Regulation C/REG.3/06/06 Relating to the Operations, Structure, Administrative and Financial Management of the Community Parliament

Jurisdiction
African Regional Bodies · Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Date
13 June 2006
Language
English
Type
Regulation

Economic Community of West African States

Regulation C/REG.3/06/06 Relating to the Operations, Structure, Administrative and Financial Management of the Community Parliament

The Council of Ministers,MINDFUL of Articles 10, 11 and 12 of the ECOWAS Treaty establishing the Council of Ministers and defining its composition and functions;MINDFUL of the provisions of Articles 6 and 13 of the said Treaty relating to the Institutions of the Community and the establishment of the Community Parliament, respectively;MINDFUL of the provisions of Articles 10 (3) (f) and 69 (2) of the Treaty granting the Council power to approve Organizational structures of the Institutions and vesting other powers of an administrative and financial nature over the Institutions of the Community on the Council of Ministers;RECALLING, in particular, Regulation C/REG.20/01/05 directing the Executive Secretary, in collaboration with the Financial Controller of the Community and the existing Secretariat of the Community Parliament to carry out measures that would improve the functioning, as well as the administrative and financial management of the Parliament;HAVING also set up an ad-hoc Ministerial Committee on Restructuring to consider the proposals from the Executive Secretary and other collaborators in the process of discharging the duties given to them on the restructuring of the Parliament;DESIROUS of establishing a Parliament with sustainable structures and administrative and financial management Systems that would enable it carry out its mandate efficiently and thus contribute to the attainment of our Community objectives;ON THE RECOMMENDATION of the Ad-hoc Ministerial Committee on Restructuring of the Community Parliament that met in Abuja from 20th - 21st February 2006;ENACTS

Article 1 – Administrative Secretariat of the Parliament

1.There is hereby established an Administrative Secretariat for the ECOWAS Parliament.
2.The Secretariat shall provide all administrative, technical and financial services that would facilitate the work of the Members of Parliament and ensure the efficient functioning of this Institution.

Article 2 – Administrative management of the Parliament

1.The Administrative Secretariat of the Parliament shall be headed by a Secretary-General, who shall be the Chief Adviser of the Speaker on all matters of administration and procedure.
2.The Secretary General shall manage the day to day running of the Secretariat of the Parliament and be the channel of communication between the Speaker, other members of Parliament and the Secretariat which he/she heads.
3.The Secretary General shall amongst other duties, oversee the preparation of minutes and reports of all the proceedings of Parliament, Bureau and the Committees, ensure their publication and safe custody, and also deploy staff from the Secretariat to service the Plenary, Bureau, Standing Committees and Ad-hoc Committees.
4.He/she shall be responsible for ail procedures for the recruitment of professional staff of the Parliament in accordance with the ECOWAS staff regulations and shall chair the Advisory Committee in charge of recruitment of professional staff, except the appointment of Directors, P6 and P5 managerial positions.
5.The Secretary-General shall be assisted by Directors one of whom shall act as the Secretary-General in the absence of and upon designation by the Secretary General.
6.The Secretary-General shall be classified under the Professional category of staff Members as Director grade 2 (D2). The grade of the Secretary-General as professional officer D2 becomes effective at the expiration of the tenure of the officer encumbering the position.
7.Other administrative duties of the Secretary-General shall be provided under the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament.

Article 3 – Financial management of the Parliament

1.The Speaker shall be the Chief Authorizing Officer of the budget of the Parliament and shall designate financial management to the Secretary-General in line with the Financial Regulations of the Community.
2.The Secretary-General shall be the Accounting Officer of the Parliament and shall submit to the Bureau through the Speaker quarterly financial statements.
3.The Secretary-General shall also prepare the annual draft Budget of the Parliament based on the general guidelines provided by the Bureau and work programme of the Parliament.
4.The Parliament shall ensure recruitmen! of competent staff in the Accounts and Audit Units of the Secretariat as provided under the approved organogram referred to under Article 3 of this Regulation. It shall also ensure full computerization of its accounting system to facilitate efficient financial management.
5.The financial operations and procurement procedures of the Parliament shall be guided by the Community financial Regulations, the Tender code, and all other Community procurement procedures that are of general application to the Community Institutions.

Article 4 – Organizational Chart

1.The attached Orgarnizational Chart which is in conformity with contemporary Parliamentary structures is hereby adopted for the ECOWAS Parliament.
2.The Organizational Chart shall guide all staff recruitment for the Parliament.
3.Without prejudice to already existing personnel within the Parliament, recruitment of staff based on this organogram shall be spread over a three-year period in conformity with the attached recruitment plan which is also hereby adopted for the Parliament.

Article 5 – Parliamentary Committees

1.In order to create greater synergy in the operations of Parliament, particularly in its working relationships with other Institutions of the Community, the Parliament shall maintain or re-constitute Parliamentary standing Committees that reflect the areas of competence covered by the ECOWAS Technical Commissions established by the Treaty.
2.The Parliament shall establish other ad-hoc Committees to address specific subject matter and shall also establish standing Committees that are peculiar to its function or nature as a Parliamentary Institution.

Article 6 – Rules of Procedure

1.The Rules of Procedure of the Parliament shall primarily deal with Issues relating to the ordinary business of the Parliament as prescribed by Protocol A/P.2/8/94 relating to the Community Parliament.
2.All provisions contained in the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament shall be consistent with provisions of the legal texts and policies of the Community

Article 7 – Residency of the Speaker

1.Within the current transitional period of Parliament and pending the election of Parliamentarians by direct-universal suffrage, the Speaker shall not be resident at the Seat of the Parliament.
2.The Speaker or any member of the Bureau of Parliament designated by the Speaker may travel to the Seat of Parliament to give political direction to the affairs of Parliament whenever necessary.

Article 8 – Entry into force

This Regulation shall be published by the Executive Secretariat in the Official Journal of the Community within thirty (30) days of its signature by the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers. It shall also be published by each Member State in its Official Journal within the same time frame.
Done at Abuja this 13th day of June, 2006Hon. Aichatou MindaoudouChairperson, for the Council
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