Parliamentary Assembly of NATO

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NATO Parliamentary Assembly 2014

The Parliamentary Assembly of NATO (NATO-PV; English NATO Parliamentary Assembly , short NATO-PA , French Assemblée parlementaire de l'OTAN , short AP-OTAN , formerly North Atlantic Assembly ) is an interparliamentary organization. Since 1955, it has provided the legislatures of NATO member states with a platform for discussing security issues of common interest.

NATO and the NATO PA are legally independent of each other. Without a formal connection with NATO, the two nevertheless maintain intensive working relationships. The parliamentary assembly only has advisory rights, but has now established itself as an important discussion forum in the security area. The Secretary General of NATO reports regularly to the members of the Parliamentary Assembly, for example during meetings of sub-committees of the Assembly in Brussels. The parliamentarians also have the opportunity to participate in a meeting of the North Atlantic Council and have the right to speak.

The assembly is financed directly by the parliaments and governments of the member states and is therefore financially independent from NATO. The Assembly's international secretariat, which consists of 30 people, is based in Brussels .

history

When it was founded in 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) renounced a parliament. However, the need for a parliamentary instrument to accompany NATO soon became noticeable. In the early 1950s, for example, the idea of ​​an assembly of parliamentarians from the Alliance to discuss problems that NATO might face was launched. In particular, the US Senator Guy Gillette drew attention to himself with demands for a parliamentary association in the early 1950s. The first president of the assembly was also appointed by the Canadian Senate. The first demands and the first position of the President underline the historical importance of the Second Chambers for the establishment of the Parliamentary Assembly.

In 1955 the first annual conference of NATO parliamentarians took place. It was later institutionalized and in 1966 the North Atlantic Assembly (NAV) emerged. In 1967 the North Atlantic Council (NAC) recommended the establishment of informal relations between NATO and the NAV. Since then, the NATO Secretary General has taken part in plenary assemblies after consulting the NAC and has adopted recommendations and resolutions. In return, the President of the NATO PA addresses the heads of state and government of the NATO countries who have gathered at their summit meetings.

As a result of the historic events at the end of the Cold War , the PA expanded its mandate in 1991 and from then on granted certain countries in Central and Eastern Europe and later most of the countries participating in the Partnership for Peace the status of associate member.

The German delegation consists of members of the Bundestag and the Bundesrat. Traditionally, the members of the Federal Council are responsible for the internal departments of the federal states.

composition

The legislatures of the 29 NATO member states and the 14 associated states are currently represented in it. The delegates are mostly members of the parliamentary defense commissions of their countries, so that the presidents and vice-presidents of the security policy commissions come into contact with their counterparts during their work in the NATO PA.

Because of the annexation of Crimea , Russia lost its associate member status in spring 2014.

Number of representatives of the
NATO countries Associated States
AlbaniaAlbania Albania 4th LuxembourgLuxembourg Luxembourg 3 ArmeniaArmenia Armenia 3
BelgiumBelgium Belgium 7th NetherlandsNetherlands Netherlands 7th AzerbaijanAzerbaijan Azerbaijan 5
BulgariaBulgaria Bulgaria 6th NorwayNorway Norway 5 Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina 3
DenmarkDenmark Denmark 5 PolandPoland Poland 12 FinlandFinland Finland 4th
GermanyGermany Germany 18th PortugalPortugal Portugal 7th GeorgiaGeorgia Georgia 4th
EstoniaEstonia Estonia 3 RomaniaRomania Romania 10 North MacedoniaNorth Macedonia North Macedonia 3
FranceFrance France 18th SlovakiaSlovakia Slovakia 5 Moldova RepublicRepublic of Moldova Moldova 3
GreeceGreece Greece 7th SloveniaSlovenia Slovenia 3 MontenegroMontenegro Montenegro 3
IcelandIceland Iceland 3 SpainSpain Spain 12 AustriaAustria Austria 5
ItalyItaly Italy 18th Czech RepublicCzech Republic Czech Republic 7th RussiaRussia Russia (suspended in 2014) 10
CanadaCanada Canada 12 TurkeyTurkey Turkey 12 SwedenSweden Sweden 5
CroatiaCroatia Croatia 5 HungaryHungary Hungary 7th SwitzerlandSwitzerland Switzerland 5
LatviaLatvia Latvia 3 United StatesUnited States United States 36 SerbiaSerbia Serbia 5
LithuaniaLithuania Lithuania 4th United KingdomUnited Kingdom United Kingdom 18th UkraineUkraine Ukraine 8th
total: 257 total: 66

