By-law of the Council of the Song and Dance Celebration

Issued pursuant to
Section 7, Paragraph one,
Clause 3 and Section 7,
Paragraph one, Clause 6 of the
Song and Dance Celebration Law

I. General Provision

1. This Regulation prescribes the objective of the activity, the functions and competence of the Council of the Song and Dance Celebration (hereinafter - Council), the procedures for the establishment and work organisation of the Council, as well as the procedures by which representatives from sectors, non-governmental organisations and culture centres shall be selected for approval to the Council, and the selection criteria for the selection of the representatives referred to.

II. Objective of Activity, Function, Tasks and Rights of the Council

2. The Council is a consultative institution, the objective of activity of which is to promote the sustainability of the Song and Dance Celebration process and to pass on the tradition of the Song and Dance Celebration.

3. The function of the Council is to take measures in order to ensure the sustainability of the Song and Dance Celebration process and the passing on of the tradition of the Song and Dance Celebration.

4. The Council shall perform the tasks specified in the Song and Dance Celebration Law.

5. The Council has the following rights:

5.1. within the scope of the competence thereof to co-operate with State and local government institutions, legal persons and natural persons, as well as foreign institutions;

5.2. to request and receive from State and local government institutions, as well as from non-governmental organisations the generally accessible information necessary for the implementation of the Council tasks;

5.3. to invite experts and specialists, as well as representatives of State and local government institutions and non-governmental organisations to take part in the meetings of the Council in an advisory capacity;

5.4. to establish working groups in an advisory capacity for the evaluation of particular issues and for the preparation of proposals; and

5.5. to independently co-operate with the mass media and to provide information regarding issues within the scope of competence of the Council.

III. Establishment of the Council

6. The State Agency of Intangible Cultural Heritage shall send invitation letters to:

6.1. the Minister for Culture, the Minister for Education and Science, the Minister for Finance, the Mayor of Riga City Council and the chairperson of the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments - with a request to approve participation in the Council; and

6.2. the Education, Science and Culture Committee of the Saeima, the Chancery of the President and the Latvian National Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation - with a request to delegate representatives for work on the Council.

7. Applicants for work on the Council from sectors, non-governmental organisations and culture centres shall be nominated:

7.1. by sectoral expert councils of the State Agency of Intangible Cultural Heritage - representatives according to the competence in choir, dance, brass band, national applied art, folk music and traditional culture sectors, as well as representatives from non-governmental organisations and culture centres;

7.2. by sectoral expert councils of the National Centre for Education - representatives according to the competence in choir, dance, brass band, national applied art, folk music and traditional culture sectors;

7.3. by non-governmental organisations, the objective of activity of which is related to the safeguarding and development of the Song and Dance Celebration tradition - representatives according to the competence in choir, dance, brass band, national applied art, folk music, traditional culture, and professional music sectors, as well as representatives from culture centres;

7.4. by the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments - representatives from culture centres; and

7.5. by the Council of the Creative Unions of Latvia - representatives from the professional music sector.

8. Such applicants from sectors, non-governmental organisations and culture centres shall be nominated for work on the Council who conform to the following criteria:

8.1. experience in the sector to be represented in the preparation and organisation of at least two Song and Dance Celebrations;

8.2. involvement in ensuring measures and events for the safeguarding and development of the Song and Dance Celebration tradition in the time period between Song and Dance Celebrations;

8.3. experience in co-operation with State and local government institutions and non-governmental organisations in the field of culture or education; and

8.4. is not involved in the preparation and organisation of the current Song and Dance Celebration as an artistic director or project manager.

9. When nominating an applicant from sectors, non-governmental organisations and culture centres, the following documents shall be submitted to the State Agency of Intangible Cultural Heritage:

9.1. an application justifying the applicant being nominated for representation on the Council in the relevant sector or field;

9.2. a true copy of the decision or an extract from the minutes regarding the applicant being nominated;

9.3. a written confirmation that the applicant agrees to be a Council member;

9.4. the curriculum vitae of the applicant; and

9.5. a copy of the articles of association of the non-governmental organisation, if the applicant is nominated by a non-governmental organisation.

