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The following bodies can launch
studies, pass resolutions and pressure the
international community. Information on each, as
well as suggestions for parliamentarian involvement,
is provided below.
•
Inter-Parliamentary Union
• OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
• NATO Parliamentary Assembly
• The Latin American Parliament
• Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the
Americas
• Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe
• Interparliamentay Assembly of the
Commonwealth of Independent States
• European Parliament
• Asian Pacific Parliamentary Forum
• Parliamentary Assembly for the
Western European Council
The IPU is open to every parliament of a sovereign
state. It has close relations to the United Nations
and promotes peace, co-operation and the
establishment of representative democracy.
The General Conferences, the IPU’s principle
statutory body, are held annually. Delegates are
selected by the IPU member, and the number of
delegates varies in proportion to national
population. The IPU committee most relevant to
issues of nuclear disarmament is Committee 1 on
Political Questions, International Security and
Disarmament. The General Conferences have adopted
resolutions on issues concerning nuclear testing and
the NPT. Parliamentarians can get involved in the
IPU by getting appointed as a delegate or by
contacting the delegate representing their national
parliamentary body.
Contact details: Inter-Parliamentary Union, C.P. 438
1211 GENEVA 19 Switzerland, email
postbox@mail.ipu.org
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The NATO Parliamentary Assembly is another forum
addressing issues of nuclear disarmament. The
national parliament of each NATO member or associate
member state is allowed to delegate a specific
number of delegates (this number not being equal for
each nation) to this assembly.
A parliamentarian from a NATO member state may get
involved in the Assembly by becoming a delegate
themselves or by contacting their parliaments
appointed delegates. Such efforts may concentrate
on getting the Assembly to give more attention to
disarmament issues- NATO’s nuclear policy in
particular. The Assembly holds biannual sessions.
The committee most relevant to issues of nuclear
disarmament is the Defence and Security Committee,
which has issued documents such as a General Report
on National Missile Defence in 2000
Contact details: Secretariat NATO Parliamentary
Assembly 3, Place du Petit Sablon 1000, Brussels,
Belgium, email
secretariat@naa.be.
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All state members of the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are entitled to be
represented at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
proportional to their size and population. The full
assembly meets annually, however the OSCE also
consists of an elected bureau, general committees,
the standing committee, the Secretary General, and
the International Secretariat.
A parliamentarian of an OSCE
state may get involved by becoming a delegate or
contacting the delegates representing their
parliamentary body. The general committee most
relevant to the field of nuclear disarmament is the
General Committee on Political Affairs and Security
(the First Committee).
Contact details: The Secretariat of the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly • Raadhustraede 1 • DK-1466
Copenhagen K • Denmark • tel.: (+45) 33 37 80 40 •
fax: (+45) 33 37 80 30 • e-mail:
osce@oscepa.dk
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The Latin American Parliament
consists of representatives from democratically
elected parliamentary bodies of the Latin American
regions. The Assembly meets biannually at its
permanent headquarters in São Paulo, Brazil.
National delegations are not to exceed 12
representatives and are to be proportionally
representative of the political parties within each
body.
Contact details: Av. Auro
Soares de Moura Andrade, Nº 564, 4º Andar, Sala 12 -
CEP: 01154-060 Barra Funda Sao Paulo Brazil, email
sgeneral@parlatino.org.br.
There is also a Central
American Parliament (www.parlacen.org.gt),
an Andean Parliament (www.parlamentoandino.org)
and an Amazonian Parliament (www.webmediaven.com/parlamaz).
The Inter-Parliamentary Forum
of the Americas (FIPA) is an independent network
composed of the national legislatures of the member
states of the Organization of American States (OAS),
whose purpose is to promote parliamentary
participation in the inter-American system and to
contribute to inter-parliamentary dialogue in
dealing with issues on the hemispheric agenda.
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The IPA consists of former
republics of the Soviet Union. IPA CIS sessions
are called twice a year. The sessions are attened
by parliamentary delegations, and the resolutions
are subject to general consensus. The IPA adopts
model legislative acts giving consideration to
coordinated ratification of treaties made within the
CIS, and the compatibility of national laws with
international treaties accepted by the
Commonwealth. The most relevant commission to
nuclear disarmament is the Commission on Defence and
Security Issues. The IPA has adopted acts put forth
by the above committee regarding nuclear disarmament
and the banning of nuclear testing.
Contact details: Secretariat of
the IPA 193015, Saint Petersburg, Russia Fax: 812
326-68-22, 326-69-81.
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The European Parliament, representing the citizens
of the European Community, is the only
government-established international organization
where the members are directly elected by universal
suffrage. Elections are held every five years, the
first election held in 1957. The Parliament is also
the only institution of the European Community that
meets in public. The European Parliament exercises
democratic supervision over all European Community
bodies, it is very involved in appointing the
European Commission, and actively participates in
the creation of Common Foreign Security Policy
(CFSP). The standing committee most relevant to
issues of nuclear disarmament is the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security, and
Defence Policy. The European Parliament has adopted
several resolutions on the issues of nuclear
disarmament, such as nuclear weapons testing and the
Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Parliamentarians of state
member of the European Community can influence the
European Parliament by petitioning the parliament
and speaking with their respective representatives.
Means of petitioning the parliament, as well as the
contact information for member parliamentarians can
be found on the parliament’s website.
Contact details: Brussels at-
Rue Wiertz B-1047 Bruxelles/Wiertzstraat B-1047
Brussel, Luxembourg at- Plateau du Kirchberg B.P.
1601 L-2929 Luxembourg, and Strasbourg- at Allée du
Printemps B.P. 1024/F F-67070 Strasbourg Cede.
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The APPF is open to parliamentarians appointed as
delegates from their member states, as well as to
individual parliamentarians from member states. It
holds annual meetings and also consists of a
president, executive committee, and working groups.
Politics and security is one of the Forum’s six
stated areas of interests. The parliament has
passed several resolutions on issues concerning
nuclear disarmament, such as the banning of the
production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons,
nuclear testing, and non-proliferation of missiles
for weapons of mass destruction.
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This council is a treaty based
counterpart to the Western European Council. WEC
members, associate members countries, observer
countries and associate partner countries send
appointed delegates from their parliamentary
institutions to the assembly. Only WEC member
representatives have full rights; however other
representatives have close to full rights including
extensive voting rights. This Assembly deals with
mostly with security issues particularly through its
Political, Defence, and Technological and Aerospace
Committees.
Contact details: WEU Assembly Press and Information
Office, 43, avenue du président WILSON 75775 Paris
cedex 16, France, phone: (0033) 1 53 67 22 00, fax :
(0033) 1 53 67 22 01, email at
assembly@weu.int.
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