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OEA/Ser.G
CP/RES. 847 (1373/03)
26 June 2003
Original: Spanish |
CP/RES. 847 (1373/03)
AMENDMENTS TO THE
RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN
STATES
THE PERMANENT COUNCIL
OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES,
HAVING SEEN the reports of the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs on
the amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Permanent Council
(CP/CAJP-2019/03) and of the Chair of the Committee on additional
recommendations concerning proposed amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the
Permanent Council (CP/CAJP-20xx/03);
CONSIDERING the need to introduce amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the
Permanent Council in accordance with the provisions of its Statutes, approved
by the General Assembly in AG/RES. 1769 (XXXI-O/01); and
BEARING IN MIND the decisions adopted by the Permanent Council in order to
improve its procedures, among them the Operating Standards contained in
document CP/doc.3553/02 rev. 2,
RESOLVES:
To adopt the following Rules of Procedure of the Permanent Council:
RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE PERMANENT COUNCIL
I. NATURE AND COMPOSITION
Article 1. The Permanent Council is composed of one representative of each
member state, especially appointed by the government thereof, with the rank of
ambassador. Each government may appoint such alternate representatives or
advisers as it considers advisable and may, if necessary, accredit an acting
representative.
II. ORDER OF PRECEDENCE
Article 2. The order of precedence of the principal, acting, and alternate
representatives shall be determined according to the dates on which they
present the respective documents accrediting them as such.
III. CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR
Terms of office
Article 3. The chair and vice chair of the Permanent Council shall hold office
for a term of three months. The terms shall begin automatically on the first
day of the months of January, April, July, and October.
Order of succession
Article 4. The office of chair of the Permanent Council shall be held by each of
the principal representatives in turn, following the Spanish alphabetical order
of the names in Spanish of their respective states. The office of vice chair
shall be filled in the same way, in reverse alphabetical order.
Article 5. If the state to which the office of chair corresponds does not have a
principal representative, the vice chair shall serve as chair. If the state to
which the office of vice chair corresponds does not have a principal
representative, the principal representatives of the states in reverse
alphabetical order shall serve in turn as vice chair on an acting basis. The
incumbency of such substitute in either office shall terminate with the arrival
in the Permanent Council of the principal representative of the state to which
that office pertains by right.
Replacement of the chair
Article 6. In the event of the temporary absence or impediment of the chair, the
vice chair shall serve as chair; and in the event of the absence or impediment
of both, the principal representative with the greatest seniority shall
preside.
Article 7. If the offices of chair and vice chair of the Permanent Council
should both devolve upon the principal representative of the same state, that
representative shall be the chair. The office of vice chair shall devolve upon
the principal representative of the state next in reverse alphabetical order,
and thus successively.
Functions of the chair
Article 8. The chair of the Council:
a. Shall call the meetings, open and adjourn them, direct the discussions,
recognize speakers in the order in which they request the floor, put motions to
a vote and announce the results thereof, decide on points of order in
accordance with the provisions of Article 50 of these Rules of Procedure,
install the committees, and, in general, comply with and enforce the provisions
of these Rules of Procedure;
b. Shall represent the Permanent Council at functions or ceremonies when invited
to do so in that capacity;
c. Shall appoint the committee of representatives to receive, on behalf of the
Council, the heads of state or government who attend protocolary ceremonies and
meetings;
d. May consult the members of the Council to prepare the work for the meetings.
For that purpose, may also consult with the chairs of the permanent committees,
the coordinators of the subregional groups, and with representatives of the
General Secretariat;
e. Shall give welcome and farewell addresses to representatives in the Council.
Congratulations or condolences shall be expressed by the chair of the Permanent
Council. When bidding farewell to permanent representatives, the subregional
group representatives shall take the floor in addition to the chair of the
Permanent Council. These remarks shall, preferably, not be repeated by the
delegations;
f. Shall carry out such other functions as are expressly attributed to the chair
by the Statutes, the Charter, and other inter-American treaties, and those
which are specifically entrusted to the chair by the General Assembly, the
Meeting of Consultation, and the Permanent Council.
IV. AD HOC COMMITTEES FOR THE PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES
Establishment
Article 9. In the exercise of its functions, the Permanent Council may establish
ad hoc committees with the consent of the parties to a dispute.
