KCK Convention

KCK CONVENTION
(2017)

The Founding Declaration of KCK

We live in a pivotal moment in human history, one that presents both great potential for development and serious threat to the survival of humankind. Kurdistan lies at the epicenter of the intense turbulence and conflict that the Middle East has been enduring in the course of the Third World War. Despite the resistance of the old political status-quo, the forces of global capital are trying to find methods of salvation which serve their own interests. The people are trying to overcome this situation of chaos by building their own democratic systems based on freedom. The circumstances at hand can be summed up as follows:

1. Until the early 19th century, humanity had based itself on the agricultural revolution that developed in the Zagros ecosystem, when the industrial revolution—the second greatest revolution—began. The establishment of the nation-state was significantly facilitated by this second revolution. Towards the end of the 20th century, the nation-state system arose as the most significant obstacle to social development, democracy, and freedoms. 

2. The concept of a nation’s right to self-determination was first articulated at the beginning of the 20th century. This was interpreted as an entitlement to statehood. Nation-states, which were established on this foundation, now pose significant obstacles to progress. The approach of the United Nations, which is nation-state based, is ineffective. The conflict in the Gulf and the state of affairs in Iraq prove this. 

3. The solution to this chaos is not the globalization being developed by the nation-state system, but rather a Democratic Confederal system that relies entirely on the people and draws its power from the grassroots. The tradition of the nation-state is not eternal, neither is it everlasting. Today, globalization is demolishing the nation-state. During this time, imperialism failed to develop a viable alternative model; thus, the internal crisis of the current system deepened and ultimately spiraled out of control. 

4. Democratic Confederalism is the only viable option in this circumstance. This organizational structure resembles a pyramid. According to this system, the communities have the ultimate authority to debate, command, and make decisions. From the bottom up, delegates are chosen to establish a Coordination. The one-year civil servants of the people are their delegates. 

5. The Middle East’s aggravated historical and social problems can be resolved with the system of Democratic Confederalism. The encroachments of imperial powers and the capitalist system can only be used to subjugate democracy, not to promote it. In the Democratic Confederal system, it is essential to establish the democratic grass-root option as the dominant one. This system respects societal distinctions based on race, religion, and class.

6. For Kurdistan, the right to self-determination is a step toward the establishment of an autonomous democracy. It bars the use of political borders as a pretext or a justification for the establishment of a state founded on nationalist ideals. Every Kurd would establish their own federations and work together to form a Super-Confederalism under a Kurdish organization that would be founded in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and other countries.

7. The assemblies and delegates of the town, neighborhood, and village hold the majority of the decision-making authority within the Kurdistan Democratic Confederalism. Thus, the decision made by the people at the grassroots level is legitimate.

These fundamental conclusions about the present-day world, the Middle East, and Kurdistan, demonstrate that organizing Democratic Confederalism in Kurdistan is an important and urgent historical duty. Thus, initiating the process of the construction of Democratic Confederalism on Newroz day is a historical and exciting step.

Kurdistan Democratic Confederalism is the democratic, non-state system of the people.  This system is inclusive of each segment of society, especially women and young people. In accordance with their equal and free confederation citizenship, every part of society forms their own democratic organizations where they directly and locally conduct politics in their own ‘free citizenship assemblies.’ The foundations of this project are based on the principles of autonomy and self-government. It draws its strength from the people and promotes self-sufficiency in all spheres, including the economy. The strength of Kurdistan Democratic Confederalism stems from the depths of Mesopotamia’s rich social history and cultural heritage. It is based on the democratic community structure of the natural society, which has rejected the idea of a centralized state system from the very beginning of tribal confederations and clan systems, until the present. The foundation of Democratic Confederalism is the reality of the patriotic people, the ideals of free life, and democratic organization. It is a sum of the experience that the PKK has accumulated in all domains—particularly the prisons and mountains—during the course of its more than thirty-year struggle, in which thousands have been martyred.

Democratic Confederalism fights for the eradication of all obstacles to democratization; it fights for the radical reform of the states to make them open to democracy. Kurdistan will now be governed according to three laws: Democratic Confederal law, unitary state law, and EU law. The Kurdish people will be ready to come to an agreement with the unitary states of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria when they recognize the Confederal law of the Kurdish people. 

The foundation of Democratic Confederalism is the acceptance and protection of all cultural heritages, as well as the right to free expression. Based on this, Democratic Confederalism assumes a duty to guarantee the democratic resolution of the Kurdish issue, to ensure the universal recognition of Kurdish identity, and to work to advance the Kurdish language and culture.

Democratic Confederalism endorses the ecological society paradigm. It assures that the fight for women’s freedom must be multifaceted in order to overcome sexism. In every region where Kurdish society is present, Democratic Confederalism envisions the establishment of a democracy founded on ecology and freedom for women, along with the corresponding fight against all types of backwardness. It connects the expansion of social democracy with the protection of individual rights and freedoms. 

Democratic Confederalism bases itself on peaceful politics—that is, on resolving social issues without resorting to force or violence—nonetheless, it preserves the right to legitimate self-defense against attacks on the nation, its citizens, their freedoms, and their rule of law.

The Kurdish people’s struggle to create a democratic system and social structure is known as Democratic Confederalism. Internally it represents the democratic nation, externally it represents a supranational structure. It is the self-administration of an organized society; it protects the unity of all social organizations in the political, social, economic, cultural, religious, ethnic, women’s liberation, ecological, and communal domains. Based on this, I urge all segments of society, especially women and young people, to form their own democratic groups, increase their democratic participation, and exercise self-administration.

Democratic Confederalism is the expression of the democratic unity of the Kurdish people in Kurdistan, which is divided into four parts, including those who have spread all over the world. It is predicated on the idea of democratic unity in resolving the Kurdish nation’s internal issues. It regards nationalism-based statehood inclinations as a continuation of the outdated understanding of the nation-state. Since such inclinations cannot solve the Kurdish problem or advance Kurdish society, I invite such forces to be open to democratization and to join the confederation on the basis of democratic national unity.

Since Democratic Confederalism is based on deep democratic tenets and the consciousness of freedom, it ensures the equal and free unity of all peoples without any distinction between them. Instead of a nationalist/statist nation built on borders, Democratic Confederalism builds a democratic nation. It supports the unity of democratic forces and all Middle Eastern peoples on this basis. It envisions regulating relations with surrounding nations by promoting political, social, and cultural rights on the foundation of the idea of free and equal unity. Based on this, I thus extend my invitation to the people of the region to Democratic Confederal unity, and the neighboring states to embrace democracy.

