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THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE MEDITERRANEAN - ORIGIN AND OBJECTIVES

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) is an international organisation established in 2005, following fifteen years of cooperation among States of the Mediterranean region. Cooperation focused on themes of common interest, such as political, socio-economic and environmental issues. The process, known as the Conference on Security and Cooperation in the Mediterranean (CSCM), and which began in 1990, developed under the auspices of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

The main objective of PAM is to forge political, economic and social cooperation among the member states in order to find common solutions to the challenges facing the region, and to create a space for peace and prosperity for the Mediterranean peoples.

PAM is the centre of excellence for regional parliamentary diplomacy, and a unique forum whose membership is open exclusively to Mediterranean countries, which are represented on equal footing. This is reflected in the composition of the Bureau and the alternating Presidency. The current President of PAM is Sen. Fayez Al-Tarawneh (Jordan). Each national delegation has five members with equal voting and decision-making powers. Associate Members and Observers do not have voting rights.

PAM conducts the bulk of its work within three Standing Committees. It may also set up ad-hoc Committees or Special Task Forces to tackle a particular topic (i.e. Middle East, Migration, Free Trade, Terrorism, Climate Change, Natural Resources Management, Energy and Gender issues, etc...). Although the reports and resolutions adopted by PAM are not legally binding per se, they are 'soft diplomacy' tool when dealing with parliaments, governments and civil society in the region.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE PAM SECRETARIAT

The Secretariat assists the PAM President, the PAM Bureau and all members in the execution of their mandate and is responsible for the follow-up on the decisions taken by the Assembly providing coordination. assistance and support to the work of the Committees and all other bodies established under PAM.

The Secretariat interacts with national delegations, as well as with regional and international bodies sharing an interest in the Mediterranean region. It stimulates the activities of the Assemblyand also coordinates the awarding of the PAM Prize dedicated to individuals or institutions whose work is considered important for the Mediterranean region.

The Secretary General, assisted by international and local staff, directs the Secretariat. Amb. Sergio Piazzi is the current Secretary General.

PAM - RELATIONS WITH NON-MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

The membership criteria and geographical localtion of its members position PAM as a central actor in the Mediterranean region.

The General Assembly of the United Nations granted the Observer Status to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, by the Resolution A/RES/64/124, at its 64th Session on the 16th December 2009, in recognition of its excellent work.

This further strengthens PAM's contribution to the region, in addition to that of other Parliamentary platforms, states and other international bodies which have a direct interest, or a specific role in the region.

Today's challenges, including migration, climate change and most importantly the resurgence of conflicts, require a collective effort, good will and confidence building measures.

An essential link with civil society, parliamentarians are key to any political decision-making process. In order to ensure coherence and coordination in decision making processes, including social peace, it is necessary that parliamentarians fully participate in today's regional debates thereby contributing to the elaboration of policies that bear both an immediate impact and long-term impact for ruture generations.

Likely, the political dialogue established among members of PAM, in particular with respect to Middle East issues, is of vital importance.

In furtherance of its objectives, PAM encourages the inter-governmental support of the main actors in the region as well as regional institutions.

PAM MEMBERSHIP

The Member States of PAM: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Syria, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia and Turkey.

Associate Countries: Romania

Partner States and Organisations: San Marino, Bulgaria, Georgia, the Russian Federation, the Holy See, the UN System, the IPU, the League of Arab States, the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Arab Parliament, UNESCO, CTBCO, the Parliamentary Assemblies of the Council of Europe(PACE), OSCE, NATO, the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, UfM, OIC, the Arab Maghreb Union and the Islamic Conference (PUIC), as well as the EBRD, the World Meterological Organisation (WMO), the Association of the Mediterranean Regulators for Electricity and Gas (MEDREG), the Fondazione Mediterraneo and the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI).

HEADQUARTERS

The Headquarters of the General Secretariat of PAM were established in Malta in November 2007, in recognition of Malta's strategic role and commitement in setting up PAM.