I. The Network of Women Parliamentarians of the Americas brings together the women members of the parliamentary assemblies of the unitary, federal, federated and associated States, regional Parliaments and interparliamentary organizations of the Americas. In the framework of the integration process of the Americas, it fosters dialogue on issues related to the advancement of women in order to promote gender equity as well as peace and human development in societies, as well as the involvement of women in the decision-making processes of our societies.

Although the Network acts in close connection with the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas, it is ruled by its own Statutes and remains autonomous in its decision-making process.

II. The aims of the Network are:

• to encourage the representation and action of women in the Parliaments of the Americas, to foster the sharing of experience among them, and to promote solidarity among women in general;
  
  
• to ensure that both men and women parliamentarians take into consideration the rights and demands of women, from the viewpoint of the respect of human rights and a better distribution of wealth;

• to support the participation of women in the Parliaments of the Americas and to create communication mechanisms for the activities of women parliamentarians.

To this end, the Network takes positions on matters of interest concerning which it adopts recommendations to be presented at the General Assembly of the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas, as well as to the governments, organizations and all other actors concerned.

III. The Network is composed of women parliamentarians interested in the issues of the advancement of women, who either participate on an individual basis or are designated by the Presiding Officers of their respective assemblies on the principle of political pluralism.

IV. The Network shall hold an Annual Meeting, preferably in conjunction with the General Assembly of the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas.

The Network may also gather at any other time, whenever necessary.

V. The Network is supported by an Executive Committee composed of a president and of two representatives from each of the five major regions of the Americas, namely North America, Central America, the Caribbean, the Andean Region and the Southern Cone, as well as four women representatives for all the regional parliaments and interparliamentary organizations of the Americas.

A women parliamentarian from the National Assembly of Quebec, the founding assembly of the Network of Women Parliamentarians of the Americas as well as the host institution of the Network Secretariat, shall also have a seat on the Executive Committee.

The members of the Executive Committee of the Network shall be elected by the participants at the Annual Meeting, and their term of office shall end at the conclusion of the following Annual Meeting.

Two representatives of the host assembly of the next General Assembly of the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas shall join the Executive Committee of the Network in order to contribute to the organization of the Network’s Annual Meeting.

At the end of her term of office, if she continues to hold parliamentary office, the ex-President sits as a member of the Network Executive Committee for the duration of one additional term.

VI. In addition to taking charge of executing the decisions of the Network adopted during its Annual Meetings, the Executive Committee shall meet at intervals that it considers appropriate in order to decide upon the organizational details of the Annual Meetings.

The Executive Committee approves the list of organizations or persons invited to attend the Annual Meeting and the Executive Committee Meetings as observers.

VII. The President of the Executive Committee shall assume the presidency of the Network. She represents the Network to national and international authorities. Should she be temporarily unable to fulfil her functions, she will choose her substitute among the members of the Executive Committee of the Network.

The President of the Network shall assume one of the 6 vice-presidencies of the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas. Another representative of the Executive Committee of the Network, designated by the latter, shall also sit on the Confederation Executive Committee, as provided in the Statutes of the Confederation.

VIII. The Secretariat of the Network is established at the National Assembly of Quebec.

IX. The official languages of the Network are: Spanish, English, Portuguese and French.

X. Any motion to amend the Statutes must be submitted in writing at least two months before an Annual Meeting, to the General Secretariat, which will transmit it immediately to the Executive Committee members. The examination of such a motion to amend shall be entered automatically on the agenda of the next Executive Committee Meeting.

After having studied the recommendation issued by the Executive Committee, the participants at the Annual Meeting shall pronounce themselves on these motions by a majority vote of two-thirds of the delegates present.

XI. The Statutes of the Network were adopted on July 20, 2000 and were modified on November 18, 2001 and November 24, 2003.