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DRAFT RULES OF PROCEDURE
RULE 1
On the occasion of the United Nations Millennium Assembly, the Inter-Parliamentary Union is convening the Conference of Presiding Officers of National Parliaments with the objective of expressing the support of Parliaments for international cooperation and their commitment to providing a parliamentary dimension to the United Nations.
Venue and Duration
RULE 2
1. The Conference will take place at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York from 30 August to 1 September 2000.
2. The Conference will open its deliberations in the General Assembly Hall at 3 p.m. on 30 August. It will meet for the remainder of that afternoon and all day on 31 August and 1 September from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
3. If necessary, the President of the Conference may decide, on the advice of the Steering Committee, to extend the debate on 31 August by an evening session.
Participants and Observers
RULE 3
1. The Presiding Officers of all national parliaments, including the Presiding Officers of both Chambers in the case of bicameral parliaments, that are members of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, as well as those non-members that meet the IPU definition of a parliament*, will be invited to participate in the Conference.
2. The Presiding Officers of the Palestinian Legislative Council and the Palestinian National Council may attend the proceedings of the Conference as observers.
3. The Presidents of international parliamentary assemblies that are Associate Members of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, as well as those of official parliamentary assemblies and organisations that enjoy observer status at IPU Meetings, may attend the proceedings of the Conference as observers.
4. Representatives of programmes and agencies of the United Nations system featuring on a special list approved by the Council at its 165th session (October 1999) may attend the proceedings of the Conference as observers.
5. Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in New York may also attend the proceedings of the Conference as observers.
Size of delegations
RULE 4
Each national delegation shall, in principle, be composed of no more than six persons, including the Presiding Officer(s). Observer delegations shall be composed of no more than two persons, with the exception of the delegations of Palestine and of Associate Members of the IPU who shall be entitled to the same number of delegates as national delegations.
Agenda and Rules
RULE 5
At the beginning of its proceedings, the Conference shall adopt its agenda and Rules. A provisional agenda and draft Rules established by the Inter-Parliamentary Council at its 166th session will be before the Conference.
Presidency and Steering Committee
RULE 6
1. The President of the Inter-Parliamentary Council shall preside over the Conference, shall open, suspend and close the sittings, direct the proceedings of the Conference, see that the Rules are observed, call upon speakers and declare the Conference closed. The President's decisions in these matters shall be final and shall be accepted without debate.
2. The President shall decide on all matters not covered by these Rules, after taking the advice of the Steering Committee if necessary.
3. The President shall be assisted by Vice-Presidents appointed on a regional basis from among the Presiding Officers by the Inter-Parliamentary Council at its 166th session.
RULE 7
1. The Steering Committee shall be composed of the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Council, the Vice-President of the IPU Executive Committee, the Rapporteur appointed by the Preparatory Committee and members appointed from among the Presiding Officers by the Inter-Parliamentary Council at its 166th session.
2. This Committee, which shall be assisted by the Secretary General of the Union, shall take all appropriate measures to ensure the effective organisation and smooth functioning of the Conference proceedings, in conformity with these Rules.
Speaking Rights - Order
RULE 8
1. The following Presiding Officers, Presidents and other personalities may be invited to take the floor and address the Conference:
(i) Presiding Officers of national parliaments, including the Presiding Officers of both Chambers in the case of bicameral parliaments;
(ii) The Presiding Officer of the Palestinian Legislative Council or the Palestinian National Council;
(iii) The Presidents of the official parliamentary assemblies that are Associate Members of the IPU.
2. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is invited to address the Inaugural Ceremony of the Conference and the President of the United Nations General Assembly to speak at the Conference. The President may exceptionally invite other personalities to address the Conference, following consultation with the Steering Committee.
RULE 9
1. Each Presiding Officer shall be entitled to five minutes' speaking time. In instances where both Presiding Officers from a bicameral parliament wish to address the Conference, they shall share a total of eight minutes' speaking time. The Presiding Officer of the Palestinian Legislative Council or the Palestinian National Council shall be entitled to five minutes' speaking time whereas the Presidents of the official parliamentary assemblies that are Associate Members of the IPU shall be entitled to three minutes' speaking time each.
2. The President, on the advice of the Steering Committee, may authorise the inclusion in the records and subsequent publication of speeches that could not be delivered by a delegation present at the Conference.
RULE 10
The order of speakers shall be established by the IPU Secretariat, taking into consideration, as far as possible, the preferences expressed by each registering delegation. The President of the Conference, assisted by the Steering Committee, shall deal with all matters relating to the order of speakers.
RULE 11
Speakers may only be interrupted by other delegates on a point of order. The President shall rule immediately without debate on all points of order.
RULE 12
The President shall call to order any speaker who fails to keep to the subject under discussion or prejudices the debate by using abusive language. The President may, if necessary, withdraw permission to speak and may have the objectionable words struck from the record.
RULE 13
The President shall deal immediately with any incident that arises during the Conference and, if necessary, take any measure required to restore order.
Adoption of the Final Declaration
RULE 14
1. The Conference shall conclude its work by adopting a solemn Declaration.
2. The draft final Declaration elaborated by the Preparatory Committee shall be introduced to the Conference by the Committee's Rapporteur.
3. The Conference shall adopt the final Declaration by consensus.
Official documents
RULE 15
1. The provisional agenda, the draft final Declaration for the Conference drawn up by the Preparatory Committee, the draft Rules of the Conference, the List of Participants and the Daily Journal of the Conference proceedings prepared by the Secretariat shall be the only official documents of the Conference.
2. The provisional agenda, the draft final Declaration and the draft Rules of the Conference shall be prepared and distributed in the six official languages of the United Nations. The list of Participants and the Daily Journal shall be prepared and distributed in English and French only, the two official working languages of the IPU.
3. Information documents that delegations may wish to have distributed shall be placed on tables set aside for this purpose at the entrance to the General Assembly Hall.
Secretariat
RULE 16
1. The Secretary General or his representative shall assist the President in directing the proceedings of the Conference.
2. The Secretary General or his representative may be invited by the President to clarify an issue at any time during the debate.
| * The Inter-Parliamentary Council, in 1993, defined a parliament as a "national assembly which, according to domestic law, is endowed as a minimum with power to legislate and oversee the Executive". |
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