The IOM was established in 1951, while its Constitution was adopted in 1953. The organization has full juridical personality, with the IOM Council having the highest authority on determining policies, on which each Member State has one representative and one vote. The IOM Constitution provides a framework for the purposes, functions, legal status, finance, membership and other issues necessary for the functioning of the Organization. For instance, the first article states that "in carrying out its functions, the Organization shall cooperate closely with international organizations, governmental and non-governmental, concerned with migration, refugees and human resources in order, inter alia, to facilitate the coordination of international activities in these fields."