Procedure at International Conferences: A Study of the Rules of Procedure at the UN and at Inter-governmental Conferences

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
Preface To The Second Edition......Page 23
Abbreviations and Conference References......Page 24
Introduction......Page 33
1.1 Development of conference rules of procedure......Page 39
1.2.1 League of Nations codification......Page 44
1.2.2 UN codification......Page 47
2.2 The independence of an international conference......Page 51
2.3 Independent right of conferences to adopt their own rules
of procedure......Page 54
2.4 The majority required to approve rules of procedure......Page 58
3.1.1 Obligation of States to comply with the rules of procedure of an
assembly of an international organisation......Page 63
3.1.2 Obligation of States at an international conference to comply
with the rules of procedure adopted at the conference......Page 64
3.1.2.1 Do rules of procedure at a conference constitute a
multilateral treaty?......Page 65
3.1.2.2 Can voting for a resolution be considered as a legal
commitment to comply with the resolution?......Page 66
3.1.2.3 Does tacit consent constitute the basis of the obligation to
comply with rules of procedure?......Page 67
3.1.2.4 Are general principles of law the source of authority for the
obligation of States to comply with rules of procedure?......Page 69
3.1.2.5 Customary international law as the source of authority for
the obligation of States to comply with rules of procedure......Page 70
3.2 Are procedural precedents binding?......Page 74
3.3 Disclaimers as to setting a precedent......Page 80
comment......Page 82
4.1.2 Participation of States......Page 83
4.1.3 Participation of non-State entities......Page 85
4.1.3.1 Participation of ‘Palestine’......Page 86
4.1.3.2 Participation of the European Commission......Page 87
4.1.3.3 Participation by NGOs......Page 89
4.2 Credentials......Page 90
4.2.1 Submission of credentials......Page 91
4.2.2.1 Credentials not signed by the correct person......Page 92
4.2.2.3 Competing credentials......Page 93
4.2.2.4 Invalidating credentials on political grounds......Page 94
4.2.3 Credentials committee......Page 96
4.2.4 Which body should decide disputes as to credentials?......Page 97
4.2.5 Provisional admission......Page 98
4.2.6 Credentials of observer organisations......Page 99
5.1.1 Appointment of presiding officer......Page 100
summary as to practice......Page 103
5.1.2 The obligation of impartiality of the presiding officer......Page 104
5.1.3 Functions of the presiding officer......Page 105
5.1.3.1 Ensuring observance of the rules of procedure......Page 106
5.1.3.4 Deciding whether a proposal is an amendment
to another proposal......Page 107
5.1.3.5 Determining whether a matter is one of substance
or of procedure......Page 108
5.1.3.6 Deciding if an amendment necessarily implies the rejection
of another amendment......Page 110
5.1.3.8 Deciding on compatibility of different proposals......Page 111
5.1.3.11 Deciding the order of voting on proposals......Page 112
5.1.3.12 Determining if a proposal is ultra vires......Page 113
5.1.3.13 Deciding if a question is important......Page 114
5.1.3.14 Approving a request for a separate vote......Page 115
5.1.3.16 Making substantive proposals......Page 116
5.1.3.18 Authority of presiding officers where speakers make
irrelevant or offensive statements......Page 117
5.1.3.19 Authority of presiding officers to remove a speaker from
the rostrum......Page 119
5.1.3.22.1 Debates......Page 121
5.1.3.23 Proposing limitation on number of interventions......Page 122
5.1.3.26 Allowing representatives to speak......Page 123
5.1.3.29 Delegating authority to the President......Page 124
5.2 Rapporteur......Page 125
5.3 Secretariat......Page 126
5.4 Vice-presidents of a conference or assembly......Page 127
6.1 Quorum......Page 128
6.1.3 Calculating a quorum......Page 133
6.1.4 Voting again in the absence of a quorum......Page 134
6.2 Suspension or adjournment of meetings......Page 135
6.2.2 Time limit for speaker moving suspension or adjournment......Page 136
6.3.2 Adjournment of a meeting to a particular date......Page 137
6.3.4 Interrupting a speaker to move adjournment of a meeting......Page 138
6.4 Suspension of a meeting......Page 139
6.4.1 Suspension or adjournment of a meeting during voting......Page 140
6.5 Closed meetings......Page 141
7.1 The right of representatives to speak......Page 142
7.1.1 Limiting the number of times a representative may speak......Page 143
7.1.2 Length of statements......Page 145
7.1.3 Limiting the number of speakers......Page 146
7.1.5 List of speakers......Page 147
7.1.6 Closing the list of speakers......Page 149
7.1.6.1 Objection to closing the list of speakers......Page 150
7.1.6.3 Who may propose closing the list of speakers?......Page 151
7.2 Right of reply......Page 152
7.2.1 Discretion of president to grant right of reply......Page 153
7.2.3 At what stage of a debate can the right of reply be exercised?......Page 155
7.2.4 Right of reply by observers......Page 157
7.2.5 Right of reply to statements made by heads of State and
non-delegates......Page 158