10. Applicants nominated in compliance with the criteria referred to in Paragraph 9 of this Regulation shall be evaluated by a committee established by the State Agency of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The referred to committee shall include representatives from the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education and Science, the State Agency of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the National Centre for Education, the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments, the Council for Implementation of the Cooperation Memorandum between Non-governmental Organisations and the Cabinet.

11. The committee shall operate in accordance with the by-law drawn up by the State Agency of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

12. The State Agency of Intangible Cultural Heritage shall, not later than three months prior to the expiry of the term of activity of the Council, send invitation letters to the institutions referred to in Paragraphs 6 and 7 of this Regulation and place a notice on the Internet home page of the State Agency of Intangible Cultural Heritage with an invitation to non-governmental organisations to nominate applicants for work on the Council within two weeks.

13. The committee shall evaluate the applicants nominated and, within one month, submit a justified proposal to the Minister for Culture. The Minister for Culture shall submit the relevant list of applicants to the Cabinet for approval.

IV. Organisation of the Council Work

14. The first meeting of the Council shall be convened by the State Agency of Intangible Cultural Heritage. During the first meeting the Council members shall elect the chairperson of the Council from amongst them by open ballot with a majority vote.

15. Meetings of the Council shall be convened and chaired by the chairperson. During the absence of the chairperson, his or her duties shall be performed by the deputy chairperson of the Council. The deputy chairperson of the Council shall be elected by the Council upon proposal of the chairperson of the Council.

16. Meetings of the Council shall be convened not less than once every three months.

17. Extraordinary meetings of the Council may be convened if it is proposed by at least half of the Council members, filing a justified submission to the State Agency of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

18. The agenda of Council meetings shall be approved by the chairperson of the Council.

19. The State Agency for Intangible Cultural Heritage shall, not later than five working days prior to a Council meeting, send the Council members information regarding the convening of a Council meeting, the draft agenda of the meeting and draft documents to be examined at the meeting.

20. Any Council member, not later than three working days prior to the Council meeting, may send in electronic form proposals regarding the anticipated agenda of the Council meeting to the State Agency for Intangible Cultural Heritage, as well as propose any questions within the competence of the Council to be included in the agenda.

21. The meetings of the Council shall be open to the public.

22. The following persons shall participate in Council meetings:

22.1. members of the Council;

22.2. invited persons. Invited persons shall only participate in discussing questions, for examination of which they were invited; and

22.3. organisers of the Song and Dance Celebration - representatives from the State Agency for Intangible Cultural Heritage and the National Centre for Education.

23. The Council shall have a quorum if more than one half of the Council members are present at a meeting thereof.

24. Each member of the Council shall have one vote. The Council shall take decisions by open vote.

25. The Council shall take decisions with a simple majority vote of the Council members present. In the event of a tied vote, the vote of the chairperson of the Council shall be the decisive vote.

26. Decisions of the Council shall have a recommendatory nature.

27. Decisions of the Council shall be publicly accessible on the Internet home page of the State Agency for Intangible Cultural Heritage.

28. Minutes shall be taken at the meetings of the Council. Minute-taking at meetings shall be ensured by the State Agency for Intangible Cultural Heritage.

29. The State Agency for Intangible Cultural Heritage shall, within three working days after a Council meeting, send the draft minutes of the meeting to the Council members in electronic form. The minutes shall be considered to be accepted, if no written objections are received from any Council members within five working days.

30. Minutes of the Council meeting shall be signed by the chairperson of the Council.

31. The State Agency for Intangible Cultural Heritage shall ensure storage the minutes of a Council meeting.

32. Members of the Council shall not receive remuneration for their work on the Council.

V. Closing Provisions

33. Cabinet Regulation No. 835 of 1 November 2005, By-law of the Song and Dance Celebration Council (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 2005, No. 177), is repealed.

34. In 2012 the State Agency for Intangible Cultural Heritage shall send the invitation referred to in Paragraph 13 of this Regulation and place the notice by 27 February 2012.

Prime Minister V. Dombrovskis

Minister for Culture Ž. Jaunzeme-Grende

Translation © 2012 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)