Against global imperialism, Democratic Confederalism supports the global democracy of the peoples. It is a system that all people and humanity must experience in the twenty-first century. This means moving toward a new era and a worldwide Democratic Confederation. Based on this, I urge all of democratic humanity to unite under the Global Democracy Congress to establish a new global order. 

I think we have given our people a new philosophy and approach to life on Newroz 2005 based on these principles and the founding declaration of Koma Komalên Kurdistan, on the expression of the Democratic Confederal organization and the unity of the Kurdish people. I am honored to be its founder. While calling on all our people to organize their own democracy, unite and govern themselves under the red starred flag in the yellow sun on a green background, I express that I will carry this flag with honor and continue to carry out my duties as Leader as successfully as I have done so far. During this spring, which is closer to freedom than any other spring, I congratulate all our people, the peoples of the region, and our friends on Newroz, and offer my greetings and respect.

20 March 2005

Abdullah Öcalan

Leader of Koma Komalên Kurdistan (Kurdistan Societies Union)

Chapter One

General Principles

Article One: Name

The name of the system is Koma Civakên Kurdistan (Kurdistan Communities Union), its abbreviation is ‘KCK’. The founding and theorizing leader of Koma Civakên Kurdistan (KCK) is Abdullah Öcalan.

Article Two: Properties

Koma Civakên Kurdistan is a democratic, communitarian-confederal system. It is based on democracy, women’s freedom and ecological life. It is a non-state, democratic, political and social organization, organized horizontally and pyramidally. Communities of people as a social, ethnic and religious whole organize themselves on the basis of communes-assemblies-congresses, academies and cooperatives. It is organized based on the dimensions of democratic nationhood (political, social, free coexistence, economic, ecological, legal, cultural, self-defense and diplomatic). It is based on the democratic option that develops locally with participation at all levels. It adopts equal and free coexistence based on diversity. It rejects the nation-state approach to the solution of the Kurdish national question and sees that the democratic nation model be realized through democratic autonomy, based on the democratic nation internally and the democratic confederation of peoples-nations externally.

Article Three: Symbols

The emblem is a yellow sun of twenty-one rays with a red star. The flag consists of a yellow sun of twenty-one rays with a red star inside, and a green background. Its size shall be determined by a separate body.

Article Four: Qualities

1. KCK is a communitarian system based on democracy, ecology and women’s freedom. It is based on Democratic Confederal unity.

2. The KCK defends and develops the right of Kurdish society and the other ethnic communities in Kurdistan to become a democratic nation. It defends against the imposition of colonialism, assimilation, cultural genocide, and military occupation.

3. Based on the democratic nation understanding, it considers the historical-social heritage of peoples and cultures, their freedom of self-expression and organization as indispensable rights. It is open to reconciliation with states based on mutual recognition of each other’s existence.

4. It is grounded on the organization of all segments of society according to the principle of self-power and self-efficacy. Organization ought to be achieved in democratic social assemblies and based on free and equal citizenship among communities.

5. It adopts and develops communal life in every field against the individualism of capitalism.

6. It struggles against social sexism and male domination, defends and develops women’s freedom and Free Coexistence.

7. It takes the free, equal, voluntary, and organized participation of youth in society as a basis.

8. It takes ecological life as a basis and leads the development of social ecological consciousness.

9. It takes moral and political social life as a basis, organizes democratic politics and develops the self-administration of society on this basis.

10. It struggles for the acceptance of the Kurdish identity at all levels, and takes the development of the Kurdish language and culture as a basis, as well as the right of all peoples and communities living in Kurdistan to receive education in their mother tongue, to develop their culture and language, and to organize.

11. It takes economic autonomy as a basis, and develops an ecological economy based on a social market and commune economy that is not for profit and serves social solidarity.

12. Democratic Confederalism fights based on legitimate self-defense against attacks on the leadership, the country, the people, and their freedoms, and against all nation-state practices including cultural genocide.

13. It takes the unity of Kurdistan in accordance with the principles of Democratic Confederalism as a basis. It aims for the Confederation of Democratic Society in the Middle East and the formation of the Global Congress of Democracy.

Article Five: Free Citizenship
Everyone in the democratic nation who voluntarily accepts the KCK system is a citizen. A KCK citizen has the rights and freedoms set out in this agreement, and fulfills the obligations set out in this agreement. They also hold the right to renounce their citizenship voluntarily.

Chapter Two

Fundamental Rights and Freedoms

Article Six: Fundamental Rights and Freedoms

1. The founding declaration and principles of the KCK Convention are the basis of fundamental rights and freedoms.

2. The KCK respects the fundamental rights expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

3. The right to life is the most fundamental human right; this right cannot be abolished on any grounds.

4. Everyone has the right to defend their honor and dignity. No one shall be subjected to torture, inhuman, or degrading treatment.

5. Everyone has the freedom of conscience and belief. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression and organization.

6. No one shall be humiliated or discriminated against on the grounds of ethnic, religious, social or gender identity or difference.

7. Everyone has the right to participate in democratic politics.

8. Everyone has the right to self-defense against oppression, injustice and ill-treatment within the framework of Moral-Political Society and Democratic law. The right to defense cannot be limited.

9. Every KCK citizen and community has the right to express themselves through democratic methods such as mass demonstrations, marches, and rallies.

10. No one can be subjected to labor exploitation.

11. Everyone has the right to live in an eco-community.

12. Peoples and communities have the right to free self-determination. The right of communities and peoples to resist oppression, assimilation, extermination, and colonialism is legitimate.

13. Cultural, ethnic, and religious communities have the right to self-government, to protect and develop their culture and to ensure their democratic organization. No individual or community can impose their beliefs on others by force.

14. Every KCK citizen has the right to organize and stand in solidarity with cultural, ethnic and religious communities in the international arena.

15. Women have the right to participate equally in political, social, cultural, and economic life with their own identity as equally-free citizens on the basis of Women’s Freedom and to organize in all areas they need, including the establishment of a party. Every woman and man has the right to struggle against sexism and patriarchal structures and to organize themselves to establish a democratic society based on equality and freedom.