7.2.7 Time limit on right of reply......Page 159
7.2.8 Under what circumstances does a right of reply arise?......Page 160
7.2.9 Limit on number of interventions in exercise of right of reply......Page 162
7.2.12 Closure of debate on right of reply......Page 163
7.3 Explanation of vote......Page 164
7.3.1 Discretion of president to allow explanation of vote......Page 165
7.3.3 Explanation of vote on motions to adjourn the debate
or close the debate......Page 166
7.3.5 Length of explanations of vote......Page 167
7.3.6 Explanation of vote by proposer......Page 168
7.3.7 Discretion of conference or assembly to allow proposer to
explain a vote......Page 169
comment......Page 170
7.3.13 Explanation of vote on non-participation in voting......Page 171
7.3.17 When to explain a vote?......Page 172
7.4 Offensive or irrelevant statements......Page 173
7.7 Speaking to substance on procedural motions......Page 175
8.1 The difference between proposals and motions......Page 177
8.3.1 Limitation on number of sponsors......Page 178
8.3.2 Agreement to join list of sponsors......Page 179
8.3.3 Withdrawal of sponsorship......Page 180
8.3.4 Seconding of motions......Page 181
8.4.1 Notice of submission of written proposals......Page 182
8.4.2 Notice of procedural motions......Page 183
8.4.3 Notice of substantive proposals......Page 185
8.4.5 Discretion of presiding officer to allow voting on amendments
submitted without due notice......Page 186
8.4.6 Substantive proposals submitted without due notice......Page 187
8.4.7 Practice in international conferences regarding discussion and voting on substantive proposals and amendments submitted without due notice......Page 188
8.4.8 Practice in UN bodies regarding dispensing with the need for due
notice of submission of substantive amendments......Page 193
8.4.9.1 UN General Assembly......Page 195
8.5 Time limits for submission of amendments and proposals......Page 196
8.7 Revision of proposals by the sponsors......Page 197
8.9 Submission of proposals by observers......Page 198
8.10 Decisions on competence of a conference to deal
with an issue......Page 200
8.10.1 Can legal counsel give an opinion on competence?......Page 202
8.10.3 A vote on competence regarding part of a proposal......Page 203
8.10.5 Debating a motion on competence in the UN General Assembly......Page 204
8.10.6 Competence of conferences to discuss an issue as opposed to
competence to vote on an issue......Page 205
comment......Page 206
8.11 Basic texts......Page 207
9.1.1 Effect of adjourning the debate......Page 209
9.1.2 A motion not to take a vote on a proposal as a motion
for adjournment of debate......Page 211
9.1.5 A motion for ‘postponement of consideration’ as a motion
for adjournment of debate......Page 212
9.1.6 Is a motion for postponement synonymous with a motion
for adjournment of debate?......Page 213
9.1.9 A motion to adjourn the debate after the debate is completed
and before voting......Page 214
9.1.11 A motion to adjourn the debate on a procedural motion......Page 215
9.1.13 What is ‘an item under discussion’ for purposes
of adjournment of debate?......Page 216
9.1.14 Adjournment of debate on specific proposals or amendments......Page 217
9.1.15 Limits on number of speakers on a motion to adjourn the debate......Page 219
9.2 Closure of debate......Page 220
9.2.1 Closure of debate and protection of minority......Page 221
9.2.2 Motion for immediate vote as motion for closure......Page 222
9.2.5 Voting on proposals after adoption of a motion for closure......Page 223
9.2.6 Right of reply after closure of debate......Page 224
9.2.7 Explanation of vote after closure of debate......Page 225
9.2.8 Right to complete a statement after closure of debate......Page 226
9.2.9 Speakers who had requested the floor before the closure of debate......Page 227
9.2.10 Right of proposer, after closure of debate, to introduce a
previously submitted proposal......Page 228
9.2.12 Right to propose procedural motions after closure of debate......Page 229
9.2.13 Submission of amendments after closure of debate......Page 230
9.2.15 Closure of debate and revision of amendments......Page 231
9.2.17 Closure of debate on points of order......Page 232
10.1 Distinguishing between separate proposals and amendments......Page 233
10.1.2 Practice regarding distinguishing between amendments
and separate proposals......Page 235
10.1.3 Can an amendment call for the removal of the substance
of a proposal?......Page 239
10.1.4 Can an amendment call for deferment of discussion?......Page 240
10.1.6 Can an amendment call for referring an issue to a
different committee?......Page 241
10.1.7 Can an amendment call for deleting some existing paragraphs,
revising others and adding a new paragraph?......Page 242
10.1.9 How are decisions made whether a proposal is an amendment
to another proposal?......Page 243
10.1.12 A series of amendments as a package......Page 244
10.3 Amendments to procedural motions......Page 245
10.4 Revising amendments by proposer......Page 246
10.6 Prohibition of amendments......Page 247
10.7 Sub-amendments......Page 248
10.7.1 Adoption of a sub-amendment and subsequent rejection