Membership and mandate
Article 10. The ad hoc committees shall have the membership and the mandate that
the Permanent Council agrees upon in each individual case, with the consent of
the parties to the dispute.
Duration of the terms of office of the members
Article 11. The duration of the terms of office of the members of the ad hoc
committees shall be as determined by the Permanent Council in each case at the
time it establishes such committees.
V. COMMITTEES, SUBCOMMITTEES, AND WORKING GROUPS
Establishment
Article 12. The Permanent Council may establish such permanent and special
committees and working groups as it deems necessary. Special committees and
working groups shall be temporary and shall execute temporary mandates that
have not been assigned to other bodies.
Article 13. The committees may establish subcommittees and working groups, and
must specify their mandate in each case. The chairs of such committees,
subcommittees, and groups shall represent them at functions and ceremonies when
invited to do so in that capacity.
Permanent committees
Article 14. The following are permanent committees of the Permanent Council,
without prejudice to any others that may be established as such:
General Committee;
Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs;
Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs;
Committee on Hemispheric Security; and
Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation
in OAS Activities.
General Committee
Article 15. The General Committee shall be composed of one representative of
each member state. The chair and vice chair of the Permanent Council shall
serve, respectively, as chair and vice chair of the General Committee.
Article 16. The General Committee shall have the following functions:
a. To advise the Permanent Council and its chair on matters that are within the
area of competence of the Council and that, not having been assigned to other
committees, have been assigned to the General Committee;
b. To consider the course and coordination of the work of the Council and its
committees and to make recommendations thereon to the Council, its chair, and
the committee chairs. For that purpose, it may establish a subcommittee on
coordination composed of the committee chairs; the chair of the General
Committee shall serve as chair of the Subcommittee on Coordination;
c. To examine periodically, by mandate of the Permanent Council, current working
methods and procedures, so as to maximize efficiency and bring about the best
possible use of time in the work of the Council;
d. To consider the reports presented by the organs, agencies, and entities
referred to in Article 91.f of the OAS Charter, with the exception of those
reports assigned to the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs under
these Rules of Procedure; Likewise, to submit their reports, with observations,
recommendations, and accompanying draft resolutions, to the Permanent Council;
e. To consider other reports presented by the organs, agencies, and entities, as
well as the reports presented by the units of the General Secretariat;
f. To prepare draft resolutions on the topics assigned to it by the Permanent
Council or those not within the purview of other permanent committees; and
g. Such other functions as may be assigned by the Permanent Council.
Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs
Article 17. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Juridical and Political
Affairs to study topics of this nature entrusted to it by the Permanent
Council.
Article 18. The Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs shall consider the
reports of the Inter-American Juridical Committee, the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights, and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
referred to in Article 91.f of the Charter. It shall also submit their reports,
with observations, recommendations, and accompanying draft resolutions, to the
Permanent Council.
Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs
Article 19. The Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs shall have the
following functions:
a. To recommend to the Permanent Council any programs within the Council's
purview that may serve the General Secretariat as a basis for preparing the
proposed program-budget of the Organization, as stipulated in Article 112.c of
the Charter;
b. To examine the proposed program-budget that the General Secretariat transmits
to it in consultation with the Permanent Council for the purposes indicated in
Article 112.c of the Charter, and to submit to the Council such observations as
it may deem pertinent;
c. To study any other subjects the Permanent Council may entrust to it in
relation to the programs, budget, administration, and financial aspects of the
operations of the General Secretariat; and
d. To consider any annual evaluation reports submitted by the secretary general
to the Permanent Council in compliance with the provisions of the General
Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat and, on that
basis, to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the Organization's programs,
projects, and activities. Furthermore, to make any recommendations it deems
appropriate and submit them to the Permanent Council for consideration and
subsequent referral to the Preparatory Committee, so that they may be
considered by the General Assembly in conjunction with the proposed
program-budget.
Committee on Hemispheric Security
Article 20. The functions of the Committee on Hemispheric Security are to study,
and make recommendations to the Permanent Council on, any matters relating to
hemispheric security that may be entrusted to it by the Permanent Council and,
through it, by the General Assembly, in particular with a view to promoting
cooperation in this area.
Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation
in OAS Activities
Article 21. The representative of the member state presiding over the Summit
process shall serve as chair of the Committee on Inter-American Summits
Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities. If the member
state chairing the committee so requests, its term shall be renewed to ensure
follow-up and fulfillment of the Committee’s coordination functions and of the
mandates issued by the Permanent Council in the period concerned. The vice
chair shall be elected according to Articles 28 and 29 of these Rules of
Procedure.
Article 22. The Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society
Participation in OAS Activities has the following functions:
a. With respect to the Summit process:
i. To coordinate OAS activities in support of the Summits of the Americas
process;
ii. To coordinate follow-up and implementation activities relating to mandates
assigned to the Organization by the Summits;
iii. To request and receive contributions from civil society, relating to its
participation in the Summit process, for consideration by the Summit
Implementation Review Group (SIRG);
iv. To study topics relating to the Summit process that are assigned to it by
the Council or the General Assembly and to make recommendations thereon to the
Permanent Council;
v. To consider the reports prepared by the Executive Secretariat for the Summit
Process and the technical dependency responsible for ministerial meetings and
other sectoral meetings linked to the Summit process.
b. With respect to civil society participation in OAS activities:
i. To implement the Guidelines for the Participation of Civil Society
Organizations in OAS Activities and to present to the Permanent Council such
amendments as the Committee deems pertinent;
ii. To design, implement, and evaluate the necessary strategies to increase and
facilitate civil society participation in OAS activities;
iii. To promote the strengthening of relations established between civil society
organizations and the bodies and dependencies of the OAS within the scope of
the functions conferred upon the Permanent Council by the OAS Charter;
iv. To study matters relating to civil society participation in OAS activities
that are presented to it by civil society organizations or entrusted to it by
the Permanent Council or the General Assembly and to make recommendations
thereon to the Permanent Council;
v. To analyze and transmit to the Permanent Council applications presented by
civil society organizations to the secretary general to participate in OAS
activities.
Membership
Article 23. All member states are members of the permanent committees.
Article 24. The Permanent Council may establish special committees,
subcommittees, or working groups open to participation by all delegations.
Article 25. The provisions of the previous article notwithstanding, the
Permanent Council may decide to establish the number of members of the special
committees, subcommittees, or working groups and may proceed to appoint them.
These functions may be delegated to the chair. In the appointment of members of
the special committees, subcommittees, and working groups, not only shall
requests made by the representatives be taken into account, but so also shall
the range of opinions expressed on the matters in question and, insofar as
possible, the principle of equitable geographic representation.
In the appointment of members of a special committee whose number, by decision
of the General Assembly, is smaller than the number of member states, the
criteria provided in the preceding paragraph shall be observed; however, if no
agreement is reached on such appointments, the issue shall be resolved by
ballot.
Article 26. The provisions of Articles 24 and 25 shall apply to subcommittees
and working groups established by the committees.
Duration of mandates
Article 27.
a. The mandates of the permanent committees, their subcommittees and working
groups shall be for one year or for any period determined by the Permanent
Council.
b. The mandates of the special committees, their subcommittees and working
groups, and the working groups of the Permanent Council shall expire when they
have completed their work or when the Permanent Council so decides.
Installation, election, and terms of office of the chairs and vice chairs
Article 28.
a. The chair of the Permanent Council shall install all committees within one
month following the date on which the regular session of the General Assembly
closes. Except as provided in these Rules of Procedure in relation to the
officers of the General Committee and the chair of the Committee on
Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS
Activities, the respective chairs and vice chairs shall be elected, if
possible, at the installation meeting by the following procedure:
i. Candidates may be nominated in writing before the meeting and either orally
or in writing during the meeting;
ii. The chair and vice chair of each committee shall be elected by separate and
secret ballot except when elected by acclamation;
iii. The candidates who receive the votes of an absolute majority of the members
of the committee shall be elected chair and vice chair;
iv. If, in the balloting, no candidate receives the majority required for
election, there shall be as many additional ballots as may be necessary.
b. Each subcommittee or working group shall elect its chair.
