Chapter Two
Structure of the Committee

Article 4
The Committee fulfills its objectives, performs its functions, and exercises its powers through its meetings, the Executive Board, and the Technical Advisory Groups, with the support of the General Secretariat of the Organization (hereinafter "the General Secretariat").

I. MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE

Regular Meeting

Article 5
1. The Committee shall hold a regular meeting every two years in any of the member states, subject to the provisions of Article 83 of these Rules of Procedure.

2. The Committee, during its regular meetings, shall consider general matters related to port-sector cooperation and, specifically, shall fulfill the following functions:
a. To determine the policies necessary to fulfill the functions provided for in Article 3 of these Rules of Procedure;
b. To create and adopt a biennial plan of action for the Committee;
c. To elect the members of the Executive Board;
d. To establish the Technical Advisory Groups and define their responsibilities;
e. To propose to CIDI amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Committee, when appropriate;
f. To consider and adopt decisions on any other matter under the sphere of responsibility of the Committee.

Special Meeting

Article 6
1. The Committee shall hold special meetings by decision of the General Assembly or CIDI, or if the Committee itself so decides by the affirmative vote of two thirds of its members. In the latter case, the Committee shall contribute all the resources required for the meeting and shall inform CEPCIDI of its decision to hold a special meeting and of its agenda.

2. The special meetings of the Committee shall consider the specific matters for which they have been convened.

Place and Date of the Meetings

Article 7
1. The regular meetings of the Committee shall be held at the place and on the date agreed upon at the conclusion of the preceding meeting, taking into account the offers presented by the member states. When there are no offers to host a meeting 90 days before the meeting is scheduled to begin, or when a meeting cannot be held at the selected place, the Committee shall meet at the headquarters of the General Secretariat. Should a change of date become necessary, the Chair of the Executive Board shall consult on this matter with the rest of the member states.

2. The Executive Committee shall inform the members of the Committee of the place and date of the special meetings.

Agenda

Article 8
1. The Executive Board shall prepare a preliminary draft agenda for each regular meeting of the Committee to be submitted for consideration by the other Committee member states, at least 100 days prior to the inauguration of the respective meeting. Simultaneously, the General Secretariat shall send a copy of the preliminary draft to the permanent missions of the Organization through CEPCIDI. The member states shall have 30 consecutive days to send their observations to the Chair of the Executive Board. On the basis of the observations received, the Executive Board shall prepare the final draft agenda, which shall be submitted to CEPCIDI for information and distributed to the member states 45 days before the regular meeting.

2. The Chair of the Executive Board shall establish the procedures and deadlines for the preparation and distribution of the agenda for special meetings.

Notice of Convocation of Meetings

Article 9
1. CEPCIDI shall convene a regular meeting of the Committee once it has been informed by the Chair of the Executive Board of the agreed place and date for the meeting. For that purpose, the country that has offered to host a regular meeting must have confirmed to the General Secretariat the date, city, and specific location of the meeting, and that it is prepared to sign with the General Secretariat the corresponding agreement for the holding of the meeting, which contains the financial obligations of the parties. The host country shall present this confirmation no later than 90 days prior to the proposed date of said meeting. If there is no confirmation within that period, CEPCIDI shall convene the meeting at the headquarters of the General Secretariat. The General Secretariat shall transmit the notices to member states as soon as the convocation has been decided.

2. The resolutions convening meetings of the Committee shall indicate the source of financing which will be used to cover the costs of the meeting.

A. Participation in the Meetings of the Committee

Delegations

Article 10
The delegations of the member states shall comprise representatives, advisors, and other members accredited by the governments. Each delegation shall have a principal representative or head of delegation, who may delegate his or her powers to any other member of the delegation.

Credentials

Article 11
For each regular or special meeting of the Committee, the members of each delegation and the permanent observers to the Organization shall be accredited by their respective governments by means of a communication addressed to the Secretary General of the Organization.

Article 12
The Secretary General shall receive the credentials and submit a report to a plenary session of the Committee meeting, so that it may decide on the matter.

Precedence

Article 13
The order of precedence of the delegations shall be established at the start of each meeting of the Committee following the alphabetical order in Spanish commencing with the country which is the Chair.

Organs and Agencies of the Inter-American System

Article 14
The representatives of the organs and agencies of the inter-American system may attend the meetings of the Committee and its subcommittees with the right to speak.

Permanent Observers

Article 15
Permanent observers to the Organization may attend the meetings of the Committee and its subcommittees. They may also speak provided that the Chair of the meeting in question so decides.

Other Observers

Article 16
1. Observers to the Committee meetings may also be sent by:

a. Governments of the member states of the United Nations or its specialized agencies that have expressed an interest in attending, subject to prior authorization by the Chair of the Executive Board, in consultation with the Vice Chairs of said Board;

b. Inter-American governmental entities and agencies of a regional or subregional nature that are not included among the organs and agencies of the Organization, subject to prior authorization by the Chair of the Executive Board, in consultation with the Vice Chairs of said Board;

c. Specialized agencies related to the United Nations or other international organizations, when so provided in their current agreements with the pertinent organs of the Organization or, in the absence of such agreements, subject to prior authorization by the Chair of the Executive Board, in consultation with the Vice Chairs of said Board.

2. The observers referred to in this article may speak at the meetings of the Committee or its subcommittees when invited to do so by the respective Chair.

3. For the purposes of this article, the General Secretariat shall send out the appropriate communications.

Special Guests

Article 17
1. Subject to prior authorization by the Chair of the Executive Board and with the consent of the government of the host country, national and international governmental organizations or entities, and persons of recognized standing in the matters to be considered may attend the meetings of the Committee as special guests, provided they express an interest in doing so.

2. The special guests referred to in this article may speak in the meetings of the Committee when invited to do so by the respective Chair.

3. Requests to attend the meetings of the Committee as special guests must be presented to the Chair of the Executive Board directly or through the General Secretariat, at least 15 days prior to the start of the meeting.

4. For the purposes of this article, the General Secretariat shall extend the corresponding invitations.

General Secretariat

Article 18
The Secretary General of the Organization and the Executive Secretary for Integral Development participate with voice but without vote at the meetings of the Committee and its subsidiary bodies.

B. Officers of the Meetings of the Committee

Chair and Vice Chairs

Article 19
1. At the first plenary session of each meeting, the Committee shall elect a Chair and two Vice Chairs, from among the heads of delegations of the member states represented at the meeting. The election shall be decided by the majority vote of the delegations accredited to the meeting.

2. The Chair and the Vice Chairs shall hold office until the close of the meeting.

Replacement of the Chair

Article 20
In the event of the temporary or permanent absence of the Chair, he or she shall be replaced by the First Vice Chair, who will have the same powers and duties as the Chair, and, in the absence of the First Vice Chair, by the Second Vice Chair.

Article 21
In the absence of the Chair and the two Vice Chairs, the Committee shall be temporarily chaired by the principal representative of the member state that is first in the order of precedence established in Article 13 of these Rules of Procedure.
Powers of the Chair

Article 22
The Chair shall convene the plenary sessions; establish their order of business; open and adjourn the plenary sessions; direct the debate; grant the floor to the delegations in the order of their requests; put to a vote the points under discussion and announce the results; rule on points of order in compliance with Article 36; install the subcommittees; perform any other tasks the Committee may assign him or her; and, in general, observe and enforce the provisions of these Rules of Procedure.

C. Sessions

Article 23
Each meeting of the Committee shall include an informal preliminary session with the heads of delegation of the member states, an inaugural session, the number of plenary sessions required, and a closing session. In the case of a special meeting, the inaugural session may be omitted.

Preliminary Session of the Heads of Delegations

Article 24
The Chair of the Executive Board shall convoke an informal preliminary session of the heads of delegation of the member states, prior to the inaugural session, to agree on the organization of the work of the Committee meeting.

Plenary Sessions

Article 25
The first plenary session shall decide the following:

1. Election of the Chair and Vice Chairs;
2. Composition of the Style Subcommittee;
3. Final agenda of the meeting;
4. Appointment of the subcommittees and working groups;
5. The deadline for the presentation of proposals;
6. Duration of the meeting;
7. Other matters.
Open and Closed Sessions

Article 26
1. The plenary sessions of the Committee and the sessions of its subcommittees shall be open, unless in session it is decided otherwise.

2. The sessions of the working groups shall be closed, unless said groups decide otherwise.

D. Subcommittees and Working Groups

Subcommittees and Working Groups

Article 27
At each meeting, the Committee may set up subcommittees and working groups, which shall elect their own officers. The subcommittees may in turn establish any working groups they deem necessary for examination of the topics submitted to them for consideration. The recommendations that they adopt or conclusions they reach shall be presented to the plenary sessions of the meetings in a report approved by the respective subcommittee or working group. Any member of a subcommittee or working group may request that his or her position be recorded in the relevant report. The Committee shall take note of these reports and shall approve the pertinent decisions at a plenary session.

Article 28
All delegations may be members of the subcommittees and working groups established during a meeting of the Committee. However, to facilitate their work, the subcommittees and working groups shall be installed with those delegations that have requested membership thereon.

Article 29
The working groups may continue to function between meetings of the Committee.

Style Subcommittee

Article 30
At each meeting, a Style Subcommittee made up of four delegations, each of which represents one of the four official languages of the Organization, shall be established, unless the member states decide to conduct the meeting in fewer languages.

Article 31
1. The Style Subcommittee shall meet during or after the Committee meeting at the headquarters of the General Secretariat.

2. The Style Subcommittee shall receive the resolutions, declarations, and agreements approved by the Committee, correct any defects of form, and ensure equivalency among the texts in each of the languages used in the meeting. Should the subcommittee note any defects of form that cannot be corrected, it shall submit the matter to the Chair of the meeting for decision. If the meeting has ended, the Executive Board shall decide on the matter.

E. Debate

Quórum

Article 32
The majority of the delegations of the member states shall constitute a quorum for the plenary sessions of the Committee meetings.

Article 33
For sessions of the subcommittees and working groups formed to meet during the Committee meetings, one third of the delegations listed as members shall constitute a quorum. However, for the purpose of adopting a decision, at least a majority of said delegations must be present in the corresponding session.

Proposals

Article 34
Proposals submitted to the Committee for its consideration must be presented in writing to the General Secretariat, which shall forward copies of those proposals to the representatives at least 24 hours prior to the session in which the matter will be discussed. However, the Committee may, by a two-thirds majority vote of the member states present in the corresponding session, authorize a proposal to be discussed whenever the urgency of the matter has prevented the prior procedure from being followed.

Withdrawal of Proposals

Article 35
A proposal may be withdrawn by its proponent before the original text or any amendment thereto has been put to a vote. Any other delegation may introduce a proposal that has been withdrawn.

Points of Order

Article 36
During the discussion of a matter, any delegation may raise a point of order regarding the application of these Rules of Procedure, which shall be ruled upon immediately by the Chair. When raising a point of order, a delegation may not go into the substance of the matter under discussion. The ruling of the Chair may be appealed. The appeal shall be put to a vote immediately and shall be declared approved if it receives the vote of two thirds of the delegations present.

Suspension of Debate

Article 37
The Chair or any delegation may request that the debate be suspended. Only two delegations may speak in favor of, and two against, a motion to suspend the debate. It shall then be put to a vote immediately and shall be declared approved if it receives the vote of two thirds of the delegations present.

Closure of Debate

Article 38
The Chair or any delegation, when it considers that a matter has been sufficiently discussed, may propose that the debate be closed. This motion may be opposed by two delegations and shall be declared approved if it receives the vote of two thirds of the delegations present.

Suspension or Adjournment of the Meeting

Article 39
During the discussion of a matter, the Chair or any delegation may propose that the meeting be suspended or adjourned. Such a motion shall be put to a vote immediately without discussion and shall be declared approved if it receives the vote of two thirds of the members present.

Order of Procedural Motions

Article 40
The following motions shall have precedence over all other proposals or motions, in the order set forth below:

1. Suspension of the meeting;
2. Adjournment of the meeting;
3. Suspension of debate on the topic under consideration;
4. Closure of debate on the topic under consideration.
Reconsideration of Decisions

Article 41
In order to reconsider a decision made by the Committee or one of its subcommittees, the relevant motion must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the delegations which form part of those bodies.

F. Voting

Right to Vote

Article 42
Each member state has the right to one vote.

Adoption of Decisions

Article 43
The Committee shall adopt its decisions in plenary sessions, in the form of resolutions, declarations, or agreements. The General Secretariat shall distribute them immediately after they have been adopted.

Majority Required

Article 44
1. Having established the quorum called for in Articles 32 and 33, in the absence of agreement in the deliberations, the proposals shall be put to a vote. The adoption of decisions in the plenary sessions of the Committee and the adoption of recommendations in the sessions of its subcommittees shall be made by the affirmative vote of more than half of the member states present, unless specifically provided otherwise in these Rules of Procedure.

2. The decisions that have budgetary implications for the Committee shall require the approval of two thirds of the member states accredited to the meeting of the Committee.

3. The working groups shall adopt recommendations, preferably, without recourse to a vote. If a vote is necessary, the recommendation shall be adopted by a simple majority vote of the members present.

Voting Procedure

Article 45
1. Votes shall be taken by a show of hands, but any delegation may request a roll-call vote, which shall be taken in the order of precedence established in Article 13.

2. In roll-call votes, the name of each member state shall be called and the delegations shall register their votes in favor or against, or their abstention.

3. Votes shall be by secret ballot only in the case of elections. However, if it is so agreed, the Committee may adopt a different procedure.

Voting on Proposals

Article 46
1. After debate is closed, decisions shall be made on the proposals presented, together with any proposed amendments.

2. Where a vote is required and once the Chair has announced the start of the voting, no delegation may interrupt it, except for a point of order relating to the manner in which the voting is being conducted.

3. The process of voting and vote counting shall end when the Chair announces the result.

Article 47
Proposals shall be voted on in the order in which they are presented, except when the Committee, by a two-thirds vote of the members present, decides otherwise.

Voting on Amendments

Article 48
Amendments shall be submitted for discussion and put to a vote before the voting on the proposal they are intended to modify. A proposal that would totally replace the original proposal, or that is not directly related to it, shall not be considered as an amendment.

Article 49
When several amendments to a proposal are presented, the vote shall be taken first on the one that departs furthest from the original text. The other amendments shall be voted upon in like order. In case of doubt in this regard, they shall be voted upon in the order of their presentation.

Article 50
When the adoption of one amendment necessarily implies the exclusion of another, the latter shall not be put to a vote. If one or more amendments are adopted, the complete proposal as amended shall be put to a vote.s

Voting by Parts

Article 51
Any delegation may request that a proposal or amendment be put to a vote in parts, in which case it must indicate the specific parts or sections. If any delegation opposes such a request, the motion to deny it shall be put to a vote and a two-thirds majority of the members present shall be required for approval. Only two delegations may speak in favor of, and two against, a request for voting by parts. When voting by parts is accepted, any proposal or amendment thus approved must be put to a final vote as a whole. If all the operative parts of a proposal or amendment have been rejected, it shall be considered to have been rejected as a whole.s

Explanation of Vote

Article 52
Before the voting process has begun, or after it has ended, any delegation may ask for the floor to explain its vote, except in the case of secret ballots.

G. Documents

Summaries of the Sessions

Article 53
The General Secretariat shall prepare summaries of the Committee plenary sessions and of the subcommittee sessions, as well as of the working group sessions if those groups so request.

Article 54
1. During subcommittee sessions, delegations may request to have the opinions they expressed in a session recorded in the corresponding summary. They may also request to have statements that they made appended to the summary.

2. There shall be no summaries of discussions of the closed sessions of the Committee, or of the closed subcommittee sessions, but the General Secretariat shall record the names of the representatives present and the decisions adopted at those sessions.

Final Report

Article 55
The summaries referred to in Article 53, as well as the resolutions, declarations, and agreements adopted at each meeting of the Committee, and any other relevant documentation distributed during the meeting, shall be included in a final report that the Committee shall submit to CIDI, through CEPCIDI, in the four official languages of the Organization.

II. THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

Composition, Constitution and Duration of its Members

Article 56
1. The Executive Board shall comprise 15 member States elected during a regular meeting of the Committee. They shall serve for two years until the next regular meeting of the Committee. The Executive Board may be reelected totally or partially.

2. The election of the members of the Executive Board, insofar as possible, shall follow the criteria of rotation and equitable geographic representation.

3. The Chair of the regular meeting of the Committee where the election took place, before its closing, shall install the Executive Board.

Article 57
Each member state of the Executive Board shall designate a principal representative and an alternate representative, both of whom shall be specialists in port-sector matters. The names of the representatives shall be communicated in writing to the General Secretariat.

Functions of the Executive Board

Article 58
The Executive Board, as the organ responsible for executing the Committee's policies, shall have the following functions:

a. To carry out the tasks assigned to it by the Committee and follow-up on the decisions adopted by the Committee;
b. To plan and coordinate inter-American activities of the port sector taking into account the Strategic Plan;
c. To prepare the biennial budget for the Committee, to be financed by the Special Port Program Specific Fund or other specific funds pertaining to the Committee, in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Committee;
d. To make adjustments in the biennial budget of the Committee in accordance with existing resources in the Special Port Program Specific Fund and other funds pertaining to the Committee;
e. To set the dates of the regular and special meetings of the Committee;

f. To prepare the preliminary draft agendas for the Committee meetings and submit them for consideration to the governments of the member states through the General Secretariat;
g. To propose to the Committee the amendments it considers necessary to introduce to these Rules of Procedure;
h. To establish a work program for the Chair, Vice Chairs, and General Secretariat, in order to carry out the decisions of the Committee;
i. To prepare, at each meeting, a work program to cover the period from that meeting until the next meeting of the Board;
j. To present to CIDI, through CEPCIDI, an annual report on the activities of the Committee;
k. To adopt ad referendum of the next meeting of the Committee any urgent measures that cannot be deferred;
l. To represent the Committee in meetings or conferences on port-sector matters or related activities;
m. To prepare studies and documents on port-sector matters and propose drafts of inter-American and international agreements in accordance with the procedures of the Organization;
n. To create the subcommittees and working groups that are considered necessary to carry out the functions of the Board and determine their respective work plans;
o. To carry out any other executive tasks necessary for the fulfillment of the objectives of the Committee.

Officers

Article 59
1. The Executive Board shall elect one Chair and four Vice Chairs from among the member states that make up the Board. The election shall take place during the regular meeting of the Committee in which the Board is elected and installed.

2. In the election of the Vice Chairs, insofar as possible, the criterion of equitable geographic representation shall be followed. After the election of the Vice Chairs, their order of precedence to replace the Chair of the Board in cases of his or her temporary impediment shall be established by lot.

3. The Chair and the Vice Chairs shall remain in office until the election of the new officers, which shall take place when the Executive Board membership is renewed in four years.

Duties of the Chair

Article 60
The Chair of the Executive Board shall have the following responsibilities and functions:

a. To preside over the sessions of the Executive Board;
b. To preside provisionally over the regular and special meetings of the Committee until the Chair is elected;
c. To represent the Committee in the organs of the Organization, the port administrations of the member states, and other agencies that participate in port-sector development activities in the Hemisphere. Also, represent the Committee at public functions and at meetings of international agencies.
d. To coordinate the activities of the Executive Board established in Article 58 of these Rules of Procedure;
e. To formulate the agenda of the meetings of the Executive Board in consultation with the other members of the Executive Board;
f. To maintain communication with port institutions of the Hemisphere, on matters relating to the functioning of the Committee;
g. To coordinate and periodically revise the work programs of the Technical Advisory Groups and of the subcommittees and working groups, ensure that they are carried out, evaluate their completion, and submit a report to the Committee containing the results of the evaluation;
h. To carry out the additional functions that are established in these Rules of Procedure and those that by nature are inherent to the office he or she occupies.
Duties of the Vice Chairs

Article 61
The Vice Chairs of the Executive Board shall assist the Chair in carrying out the duties provided for in Article 60, particularly those established in paragraphs f and g, and shall perform other functions assigned to them in these Rules of Procedure.

Headquarters of the Executive Board

Article 62
1. The member state elected to preside over the Executive Board shall organize and maintain during its term, at its sole expense, an office with the personnel necessary to carry out its functions. In addition, that member state shall provide premises for meetings, as well as other suitable work facilities for the best possible performance of the Executive Board's duties and responsibilities. For all purposes, the office shall be responsible exclusively to the Chair of the Executive Board and shall not be dependent upon the General Secretariat.

2. The Chair of the Executive Board shall maintain continuing working relations with the General Secretariat for purposes of coordination and liaison, as well as for the best possible performance of the various tasks of Executive Board. The Chair of Executive Board shall send copies of all official correspondence to the General Secretariat.

Meetings

Article 63
1. The first meeting of the Executive Board shall take place within 90 days of the closing of the meeting of the Committee in which the Executive Board members were elected.

2. The Executive Board shall meet at least once a year in the country represented by its Chair, in another country, or at the headquarters of the General Secretariat, as agreed on at the preceding meeting.

Article 64
1. Member states constituting the Executive Board shall participate in the meetings of the Executive Board with voice and vote.

2. The member states of the Committee that are not members of the Executive Board may participate in the meetings with voice but without vote.

3. The Chairs of the Technical Advisory Groups whose countries are not members of the Executive Board shall be invited to participate in the meetings of the Executive Board with voice but without vote.

4. Observers, special guests, and the General Secretariat may participate in the meetings of the Executive Board in accordance with Articles 14 to 18 of these Rules of Procedure.

Quorum

Article 65
A majority of the member states that make up the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum for its plenary sessions.

Decisions

Article 66
1. The decisions of the Executive Board shall be taken in plenary sessions. In the absence of agreement in the deliberations, the proposals shall be put to a vote and shall be adopted by the majority of the members of the Executive Board.

2. Decisions on budgetary matters shall require the favorable vote of a two-thirds majority of the member states that constitute the Executive Board.

Headquarters of the Subcommittees and Working Groups of the Executive Board

Article 67
The subcommittees or working groups established by the Executive Board that operate during the period between meetings of the Executive Board shall have their headquarters in the country selected to preside over them. Such countries shall provide, at their sole expense, the personnel and the necessary facilities for the performance of their functions.

III. THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUPS

Objetive

Article 68
The objective of the Technical Advisory Groups (hereinafter "TAGs") shall be to provide technical advice to the Committee on specific aspects of hemispheric port-sector development.

Establishment

Article 69
The Committee, at its regular meetings, shall establish the TAGs that it deems necessary to fulfill its objectives and shall define specific mandates for each TAG. For the Committee to proceed to establish a TAG, at least five member states must have applied to participate therein.

Composition of the TAGs and Participation in Their Meetings

Article 70
The TAGs shall comprise representatives of the member states and of the associate members, in the following manner:

A. Member States

1. Each member state of the Committee may appoint a representative to each TAG. The representative shall be a specialist in port-sector matters.

2. The General Secretariat shall maintain a current list of the member states that constitute each TAG.

3. The representatives of the member states that are not members of a TAG may attend sessions with voice but without vote.

B. Associate Members

1. The port administration and operating entities; academic, scientific, commercial, development, financial, and industrial institutions; and other organizations related to port-sector activities that have legal standing may participate in the TAGs as associate members, with the explicit approval of the member State where the entity, institution, or organization has been incorporated or has its main office. Tacit approval may be given if, after 90 days, the member State has not expressed a decision on the request. Each member State shall notify the Chair of a TAG, in writing, of the names of the entities, institutions, or organizations it has approved for associate membership. An entity, institution, or organization that has been given tacit or explicit approval shall cease to be an associate member if the approval is withdrawn by the corresponding member State.

2. The entities, institutions, or organizations that have been approved as associate members in accordance with the previous paragraph and who are current in the payment of the dues provided for in Article 78, may fully participate in all the activities of the TAGs with which they are associated, with voice but without vote. They may present technical papers and receive the documents of the groups with which they are associated.

3. The General Secretariat shall maintain a register of the associate members. The register shall include data on the entities, institutions, and organizations that have been authorized in writing by the country or countries that approve their participation in a specific TAG.

Officers and Headquarters of Each TAG

Article 71
1. The Committee shall elect a member state as Chair of a Technical Advisory Group upon its establishment. Each TAG shall have its headquarters in the country of the Chair.

2. Each TAG shall elect a Vice Chair during its first meeting. The position of Vice Chair may be held by an associate member. The Vice Chair shall assist the Chair in the performance of his or her duties.

Office of the Chair

Article 72
The member state elected to preside over a TAG shall establish and maintain at its sole expense, under the exclusive responsibility of the Chair, an office with the necessary technical and administrative personnel. For all purposes, this office shall be responsible exclusively to the Chair of the TAG and shall not be dependent in any way upon the General Secretariat.

