The National Assembly will host the first ever General Conference of the Parliamentary Assembly of Economic Co-operation Organisation (PAECO) to be held in Islamabad from 10th to 13th February. The Speakers and Parliamentarians from the ECO Parliaments will attend the event on the invitation of the Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza.
Speaker Fehmida Mirza is the pioneer of PAECO as she initiated the proposal of establishing the Assembly and the vision behind its creation was to complement the efforts of the Economic Co-operation Organisation (ECO) for increased co-operation between and among ECO Parliaments. For the purpose of proceeding on the proposal, the National Assembly hosted the first meeting of ECO Parliamentarians in Islamabad from September 4-5, 2012 where Charter of the Assembly was drafted and agreed for formal signature by the Speakers of ECO Parliaments in a regular conference being held in Islamabad. The First General Conference of PAECO is a part of the said process.
The Parliamentary Forum, which the Speaker National Assembly envisioned, would serve as a milestone towards realising the potential power of the ECO - the belief for assisting its agenda was a driving force behind the idea. The Speaker addressed the suggestion to the ECO Parliaments including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Since these member countries have a lot in common, besides being geographically close and economically resourceful, the Assembly of the ECO Parliaments, therefore, will enhance the prospects of close parliamentary co-operation through people-to-people contact and co-ordination among their Parliaments.
Besides deliberative agenda, the Speakers of ECO Parliaments will ratify the Charter by putting their signatures to formalise its launching. The Assembly, whose formation derives its strength from the sincere efforts of the Speaker National Assembly, was taken well by her counterparts in the ECO Parliaments as it will serve common interest of the region.
The Forum provides the sole machinery for regular consultation and exchange of ideas and information among member countries. This will also help to further the practical ideal of fellowship and understanding. The Assembly, thus, will play a vital role in binding together these peoples whom the ECO unite in the common fraternity by community of their interest and by their desire for strengthening democracy, working for freedom and protection of human rights of all citizens which is hallmark of parliamentary democracy.
All Parliaments of ECO are entitled to become Members of the Assembly, without election or any other formality. As per Charter of the Assembly, there is provision of electing the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the Assembly, who preside at its meetings.
The document offers a convention by which the Chairperson should come from the Branch in the Parliament acting as host to the Conference while the Vice-Chairperson to be appointed from the Branch whose Parliament will be host to the next Conference.
In this way, Members will feel that their Forum will continue to be truly representative. Fortunately, the Speaker, Dr Fehmida Mirza will have the singular privilege being elected as the first-ever Chairperson of the new Parliamentary Assembly of ECO. The Permanent Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly of Economic Co-operation organisation (PAECO) will be situated in Islamabad. The Assembly will have annual conferences and other regular gatherings as and when required. Its Charter is elaborative on its multidimensional activities.-PR
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