| Type of parliamentary body |
Multifunctional |
| Nature |
Permanent |
| Related to chambers |
Chambre des Représentants
|
| Date of creation |
... |
| Last renewal date |
July 2007 |
| Mandate |
The Committee is responsible for taking cognizance of, and dealing with, human rights problems outside the country's national boundaries and issues concerning the ratification of pertinent international instruments. |
| Membership |
The Committee is composed of seventeen members, appointed in accordance with the method of proportional representation of political groups, as is the case in the other standing committees. |
| Working methods |
The agenda is set by the Committee, or, failing that, by the President of the House. Meetings are public, unless the Conference of Chairpersons or - by a two-thirds majority - the Committee, decide otherwise. The standing committees have no power of investigation, but can request the presence of competent ministers to question them. They can adopt motions and resolutions. The committees also discuss draft legislation. Their reports are in principle public and nominal. |
| Relations with other parliamentary bodies |
Draft legislation and resolutions that are adopted by the committees are submitted in second instance to the plenary House. Finally, it is the House which votes on motions emerging from discussions and hearings held in committee. |
| Relations with external bodies |
No structured relation. |
| Subjects dealt with |
A few recent examples of issues addressed by the External Relations Committee: interpellations concerning the delivery of Belgian weapons in Nepal and about the situation in that country; proposal for a resolution relating to the sentence condemning Amina Lawal to death by stoning in Nigeria.
The issues dealt with by the Committee in March 2009 concerned: draft legislation on Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation; assistance to developing countries regarding energy; the environmental projects offered for sale by the European Commission; assistance for the Democratic Republic of the Congo; assistance for Palestine; the request by the United States Vice-President for additional support in Afghanistan; the latest stances of the Pope on the condom, and the difficulties caused for NGOs. |
| CONTACT INFORMATION |
|
PRESIDING OFFICER(S)
|
| Name |
Ms. Hilde Vautmans |
| Notes |
President |
| Address (if different from above) |
Chambre des représentants
Bureau 1019
1008 BRUXELLES |
| Phone |
+322 549 86 60 |
| Fax |
+322 549 80 27 |
| E-mail |
hilde.vautmans@dekamer.be |
| Website |
www.hildevautmans.be
|
| Name |
Mr. Georges Dallemagne |
| Notes |
Vice-President |
| Address (if different from above) |
1008 BRUXELLES
Maison des Parlementaires
Bureau 1234
|
| Phone |
... |
| Fax |
... |
| E-mail |
georges.dallemagne@lachambre.be
|
| Website |
...
|
| Name |
Mr. Dirk Van der Maelen |
| Notes |
Vice-President |
| Address (if different from above) |
9506 GERAARDSBERGEN
Guilleminlaan 35
|
| Phone |
+322 54 41 02 03 |
| Fax |
+322 54 41 70 12 |
| E-mail |
dirk.vandermaelen@dekamer.be |
| Website |
www.dirkvandermaelen.be
|
|
SECRETARY
|
