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 satellite 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 of 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 programme of INTELSAT; (vii) to express, pursuant to Article XVI of this Agreement, its findings in the form of recommendations, with respect to the intende3d 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 connexion 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 IVI 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.