President

Committees

The Assembly is committed to the central regions of the five committees security together

  • Defense and Security Committee
  • Political Committee
  • Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security
  • Science and Technology Committee
  • Economic and Security Committee

which have one or more sub-committees. On the basis of annual work programs, the committees and sub-committees hold several meetings per year in one of the Member States or in an Associated State, with lectures by high-ranking government and parliamentary representatives as well as academics and experts.

The results of the committees are discussed at the plenary meetings held twice a year (one spring, one autumn meeting). Their reports are reviewed in the form of projects in the spring and then revised and brought up to date for discussion, amendment and approval at the autumn annual meeting.

At the annual meeting, the commissions also draw up strategic recommendations and resolutions. They are submitted to the General Assembly for voting and, if adopted, are addressed to the North Atlantic Council and / or the governments of the member states. Various current issues are also discussed at these meetings, which are also attended by government representatives or specialists (representatives from academic and scientific circles, from non-governmental organizations or the press).

Other committees and groups

  • A Standing Parliamentary Committee NATO-PA - Russian Parliament.

This new committee, which first met in November 2002 , meets as a "Group of 27" as it is composed of the heads of delegations from the 26 member states of the Assembly and their colleagues from the delegation of the Russian Federation. Under the leadership of the President of the NATO PA, this standing committee conducts the relations between the NATO PA and the Russian Parliament and conducts fundamental discussions on bilateral issues. It meets during the plenary sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly;

  • A joint monitoring group NATO-PA - Russian parliament, which existed before and which continues its activities in two sessions per year, one in Brussels at NATO headquarters and one in Moscow;
  • A joint monitoring group NATO-PA - Ukrainian Parliament, which meets annually in Moscow or in Kiev to the implementation of the NATO-Ukraine Charter of 1997 to track and discuss all aspects of relations between the two sides;
  • A Mediterranean Special Group that meets once a year.

Standing Committee

The Standing Committee is the governing body of the Assembly. It is made up of

  • the Congregation Office (President, five Vice-Presidents, and a Treasurer)
  • the Heads of Delegation of the Member States and
  • the presidents of the committees

It meets during the two assemblies and a third time during the year. The office sets the general guidelines, coordinates the work of the committees, draws up the agenda for the meetings and controls their finances. Its Secretary General heads the international secretariat and ensures that the political objectives decided by the Standing Committee are implemented.

The current head of the German delegation is Karl A. Lamers ( CDU ), his predecessor since 1998 was Markus Meckel ( SPD ).

aims

One of its goals is to create parliamentary mechanisms, practices and knowledge for the purpose of real democratic control of the armed forces. To this end, the NATO PA works together with the Geneva Center for Democratic Control of the Armed Forces (DCAF). Together they organize a series of seminars on various aspects of the relationship between the civil and the army.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ In Brussels, North American and European legislators affirm enduring commitment to transatlantic link | NATO PA. Retrieved February 27, 2020 (English).
  2. ↑ US GOVERNMENT PRINGING OFFICE: Congressional Record. In: Page 1. US GOVERNMENT PRINGING OFFICE, 1986, accessed February 27, 2020 .
  3. ^ Sarah Charman and Keith Williams: The Parliamentarians' Role in the Alliance. In: Page 2. North Atlantic Assembly, 1981, accessed February 27, 2020 .
  4. ^ Presidents from 1955-2019 | NATO PA. Retrieved February 27, 2020 .
  5. ^ German Bundestag - Parliamentary Assembly of NATO. Retrieved February 27, 2020 .
  6. ^ Parliamentary Assembly of NATO. Retrieved February 27, 2020 .
  7. ↑ Parliamentarians of the NATO member states meet in Budapest: Ukraine and Russia in focus , press release Bundestag (archive.org)
  8. ^ Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces. Accessed August 31, 2014 .