Convention on IPA CIS Signed 30 Years ago

On 26 May 1995, the leaders of the CIS countries in Minsk signed the Convention on the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States. From that moment the IPA CIS received the rights of an international organization.

The Convention establishes the status of the Interparliamentary Assembly as an independent interstate body of the Commonwealth of Independent States, consisting of parliamentary delegations of the Member Nations.

The document defines the key areas of the IPA CIS activities:

- The Assembly discusses issues of cooperation between the Member Nations in various fields and sends its Recommendations on these issues to the Council of the CIS Heads of State and to the Council of the CIS Heads of Government and to other bodies of the Commonwealth of Independent States;

- The Assembly considers issues referred to it by the Council of the CIS Heads of State and the Council of the CIS Heads of Government;

- The Assembly adopts Recommendations for the alignment of the CIS National Laws, develops Model Laws and sends them to the national parliaments;

- The Assembly facilitates the exchange of legal information between the Member Nations, etc.