16. The physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of children are safeguarded, and families and society bear the duty for their upbringing, education, and growth. Their nationality at birth will not be changed. They will not have their honor and dignity violated, nor will they be coerced into an early marriage, labor, or military service. The safeguarding of children during armed conflict is a top priority.

17. KCK citizens enjoy the rights recognized by the KCK Convention indiscriminately.
    
    
    

Chapter Three

Fundamental Duties of Citizenship

Article Seven: Fundamental Duties of Citizenship

1. Every KCK citizen is committed to fulfill social, moral and political duties on the basis of protecting and developing the fundamental principles, rights and freedoms set out in the Convention.

2. Every KCK citizen is committed to living and abiding by the principles of social morality.

3. Every KCK citizen has the duty to feel responsibility for and participate in the affairs of society in line with the development of a free society.

4. Every KCK citizen takes daily work as a basis to strengthen and contribute to individual and social life.

5. Every KCK citizen is committed to learning, using and developing their mother tongue in life.

6. Every KCK citizen is committed to living and protecting their historical and cultural values.

7. Every KCK citizen takes education on the principle of women’s freedom as the basis for developing a free life and fighting against sexist attitudes towards women.

8. Every KCK citizen is committed to participating in the defense of self, society and the homeland against military occupation, colonialism, and cultural genocide.

9. Every KCK citizen is committed to solidarity in the struggle against attacks on humanity and society in other parts of the world.

10. Every KCK citizen takes it as a basis to participate in and develop democratic communal life under the notion that there is no life without commune.

11. Every KCK citizen is committed to protecting nature and natural resources with the awareness of social ecology.

12. Every KCK citizen is based on the understanding that a healthy society is made up of healthy individuals. Every individual must develop sufficient consciousness and behavior for the health of their society.
    
    
    

Chapter Four

The KCK System

Article Eight: Communes

1. Neighborhood, Street, Village and Work Unit Communes: The KCK system is based on communal life. Communes are the basic organizations of direct democracy. They are the main decision-making body of the neighborhood, street, village, and work unit. Communes are units of moral and political society. Everyone expresses themselves in at least one commune. Every individual organizes themselves based on solving political, social, economic, cultural, security or self-defense problems in all areas of social life through self-determination. They create their own power by organizing themselves in the form of villages, neighborhoods, streets, schools, factory communes, cooperatives, agricultural and commercial units.

2. Commune Coordination: The Coordination of the Commune is appointed by the commune to organize and coordinate the decisions and executive affairs of the commune. It carries out all its work interdependently with the commune.
   
   

Article Nine: Town and Township Organization

1. Town or Township Councils are the decision-making bodies of towns and townships. The Councils consist of a sufficient number of elected members according to the size of the town or township. Two-thirds of the members are directly elected citizens of the towns and townships while one-third is the elected representatives of organized communities, on a democratic basis.

It bases its work on the system applied by the Provincial and Peoples assemblies. It holds meetings once a month. It formulates the projects and proposals coming from grassroots organizations which are finalized by commissions. It takes all kinds of decisions related to the town and township.

2. Town and Township Coordinations consist of two Co-Chairs elected by the town or township assembly and enough members. It carries out the decisions taken by the assembly together with social sphere organizations based on the community. It reports on its activities during the assembly meetings and is accountable. It creatively implements the decisions of the regional and constituent assemblies and the notices of the Executive in its own unique conditions.
   
   

Article Ten: District¹ Organization

1. District Assembly: The District Assembly is the decision-making body of society in the various regions of the country. These districts are determined according to certain geographic, cultural, sect, ethnicity, and dialect differences and population ratio. The District Assembly is organized according to the principles of the Democratic Nation and has a role in the construction of the Democratic Nation.

   One third of the representatives taking place in the District Assemblies are the democratically elected members of organized communities. The remaining two thirds is formed of representatives which are elected by the electorate in the region, through general elections. The method of election is determined by law.

   The organization and working order of District Assemblies are based on the system of Kongra-Gel (People’s Congress) and the People’s Assemblies. It consists of a sufficient number of members, depending on the size and population density of the district. It appoints and supervises the District Executive to organize and manage democratic society work in the district in question. It holds meetings every four months to evaluate past activities and take the necessary decisions concerning the future course of action.

2. District Executive: The District Executive consists of two Co-Chairs and enough members elected by the District Assembly. It implements the decisions taken by, and is answerable to, the District Assembly. It submits a detailed report on its activities to the District Assembly meetings. It also creatively implements the decisions of the People’s Assembly and People’s Congress and the notices of the Democratic Society Executive and the Executive Council in their respective districts.

Article 11: General Province² Organization

1. People’s Assembly: The People’s Assembly is the decision-making body of the people in the province in question. It consists of a sufficient number of elected members, determined by law according to the size of the province, the population density of the regions, and the level of communal organization. It seeks fair representation of all social segments, especially ethnic and faith communities.

One third of the People’s Assembly is made up of democratically elected representatives of organized communities, and two thirds of the Assembly are made up of members elected in general elections in which the entire population participates. It holds meetings once a year to evaluate past activities and take the necessary decisions for the future.

Internally, in terms of organization and working order, it applies the regulations which are based on the People’s Congress system. Its decisions cannot contradict People’s Congress decisions. While taking decisions for one People’s Assembly, it cannot neglect the interests of other People’s Assemblies in different provinces. It participates in the decision-making process of the national assembly by proposing projects and laws to the People’s Congress.

2. Provincial Democratic Community Executive: The Provincial Democratic Community Executive is the main executive body in the Kurdistan province in question. Two Co-Chairs and a sufficient number of executive members are elected by the People’s Assembly. It implements the decisions of People’s Congress and the People’s Assembly in alignment with the Executive Council notices. It regularly submits reports on its activities to the Co-Presidency of the KCK Executive Council and to the annual and interim meetings of the People’s Assembly, it is answerable to them. It establishes committees and organizations in proportion to the needs of an area. The democratic society executive internally organizes its work by assigning commissions in relation to the democratic society system and ‘free citizen’ work.
   
   

Article Twelve: Ethnic and Cultural Confederations

It develops the democratic self-organization of ethnic-cultural communities and faith groups in any part of the country, and creates democratic self-administrations. It finds its representation within Democratic Community Confederalism.

