Article 9. A Public Movement 1. A public movement is a mass public association, which consists of participants and is not membership-based, pursuing socially valuable and other beneficial goals supported by the participants in the public movement. 2. The highest governing body of a public movement is its congress (conference) or general meeting. The standing governing body of a public movement is an elected collegiate body consisting of no less than ten persons and reporting to the congress, conference or the general meeting. 3. In the event of the state registration of a public movement, its standing governing body shall exercise the rights of legal entity on behalf of the public movement and shall carry out its responsibilities in compliance with its charter. Article 10. A Body of Public Initiative 1. A body of public initiative is a public association, which is not membershipbased, pursuing a goal of jointly addressing various social issues facing citizens at their place of residence; its activities are aimed at meeting the needs of citizens whose interests are related to attaining constituent goals and implementing programs of the body of public initiative in the locality where it was established. 2. The body of public initiative is formed at the initiative of the citizens interested in resolving the issues mentioned in Section 1 of this Article; it shall carry out its activities on the basis of self-governance and in compliance with the charter adopted at the founder’s meeting. A body of public initiative does not have any higher governing agencies or organizations. As a rule it is referred to as “makhallin (neighborhood) council”, “makhallin committee”, “apartment complex committee”, etc. 3. A body of public initiative is a non-formal public association and shall not be subject to the state registration; upon being established, it shall submit a written notification to a local body of state executive power. Article 11. Unions (alliances, councils) of public association. Public associations shall have the right to establish unions (alliances) of public associations. The membership in the said unions (alliances, councils) may include individual citizens, public associations, legal entities and government agencies. Article 12. Territorial scope of operation of public associations. 1. International, republican and local public associations may be established and operate in the Republic of Tajikistan. 2. An international public association is an association which operates within the territory of the Republic of Tajikistan and one or several foreign states, has its own branches and representative offices on the territory of the Republic of Tajikistan and in one or several foreign states, and intends to maintain such structures in conformity with its charter. 3. A national public association is a public association which, in accordance with its statutory goals, may carry out its activities on the territory of the Republic of Tajikistan