Article 29.
a. Elections for the chairs and vice chairs of the permanent committees, except
for the officers of the General Committee and the chair of the Committee on
Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS
Activities, must be held no later than the last meeting of the month following
the close of the regular session of the General Assembly. Except as provided
for the General Committee and the chair of the Committee on Inter-American
Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities, pursuant
to Article 3 of these Rules of Procedure, the terms of office of the chairs and
vice chairs of these committees shall be one year.
b. Except in the case of the officers of the General Committee and the chair of
the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society
Participation in OAS Activities, in the event of the permanent absence of the
chair of one of the permanent committees within the first six months of the
chair’s term of office, the committee shall elect a new chair.
c. Except in the case of the General Committee and the Committee on
Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS
Activities, in the event of the permanent absence of the chair of one of the
permanent committees after six months following the date of the chair’s
election, the vice chair shall become chair and shall immediately convene the
committee to elect a vice chair.
d. Except in the case of the officers of the General Committee and the chair of
the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society
Participation in OAS Activities, chairs and vice chairs of the permanent
committees may not be reelected for the following term unless they have served
in that capacity for less than six months. The outgoing chairs and vice chairs
shall continue to serve until the persons elected to replace them take office.
Distribution of mandates
Article 30. The Permanent Council shall distribute the mandates of each General
Assembly among its different committees, subcommittees, and working groups
within one month following the date of closure of the regular session of the
General Assembly.
VI. PRIOR STUDIES AND REPORTS
Article 31. Every matter presented to the Permanent Council that, in its
opinion, requires prior study shall be referred to a committee, which shall
present a report.
Article 32. The committees shall report to the Permanent Council in writing on
all matters entrusted to them. The final report shall contain a draft
resolution or a recommendation. Members of a committee may present dissenting
opinions, jointly or separately. Article 33. The annual work programs of the
Permanent Council and its committees and working groups shall include schedules
for the presentation of documents and reports for its consideration.
Article 34. Reports from the areas of the General Secretariat shall be
considered after at least 15 days have elapsed since their distribution to the
permanent missions. The officials responsible for the operational units shall
attend the relevant meetings in order to answer questions or provide any
clarifications or explanations that may be requested of them.
Article 35.
a. The annual and special reports to be presented by the organs, agencies, and
entities of the Organization in compliance with Article 91.f of the Charter
shall be delivered to the Permanent Council through the secretary general at
least 90 days before the opening of each regular session of the General
Assembly.
b. Reports shall not include compendia of earlier documents or quotations or
references that are extraneous.
c. The Permanent Council shall examine only those reports presented within the
statutory deadline and shall submit its observations and recommendations to the
General Assembly for consideration. Reports that have been examined shall be
circulated as reference documents.
d. In the case of reports presented after the statutory deadline, the Permanent
Council shall notify the General Assembly of the failure of the respective
organ, agency, or entity of the Organization to comply and shall recommend
measures to promote compliance with these rules. It may also make observations
and recommendations on substantive matters addressed in a report submitted
after the deadline.
e. In keeping with the provisions of Article 39 of the Rules of Procedure of the
General Assembly, the observations and recommendations of the Permanent Council
on the said reports shall in all cases be transmitted to the governments of the
member states not less than 30 days before the scheduled opening date of the
regular session of the General Assembly.
f. The Permanent Council may request the chairs, presidents, and directors of
the organs, agencies, and entities of the Organization to attend the meetings
at which their reports are to be considered in order to provide clarifying or
supplementary information as may be required. When a chair, president, or
director is unable to attend, the Permanent Council may receive such
information from whoever represents the chair, president, or director pursuant
to the applicable statutes or rules of procedure.
VII. MEETINGS
Regular meetings
Article 36. The Permanent Council shall hold regular meetings on the first and
third Wednesdays of each month. If it should be necessary to advance or
postpone a regular meeting, the chair of the Council may set another date for
it. The meetings of the Permanent Council and its committees, subcommittees,
and working groups shall begin punctually at the time indicated in the meeting
announcement.
Special meetings
Article 37. The Permanent Council shall hold special meetings, in keeping with
Article 14 of its Statutes, when:
a. The chair considers it necessary;
b. Any representative so requests in writing, stating the purpose of the
request;
c. The secretary general expressly so requests, in the exercise of the authority
conferred upon him in the second paragraph of Article 110 of the Charter; or
d. The General Assembly expressly so mandates.