Article Thirteen: Diaspora Community Organization (Overseas)
The Kurdish community living in Europe and the CIS areas is integrated into a democratic organization according to the principles of the KCK organizational structure, taking into account the concrete conditions of the area in which they live. This organization must include decision-making bodies representing the democratic will of the people, executive boards elected and supervised by these decision-making bodies, their own justice system, and a democratic communal organization system established in accordance with the needs of the people.

Chapter Five

General Organs

Article Fourteen: KCK General Presidency

1. The institution representing the KCK system at the highest level is the KCK General President.

2. The KCK President is elected every two years by the General Council of the People’s Congress, with a two-thirds majority. If the two-thirds majority is not achieved in the first two rounds, an overall majority is sufficient in the third round. If the conditions are favorable, direct election by the people with fifty per cent plus one vote is taken as a basis.

3. The General President of the KCK represents the Kurdish democratic nation, which finds its expression in the KCK system, in every field and at the highest level. They ensure harmony between the general organs of the KCK and approve the decisions taken and policies determined by general organs such as the People’s Congress and the Executive Council. They supervise the correct implementation of these decisions and policies by the related institutions. They oversee the philosophical, theoretical and strategic development and implementation of the line of democratic modernity. They nominate their own deputies and candidates for the co-chair of the Executive Council and submit this to the approval of the General Council of the People’s Congress. If not approved by the General Council, they renew their proposals.

4. The KCK General President works with a council of seven deputies comprised of four women and three men. This forms the KCK General Presidential Council, which is a council of deputies with whom the General President works to fulfill their undertaken duties. Its members are appointed by the KCK General President and approved by the General Council of the People’s Congress by simple majority, every two years.

   The Council carries out the tasks assigned by the General President and reports its activities to the General President. It is responsible for supervising the organs of the KCK and for the creative implementation, monitoring and auditing of the fundamental policies of the KCK.

5. The General President of the KCK makes a presentation to the General Council of the People’s Congress in relation to its opinions and activities. In cases where the General President is unable to make a presentation, the General Presidential Council fulfills this task.
   
   
   

Article Fifteen: The People’s Congress

It is the People’s Assembly of Kurdistan. It takes its decisions in General Council meetings. It takes binding decisions for the democratic autonomous organizations that make up Koma Civakên Kurdistan (KCK). It operates according to a statute drawn up in accordance with the provisions of the Convention.

1. The People’s Congress consists of 200 members. These members are elected by the people every two years in accordance with the electoral law which is established in consideration of factors such as population ratio, communal organization status, and cultural-belief specificity of KCK citizens in the provinces of Kurdistan and abroad. A system of equal representation between the genders is applied. The minimum age of election is 16 and the age of candidacy is 18. Elections are regulated by a separate body, in accordance with the concrete circumstances. Elections are held under the responsibility of the general Electoral Council.

2. The General Council of the People’s Congress shall hold its annual meeting in April each year with the participation of an absolute majority of its elected members. It may postpone its annual meeting for a maximum of six months or hold extraordinary meetings upon the request of the General Presidency, the Co-Presidium Board of the Congress, the Executive Council, or upon the request of one fourth of the total number of its members. Members of the People’s Congress shall be invited to the meeting by the Co-Presidium Board.

3. The General Council of the People’s Congress elects the Co-Presidium Board, the KCK President, members of the Presidency Council, the Co-Chairs and members of the Executive Council, members of the Social Justice Council, members of the General Electoral Council and members of the Standing Commission. It supervises the work of the Executive Council. It decides and plans the work for the upcoming period. It examines and decides on the documents and projects submitted in this regard. The decisions of the General Council of the People’s Congress are implemented after approval by the KCK General Presidential Council.

4. The People’s Congress is governed by the Co-Presidium Board, which consists of two Co-Presidents and two Vice-Presidents. The 4-person Co-Presidium Board is elected by twenty members of the General Council. The Co-Chairs of the Co-Presidium Board are elected by an absolute majority of the members of the General Council. The members of the Co-Presidium Board are elected by simple majority among the members of the General Council. In each renewal of the General Council, the Co-Chairs and their Vice-Presidents are re-elected.

5. The Co-Presidium Board is responsible for organizing and conducting all the work of the People’s Congress. It conducts the meetings and work of the General Council. It represents the People’s Congress, organizes the mid-term board meetings of the Co-Presidium Board and organizes the work of the commissions. It plays an active role in political and diplomatic work. It draws up the list of candidates for the Social Justice Council, the General Electoral Council and the Standing Commission and submits it to the General Council for approval.

6. The Co-Presidium Board of the People’s Congress has regular relations with the People’s Assemblies. It determines its relationship with the People’s Assemblies by regulation.

7. The People’s Congress works on the basis of committees. It finalizes the decisions and projects submitted to the General Council and the mid-term meeting. It is composed of a sufficient number of members according to the needs of the Provincial Assemblies. The Standing Commission works continuously under the supervision of the Co-Presidium Board of the People’s Congress. It develops plans and projects for the establishment and development of the system. It keeps in touch with, and follows the work of, the Communes and Assemblies in the field.

8. During periods when the General Council is not in session, laws and by-laws shall be discussed and decided upon by the Co-Presidium Board, Standing Commission, and Executive Council. Together, these three bodies form the People’s Congress Interim Assembly. It is composed of the members of these three bodies. The mid-term meeting cannot discuss the Convention and cannot hold elections.

9. The People’s Congress negotiates and concludes treaties with international organizations, different communities and states on behalf of the KCK.
   
   

Article Sixteen: Executive Council

1. The Executive Council consists of two Co-Chairs and 34 members who are elected citizens of the KCK. They are elected by the People’s Assembly every two years.
   The Co-Chairs of the Executive Council are elected by an absolute majority in the People’s Congress. The members of the Executive Council are elected by an absolute majority of that meeting.

   The Co-Chairs of the Executive Council are proposed by the KCK General Presidency and presented to the approval of the General Council of the People’s Congress. If the General Council does not approve, new candidates are determined by the KCK General Presidency and presented to the General Council.

   Members of the Executive Council are elected from the list submitted by the Executive Council Co-Chairs. If a sufficient number of members are not elected, the Co-Chairs submit new names to complete the council. The Co-Chairs of the Executive Council shall take into consideration the opinions and suggestions of the Kurdistan Democratic Society Confederalism when preparing the list of potential Executive Council members to be presented to the General Council.

