Table of contents
Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (amended 2016)
Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (amended 2016)
Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union Charter
Preamble
We, the representatives of the Arab parliamentary councils, meeting in Damascus during the period from 19/06 to 21/06/1976,
- Driven by an Arab parliamentary intention to support the unity of the Arab parliamentary actions, which aim to handle the Arab society issues, achieve advancement and spread peace based on justice and international cooperation,
- Conforming to the lofty principles and objectives, which are stated in the Arab League Charter and UN Charter,
- Appreciating the necessity to mobilize the Arab parliamentary energies to meet the challenges that face the children of the Arab nation,
- Insisting on devoting Arab parliamentary efforts to deepen the concepts of democracy, freedom, respect of human rights, knowledge fostering, and creativity encouragement,
- Participating in keeping and maintaining the Arab civilization values, and
- Recognizing that this Union represents a key mechanism aiming to deepen parliamentary links and spreading democratic concepts and values in our Arab world,
Hereby agree to establish the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union within the framework of the following charter:
Charter of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (“Union”)
Union Objectives and Formation
The Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union aims to:
- Enhance Arab parliamentary cooperation, which is a cornerstone of Arab solidarity.
- Through Arab parliamentary representatives, represent the Arab popular will and intention to express the ambitions and raise the issues of the Arab citizens.
- Coordinate and cooperate between the Arab parliaments to face risks and challenges that threaten the Arab national security in the various fields.
- Communicate with the executive authority representatives in the Arab countries, through the Union Chairman and the Heads of the Arab Parliaments, to implement the Union decisions that support Arab solidarity.
- Highlight the cooperation, coordination and agreement on issues, matters, problems and risks, which threaten the Arab world, in the various regional and international parliamentary events and before the international organizations in which the Union participates as an observer.
- Support the rights of the Arab youth, women and children through enhancing the legislative and supervisory roles of the Arab parliaments and highlighting such support in the regional and international parliamentary and governmental events.
- Enhance communication and cooperation with civil society organizations and all other Arab institutions to achieve the objectives of this Charter.
- Enhance the dialogue and establish joint parliamentary events to coordinate the Arab efforts in the various areas of Arab solidarity and cooperation,
- Deepen the culture of human rights and spread the concept of parliamentary democracy.
Article 2
The Union consists of divisions representing the parliamentary councils of the member states in the Arab League.
Article 3
The Union shall be comprised of the following departments:
- The conference,
- The executive committee, and
- The general secretariat.
The Conference
Article 4
The Conference shall discuss any matters or issues falling within the scope of this Charter or relating to any of the agencies stated in this Charter, and for which decisions, recommendations and conclusive statements are issued.
Article 5
- The Conference shall be held in the month of March every year and in the hosting country of the Union General Secretariat. Moreover, any parliamentary division may also host the Conference, at the division’s request and with the approval of the Union Executive Committee, which is to be issued by the absolute majority.
- The divisions whose parliaments were dissolved or whose formation has not been completed, such that they are (temporarily) not considered part of the Conference or Executive Committee meetings’ quorum, shall be excluded from the application of Paragraph (a) of this Article.
- The Union Chairman may invite the Conference to hold an exceptional session. Such a session may also be held at the request of three members and with the approval of the majority members of the Union.
Article 6
The Conference shall consist of delegates who are named, by the parliamentary divisions, as members.
Article 7
The hosting country division shall chair the Conference.
Article 8
Every parliament shall seek to cooperate with the government of its country to implement the decisions and recommendations of the Conference, and shall inform the General Secretariat of the results of its efforts exerted to this effect at least one month prior to holding the upcoming Conference.
Article 9
The Conference shall form steering committees.
Specialties
Article 10
The Conference shall have the competence to:
- Endorse any amendment to the Charter and the Internal Regulations, by a majority of 2/3rd of the members.
- Endorse any amendment to the financial, administrative and other regulations as believed to be necessary, by the absolute majority of the members.
- Endorse the draft annual budget and conclusive account of the Union, by the absolute majority of the members.
- Review the committees’ report and undertake the required procedures to this effect.
- Approve the attendance of observers from Arab, regional and international organizations and authorities in the Conference meetings.
- Appoint the General Secretary of the Union, according to Article 19 of the Charter.
Union Chairmanship
Article 11
- Every division head shall chair the Union for a term of one year and shall be selected based on the alphabetical order. The Union Chairman shall chair, at the same time, the Executive Committee and shall be assisted by a vice-chairman who shall be the division head who follows in alphabetical order.
- The division whose tern arrives to assume the Union chairmanship may waive such chairmanship to the division that follows in alphabetical order.
- The term of Union chairmanship may be extended for another year if so requested by one or more parliamentary divisions prior to the first of November of the year. In this case, the Union General Secretariat shall circulate the request to the entire member divisions. If a majority of 2/3rd approves such a request, the Conference shall be held on the premises of the chairing division.
- If the Union Chairman becomes unable, for whatever reason, to perform his duties in his national division for a period of no more than three months, a new division chairman shall assume the Union Chairmanship.
- When necessary, the Union Chairman may delegate, in writing and for a certain period of time, the head of the parliamentary division, who follows in alphabetical order, to handle the Union’s affairs using the authorities granted to him.If the latter division head is unable to do so, the following division head in the alphabetical order of divisions shall take the responsibility and so on, provided that the divisions shall be informed of such delegation.
- If the capacity of a division, which assumes chairmanship, is removed, the chairmanship shall move automatically to the division that follows in alphabetical order. The Union General Secretariat shall inform the member divisions of the above procedure.
Executive Committee
Article 12
The Executive Committee is the authority assigned to steer the Union activities and works during the period that falls between two Conferences.
Article 13
The Executive Committee shall consist of one member from each member division in the Union. Such membership shall remain operative for two years and shall not be forfeited unless the member, who represents his division, loses his seat in the parliament.
Article 14
The Union Chairman shall be, ex officio, the head of the Executive Committee. In case of his absence, his division representative in the Committee shall act in his place.
Article 15
The Executive Committee shall hold two meetings per year. The Union Chairman may invite the Executive Committee to hold an exceptional meeting when so necessary.
Article 16
The Executive Committee member shall not, at the time of his membership, occupy the position of chairman, vice-chairman or rapporteur of a permanent committee.
Article 17
If an Executive Committee member dies, resigns or loses his seat in his country’s parliament, his division shall appoint a replacement. The replacement shall complete the term of the previous member.
Specialties
Article 18
The Executive Committee shall have the competence to:
- Propose the agenda, time and place of convocation of the Conference.
- Study the Union General Sectarian’s proposals for Union’s action plan and budget, prior to raising the same to the Conference.
- Propose a list of the regional and international organizations, which will be invited to attend, as observers, the Union Conferences’ activities, and raise the list to the Conference for review.
- Follow up on the Union General Secretariat’s activities related to implementing the Conference’s decisions.
- Study and review the capacity of the candidates for the positions of General Secretary and Assistant General Secretaries prior to raising the same to the Conference.
- Appoint a chartered account and determine his fees.
- Give an opinion on the requests for adding additional items to the Conference agenda.
- Determine the payrolls of the General Secretariat’s staff and their allowances.
- Study the proposals for amending the Charter and other Union regulations prior to raising the same to the Conference.
- Take measures and make arrangements conforming to the Conference decisions.
General Secretariat
Article 19
The Union shall have a general secretariat having its premises in Damascus. The Union Conference shall appoint a general secretary by the absolute majority of its members, upon a nomination of a division, a recommendation of another division and a recommendation of the Executive Committee. The general secretary shall be selected from among the persons of expertise in parliamentary affairs and who are known for their scientific and administrative efficiency. The term of appointment shall be four years, renewable for one time. The Union Conference shall determine the general secretary’s salary and other provisions. The Union Chairman shall appoint, upon a nomination of the general secretary and a recommendation of the Executive Committee, an assistant general secretary for a term of four years, renewable for one time. The Union Chairman shall further appoint the Union managers and the equivalent positions, provided that, when selected, the elements of expertise and representation of the state members shall be considered as much as possible. The Union Chairman may delegate the General Secretary to appoint the administrative officials who are required to steer Union works within the limits of the budget approved by the Union Conference and the staffing list of the General Secretariat.
Article 20
- The General Secretary shall submit his annual report to the Executive Committee for study prior to raisin the same to the Conference. The report shall describe the Union’s activities, the regular development requirements of the Secretariat, and the decisions issued by the Union.
- The member divisions shall provide the General Secretariat with the reports required to prepare the General Secretary’s report two months prior to holding the Conference.
- The General Secretary shall send his report to divisions within at least one month prior to holding the Conference meeting.
Specialties
Article 21
The General Secretariat shall:
- Provide the divisions with reports on the implementation of the Conference decisions and the General Secretariat’s activities, and receive reports from the divisions regarding their activities and developments.
- Follow up on the relations made by the Union with the other regional and international authorities and organizations.
- Formulate the topics that will be raised to the Union Executive Committee and the Union Conference, prepare reports and documents as required to this effect, and organize the minutes and correspondence.
- Prepare an annual draft action plan and annual budget for the Union.
- Handle the financial and administrative affairs of the Union.
- Serve notices on the divisions, the Arab League, the Arab governments, the International Parliamentary Union and other entities of concern, regarding the decisions and recommendations issued by the Conference.
Article 22
- The member divisions may submit a proposal amending the Charter or the other Union regulations, to the Executive Committee for study and raising the same to the Conference.
- The Executive Committee may also propose that the Charter or other Union regulations be amended after such a proposal obtains approval by the majority of the Executive Committee members.
- The said proposal shall, in the above two cases, be valid if approved by 2/3rd of the Conference members.
- The amendment proposals shall be submitted to the General Secretariat at least one month prior to the date of the Executive Committee meeting.
Miscellaneous
Article 23
The divisions shall contribute to the Union budget, according to the percentages stated in the Internal Regulations and the amendments adopted by the Union Conference. In case of non-payment, the procedures set forth by the Union financial regulations shall apply.
Article 24
The Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union shall have a legal personality and shall be represented by the Union Chairman or his delegate.