STATUTES

Adopted by consensus on 7 February 2005, Nafplion (Greece)

and on 11 September 2006, Amman (Jordan)

 

 

Nature and purpose

 

Article 1

            The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (hereinafter the Assembly) is the parliamentary institution that brings together the parliaments of all the countries of the Mediterranean basin on an equal footing.

 

Article 2

1.         The Assembly is an autonomous institution with its own legal personality.  It has been created by decisions of the national parliaments of the countries of the Mediterranean basin.

 

2.         The Assembly builds on the pioneering work carried out by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) through its process of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in the Mediterranean (CSCM).  It shall maintain a privileged relationship with the IPU, and shall send it, for information purposes, an annual report on its activities during the first quarter of the following calendar year.

 

Article 3

1.         The Assembly shall develop cooperation among its Members in its fields of action by promoting political dialogue and understanding between the parliaments concerned.

 

2.         The Assembly shall address issues of common concern to foster and enhance further confidence between Mediterranean States so as to ensure regional security and stability and to promote peace.  It shall also seek to unite the endeavors of the Mediterranean States in a true spirit of partnership with a view to ensuring their harmonious development.

 

Article 4

            The Assembly shall draw up opinions, recommendations and other advisory instruments in order to realize its objectives and shall submit them to the parliaments concerned.

 

 

Composition

 

Article 5

1.         Upon request, the parliaments of the Mediterranean coastal States and Jordan, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Portugal shall be ex officio Members of the Assembly.

 

2.         The parliaments of countries that are geographically situated near the Mediterranean or that have common interests with the region and inter-parliamentary organisations that are active in the Mediterranean region may, on request, be invited to participate in the work of the Assembly as Associate Members.

 

Article 6

1.         It shall be the duty of the Assembly to submit its opinions, recommendations and other advisory instruments to the national parliaments and governments of the Members.

 

2.         National parliaments shall keep the Assembly apprised of measures taken to promote the implementation of adopted instruments.

 

Article 7

            Each Member and Associate Member of the Assembly shall make an annual financial contribution towards the running of the Assembly, which shall be calculated by applying to the draft budget approved by the Assembly the scale of contributions attached to the present Statutes; Associate Members of the Assembly shall make an additional annual contribution of an amount fixed by the Assembly towards its working capital fund.

 

Structure

 

Article 8

            The structure of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean shall consist of the Assembly, the Bureau, three Standing Committees, Ad hoc Committees and the Secretariat.

 

Assembly

 

Article 9

1.         Unless it decides otherwise, the Assembly shall meet once a year in an ordinary session at the invitation of a Member Parliament.

 

2.         The President of the Assembly shall convene extraordinary sessions of the Assembly at the request of two thirds of its Members.

 

Article 10

            The Member Parliament hosting meetings and/or activities of the Assembly shall guarantee access to its territory for all the representatives of Member and Associate Member Parliaments.

 

Article 11

1.         The principle of equality of the Members shall govern the composition of the Assembly and its decision-making process.

 

2.         Delegations of the Member Parliaments at the Assembly sessions shall be composed of at most five members of parliament.

 

3.         Members shall include male and female parliamentarians in their delegation.

 

Article 12

1.         The Assembly shall elect a President and four Vice Presidents for a term of two years.

 

2.         The Assembly shall also elect a President for each of the three Standing Committees for a term of two years.

 

Article 13

1.         The President of the Assembly shall open, suspend and close the sittings, direct the work of the Assembly, ensure that the Rules are observed, calls upon speakers, put questions to the vote, make known the results of the voting and declare the proceedings of the Assembly closed.  The President’s decisions in these matters shall be final and shall be accepted without debate.

 

2.         The President shall decide on all matters not covered by these Rules, after having sought the advice of the Bureau if necessary, or if a majority of the other members of the Bureau request that they be consulted.

 

Article 14

1.         Each delegation shall be entitled to five votes, provided at least two members are present at the time of voting.

 

2.         If only one delegate is present, he or she shall be entitled to cast only one vote.

 

Article 15

1.         Decisions of the Assembly shall be taken by consensus.

 

2.         In instances where it is not possible to reach consensus, the Assembly shall take decisions by a four-fifths majority of the votes cast.

 

Bureau

 

Article 16

1.         The work of the Assembly shall be prepared by its Bureau.

 

2.         The Bureau shall be composed of the President of the Assembly, four Vice Presidents and the Presidents of the three Standing Committees.

 

Article 17

1.         Members shall ensure an equitable representation in the Bureau of the different regions of the Mediterranean, by rotation.

 

2.         Members shall make every effort to ensure that both genders are represented in the Bureau.

 

Article 18

1.         This Bureau, which shall be assisted by the Secretariat, shall take all appropriate measures to ensure the effective organisation and normal functioning of the Assembly proceedings, in conformity with the Statutes and Rules of the Assembly.

 

Standing Committees

 

Article 19

            The work of the Assembly will be prepared by the Standing Committees which shall provide opinions and recommendations.  The Standing Committees shall cover the following  issues:

 

Ø      Standing Committee on Political and Security-related Cooperation (First Committee): Regional Stability:  Relations between Mediterranean partners based on eight principles (refraining from the threat or use of force; peaceful settlement of international disputes; inviolability of frontiers and territorial integrity of States; right of peoples to self-determination and to live in peace in their own territories within internationally recognised and guaranteed frontiers; sovereign equality of States and non-interference in internal affairs; respect for human rights; cooperation between States; fulfilment in good faith of obligations assumed under international law), questions regarding peace, security and stability, confidence-building measures, arms control and disarmament, respect for international humanitarian law, and the fight against terrorism.

 

Ø      Standing Committee on Economic, Social and Environmental Cooperation (Second Committee): Co-development and Partnership:  Globalisation, economy, trade, finance, debt issues, industry, agriculture, fisheries, employment and migration, population, poverty and exclusion, human settlements, water and energy resources, desertification and protection of the environment, tourism, transport, science, technology and technological innovation.

 

Ø      Standing Committee on Dialogue among Civilisations and Human Rights (Third Committee):  Mutual respect and tolerance, democracy, human rights, gender issues, children, minorities’ rights, education, culture and heritage, sports, media and information, and dialogue among religions.

 

Article 20

            Each Member Parliament shall have the right to participate with at least one member in each one of the three Standing Committees.

 

Article 21

1.         A special task force on gender and equality issues shall be established within the Third Committee.

 

2.         The Assembly shall be able to establish other special task forces under each one of the three Standing Committees to help them carry out their respective mandates.

 

Ad hoc Committees

 

Article 22

1.         The Assembly shall be able to establish Ad hoc Committees to address specific issues.

 

2.         The Assembly shall take a decision on proposals received from Members to establish one or more Ad hoc Committees after hearing the opinion of the Bureau.

 

Secretariat

 

Article 23

1.         The Assembly shall be serviced by a Secretariat that shall be located in a Mediterranean country whose parliament is a Member of the Assembly.

 

2.         During a transitional period and pending the establishment of a separate Secretariat for the Assembly, the Secretariat of the Inter-Parliamentary Union shall provide secretariat support to the Assembly.

 

Amendments to the Statutes

 

Article 24

1.         Any proposal to amend the Statutes shall be submitted to the Secretariat in writing no less than three months before the meeting of the Assembly.  The Secretariat shall immediately communicate all such proposed amendments to the Members of the Assembly.  The consideration of such amendments shall be automatically placed on the agenda of the Assembly.

 

2.         After hearing the opinion of the Bureau, the Assembly shall decide on such proposals by consensus.