2. The Co-Chairs of the Executive Council are responsible for coordinating all the work of the Executive Council and ensuring that the Council works in harmony. The Co-Chairs take all periodic plans and decisions together with the Executive Council based on the annual and mid-term decisions taken by the People’s Congress. Deputy Co-Chairs are appointed from among the members of the Executive Council according to necessity.

3. The Executive Council is the administrative body of KCK. It coordinates the work of all institutions, organizations and committees within the KCK. It is responsible for implementing the decisions of the KCK General Presidency and the People’s Congress. It ensures the implementation of judicial decisions. It submits regular reports on its activities to the KCK General Presidency. It is responsible to the annual and interim board meetings of the People’s Congress where it reports on its activities. It provides information upon the official request of the Co-Presidium Board of the People’s Congress. It also receives regular reports from subcommittees, institutions and organizations, and issues circulars when deemed necessary.

4. The Executive Council meets every four months by simple majority. The Executive Council meeting shall be chaired by the Co-Chairs. Upon the request of the Co-Chairs or one third of the members, the Council may convene earlier or postpone its meeting.

5. The Executive Council organizes itself and carries out its work on the basis of its Committees and Province Coordinations. The co-chairs of the Executive Council coordinate the relations and work between Committees and Coordinations.

6. In the event that the members of the Executive Council are reduced by one quarter, for various reasons, new members are elected at the General Assembly of the People’s Congress on the basis of the names proposed by the Co-Chairs of the Executive Council.

7. The Executive Council and its Committees and Coordinations make decisions on key policies and new organizations according to needs by submitting drafts to the organs of the People’s Congress.

8. The working and functioning principles of the Executive Council shall be regulated by a Regulation.

Article Seventeen: The Committees

The Executive Council is organized into committees according to different spheres of activity and carries out its work in this way. Committees consist of a sufficient number of members. Committees report monthly to the Co-Chair of the Executive Council on their activities, plans and projects. They implement the decisions of the People’s Congress and the directives of the Executive Council. They shall carry out their work according to their programs and regulations and submit this to the Executive Council Co-Chair for approval. Committees organize sub-units in accordance with their needs. Each committee establishes academies in its field of activity. The committees organize and develop their own work in the provinces and abroad together with the Coordinations of these Provinces.

The Committees of the KCK:

1. Culture Committee: Culture is the sum of society’s sense of meaning, of their moral law, of their mentality and knowledge. The Culture Committee is responsible for organizing and developing this as well as political, economic and social institutions, on a democratic communal basis, and educating society in this sense. It ensures that the cultural accumulation and motifs of the Kurdish people, which are on the verge of extinction, are brought up to date. It perpetuates and secures the values of the revolutions accomplished by the Kurdish people, through cultural activities. It protects and develops the culture of the Kurdish democratic nation as well as the culture of different communities. It is based on the views and proposals of the Ideological Sphere affiliated to the PKK.

2. Press Committee: It enables and develops the organization of the Press on the basis of constructing a democratic nation, by raising awareness and organizing society. Its editorial policy is based on the democratic, ecological and women’s libertarian paradigm. In order to overcome the monopoly of power based on knowledge, the Press Committee ensures the dissemination of all kinds of scientific knowledge to achieve the formation of democracy based on the people. It takes the opinions and suggestions of the Ideological Sphere affiliated to the PKK as its basis.

3. Political Committee: It is responsible for developing and supervising political organizations and activities both within the KCK provinces of Kurdistan as well as internationally.
   It carries out its work on the basis of democratic politics. It establishes friendship and alliance relations with different political movements.

4. Ecology committee: Organizes the communal life model based on democratic ecological economy and women’s liberation. It conducts the necessary education, actions, and events for the development of social ecological consciousness, organization and life. It fights against the destruction implemented by the dominating mentality of the capitalist system on society and nature. It develops the re-harmonizing of society and nature. It monitors all social activities according to the ecological paradigm. It stands in solidarity with ecologists and environmentalist movements in Kurdistan and internationally.

5. Justice Committee: It organizes the KCK’s justice system based on the principles of social morality and democratic law. It is based on establishing social justice order and institutions. It investigates human rights violations and war crimes. It fights against these violations and crimes. It fights for the solution of the Kurdish question within the framework of social conscience, egalitarian, libertarian and democratic law. It maintains relations and solidarity with existing human rights and law organizations.

6. Foreign Relations Committee: Carries out diplomatic activities based on the KCK’s foreign policy framework. It promotes the freedom struggle of the people of Kurdistan in the international arena. It carries out and develops diplomatic activities in line with the objectives of Democratic National Unity, Middle East Democratic Confederalism and the universal democratic system. It creates strategic and tactical alliances. It carries out diplomacy work not only with states and parties, but also through organizations representing social segments and non-governmental organizations on the basis of the people’s diplomacy. It develops diplomatic activities to introduce the Leadership to the international arena. It fights against the international conspiracy. It carries out activities to ensure the health, safety and freedom of the Leadership and to solve legal problems.

7. Social Committee: Creates and implements projects to solve problems in the fields of human rights, peace, immigration and sports, especially in the field of civil society, and to organize in areas such as labor, production, social solidarity, etc. It works for the solution of social problems arising from a sexist, statist, hierarchical and power-based society. It establishes associations, foundations, unions and organizes initiatives in the required areas. It supports organizations and institutions operating in these areas. It organizes to secure the rights of all social groups and solve their problems.

8. Public Health Committee: Based on the principle that the right to health cannot be assigned to others, the Public Health Committee carries out studies for the creation and implementation of the necessary projects to solve the health problems of the people. For this purpose, it encourages and pioneers the creation of institutions, supports existing ones and ensures coordination between these institutions. It establishes academies and develops preventive medicinal studies in order to raise awareness of the provision of public health services in a peaceful, democratic and free environment. It fights against all forms of commercial exploitation by health institutions.

9. Self-Defense Committee: Based on the fact that defense is a fundamental necessity of life, the Self-Defense Committee develops the awareness of self-defense among the people. For this, it carries out all kinds of ideological, cultural, and political educational and organizational activities. It leads the people to organize their own self-defense in the assemblies, communes and other units and institutions organized among the people. It ensures coordination between civilian self-defense units. While carrying out its activities, the self-defense committee acts in partnership with the other self-defense institutions and organizations it is working with.

10. Committee for Communities and Belief Groups: It works for the free, autonomous, flexible organization of peoples communities and belief groups and their equal participation in collective life. It develops institutionalization among these communities in accordance with the principles of the democratic nation and ensures commonality. It fights against the antidemocratic, nation-statist mentality that does not recognize differences.

11. Public Education Committee: It is responsible for developing the people’s education system based on the non-state, democratic nation mentality at every level. It develops projects, creates institutions and implements them to educate all segments of society. It works for the development of native-tongue education where the Kurdish language, among other native languages, is taught to the people as a language of reading and writing. The Committee is responsible for the education of all segments of society, and especially children and youth. It organizes everything necessary to ensure that the democratic, ecological, and women’s libertarian paradigm is established as a mentality in society and becomes a propensity. It organizes itself into sub-committees as Language and Education committees.

12. Economy Committee: It develops and implements the economic system and financial policy of the Confederalism of Democratic Society. It takes communitarian economy and the communal democratic, ecological-economy mentality as a basis and establishes academies for this purpose. It establishes production and commercial cooperatives in every field based on needs. It develops and implements projects for resources, investment and employment. It organizes itself through a division of Economy and Finance.

Article Eighteen: General Electoral Council

The members of the General Electoral Council (GEC) are appointed by the Co-Presidium Board of the People’s Congress and approved by the General Council.

The General Electoral Council is composed of six members who are qualified to serve. The GEC is the supreme body responsible for planning, organizing and conducting legally regulated referendums and elections. In accordance with the election regulations, the GEC plans, organizes, and executes the election of the General Assembly of the People’s Congress.
It establishes sub-electoral boards and decides on election appeals. The decisions of the General Electoral Council are final.

Article Nineteen: Public Vote (Referendums)

Referendums are held on issues concerning the interests of the whole of society. This includes topics such as war, peace, social contract, constitution-making or amendment, joining or leaving international pacts, and system change.

In addition, local organizations and unique communities also have the right to appeal against decisions of higher bodies that do not coincide with their vital interests and contradict the convention. If the objection is not resolved by consensus, a referendum is held. Likewise, decisions taken by local organizations and specific communities can be vetoed by the higher bodies if they contradict fundamental objectives and the convention. If necessary, a local referendum is held to resolve the issue.

Chapter Six

Democratic Organizational System

Article Twenty: The PKK

It is the ideological pioneering force and command organization of the KCK system. It is responsible for the education and organization of KCK cadres and workers at all levels, as well as the implementation of the philosophy and ideology of the Leadership. Within this framework, it takes part in the democratic institutionalization of the organs of Democratic Confederalism.

The PKK-affiliated Ideological Sphere is responsible for giving ideological direction to the Culture and Press committees of the KCK. Every PKK cadre within the KCK system is bound to the PKK structure in terms of ideological, moral, philosophical, organizational and existential principles. At the same time, each PKK cadre within the KCK system operates according to the working principles of the field in which they are involved.

Article Twenty One: Komalên Jinên Kurdistan (Kurdistan Women’s Union)

KJK, the Kurdistan Women’s Union, is a democratic, ecological, women’s libertarian confederal system. Structuring itself in Kurdistan on the basis of the Confederal System, the KJK is a confederal union of organized women structures and individuals. It develops its organization on the basis of a democratic network locally and universally.

It carries out its work by ensuring the coordination of work and duties among the organizations and committees established for ideological, political, social, cultural, economic, and legitimate self-defense purposes. Members of organizations, unions, and committees are formed and operate according to the principles and functioning of Democratic Confederalism. It organizes all its work on the basis of the Democratic Nation perspective.

The Komalên Jinên Kurdistan democratic confederal system recognizes PAJK, which is the ideological vanguard party of autonomous women. It recognizes the legitimate self-defense force YJA Star and the young women’s organization Komalên Jinên Ciwan as the vanguard organizations of its system on the basis of the paradigm of democratic, ecological, women’s libertarian society.

The KJK is organized autonomously in all the democratic organizations, institutions, and organs within the KCK system. On this basis: The KJK plays a leading role in the development of the KCK system. Within the KCK system, the KJK organizes itself on the basis of co-presidency to achieve equal representation in all institutions and fields. All women members who take part in the work of the KCK system are responsible to both the KJK and the KCK.

The decision-making body of the KJK is the Deliberative Assembly and the implementing power is the KJK Executive Council. Its participation, existence, community rights, responsibilities, duties, and organizational system within the socialization of a democratic Kurdistan are defined separately in its own contract.

Article Twenty Two: Komalên Ciwanên Demokratik a Kurdistan (Kurdistan Democratic Youth Union)

As a cultural, political and social organization that gathers all youth under its roof and includes various youth groups, the Kurdistan Democratic Youth Union takes part in the KCK with a pioneering mission. It organizes autonomously across all the organs and committees of the KCK. It develops its own organizations in its fields of work. The highest decision-making body is the congress. The executive body is the Komalên Ciwan Coordination.

Komalên Ciwan plays a leading role in the development of the KCK and KJK system. Komalên Ciwan is based on equal participation of both sexes in all institutions and areas within the KCK and additionally in its own system. Komalên Ciwan participates in the KCK and KJK systems with its own organized, decision-making power, and vanguard role. In all areas, the decision-making will of the youth is held by itself. Each organizational unit takes the youth organization as an interlocutor in all matters concerning the youth and reaches a joint decision on this basis. The members of the Democratic Youth Confederalism are responsible for their own organs as well as the organs of the KCK. Komalên Ciwan is likewise responsible to the Executive Council of the KCK and submits regular reports on its activities.

Article Twenty Three: Parties

1. Political parties are established freely. They determine their own politics. The KCK cannot be held responsible for the politics conducted by parties.

2. The intraorganizational, democratic functioning and democratic governance of parties are essential. All their activities are open to the public. Racist, fascist, sexist, culturally genocidal, dictatorial, and violent parties cannot be legitimized.

3. The founding and working principles of parties are regulated separately by the law on political parties.

Article Twenty Four: Associations

Associations are functional institutions established to spread democracy to the grassroots, to develop individual and communal life in a democratic way, to protect the natural environment, to overcome poverty, and to solve any other problem that may arise in society. They can be established in every field according to needs. They are based on the adequate and skillful utilization of democratic functioning.

