Agreement Relating to the “INTELSAT”

Article VII. (Assembly of Parties)

(a) The Assembly of Parties shall be composed of all the Parties and
shall be the principal organ of INTELSAT.

(b) The Assembly of Parties shall give consideration to those aspects
of INTELSAT which are primarily of interest to the Parties as sovereign
States. It shall have the power to give consideration to general policy
and long-term objectives of INTELSAT consistent with the principles,
purposes and scope of activities of INTELSAT, as provided for in this
Agreement. In accordance with paragraphs (b) and (c) of Article VI of
this Agreement, the Assembly of Parties shall give due and proper
consideration to resolutions, recommendations and views addressed to it
by the Meeting of Signatories or the Board of Governors.

(c) The Assembly of Parties shall have the following functions and
powers:

(i)In the exercise of its power of considering general policy and
long-term objectives of INTELSAT, to formulate its views or make
recommendations, as it may deem appropriate, to the other organs
of INTELSAT;

(ii)To determine that measures should be taken to prevent the
activities of INTELSAT from conflicting with any general
multilateral convention which is consistent with this Agreement
and which is adhered to by at least two-thirds of the Parties;

(iii)To consider and take decisions on proposals for amending this
Agreement in accordance with Article XVII of this Agreement and
to propose, express its views and make recommendations on
amendments to the Operating Agreement;

(iv)To authorize, through general rules or by specific
determinations, the utilization of the INTELSAT space segment and
the provision of satellites and associated facilities separate
from the INTELSAT space segment for specialized
telecommunications services within the scope of activities
referred to in paragraph (d) and subparagraph (e) (iii) of
Article III of this Agreement;

(v)To review, in order to ensure the application of the principle of
non-discrimination, the general rules established pursuant to
subparagraph (b) (v) of Article VIII of this Agreement;

(vi)To consider and express its views on the reports presented by the
Meeting of Signatories and the Board of Governors concerning the
implementation of general policies, the activities and the
long-term program of INTELSAT;

(vii)To express, pursuant to Article XIV of this Agreement, its
findings in the form of recommendations, with respect to the
intended establishment, acquisition or utilization of space
segment facilities separate from the INTELSAT space segment
facilities;
(viii)To take decisions, pursuant to subparagraph (b) (i) of Article
XVI of this Agreement, in connection with the withdrawal of a
Party from INTELSAT;

(ix)To decide upon questions concerning formal relationships between
INTELSAT and States, whether Parties or not, or international
organizations;

(x)To consider complaints submitted to it by Parties;

(xi)To select the legal experts referred to in Article 3 of Annex C
to this Agreement;

(xii)To act upon the appointment of the Director General in accordance
with Articles XI and XII of this Agreement;

(xiii)Pursuant to Article XII of this Agreement, to adopt the
organizational structure of the executive organ; and

(xiv)To exercise any other powers coming within the purview of the
Assembly of Parties according to the provisions of this
Agreement.

(d) The first ordinary meeting of the Assembly of Parties shall be
convened by the Secretary General within one year following the date on
which this Agreement enters into force. Ordinary meetings shall
thereafter be scheduled to be held every two years. The Assembly of
Parties, however, may decide otherwise from meeting to meeting.

(e) (i) In addition to the ordinary meetings provided for in
paragraph (d) of this Article, the Assembly of Parties may meet in
extraordinary meetings, which may be convened either upon request of the
Board of Governors acting pursuant to the provisions of Article XIV or
XVI of this Agreement, or upon the request of one or more Parties which
receives the support of at least one-third of the Parties including the
requesting Party or Parties.

(ii) Requests for extraordinary meetings shall state the purpose of
the meeting and shall be addressed in writing to the Secretary General or
the Director General, who shall arrange for the meeting to be held as
soon as possible and in accordance with the rules of procedure of the
Assembly of Parties for convening such meetings.

(f) A quorum for any meeting of the Assembly of Parties shall consist
of representatives of a majority of the Parties. Each Party shall have
one vote. Decisions on matters of substance shall be taken by an
affirmative vote cast by at least two-thirds of the Parties whose
representatives are present and voting. Decisions on procedural matters
shall be taken by an affirmative vote cast by a simple majority of the
Parties whose representatives are present and voting. Disputes whether a
specific matter is procedural or substantive shall be decided by a vote
cast by a simple majority of the Parties whose representatives are
present and voting.

(g) The Assembly of Parties shall adopt its own rules of procedure,
which shall include provision for the election of a Chairman and other
officers.

(h) Each Party shall meet its own costs of representation at a
meeting of the Assembly of Parties. Expenses of meetings of the Assembly
of Parties shall be regarded as an administrative cost of INTELSAT for
the purpose of Article 8 of the Operating Agreement.

Author: international