can also be authorized to make oral statements, generally after a recommendation by the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations and approval by the Council. Organizations on the roster can take part more occasionally, when the subject falls within their competence.

The Committee on NGOs examines applications for status and the quadrennial reports of organizations, but the granting, suspension and withdrawal of status formally remain decisions of ECOSOC. Consultative status gives access and participation, not voting rights. To learn more, see our pages on UN / ECOSOC and on the history of ECOSOC.

From Québec City to Vienna

The letter refers to the 24th ILGA World Conference, which had been planned in Québec City from May 14 to 20, 2008. The conference was finally held in Vienna, Austria, from November 3 to 6, 2008, hosted by the association HOSI Wien, under the theme “Organising locally to bring about global change.”

Reports from the time mention about 200 activists from 81 countries, joined by some 120 academics, with pre-conferences devoted in particular to women and to trans people. By sending a member of its board to Vienna, CGLQ maintained its presence in the international network that had given it the mandate to organize the Québec City event.

For the context of the postponement, read the CGLQ news release and the presentation of ILGA and its 24th World Conference.

Key dates mentioned in the letter

Here is the sequence of events, as it appears from the letter and from the related pages of this site:

June 2007: last general assembly mentioned in the letter.
July 2007: CGLQ obtains status with ECOSOC.
September 1, 2007: departure of the Executive Director.
September 2007: Johanne H. Gaudreault becomes President of CGLQ.
March 13, 2008: CGLQ news release on the conference planned in Québec City.
October 9, 2008: general assembly announced by the President.
November 3 to 6, 2008: 24th ILGA World Conference in Vienna.

These dates also show how a board renewal fits into a year of activity: the organization kept its commitments to its members, to the United Nations and to its international network while it reorganized its governance.

Message from President Johanne H. Gaudreault