Article Twenty Five: Unions

Production and consumer unions, environmental protection and development unions, village unions, women’s and youth unions, inter-municipal unions, and general unions can be established in all areas of social life. Unions ensure that the work in the areas where they are established is carried out in solidarity and coordination, and they play a role as forces of solidarity in extraordinary conditions in society.

Article Twenty Six: Democratic Labor Confederalism

By developing and organizing social labor, Democratic Labor Confederalism is one of the main forces that have a role in the construction of the democratic nation and the development of Democratic Confederalism.

Democratic Labor Confederalism expresses the organized unity of production communities and labor organizations on the basis of complementarity. It rejects organizations, especially trade unions, which are extensions of the capitalist system. It works for the organization of working people such as laborers, villagers, public workers, etc. and their active participation in social life by developing and fighting through organizations such as democratic trade unions, cooperatives, unions, chambers, etc. It creates and implements projects for the social and cultural development of these groups.

It plays a pioneering role in developing a communitarian economy and plays a role in democratic politics as the basic political elements of democratic society. It considers maternal labor sacred and works to ensure that household labor finds the value it deserves. It does not accept unemployment. It understands that the unemployment policies of capitalist modernity are a way of making society cease to be a society. It fights against this, transforming these segments into an organized force.

It is based on developing radical, deep and direct democracy, which is the definition of empowering society, by organizing locally and institutionalizing on a democratic confederal basis. As the united organized power of the working people, it aims to be a pioneer in the struggle of other social segments to turn establish their own will, to put social problems on the agenda and to strengthen social will.

Article Twenty Seven: Municipality
It defends the democratic nation’s understanding of municipalism based on democratic autonomy and organizes according to the dimensions of this. It takes the democratic communal municipalism model based on ecological, economic and women’s freedom as a basis. It pioneers the organization of communal life and the development of the consciousness of democratic self-administration. Based on the fact that municipalism is essentially the administration and institution of the people, it fights to be able to achieve its true identity by freeing itself from the statist, ruling mentality and institutionalizations. It aims to ensure that the society has a say and decision in meeting its essential needs and to do all the work through its organized social strength. It carries out joint work with Provincial General Assemblies. It defends local and regional autonomy and works for the development of local democracy. It stands in solidarity with local and international municipal organizations.

Article Twenty Eight: People’s Defense Center

People’s Defense Forces are the main defense force of the peoples in developing and protecting the KCK system. It is essential that they are organized and equipped in sufficient numbers. It acts in line with the political will of the Leadership of Democratic Society Confederalism and the People’s Congress. It develops the self-defense of the peoples on the basis of communal, democratic organization. The People’s Defense Forces make their decisions through conferences. The People’s Defense Forces are an autonomous organization within the KCK system. Its relations with other organs of the system take place through the People’s Defense Center. It conducts its internal organization according to its Directives and submits the members of the Command Council to the approval of the Co-Presidency of the Executive Council.

Chapter Seven

Economy and Financial System

Article Twenty Nine: Economy and Financial System

1. The economic system is developed on the basis of the principle of “communalizing our soil, water, and energy, and building a free life.”

2. The economic and financial system is coordinated by the Economic and Financial Committee. It is carried out according to the annual planning and budget system.

3. The economic system of the democratic nation fights against the economic occupation of Kurdistan and is based on the re-establishment of society’s control over the economy.

4. Economic autonomy is regarded as the absolute necessity of any consensus to be reached between the nation-state and the democratic nation.

5. It takes ecological industry and communitarian economy as the expression of democracy in the economy. The limitations set against industry, development, technology, enterprises and property are the limitations set against ecological and democratic society.

6. While it does not reject the market, trade, product diversity, competition and efficiency, it does not accept the domination of profit and capital accumulation.

7. The economic and financial system is validated to the extent that it serves economic efficiency and functioning. It recognizes making money from money as the most effortless type of exploitation and does not include this type of exploitation in its system of economic autonomy.

8. It considers the protection of the soil and the reforestation of the environment as the most sacred types of labor. It sees work in these two fields as activities that significantly eliminate the unemployment developed by capitalism.

9. It provides for the development of agriculture and animal breeding in villages, towns and cities. It attaches importance to the development of medium-scale business, develops widespread cooperatives and workshops locally. It is based on a self-sufficient economy.

10. It ensures the protection of the economic resources and the underground and overground richness in Kurdistan and their active utilization for the benefit of society.

11. It envisages the organization of professional groups that develop production and ensure the efficiency of the economy. It works in solidarity with these groups.

12. Foreign investments shall be authorized through a referendum or approval of the People’s Assembly of the area where the investment is to be made, provided that ecological principles are respected and social benefit is pursued.

Chapter Eight

Social Justice System

Article Thirty: Social Justice System

The social justice system is a judicial system that respects the balance between humans and nature, and society and the individual. It is based on women’s liberation, and guarantees the rights and freedoms of children, the youth and the elderly. It resolves problems according to the principles of a political and moral society and on the basis of the self-determination of society. Wherever there is a KCK system and organization is implemented, it is affiliated to the assemblies and organizes itself under the name of the Social Justice Board.

The Social Justice Board is responsible for the construction of the social justice system and the follow-up of the activities carried out within this scope. It is not a decision-making authority in the trial. It conducts academic studies to train people who will play a role in the development and organization of the judicial process in accordance with the political and moral understanding of society. The authority to take decisions on the practical solution of problems belongs to the Justice Board of the assemblies and the units appointed by the Board. The Board forms units as required to solve problems in the field. These units are not fixed but are assigned on the basis of necessity. Each Justice Board is responsible for ensuring the implementation of the KCK Convention in the jurisdiction of its area of responsibility.

Article Thirty One: Justice Boards

1. KCK Justice Board: It is the board that deals with issues concerning the entire KCK and the resolution of these issues. Its members are nominated democratically by the Co-Presidium Board of the People’s Congress and are elected democratically by the General Assembly of the People’s Congress. It is responsible to the People’s Congress. It reports regularly on its work. New candidates may be suggested by the signatures of twenty members of the General Assembly. The Supreme Board of Justice recognizes the decisions of other boards of justice and autonomous structures. It determines its working principles by regulation in accordance with the KCK Convention.

