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The presiding officers of
Senates, Shoora and Equivalent
Councils in Africa and the Arab
World assembled in Rabat,
Morocco from 6th to 7th June
2002:
• Noted with satisfaction the
spread of the bicameral
parliamentary system in Africa
and the Arab World and the
desire of numerous states to
adopt this system in the near
future;
• Aware of the importance of
sharing in the common values of
democracy and the rule of law;
• Keen to see these upper
chambers of excellent statesmen
play an active role in
strengthening ties of
cooperation between Arab and
African States in the various
fields of human and nation-state
endeavours;
• Determined to create a strong
inter-regional organ that will
robustly and persistently ensure
the unreserved commitment of the
second chambers in enhancing the
practice of democracy;
• Looking forward to
strengthening the position of
African and Arab states in the
course of the accelerating
changes, which the world is
witnessing in different spheres
and complying with the logic of
unity and conglomeration imposed
by the rise of the tempo of
globalization;
• Seriously desirous to play a
more effective role in the
international efforts aimed at
the elimination of all causes of
tension and violence, and to
contribute to the establishment
of security and peace in Africa,
the Middle East and the rest of
the World;
• Aspiring to the strengthening
of the efforts to fight against
poverty, famine and
underdevelopment in all its
forms and the reinforcement of
the role of women in the
achievements of global and
durable development for all
people;
Agreed on this day 7th June 2002
to pursue the establishment of a
body to be known as the
Association of Senates, Shoora
and Equivalent Councils in
Africa and the Arab World
(ASSECAA).
Establishment of the
Association
The presiding officers and
leaders of the Senates, Shoora
and Equivalent Councils in
Africa and the Arab World
assembled in Sana'a in the
Republic of Yemen from 25th to
27th of April and unanimously
adopted the Resolution that
established the Association of
Senates, Shoora and Equivalent
Councils in Africa and the Arab
World, as well as the pertaining
Statute and Rules of Procedures.
Objectives
The Association accordingly
outlined for itself the
following aims and objectives:
I) To encourage, support and
strengthen parliamentary
bicameral systems in and outside
the African and Arab regions.
II) To encourage, support and
strengthen cooperation in
economic, political, social and
cultural spheres between the
African and Arab regions and in
the world at large.
III) To regularly organize
meetings and dialogues among
Senates, Shoora and Equivalent
Councils in the member states
and to undertake joint actions
to advance cooperation and
exchange expertise.
IV) To coordinate the efforts of
Senates and Equivalent Councils
in regional and international
conferences and organizations.
V) To contribute in the
parliamentary activities of
Arabs, African and international
Unions and effectively
participate in the dialogues
originating from them.
VI) To deliberate upon issues of
common interest within national
and international spheres and to
make appropriate recommendation
and adopt practical resolutions
concerning them.
VII ) To resolutely engage in
efforts to deepen awareness of
democratic values and concepts.
VIII) To engage in the
encouragement and protection of
the role of civil society
organizations and human rights.
IX) Above all, the Association
seeks to constitute a formidable
bridge of cooperation for Africa
and the Arab World to enable the
region to harness its potentials
to benefit from the world-wide
conscious trend towards
conglomeration and
regionalization.
General
Secretariat
Sana'a
Yemen
1st May 2005
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