Protocolary meetings
Article 38.
a. The chair of the Permanent Council, in agreement with the mission or
delegation of the government concerned, or at its request, shall convene a
protocolary meeting in honor of a head of state or government of a member
state.
b. With the prior concurrence of the General Committee, and in consultation with
the mission or delegation of the government concerned, if appropriate, or at
its request, the chair shall also convene protocolary meetings in honor of
other eminent persons or to celebrate or commemorate events of importance.
Public and closed meetings
Article 39. The meetings of the Permanent Council shall be public. However, if
the chair so provides or any representative so requests, the meeting shall be
closed and shall so continue unless the Council decides otherwise. When a
public meeting is to become closed, the chair shall call a brief recess to
allow all unauthorized persons to leave the room. Except as provided in Article
40.c of these Rules of Procedure, only the members of the missions or
delegations shall have access to closed meetings.
Participation in the meetings
Article 40.
a. The principal or acting representatives and the alternate representatives and
advisers may participate in the meetings of the Permanent Council and of the
committees, subcommittees, and working groups.
b. When, under the provisions of Article 25, member state representatives do not
serve on special committees, subcommittees, or working groups, they may
participate in those bodies with voice and vote, subject to a request to, and
approval by, the chair. Requests may be made orally or in writing, and shall be
considered without delay.
c. Permanent observers or their alternates may attend the public meetings of the
Permanent Council and, when invited to do so by the chair, may also attend
closed meetings. They may also attend meetings of the committees and working
groups of the Permanent Council. In these cases they may speak provided the
chair so decides.
d. Permanent observers or their alternates may also attend the meetings of the
subcommittees or working groups when invited by the corresponding chair.
e. The secretary general, or his representative, and the secretary of the
Permanent Council may participate with voice but without vote in all meetings
of the Permanent Council and its subsidiary bodies, organs, and committees.
Duration of meetings
Article 41. Each session of a meeting shall last no longer than three hours. The
Permanent Council may decide to prolong meetings.
Order of business
Article 42. The chair of the Permanent Council shall prepare the draft order of
business for each meeting, and the General Secretariat shall transmit it to the
missions and delegations, at least three working days in advance, in the case
of regular meetings, and as soon as possible, in the case of special meetings.
Any representative, subsidiary organ, or committee of the Permanent Council, as
well as the secretary general, may request the inclusion of topics on the
aforementioned draft order of business.
Except in exceptional circumstances, the order of business shall include only
matters for which the documentation has been distributed 72 hours prior to the
meeting.
Article 43. Each meeting shall begin with consideration of the order of
business. If a new topic is proposed for inclusion on the draft order of
business, the Permanent Council may authorize its inclusion and discussion, but
the decision on the said topic shall be postponed to a later meeting if any
representative so requests.
VIII. DEBATES
Quorum
Article 44.
a. The quorum for meetings of the Permanent Council, permanent and special
committees, subcommittees, and working groups shall be one third of the
representatives of the member states making up those bodies. The quorum for
adopting decisions shall be a majority of the representatives of the member
states making up those bodies.
b. Without prejudice to the foregoing paragraph, when special committees,
subcommittees, or working groups are established and are open to participation
by all delegations, the Council or the committee, as the case may be, may
establish a quorum for meeting and for adopting decisions.
The right to speak
Article 45.
a. No one may speak until recognized. The chair shall grant the floor in the
order in which it is requested.
b. The chair may call to order any representative whose remarks depart from the
subject under discussion.
Article 46. Statements by members of the Permanent Council and officials
participating in its meetings shall, in each case, be limited to 10 minutes,
unless the Council considers that a prudent extension of the time period is
necessary. The chair shall adopt the measures he or she considers advisable to
comply with this provision.
Article 47. When they see fit, subregional groups may express their positions
through their coordinators or any spokespersons they may select.
Proposals
Article 48. Proposals submitted to the Permanent Council for consideration shall
be presented in writing to its Secretariat, which shall deliver copies to the
representatives at least 24 hours prior to the meeting at which the matter will
be discussed. However, by a two-thirds vote of the member states, the Council
may authorize discussion of a proposal that has not followed the established
procedure because of its urgent nature.
Withdrawal of proposals
Article 49. A proposal may be withdrawn by its proponent before the original
text or any amendment thereto has been put to a vote. Any other representative
may reintroduce a proposal that has been withdrawn. Points of order
Article 50. During the discussion of a matter, any representative may raise a
point of order regarding the application of these Rules of Procedure, which
shall be decided upon immediately by the chair. When raising a point of order,
a representative may not go into the substance of the matter under discussion.
The decision of the chair may be appealed to the Permanent Council or the
committee in question, as the case may be. The appeal shall be put to a vote
immediately and shall be declared approved if favored by a two-thirds vote of
the members present.
Suspension of debate
Article 51. The chair or any representative may request that debate be
suspended. Only two representatives 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 favored by a two-thirds vote of the members
present.
Closing of debate
Article 52. The chair or any representative, when he or she considers that a
matter has been sufficiently discussed, may propose that debate be closed. This
motion may be opposed by two representatives and shall be declared approved if
favored by a two-thirds vote of the members present.
Suspension or adjournment of the meeting
Article 53. During any debate, the chair or any representative may propose that
the meeting be suspended or adjourned. Such a motion shall be put to a vote
immediately without discussion, and it shall be declared approved if favored by
a two-thirds vote of the members present.
Order of procedural motions
Article 54. Except as provided in Article 50 of these Rules of Procedure, the
following motions shall have precedence over all other proposals or motions, in
the order set forth below:
a. Suspension of the meeting;
b. Adjournment of the meeting;
c. Suspension of discussion of the topic under consideration; and
d. Close of debate of the topic under discussion.
Reconsideration of decisions
Article 55. Reconsideration of a decision taken by the Permanent Council shall
require the approval of the corresponding motion by a two-thirds vote of the
representatives of the member states.
IX. VOTING
Right to vote
Article 56. The representative of each member state has the right to one vote.
Majority required
Article 57
a. Decisions of the Permanent Council shall be taken by the vote of an absolute
majority of its members, except as otherwise provided in the Charter of the
Organization, the current Statutes of the Council, other inter-American
instruments, and decisions of the General Assembly, the Meeting of Consultation
of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, or the Council acting provisionally as Organ
of Consultation in application of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal
Assistance (Rio Treaty).
b. Decisions of committees shall be taken by the vote of a simple majority of
the members present, provided there is a quorum for adopting decisions as
required in Article 44.
Voting procedure
Article 58
a. Votes shall be taken by a show of hands, but any representative may request a
roll-call vote, which shall be taken beginning with the delegation of the state
whose name is drawn by lot by the chair and continuing thereafter in the
Spanish alphabetical order of the names of the member states in Spanish.
b. In roll-call votes, the name of each member state shall be called and the
representative shall vote in favor, in opposition, or of abstention.
c. Votes shall be by secret ballot only in the case of elections. However, if it
is so agreed, the Permanent Council may adopt a different procedure.
Article 59. In accordance with the provisions of previous articles:
a. The affirmative vote of two thirds of the members of the Permanent Council
shall be required:
i. To take decisions on budgetary matters;
ii. To make recommendations to the General Assembly on the admission of new
members to the Organization;
iii. To take decisions in the exercise of its functions with respect to the
peaceful settlement of disputes, in the manner prescribed in Article 28 of the
Statutes of the Council, except for such decisions as these Rules of Procedure
allow to be adopted by a simple majority;
iv. To take decisions on offers of a site for a regular session of the General
Assembly when it cannot be held at the place selected by the Assembly;
v. To convene a special session of the General Assembly;
vi. To reconsider a decision of the Council;
vii. To adopt amendments to these Rules of Procedure when the articles involved
stipulate a two-thirds majority of the members of the Council;
viii. To authorize the discussion of a proposal that has not gone through the
procedure set forth in Article 48 of these Rules of Procedure.
b. The affirmative vote of two thirds of the members present shall be required:
i. To approve appeals to rulings by the chair on points of order;
ii. To suspend or close debate;
iii. To suspend or adjourn a meeting during the discussion of any matter;
iv. To approve a motion to deny a request that a vote be taken by parts;
v. To decide that proposals shall be put to the vote in an order other than that
in which they were presented;
vi. To adopt amendments to these Rules of Procedure when the articles involved
stipulate a two-thirds majority of the members present.
Voting on proposals
Article 60
a. After debate is closed, the proposals presented, together with any proposed
amendments, shall be put to a vote. After the chair has announced the start of
the voting, no representative may interrupt it, except for a point of order
relating to the manner in which the voting is being conducted.
b. The process of voting and vote-counting shall end when the chair announces
the result.
Article 61. Proposals shall be voted on in the order in which they are
presented, except when the Permanent Council, by the vote of two thirds of the
members present, decides otherwise.
Voting on amendments
Article 62. 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 63. 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 64. When the fact that one amendment has been adopted 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.
Voting by parts
Article 65. Any representative may request that the parts of a proposal or an
amendment be put to a vote separately, and must specifically indicate the parts
involved. If any representative 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 representatives may speak in favor of, and
two against, a request for voting by parts. When voting by parts is accepted,
the parts of the 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. Voting
by parts does not exclude a vote on the totality of the proposal.
Explanation of vote
Article 66. After the voting has ended, and except when it has been by secret
ballot, any representative may request the floor to explain his or her vote.
Consensus
Article 67. Without prejudice to the preceding provisions, the Permanent Council
may also take decisions by consensus.
The adoption of decisions by consensus does not curtail the right of delegations
to express their views and request that they be placed on record.
X. GENERAL SECRETARIAT
Functions of the General Secretariat
Article 68
a. The General Secretariat shall provide the advisory services required by the
Permanent Council and its subsidiary organs and committees; it shall provide to
them, on a permanent basis, adequate secretariat services, and carry out their
instructions and assignments; and it shall receive, translate, and distribute
their documents, reports, and resolutions.
b. It shall distribute records of Permanent Council meetings and summaries of
committee and working group meetings within 72 hours following the
corresponding meeting.
c. It shall keep a register of the missions or delegations, in which the order
of precedence of the principal and acting representatives shall be indicated,
in accordance with Article 2 of these Rules of Procedure.
d. It shall receive communications on the appointment of alternate
representatives and shall keep a register indicating their order of precedence
according to the dates of receipt of said communications.
e. Pursuant to the provisions of Article 35 of these Rules of Procedure, it
shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the General Assembly has at
its disposal the reports of the organs, agencies, and entities of the
Organization when it takes up the observations and recommendations submitted by
the Permanent Council in keeping with the provisions of Articles 54.f and 91.f
of the Charter and Article 61 of the Statutes.
f. It shall receive communications on the appointment of permanent observers and
their respective alternates.
g. It shall provide the rooms and assistance needed for informal meetings of
members of the Permanent Council.
h. It shall schedule meetings so that subcommittees and working groups of the
same committee will not meet simultaneously.
i. It shall schedule the meetings referred to in Article 8.d of these Rules of
Procedure, preferably, on Fridays. Consequently, it shall take steps not to
schedule meetings of the Permanent Council or its committees and working groups
for that day.
j. It shall schedule morning and afternoon meetings in order to make appropriate
use of interpretation services.
Minutes
Article 69
a. The General Secretariat shall distribute the verbatim minutes of each meeting
of the Permanent Council as soon as possible to the missions or delegations
and, when applicable, to the permanent observers. The missions shall send any
corrections in style that they wish to make to their own statements to the
General Secretariat within five working days following the date of
distribution. The corrected verbatim minutes shall be distributed to the
missions and, after five working days have passed, shall be submitted to the
Permanent Council at its next meeting for adoption. The minutes as adopted may
not be amended. b. The minutes as adopted and the documents of the public
meetings shall be distributed without restriction. The minutes as adopted and
the documents of the closed meetings shall be distributed to the missions or
delegations of the member states as restricted documents. They shall not be
distributed to the public unless the Permanent Council so authorizes.
XI. PREPARATION FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION
Article 70. When acting as the Preparatory Committee of the General Assembly,
the Permanent Council shall be governed by Articles 60 and 91.c of the Charter,
by Article 37 of its Statutes, by the pertinent provisions of the Rules of
Procedure of the General Assembly, and by such rules of procedure as the
Committee itself may adopt.