Term of Office of the Chair and the Vice Chair

Article 73
The Chair of each TAG shall hold office until the next regular meeting of the Committee. The Vice Chair shall hold office until the following TAG meeting. Both may be reelected.

Duties of the Chair

Article 74
The Chair of a TAG shall:

a. Convene meetings of the TAG and designate the place and date for each meeting;
b. In consultation with the Vice Chair, authorize the participation of observers and special guests in meetings of the TAG;
c. Direct the work of the TAG; prepare materials for the meetings; and send the studies, decisions, and draft resolutions of the TAG to the Chair of the Executive Board and to the General Secretariat for processing;
d. Present a written report to the Chair of the Executive Board, every six months, on the development and results of the work of the TAG, with a copy sent to the General Secretariat;
e. Present written reports, studies, and recommendations to the Committee, through the Executive Board. These documents shall be sent to the Executive Board 90 days prior to the Committee meeting, so that the Executive Board may make its observations.

Work Structure

Article 75
1. In order to fulfill their duties, the TAGs shall meet at least once a year, at a location and time determined by their respective Chairs. Any member or associate member of a TAG may host an additional meeting of the TAG and, in such case, shall be responsible for providing the site, personnel, and administrative support for the meeting.

2. To carry out their functions, the TAGs may establish working groups, which shall present reports on their activities to the respective TAG.

3. If necessary, the TAGs shall approve their own working methods and adapt them to meet the needs of their members, subject to the provisions of these Rules of Procedure and other instruments applicable to the Committee.

Quorum and Recommendations

Article 76
1. One third of the representatives of the member states that make up a TAG constitute a quorum to hold meetings.

2. The recommendations of the TAGs shall be adopted in plenary sessions. In the absence of agreement in their deliberations, the Chair of the respective TAG shall present the conclusions of the discussions in its report to the Executive Board, without recommendations. When a TAG has reached conclusions or adopted recommendations on which the Executive Board or the Committee should take a decision, the Chair of the respective TAG shall indicate in his or her written report to the Executive Board the number of representatives who were present at the time of reaching the conclusions or making the recommendations.

Evaluation of the Activities and Duration of the TAGs

Article 77
The Chair and the Vice Chairs of the Executive Board shall be responsible for conducting an annual assessment of the completion of the tasks assigned to each TAG.
During each regular meeting of the Committee, the Chair of the Executive Board shall present an evaluation report on the progress made by each TAG in completing the tasks assigned to it.
On the basis of that report, the Committee shall decide whether each TAG and its working groups should continue working in accordance with their original mandate, whether they should continue working with a modified mandate, or whether their work should be concluded.

Membership Dues of Associate Members

Article 78
Associate members shall contribute financially to the TAGs which they join, in the manner and amounts that the Committee determines. The funds from membership dues of the associate members shall be deposited in a specific fund and allocated to the budget of the respective TAG. These funds shall be administered in accordance with the rules and procedures provided for the administration of specific funds in the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat and other applicable legal instruments.

Article 79
Each TAG shall prepare an annual budget to which associate membership dues shall be assigned. When the Committee decides that a TAG has concluded its work, any remaining funds allocated to that Group shall be transferred to the Special Port Program Specific Fund.

IV. GENERAL SECRETARIAT

Support Services of the General Secretariat

Article 80
1. The General Secretariat shall support the officers of the Committee in the performance of their duties and shall provide technical and administrative services to the Committee in accordance with the resources allocated in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources available to the Committee.

2. La Secretaría General llevará la memoria institucional de los trabajos de la Comisión e informará sobre los mismos, regularmente, a las misiones permanentes de los Estados miembros ante la Organización.

Artícle 81
2. The General Secretariat shall serve as the institutional memory of the Committee and shall report regularly to the permanent missions of the member states to the Organization.
The services provided by the General Secretariat shall include the following:

a. Preparing and submitting to the Executive Board for consideration the preliminary draft of the biennial budget of the Committee to be financed by the Special Port Program Specific Fund and any other specific funds pertaining to the Committee.
b. Participating in meetings of the Committee, the Executive Board, and the TAGs, with voice but without vote.
c. Assisting in the coordination and execution of the work plans of the Committee, the Executive Board, and the TAGs.
d. Assisting with preparations for holding the meetings of the Committee, the Executive Board, and the TAGs.