(Draft)
Chapter One: General Principles
Article 1: The Literary Network of the Belt and Road, hereinafter abbreviated as the Network or LNBR, is jointly established by literary organizations, institutions of literature publishing, literary research, literature publicizing and literary copyright protection, as well as writers, translators, critics, publishers, etc. from countries and regions supporting the Belt and Road Initiative, or, BRI partners. It aims at enhancing literary exchanges and writers’ friendship, propelling the introduction, translation and circulation ofoutstanding literary works, advancing the communication and mutual learning among civilizations, and nourishing people-to-people amity.
Article 2: The Network is based on the tenets of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. It advocates the Silk Road Spirit of peace, cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit. It adheres to the principles of mutual respect, equal-footed consultation, prosperity and progress for all, appreciation of the beauty of different civilizations. It seeks to build platforms of literary exchanges and cooperation, giving play to the unique role of literature on deepening people-to-people amity. It will promote the mutual understanding, trust and friendship among peoples and support the sound development of international relations, making literary contributions to building the Belt and Road into a road of peace, prosperity, opening up, green development, innovation and connected civilizations.
Article 3: LNBR is headquartered in Beijing, China.
Chapter Two: Basic Functions
Article 4: Building platforms of literary exchanges and cooperation. LNBR commits itself to establishing platforms of literary exchanges and cooperation for BRI partners, mobilizing all resources and forces in the literary field of writing, translation, publishing, research and copyright protection to make full use of their respective advantages. It pushes for all-round literary cooperation, serves writers of different countries with literary exchanges and encourages literature communities of all BRI partners to share their experiences on literary creation. LNBR will build bilateral and multilateral mechanisms of literary interflow and hold activities such as literature forums, writing camps and translation workshops to set up regular cooperation mechanisms in the literary area.
Article 5: Organizing mutual visits. On the basis of extensive consultation and through reality-based planning, LNBR will organize mutual visits of members of the Network to improve their understanding of the history, culture, society and other aspects of the host country. It will provide conveniences to writers in their creation of correlative works, consolidate and develop friendship among litterateurs, translators, literary critics and publishers, and maintain frequent professional exchanges to further bilateral or multilateral cooperation on a regular basis.
Article 6: Propelling the introduction, translation and circulation of outstanding works of literature. LNBR aims at forming mechanisms of mutual recommendation for literary works of excellence and gradually establishing platforms of publicizing them. The Network encourages the press, literary journals and Internet media of BRI partners to translate, print or publish the excellent works of literature of other countries, encourages writers to attend international literary activities, holds literature lectures and book presentations in schools, libraries and bookstores and supports the circulation of outstanding works of internet literature.
Article 7: Fostering young literary talents. The Network hopes to attract more outstanding young writers, translators, critics and publishers to attend the activities organized by LNBR, such as transnational, visits on local customary practice, writing camps, training courses, etc. The Network encourages the literary organizations and institutions of BRI partners to enhance education on young talents of literature.
Article 8: Advancing cooperation on literary copyright protection. LNBR will support BRI partners in their efforts to enhance the protection of literary copyright by exchanging related experiences and practices and to facilitate their cooperation through mutually providing corresponding information. The Network will hold thematic lectures and training on protecting literary copyright in order to improve the authors’ awareness of copyright protection and provide correlative assistance.
Chapter Three: Structure
Article 9: The Network members include groups and individuals whomeet following conditions:
1. The group, either a literature organization or an institution of literature publishing, literary research, literature promotion or literary property protection, should be influential in literature circles. The individual, including writer, translator, literary critic or publisher, should be representative in relevant areas.
2. They shall apply for membership on a voluntary basis.
3. They shall support the Charter of Literary Network of the Belt and Road.
Article 10: The Network shall have a council to make decisions on the key issues regarding the development of LNBR. The council draws members from founding members of LNBR and specially invited members. As the initiator and the chair of the council, the China Writers Association will be responsible for convening council meetings and coordination meetings, urging LNBR members to implement the major projects of the Network through communication and coordination, etc. Each council shall have a term of two years.
Article 11: The secretariat of the Network is the standing administrative body of LNBR. The secretariat is located at the China Writers Association and is responsible for daily operations, activity organization and implementation of the decisions made by the council.
Article 12: LNBR adopts an invitational system for granting membership and authorizes the secretariat to undertake the related work. The members of LNBR may recommend groups or individuals to the secretariat for membership. The secretariat will send invitations to the groups or individuals meeting the criteria, and the invitees can join LNBR after submitting relevant applications. The secretariat shall report the accession of new members to the council.
Article 13: The members of LNBR enjoy the rights as follows:
1. Obtain various services provided by LNBR.
2. Participate in activities organized by LNBR.
3. Access to the information introducing excellent works of literature of BRI countries.
4. Receive materials from LNBR such as briefings.
Article 14: The members of LNBR have the obligations as follows:
1. Abide by the Charter of Literary Network of the Belt and Road.
2. Actively attend the activities organized by LNBR.
3. Protect the rights, interests and the reputation of LNBR.
Article 15: The members of LNBR have the freedom of withdrawing. Any member wishing to withdraw from LNBR shall inform the secretariat in writing. The secretariat shall report to the council the updated information about members’ withdrawal.
Article 16: The members who violate the Charter of Literary Network of the Belt and Road will be removed from LNBR after the council’s
deliberation.
Chapter Four: Operation System
Article 17: LNBR should organize an assembly of members every two years in order to consolidate partnership and expand cooperative measures
through consultation and discussion.
Article 18: LNBR will hold council meetings as needed, to study the major issues concerning the development of the Network. After the consultations among participating councilors, the council may propose relevant guiding initiatives for the reference of LNBR members.
Article 19: LNBR provides the following services to its members:
1. Organize mutual visits of members.
2. Hold literary activities such as forums, dialogues, writing camps and workshops.
3. Organize the signing of bilateral or multilateral cooperation agreements.
4. Provide its members with facilities for creative work.
5. Organize cross-border journey of writing.
6. Provide platforms of publicizing literature works of excellence and services for mutual translation and presentation of works to share resources of information on works.
7. Develop thematic training on literary creation, translation, publication, copyright protection, etc.
8. Assist the members to carry out copyright protection and correlative cooperation.
9. Other pertinent, personalized services to the needs of members.
Chapter Five: Supplementary Provisions
Article 20: The Charter shall take effect upon the approval by the council of LNBR.
Article 21: Any amendment to the Charter shall be decided by the council of LNBR after deliberation.
Article 22: The secretariat of LNBR reserves the right of final interpretation of the Charter.
Article 23: Done in duplicate in Chinese and English languages, both texts of this document have equal legal effect.