2. Board of Justice: The Board of Justice consists of ten members – five women and five men – elected by the General Council of the People’s Congress. In the period between two congresses, if members are lost due to various reasons, new members are elected at the People’s Congress mid-term meeting. In areas where there are People’s Assemblies, new members are elected by the assembly and work within the assembly. In areas where there are no People’s Assemblies, they are elected by the organized society. It works in cooperation with democratic organizations, institutions and communities.

3. Boards of Justice are democratically elected boards consisting of a sufficient number of members who organize and conduct the judicial process in accordance with the understanding of moral and political society, wherever the KCK system is organized. They are organized in the form of towns and areas of the KCK and organize themselves as temporary Boards of Justice.

Article Thirty Two: Right to Defense

The right to defense is sacred. Every person and group has the right to self-defense and can appoint a defense representative.

Chapter Nine

Legitimate Self-Defense and Obligations

Article Thirty Three: State of Self-Defense

When the hostility against the KCK system and its Leadership turns into an actual attack, a war of legitimate defense becomes obligatory against the political colonialism, economic hunger, unemployment, poverty, plunder, cultural assimilation, genocide and oppression of women, and military occupation being imposed on the society of Kurdistan.

Article Thirty Four: Self-Defense Obligation

1. Every KCK Citizen is obliged to acquire the knowledge of legitimate defense.

2. Every KCK Citizen is obliged to be prepared for legitimate defense and to support legitimate defense efforts.

3. Every KCK Citizen is obliged to engage in the resistance struggle required by circumstances when different situations that require legitimate defense arise.

Article Thirty Five: Decisions of War and Peace

In the event of the circumstances set out in Article 33, the General Council of the People’s Congress shall, by a simple majority, decide on a war of resistance or a war of self-defense. In the event of a war, the same procedure shall apply to the termination of the war and the establishment of peace. In extraordinary situations where the Congress cannot convene, in matters of crucial importance that concern the country, the people and the entire confederation (such as legislation, war and peace, and bilateral agreements with other powers) a joint composition consisting of the Co-Presidium Board, the KCK General Presidential Council, the PKK Executive Committee, the PAJK Coordination, the KCK Executive Council, the KJK Executive Council, the People’s Defense Center, the command council of the People’s Defense Forces, coordinations of the provinces and the coordination of the Youth movement can take decisions on behalf of the General Council.

Article Thirty Six: Democratic Action

Democratic action is an indispensable method of struggle against the colonialism, coercion, oppression and denialism that disregard the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people. Democratic actions include demonstrations, meetings, marches, rallies, protests, strikes, rebellions and uprisings.

Chapter Ten

Common Provisions

Article Thirty Seven: Principles of Democratic Functioning

1. KCK system is based on organized society and democratic politics. Within this framework, it is based on local organizations. Each area takes and implements decisions related to its own area in a way that does not harm the society in general.

2. All governing bodies are determined and changed through elections.

3. The Co-Presidency System accepts equal representation of the genders as a principle.

4. All organs are connected to each other through a system of reports and circulars.

5. Democratic participation, initiative and collectivism are essential.

6. All elected administrations are subject to annual audits by the electing bodies. The electing bodies have the right to withdraw their representatives in the same way when necessary and in accordance with the conditions.

7. Equal representation between genders is ensured in every field of work.

8. Self-governance principles of various segments, especially women, youth and ethnic-cultural communities and belief groups, are taken into consideration while carrying out the work.

9. All organs are open to criticism and suggestions from the public, and inform the public.

10. In Democratic Confederalism, decisions are taken by assemblies. The governing bodies are responsible for implementing these decisions. The judiciary supervises the conformity of decisions and practices with the convention.

11. In cases of negligence and gross misconduct, the duties of the executive bodies are suspended by the assemblies to which they are attached and referred to the Board of Justice organized by the Co-Presidium Board of the People’s Congress within the assembly.

12. Organizations and individuals may not develop inflammatory discussions targeting each other’s institutional existence. They may not limit each others work, interfere, or issue circulars outside their mandate.

13. Laws and regulations that contradict this Convention are invalid.

Article Thirty Eight: Regarding the Democratic Confederal Union of Kurdistan
The KCK is based on the self-will of the people in every part of Kurdistan. It reveals this will according to the principles of democratic Confederalism. It aims for democratic national unity. Confederal solidarity and unity are essential in the relationship between the provinces. This solidarity and unity is ensured through joint decision-making, executive and supervisory bodies of the people in all provinces as well as abroad. It is developed through joint economic and educational policies, social and cultural activities and joint legitimate defense. Diplomatic activity is carried out on the basis of the democratic and free interests of the people of Kurdistan.

Article Thirty Nine: Amendment of the Contract
The KCK Convention may be amended by the General Council upon the written request of the General Presidency, the Co-Presidium Board, the Executive Council or at least 50 members of the General Council. The motion for amendment shall be discussed and put to a vote in accordance with the general principles. An absolute majority of the total number of members of the General Council is required for the acceptance of the amendment.

Chapter Eleven

Additional Articles

Additional Article One: Constituent Assembly
The First Plenary of the Second Period of the People’s Congress
(also the third plenary), which took place on May 16-26, 2005, is considered the constituent assembly.
At the same time, the first version of this convention was adopted by the Plenary of the People’s Congress on May 17, 2005.

Additional Article Two: Change of Name

On March 20, 2005, this convention, which was written as Koma Komalên Kurdistan, was proposed by the KCK Leadership to be changed to KCK (Koma Civakên Kurdistan). This proposal was accepted by the General Council of the People’s Congress during its plenary on May 17, 2007.

Additional Article Three: Enforcement
This agreement is effective from the date of publication.

Article Four: Date of Change

This contract was first analyzed at the General Council of the People’s Congress on May 25, 2007, then on July 21, 2009, on May 5-10, 2011.

It was taken up for a complete review by a commission and was reorganized on the basis of the 5th Defense Writings of the Leadership (Manifesto for Democratic Civilization – The Kurdish Problem and Democratic Nation Solution.)

Between June 30 and July 5, 2013, it was decided to revise the contract once again at the general council meeting held at the same time, and it was given its final form to be submitted to the interim meeting. The contract was approved in its final form at the Interim Meeting of the People’s Congress held on October 13-14, 2013.

At the 10th plenary session of the People’s Congress held on August 1-4, 2016, this agreement was revisited and approved in its final form, taking into account the level of the construction of the KCK system in the four parts of Kurdistan.