Artikel IX

a). The Assembly of Parties shall be composed of all the Parties and shall be the principal organ of ITSO.
b). The Assembly of Parties shall give consideration to general policy and long-term objectives of ITSO.
c). The Assembly of Parties shall give consideration to matters which are primarily of interest to the Parties as sovereign States, and in particular ensure that the Company provides, on a commercial basis, international public telecommunications services, in order to:
(i) maintain global connectivity and global coverage;
(ii) serve its lifeline connectivity customers; and
(iii) provide non-discriminatory access to the Company’s system.
d). The Assembly of Parties shall have the following functions and powers:
(i) to direct the executive organ of ITSO as it deems appropriate, in particular regarding the executive organ’s review of the activities of the Company that directly relate to the Core Principles;
(ii) to consider and take decisions on proposals for amending this Agreement in accordance with Article XV of this Agreement;
(iii) to appoint and remove the Director General in accordance with Article X;
(iv) to consider and decide on reports submitted by the Director General that relate to the Company’s observance of the Core Principles;
(v) to consider and, in its discretion, take decisions on recommendations from the Director General;
(vi) to take decisions, pursuant to paragraph (b) of Article XIV of this Agreement, in connection with the withdrawal of a Party from ITSO;
(vii) to decide upon questions concerning formal relationships between ITSO and States, whether Parties or not, or international organizations;
(viii) to consider complaints submitted to it by Parties;
(ix) to consider issues pertaining to the Parties, Common Heritage;
(x) to take decisions concerning the approval referred to in paragraph (b) of Article IV of this Agreement;
(xi) to consider and approve the budget of ITSO for such period as agreed to by the Assembly of Parties;
(xii) to take any necessary decisions with respect to contingencies that may arise outside of the approved budget;
(xiii) to appoint an auditor to review the expenditures and accounts of ITSO;
(xiv) to select the legal experts referred to in Article 3 of Annex A to this Agreement;
(xv) to determine the conditions under which the Director General may commence an arbitration proceeding against the Company pursuant to the Public Services Agreement;
(xvi) to decide upon amendments proposed to the Public Services Agreement; and
(xvii) to exercise any other functions conferred upon it under any other Article of this Agreement.
e). The Assembly of Parties shall meet in ordinary session every two years beginning no later than twelve months after the transfer of ITSO’s space system to the Company. In addition to the ordinary meetings of the Parties, the Assembly of Parties may meet in extraordinary meetings, which may be convened upon request of the executive organ acting pursuant to the provisions of paragraph k) of Article X, or upon the written request of one or more Parties to the Director General that sets forth the purpose of the meeting and which receives the support of at least one-third of the Parties including the requesting Parties.
f). A quorum for any meeting of the Assembly of Parties shall consist of representatives of a majority of the Parties. 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. Parties shall be afforded an opportunity to vote by proxy or other means as deemed appropriate by the Assembly of Parties and shall be provided with necessary information sufficiently in advance of the meeting of the Assembly of Parties.
g). For any meeting of the Assembly of Parties, each Party shall have one vote.
h). The Assembly of Parties shall adopt its own rules of procedure, which shall include provision for the election of a Chairman and other officers as well as provisions for participation and voting.
i). 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 ITSO.