Partners for democracy
By its Resolution 1680 (2009) the Assembly decided to establish a “partner for democracy” status. This status aims at developing co-operation with parliaments of non-member States of neighbouring regions as a means of consolidating democratic transformations and promoting stability, good governance, respect for human rights and the rule of law.
The national parliaments of all southern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries participating in the Union for the Mediterranean-Barcelona Process and of central Asian countries participating in the OSCE are eligible to request partner for democracy status with the Assembly.
The Assembly shall specify the number of members of partner for democracy delegations (at the moment the parliaments of Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Palestine). The parliaments concerned are not requested to submit credentials to the President of the Assembly but they should appoint delegations composed to ensure a fair representation of the political parties or groups within the parliament.
Members of such delegations may sit in the Assembly but without the right to vote. They shall have the right to speak with the authorisation of the President of the Assembly.
They may attend committee meetings as provided in Rule 48.5 of the Rules of Procedure (Source: Rule 61 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly).