Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-Speaking Countries TurkPA : Beyond Parliamentary Diplomacy

Abstract

TurkPA, as an example of an international parliamentary institution IPI , constitutes a forum for parliamentary diplomacy and serves as the parliamentary dimension of the cooperation and integration of Turkic countries in Eurasia. IPIs provide new channels for the exchange of views and sharing of experiences, namely through parliamentary diplomacy. The common goal of those institutions and parliamentary diplomacy is to use debate, dialogue and personal contacts to enable parliamentarians in different countries to better understand each other, help one another, and therefore provide an alternative channel to facilitate intraregional communication. This is why these institutions also carry a symbolic importance. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Turkic states in the region showed their dedication to acting together in a coordinated way by establishing the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic Speaking States TurkPA . Today, TurkPA provides oversight to regional problems, harmonises laws and policies towards regional integration, and makes recommendations for legislation, democratic institutions, election observation missions, and good governance, among other functions

Keywords

• TurkPA, Inter-Parliamentary Institutions IPIs , Parliamentary Diplomacy, Regional Parliaments, Role of Parliaments in IR.

References

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9. Permanent Commissions, http://www.turk-pa.org/cat.php?cat=2028&lang=en (last visited 17 March 2017).
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12. Ibid. According to Article 6 of the Statute Of The Secretariat of Parliamentary Assembly Of Turkic-Speaking Countries; the Ratio of the contributions of the member countries are Azerbaijan 2/15, Kazakhstan 4/15, Kyrgyzstan 1/15, and Turkey 8/15 consecutively.
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18. A special provision on the activity of the TurkPA International Observers Mission in the non-member countries and, if required, on observation of elections jointly with other international organizations, has been added to the TurkPA Rules of Procedure’s Article 23/7.
19. The TurkPA Secretary General was admitted to the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments (ASGP) as a member with observer status. ASGP is a consultative body of IPU and seeks to facilitate personal contacts between holders of the office of Secretary General in any parliamentary assembly.
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21. Conference was organized on 24 May 2010 in Parliament of Azerbaijan.
22. Conference was organized on 21 September 2010 in Baku State University.
23. Conference organized by TIKA and Women Leaders Association on 3-4 October 2011, hosted by Parliament of Azerbaijan.
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28. Ibid. p. 109. 34 Ibid.
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30. Proposals addressed to the Committee of Ministers.
31. Decisions by the Assembly which it is empowered to put into effect on its own.
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33. http://www.europewatchdog.info/en/structure/parliamentary-assembly/ (last visited 17 March 2017). Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy; Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights; Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development; Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons; Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media; Committee on Equality and Non- Discrimination; Monitoring Committee; Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs.
34. Members: Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, the Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.
35. Members: Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama
36. http://panafricanparliament.org/home (last visited 6 March 2017).
37. AU member states that have ratified the PAP protocol Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon ,Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sahrawi Republic, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, UR of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
38. http://panafricanparliament.org/about-pap (last visited 6 March 2017).
39. Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.