Change of site of a regular session of the General Assembly
Article 71. If the General Assembly cannot meet at the site chosen by the
Assembly itself, it shall meet at the headquarters of the General Secretariat.
However, if one of the member states wishes to offer a site in its territory,
it must do so at least three months in advance of the date on which the session
is to begin. Within 30 days of the offer, the Permanent Council, by a vote of
two thirds of the representatives of the member states, may decide that the
General Assembly shall meet at the site offered.
Selection by the Permanent Council of the site for a regular session of the
General Assembly
Article 72. When the General Assembly does not select the site for a regular
session and it falls to the Permanent Council to do so, the Council shall be
governed by the following provisions adopted by the Assembly for that purpose.
If there has been no offer, the next regular session shall be held at the
headquarters of the General Secretariat. Nevertheless, should one of the member
states make an offer of a site in its territory at least six months in advance
of the date on which the session is to begin, the Council may decide, not more
than six months or less than five months in advance of that date, that the
Assembly shall meet at the site offered.
Procedure for setting the site for a regular session
Article 73. Whenever, in accordance with the provisions of Articles 71 and 72 of
these Rules of Procedure, it falls to the Permanent Council to select the site
for a regular session of the General Assembly, the following procedure shall be
observed for the application of the principle of rotation:
a. Member states that wish to make an offer of a site shall communicate the
offer in writing to the secretary general of the Organization within the time
frame established in each case;
b. To decide on the offers of a site, the Permanent Council shall also take into
account:
i. the principle of an equitable geographical distribution;
ii. the previous sites of sessions of the General Assembly; and iii. the goods
and services that the offering states are in a position to provide for the
Assembly session.
Special sessions
Article 74. In special circumstances, and with the approval of two thirds of the
representatives of the member states, the Permanent Council shall convene a
special session of the General Assembly and shall determine the date and place
for it.
XII. MEETING OF CONSULTATION OF MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND THE PERMANENT
COUNCIL WHEN IT SERVES PROVISIONALLY AS ORGAN OF CONSULTATION
Article 75. The functions of the Permanent Council pertaining to the Meeting of
Consultation of Minister of Foreign Affairs shall be governed by the provisions
of the Charter, of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio
Treaty), of the Statutes of the Permanent Council, and of these Rules of
Procedure.
Article 76. When the Council serves provisionally as Organ of Consultation, its
proceedings shall be governed by the provisions of the Rio Treaty.
Convocation of the Meeting of Consultation in application of the Charter
Article 77. When one or more member states request that the Meeting of
Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs be convened in accordance with the
first part of Article 62 of the Charter, the Permanent Council shall decide by
the vote of an absolute majority of its members whether the Meeting should be
held.
Convocation of the Meeting of Consultation in application of the Inter-American
Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance
Article 78. When one or more of the member states that have ratified the
Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance request that the Meeting of
Consultation be convened in accordance with Article 13 of that treaty, the
Permanent Council shall decide by the vote of an absolute majority of the
states that have ratified that treaty whether the Meeting should be held.
Decisions of the Permanent Council serving provisionally as Organ of
Consultation
Article 79. When the Permanent Council is serving provisionally as Organ of
Consultation in application of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal
Assistance (Rio Treaty), it shall take its decisions, in accordance with the
provisions of Articles 17 and 18 of the Rio Treaty, by the vote of two thirds
of the states that have ratified that treaty.
XIII. SCOPE AND AMENDMENT OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE
Article 80.
a. These Rules of Procedure shall govern the functioning of the Permanent
Council and, insofar as they are applicable, that of its committees,
subcommittees, and working groups.
b. Procedural matters not provided for in these Rules of Procedure shall be
resolved by the Council itself.
c. These Rules of Procedure may be amended by the Permanent Council. The
affirmative vote of an absolute majority of the members of the Council shall be
required for the adoption of proposed amendments, except for articles requiring
a two-thirds majority, in which case a like majority shall be required for
amendment.
Article 81. For purposes of the Rules of Procedure, absolute majority shall be
understood to mean a majority of the member states that make up the Permanent
Council or one of its committees, subcommittees, or working groups. The
expression simple majority means a majority of the members present. For voting
purposes, however, a quorum shall be as defined in Article 44.
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