AGREEMENT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ASSEMBLY OF CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY PARLIAMENTARIANS
Organization of American States - Trade Unit
Introduction
Definitions
Establishment
Membership
Objectives
of the Assembly
Functions
and Powers
Meetings
Organisation
and Management
Implementation
Signature
of Agreement
Ratification
Entry into
Force
Accession
Amendments
Withdrawal
THE TENTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF GOVERNMENT OF THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY HELD AT GRAND ANSE, GRENADA, FROM 3rd TO 7th JULY, 1989, having determined that there should be established an ASSEMBLY OF CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY PARLIAMENTARIANS as a deliberative body for deepening the Integration Movement;
THE CONTRACTING PARTIES HEREBY AGREE AS FOLLOWS:
Definitions
In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires:
"Association Institution" means any Institution recognised or designated as an Associate Institution of the Community under Article 14 of the Treaty;
"Association Member" means any Country admitted as an Associate Member of the Community by the Conference and a Party to this Agreement;
"Community" means the Caribbean Community established by the Treaty;
"Council" means the Common Market Council established under the Annex to the Treaty;
"Conference" means the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community;
"Institution" means an Institution established and designated under Article 10 of the Treaty;
"Member State" means a Member State of the Community Party to this Agreement;
"Parliament" includes the Legislature of a Member State or an Associate Member;
"Secretariat" means the Community Secretariat;
"Secretary-General" means the Secretary-General of the Community;
"Treaty" means the Treaty Establishing the Caribbean Community and Common Market done at Chaguaramas on the 4th July, 1973.
Establishment
Member States hereby establish an Assembly of Caribbean Community Parliamentarians having the membership, powers and functions hereinafter specified.
Membership
1. The Assembly shall consist of representatives of Member States and Associate Members elected by their Parliaments or appointed in such manner from their membership as the Parliaments shall decide.
2. Each Member State shall be entitled to not more than four representatives at meetings of the Assembly and each Associate Member shall be entitled to not more than two representatives.
3. There shall be elected or appointed by the respective Parliaments of Member States or Associate Members from their Membership alternates for the representatives of Member States or Associate Members who shall be entitled to attend meetings of the Assembly and to speak and vote in the Assembly in the absence of the member of the Assembly for whom the alternate has been elected or appointed.
Objectives of the Assembly
The objectives of the Assembly shall be:
ARTICLE 5
1. The Assembly shall be a deliberative and consultative body for the discussion of policies, programmes and other matters falling within the scope of the Treaty.
2. In carrying out its functions pursuant to this Agreement, the Assembly may:
a. make recommendations to the Conference, the Council, Institutions, Associate Institutions, and the Secretariat;
b. request from the bodies listed in sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph information and reports for discussion;
c. discuss and make recommendations on any matter within the scope of the objectives of the Community;
d. discuss and make recommendations on any matter referred to it by the Conference, the Council, or any Institution or Associate Institution;
e. adopt resolutions on any issue or matter arising under the Treaty.
3.The Assembly shall follow accepted parliamentary procedures and practices and, in particular, may:
a. establish such committees, agencies and other bodies it considers necessary for the efficient performance of its functions; and
b. admit as observers to its deliberations, representatives of countries not being Member States or Associate Members.
4. It shall not be competent for the Assembly to discuss or adopt any resolution on any matter which is exclusively within the domestic jurisdiction of a Member State or Associate Member of the Community and any question whether any matter is within the competence of the Assembly for the purposes of this paragraph shall be decided by the Speaker of the Assembly.
5. Subject to the provisions of this Article and Article 6, the Assembly shall have power to regulate its own proceedings, including the adoption of Standing Orders.
Meetings
1. The Assembly shall meet at least once in every year with meetings rotating among Member States and Associate Members, as far as practicable.
2. Other Meetings of the Assembly may be convened by the Speaker of the Assembly with the concurrence of the majority of the Members of the Assembly.
3. At each meeting of the Assembly, the representatives of Member States shall elect from among their number a Speaker who shall preside in the Assembly and shall have only a casting vote.
4. Member States and Associate Members shall meet the cost of attendance of their representatives at meetings of the Assembly.
