Inter-parliamentary institution
An inter-parliamentary institution (also known as parliamentary assembly) is an organization of more than one national legislatures (parliament, assembly, council and other types).
Most of the inter-parliamentary institutions are part of an intergovernmental organization. Such branches of intergovernmental organizations are typically established in order to provide for representation of citizens, rather than governments who are represented in other bodies within the organization. Most of the inter-parliamentary institutions have an assembly comprising members of the national legislatures (whose members are directly elected in most cases).
Most of the inter-parliamentary institutions do not hold legislative power and have a consulting or informal cooperation-stimulating role.[1] When the intergovernmental organization chooses to operate through a hybrid system of not only intergovernmentalism, but also supranationalism an organization-level legislature is established (or a predecessor inter-parliamentary institution is granted legislative power) in the form of international parliament. Members of international parliaments could be assigned in the same way as members of inter-parliamentary institutions or in cases of more advanced supranationalism they could be directly elected.
List of inter-parliamentary institutions
Since 1949, more than 40 parliamentary assemblies have been brought into being.[2]
| Name | Sessions | Direct election | Legislative power | Related organization and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-Parliamentary Union | 1889 - | no | no | none |
| ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) | 1977 - | no | no | ASEAN |
| Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) | 1949 - | no | no | CoE |
| European Parliament[note 1] | 1952 - | 1979 | 1970 | EU |
| Nordic Council | 1953 - | no | no | none |
| Benelux Parliament | 1955 - | no | no | Benelux Economic Union |
| Assembly of the Western European Union | 1955-2011 | no | no | WEU that dissolved and was effectively succeeded by the EU. |
| NATO Parliamentary Assembly | 1955 - | no | no | NATO |
| Latin American Parliament | 1964 - | no | no | none [note 2] |
| African Parliamentary Union | 1976 - | no | no | none |
| Andean Parliament | 1979 - | no | no | CAN |
| British Irish Parliamentary Assembly | 1990 - | no | no | none [note 3] |
| Central American Parliament | 1991 - | no | no | SICA |
| Baltic Assembly | 1991 - | no | no | none |
| Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe | 1992 - | no | no | OSCE |
| Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States | 1992 - | no | no | CIS |
| Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States | 1999 - | no | no | OIC |
| Asian Parliamentary Assembly | 1999 - | no | proposed | none [note 4] |
| ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly | 2000 - | no | no | none [note 5] |
| East African Legislative Assembly | 2001 - | no | no | EAC |
| Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Eurasian Economic Community | 2002 - | no | no | EurAsEC |
| Arab Parliament | 2004 - | no | no | AL |
| Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly | 2004 - | no | no | none [note 6] |
| Pan African Parliament | 2004 - | no [note 7] | no [note 7] | AU |
| Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly | 2006 - | no | no | none [note 8] |
| Mercosur Parliament | 2007 - | 2014 [note 9] | Mercosur | |
| Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-speaking Countries | 2008 - | no | no | Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States |
| Assembly of Caribbean Community Parliamentarians | no | CARICOM | ||
| Inter-Parliamentary Committee of the West African Economic and Monetary Union | no | UEMOA | ||
| Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States | no | ECOWAS | ||
| Parliamentary Assembly of French-speaking countries | no | no | OdLF | |
| Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean | no | no | none | |
| Euronest Parliamentary Assembly | proposed | no | no | none [note 10] |
| South American Parliament | proposed | UNASUR | ||
| United Nations Parliamentary Assembly | proposed | UN | ||
| Parliamentary assembly of the World Trade Organization | proposed | WTO | ||
- ↑ The initially consultative European Parliamentary Assembly of ECSC, EEC and Euratom subsequently was renamed, gained legislative powers and became directly elected.
- ↑ Multiple regional organizations in Latin America such as the Rio Group, Latin American Economic System and Latin American Integration Association have similar membership.
- ↑ Multiple regional organizations in the British Isles have similar membership.
- ↑ The Asian Cooperation Dialogue continental organization has similar membership.
- ↑ Parliamentary Assembly established by the Cotonou Agreement between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States.
- ↑ Related to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership initiative of the EU's European Neighborhood Policy.
- 1 2 There are proposals to transform the Pan African Parliament into a directly elected international parliament with legislative powers.
- ↑ Established by the parliaments of the European Union, Mercosur, Andean Community, Central American Integration System, Mexico, Chile and the Latin American Parliament.
- ↑ The Mercosur Parliament is expected to transform into a directly elected international parliament in 2014.
- ↑ Related to the Eastern Partnership initiative of the EU's European Neighborhood Policy.
See also
References and external links
- ↑ There are cases of national assemblies also lacking legislative power such as the Consultative Assemblies of Oman and Qatar.
- ↑ http://www.swp-berlin.org/de/common/get_document.php?asset_id=4299