STANDING COMMITTEE 205 SC 05 E Original: English NAT O   Pa rl i a me n t a ry  As s e mb l y STATUS OF NON-MEMBER PARLIAMENTS International Secretariat October 2005

205 SC 05 E 1 1. This document summarises the rights granted to non-member delegations and provides an up-to-date listing of nations and organisations that have formal status with the Assembly.  Table 1 summarizes  the  rights  accorded  to  each  form  of  status.    Table  2  shows  all  delegations  with  a formal status within the Assembly along with the number of delegates on each delegation. Status of non-member parliaments a)   Associate members, 13 parliaments - Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Finland, Georgia,  Moldova,  Russian  Federation,  the  former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia¹,  Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine. Invited   to   Assembly   sessions,   Rose-Roth   seminars,   the   New   Parliamentarians Programme,  the  Parliamentary  Transatlantic  Forum,  and  Parliamentary  Staff  Training programmes,  and  most  committee  and  sub-committee  activities.  Allowed  to  speak  in committee and plenary discussions, present texts and amendments, but not to vote. Can be elected as associate rapporteurs and, therefore, can present reports. b)   Mediterranean  Associate  members,  five  parliaments  –  Algeria,  Israel,  Jordan,  Mauritania (whose status is under review), Morocco Invited   to   Assembly   sessions,   Rose-Roth   seminars,   the   New   Parliamentarians Programme,  the  Parliamentary  Transatlantic  Forum  and  Parliamentary  Staff  Training programmes. Allowed to speak in committee and plenary discussions, present texts and amendments,  but  not  to vote. Can be elected as Mediterranean associate rapporteurs and, therefore, can present reports. c)   The European Parliament Invited   to   Assembly   sessions,   Rose-Roth   seminars,   Mediterranean   Special   Group seminars, and committee and sub-committee activities. Allowed to speak in committee and  plenary  discussions.  Can  present  texts  but  not  amendments.  At  the  invitation  of committees, can present reports. No right to vote. The delegation can consist of up to ten members of the European Parliament. d)   Parliamentary observers, 8 parliaments - Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Japan, Kazakhstan, Serbia and Montenegro, the Palestinian Legislative Council, Tunisia. Invited   to   Assembly   sessions   and   allowed   to   speak   in   committee   and   plenary discussions  at  the  discretion  of  committee  chairmen  and  the  President  respectively.   Delegations can consist of up to three parliamentarians. Invited   when   deemed   relevant   to   Mediterranean   Special   Group   and   Rose-Roth seminars. 1 Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name.

205 SC 05 E 2 e)   Inter-parliamentary  assemblies,  Parliamentary  Assembly  of  the  OSCE,  Assembly  of  the Western European Union, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Invited   to   Assembly   sessions   and   allowed   to   speak   in   committee   and   plenary discussions  at  the  discretion  of  committee  chairmen  and  the  President  respectively.   Delegations can consist of up to three parliamentarians. Invited to Mediterranean Special Group and Rose-Roth seminars. f) Parliamentary guests Invited    on   an   ad-hoc   basis   to   Assembly   sessions,   Rose-Roth   seminars   and Mediterranean Special Group seminars and the New Parliamentarians Programme. Do not contribute to discussions at Assembly sessions but may contribute at Rose-Roth and Mediterranean Special Group seminars. Certain  examples  of  countries  and  interparliamentary  bodies  that  have  attended  under  this status²: Sessions: - Croatia,    Cyprus,    Serbia    and    Montenegro,    Finland,    Malta,    Sweden,    Switzerland, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Rose-Roth seminars: - Armenia,  Azerbaijan,  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina,  Cyprus,  Croatia,  the  Kosovo  Assembly, Serbia and Montenegro, Finland, Georgia, Malta, Sweden and Switzerland Mediterranean Special Group seminars: - Cyprus, Jordan, Malta, Mauritania - Palestinian Legislative Council 2 Many  of  these  nations  were  subsequently  granted  the  status  of  Associate  member,  Mediterranean Associate member or Parliamentary Observer

205 SC 05 E 4 TABLE 1 - SUMMARY OF RIGHTS ACCORDING TO STATUS Observers Ad Hoc Parliamentary Observers Sessions Invited to all Invited to all Invited to all Invited to all Invited when deemed relevant Number in delegation 3-10* 10 3-5* 3 3 Full speaking rights Full speaking rights Full speaking rights At the discretion of the Committee Chairman and President At the discretion of the Committee Chairman and President Presentation of reports Yes At the initiative of the Committees Yes No No Presentation of texts** Yes Yes Yes No No Presentation of amendments Yes No Yes No No Vote No No No No No Rose-Roth Seminars Invited to all Invited to all Invited to all Invited when deemed relevant Invited when deemed relevant Committee and Sub-Committee meetings Yes, except those excluded by the Standing Committee Yes, except those excluded by the Standing Committee No No No Standing Committee Meetings Invited as observers after signature of accession protocols No No No No New Parliamentarians Programme Yes Yes Yes Only Serbia & Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina No Parliamentary Transatlantic Forum Yes Yes Yes Only Serbia & Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina No Mediterranean Special Group Seminars Only Russia Yes Yes Only those in the region Nations in NATO’s Med Dialogue plus others if deemed relevant Mediterranean Special Group Visit No No No No No Parliamentary Staff Training Yes No Yes Only Serbia & Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina No * The number is related to population ** The term “Texts” is used in the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure for Declarations, Resolutions, Recommendations, Orders, and Opinions

205 SC 05 E TABLE 2 -  CURRENT COMPOSITION OF THE NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY United States 36 Russia⁶ 10 France 18 Ukraine⁷ 6 Germany 18 Austria 5 Italy 18 Azerbaijan 5 United Kingdom 18 Sweden 5 Canada 12 Switzerland 5 Poland 12 Finland 4 Spain 12 Georgia 4 Turkey 12 Albania 3 Romania 10 Armenia 3 Belgium 7 Croatia 3 Czech Republic 7 Moldova 3 Greece 7 the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia* 3 Hungary 7 Netherlands 7 Portugal 7 Bulgaria 6 Algeria** 5 Denmark 5 Israel 4 Norway 5 Jordan 4 Slovakia 5 Mauritania*** 3 Lithuania 4 Morocco ** 5 Estonia 3 Iceland 3 European Parliament 10 Latvia 3 Luxembourg 3 Slovenia 3 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 Egypt 3 Kazakhstan 3 Palestinian Legislative Council 3 Serbia and Montenegro 3 Delegations who have participated in the Mediterranean     Special    Group Seminars: Cyprus, Malta Tunisia 3 Inter-parliamentary Assemblies: OSCE PA 3 WEU Assembly 3 * Turkey     recognizes     the     Republic     of Macedonia with its constitutional name ** The   number   of   seats   for   Algeria   and Morocco is under review *** Mauritania's status is under review PACE 3 ____________________ 3 Delegations  are  selected  by  national  parliaments  according  to  respective  national  practices  and  represent  the  political  composition  of  their parliaments. 4 Associates can participate in most Assembly activities but do not vote nor contribute to the budget.   5 Belarus is currently suspended. 6 The Assembly also has a distinctive relationship with the Russian Federal Assembly.  The NATO-Russia Parliamentary Committee meets twice per year as a body of 27 equal members.  Russia is also invited to participate in the Assembly’s Mediterranean Seminars. 7 In addition, the Assembly  has a distinctive relationship with Ukraine.  The Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Committee meets twice per year with approximately equal numbers of participants from the Assembly’s members and from the Ukrainian parliament.