5. Each representative of a Member State shall have one vote.
6. Each representative of an Associate Member shall have the right to speak but not to vote in the Assembly.
7. With the permission of the Assembly, observers may speak but not vote in the Assembly.
8. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, a decision of the Assembly shall be by a majority vote of the members of the Assembly present and voting.
9. The quorum for a meeting of the Assembly shall be one-third of the representatives of Member States.
10. Meetings of the Assembly shall be conducted in public.
11. The Speaker of the Assembly shall hold office until the election of the next Speaker at a subsequent meeting of the Assembly.
ARTICLE 7
1. There shall be a clerk of the Assembly, who shall be the Clerk of the Parliament of the host country.
2. The Secretary-General shall designate a senior official of the Community to:
a. assist in coordinating the work of the Assembly;
b. liaise with the principal organs, Institutions, Associate Institutions, and other bodies of the Community, in relation to the deliberations of the Assembly.
3. Administrative and secretarial services for meetings of the Assembly shall be provided by the host country assisted, to the extent possible, by the Secretariat.
ARTICLE 8
Member States and Associate Members shall take all appropriate measures to:
a. fulfil obligations undertaken by them under this Agreement;
b. pursue measures which support the attainment of the objectives of this Agreement.
Signature of Agreement
This Agreement shall be open for signature by any Member State of the Community listed in the Annex to this Agreement.
Ratification
This Agreement shall be subject to ratification by the signatory Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional procedures. Instruments of Ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary-General who shall transmit certified copies to the Government of each Member State.
ARTICLE 11
This Agreement shall enter into force on the 30th day after the date of the deposit of the seventh Instrument of Ratification by a Member State in accordance with Article 10 of this Agreement.
Accession
After the entry into force of this Agreement, any new Member State or any Associate Member of the Community wishing to become party to this Agreement shall deposit an appropriate Instrument of Accession with the Secretary-General and such Accession shall take effect thirty days after the receipt of the Instrument. The Secretary-General shall transmit a certified copy of the Instrument to the Government of each Member State or Associate Member of the Community.
Amendments
1. A proposal for the amendment of this Agreement adopted by a majority of the representatives present and voting and representing three-fourths of the Parties to this Agreement, if approved by the Conference, shall be subject to ratification or acceptance by the Parties to this Agreement.
2. Every such amendment shall enter into force thirty days after the deposit of the last Instrument of Ratification or Acceptance with the Secretary-General who shall notify the Parties to this Agreement of the entry into force of the amendment.
ARTICLE 14
1. A Member State or Associate Member of the Community which withdraws from membership of the Community in accordance with Article 27 of the Treaty shall, if party to this Agreement, be deemed to have withdrawn from this Agreement with effect from the expiration of the time limited by that Article.
2. Without prejudice to paragraph 1 of this Article, a Member State or Associate Member may withdraw from this Agreement by giving notice in writing to the Secretary-General who shall promptly notify the other Parties to this Agreement. Such withdrawal shall take effect twelve months after receipt of the notice by the Secretary-General.
3. A Member State or Associate Member undertakes to honour any financial obligations duly assumed by it while it continues to be a Party to this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, being duly authorised by their respective Governments, have affixed their signatures to this Agreement.
Done in a single copy which is deposited with the Secretary-General who shall transmit certified copies to all Parties to this Agreement.
Signed by: For Antigua and Barbuda on 17th June, 1993 at St. John’s, Antigua
Signed by: For Barbados on 19 February 1992 at Kingston, Jamaica
Signed by: For Belize on 17 November 1994 at Kingston, Jamaica
Signed by: For The Bahamas on 23 March 1993 at Roseau, Dominica
Signed by: For Dominica on 7 July 1993 at Nassau, The Bahamas
Signed by: For Grenada on 23 March 1993 at Roseau, Dominica
Signed by: For Guyana on 19 February 1992 at Kingston, Jamaica
Signed by: For Jamaica on 7 July 1993 at Nassau, The Bahamas
Signed by: For Montserrat on at
Signed by: For St. Kitts and Nevis on at
Signed by: For Saint Lucia on 8 April 1995 at Castries, Saint Lucia
Signed by: For Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on at
Signed by: For Trinidad and Tobago on 28 February 1993 at Nassau, The Bahamas
ANNEX
Antigua and Barbuda
The Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Dominica
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
Montserrat
St. Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago