» Rules of Procedure of the Inter-American Juridical Committee

CHAPTER VIII

SESSIONS

Article 24: In each meeting there shall be an opening session, plenary sessions, and a closing session. There may be preparatory and formal sessions.

Article 25: For the purposes of the meetings of the Committee, the sessions shall be:

a) Public, which may be attended, in addition to the members, by the Secretary General or his representative, observers, special guests, representatives of the news media, and the personnel of the Secretariat who may be needed;

b) Restricted, which may be attended only by members, the Secretary General or his representative, observers and special guests, and the personnel of the Secretariat who may be needed;

c) Private, which may be attended only by the matter of the Secretary General or his representative, and the personnel of the Secretariat who may be needed.

Article 26: The opening, closing, and formal sessions shall be public. The plenary sessions and those of the subcommittees and working groups shall be restricted. The preparatory sessions and those for the election of the Chairman and Vice Chairman shall be private.

The rule is not applicable, however, when the Committee, by the affirmative vote of at least six of its members, reaches a different decision that shall apply to one or more specifically determined sessions.

Article 27: The conclusions of the preparatory session or a regular or a special meeting shall be presented in the next plenary session.

Article 28: In the opening session of each meeting, the following matters shall be considered:

a) The report referred to in article 12 of these Rules of Procedure, if it is a regular meeting;

b) Determination of the order of precedence for voting;

c) The approximate duration of the meeting and the tentative schedule proposed for it;

d) Other matters which owing to their nature need to be resolved during the opening session.

Article 29: In the plenary sessions the matters mentioned in article 15 of the Rules of Procedure shall be considered.

Article 30: In the closing session of each meeting the following matters shall be considered, when appropriate:

a) The agenda of the next regular meeting and the appointment of rapporteurs;

b) The possibility of changing the opening date of the next regular meeting;

c) The annual report and the special reports referred to in article 13 of the Statutes;

d) The opinions and reports referred to in the first paragraph of article 33 of the Statutes, and the works, studies, opinions and drafts mentioned in the second paragraph of that statutory provision;

e) The work program referred to in article 112 c) of the Charter and article 36 of the Statutes;

f) The appointment of observers of the Committee to the General Assembly of the OAS and to the meeting of the International Law Commission of the United Nations;

g) Other matters which owing to their nature need to be resolved during the closing session.

Article 31: In the formal sessions the procedure shall be in accordance with the purpose of such sessions, observing the appropriate rules of protocol.