A review of the New Zealand AIDS Foundation's founding legal documents over the past year has culminated in a new draft Trust Deed, which members will have an opportunity to vote on in September at a Special General Meeting. The new document incorporates decisions made by members during a constitutional review process last year, which resulted in a series of votes at the November AGM on everything from NZAF's purpose, to whether Trust Board members should be elected or appointed. NZAF Board Chair Hoani Jeremy Lambert says the consultation process has been robust. “The creation of this new draft Trust Deed wouldn't have been possible without the thorough input of submissions, both personally and in writing, from stakeholders and members around the country. We're very grateful to all those who participated, as well as to the working group who oversaw the process.” The new document fully meets legal obligations required of NZAF by the Charities Act 2005, and will resolve historic legal confusion by incorporating elements of the original Trust Deed and NZAF Constitution into a single Trust Deed document, along with an appendix which carries a schedule of rules. A specific commitment to at-risk communities has been articulated in a new clause entitled ‘Principles', Lambert explains. “Because we were legally unable to adjust NZAF's object in the original Trust Deed, here is where we can put forth our commitment to the special health needs of gay and bisexual men, people living with HIV, and clearly define our responsibilities in working with Maori.” Another decision by members to come out of last year's AGM was a change to the make-up of the Trust Board to have a mixture of appointed and elected members, in contrast to the current self-appointment system. “After a careful review of members' submissions, we have decided to opt for a mix of 4 elected and 3 appointed Trustees,” Lambert says. “In order to meet this, there will be a number of resignations from the Board in time for this year's AGM. There will be more detail on this following September's Special General Meeting.” Ref: NZAF (Press Release)