of the amendment itself......Page 250
10.7.2 Adoption of a sub-amendment implying rejection of another sub-amendment that had been accepted by the sponsors of the original amendment......Page 251
11.1.1 Withdrawal of a motion adopted by a committee......Page 252
11.1.3 Resubmitting a proposal previously withdrawn......Page 253
11.1.6 Meaning of the qualification that the motion
‘has not been amended’......Page 254
11.1.7 A motion not to vote on a proposal as an alternative
to withdrawal......Page 256
11.2.1 Majority required for reconsideration......Page 257
11.2.2 Reconsideration in committees......Page 258
comment......Page 260
11.2.5 Is it a reconsideration when there is a request for a separate vote on part of a text on which there had been a previous request for a separate vote?......Page 261
11.2.6 Is it reconsideration to request a separate vote on a text when an amendment for deletion of the text has been defeated?......Page 262
11.2.7 Is a request to vote again, due to misunderstandings during
the vote, a request for reconsideration?......Page 263
11.2.9 Is a motion to vote on an amendment inadvertently notvoted on to be considered a motion to reconsider?......Page 265
11.2.12 Where a decision has been taken not to inscribe an item on the
agenda, is a draft resolution on that item a motion fo......Page 266
11.2.14 Is a motion for adjournment of debate a motion for
reconsideration of the decision to hold the debate?......Page 267
11.2.15 Reconsideration of invitations to multi-session
conferences......Page 268
11.2.16 Can a conference decide to reserve the right to reconsider an
item in the future?......Page 269
11.2.19 An interpretive vote as reconsideration......Page 270
11.3 Reconsideration of amendments......Page 271
11.3.1 Where an amended basic text is defeated, is it reconsideration to
revert to the original basic text?......Page 273
11.4 Reconsideration of procedural decisions......Page 274
11.4.1 Does the rule on reconsideration apply to motions for
adjournment or suspension?......Page 275
11.4.2 Does the rule on reconsideration apply to motions to suspend the
rules of procedure?......Page 276
12.1.1 Definition of a procedural motion......Page 277
12.1.2 Examples of decisions as to what is a procedural motion......Page 278
12.2 Points of order......Page 279
12.2.1 Distinction between a point of order and a procedural motion......Page 281
12.3.1 A point of order requesting a decision by the presiding officer......Page 282
12.3.2 A point of order raised in order to submit a procedural motion......Page 283
12.3.3 A point of order requiring neither a vote nor
a presidential decision......Page 284
12.4 Decisions by presiding officers on points of order......Page 285
12.6 Can a conference or assembly decide a point of order?......Page 286
12.7 Raising a point of order while a representative is speaking
on an earlier point of order......Page 289
12.10 Challenging a decision of a presiding officer......Page 290
comment......Page 291
12.10.2 Can a challenge to a ruling be debated?......Page 292
12.11 Speaking to the substance during a statement on a point
of order......Page 293
13.1 Order of voting on proposals......Page 295
13.1.2 Decision not to vote on subsequent proposals......Page 299
13.1.3.3 A delegation that wishes that a vote take place on the next
proposal has to submit a motion to that effect......Page 300
13.1.6 Order of priority of reintroduced proposals......Page 301
13.2.1 Does a motion not to take a vote on a proposal have priority
over the substantive proposal?......Page 302
13.3 Priority between procedural motions......Page 303
13.3.2 Priority of motion for adjournment of meeting......Page 304
13.3.3 Priority of motion for adjournment of debate......Page 305
13.3.6 Order of priority between different procedural motions not
entitled to special priority under the rules of procedure......Page 306
13.4 Voting on amendments prior to voting on the proposal itself......Page 307
13.6 Priority between amendments......Page 310
comment......Page 313
13.6.1 Decisions as to which amendment is ‘furthest removed in
substance from the original proposal’......Page 314
13.8 Order of voting on sub-amendments......Page 315
13.8.1 Voting first on the sub-amendment furthest removed from the
amendment......Page 316
14.1.2 Declarations as part of a decision?......Page 317
14.2 Method of voting......Page 318
14.2.3 The right to call for a recorded vote......Page 319
14.2.4 Disclosing who requested a recorded vote......Page 322
14.2.7 Recording delegations present and not voting......Page 323
14.2.8 Recording abstentions......Page 324
14.2.9 Order of voting in a roll-call vote......Page 325
14.3 Secret ballot......Page 326
14.5 Decision taking without voting......Page 330
14.6 Voting on principles......Page 331
14.6.1 What is the effect of having a vote on principle?......Page 333
comment......Page 334
14.7 Indicative vote......Page 335
14.8 Voting on preferences......Page 338
14.9 Voting in elections......Page 341
14.10 Request not to vote......Page 342
14.11 Invalid vote......Page 343
15.1 Unanimity......Page 344
15.1.1 Unanimity and consensus......Page 347
15.1.3 Do abstentions negate unanimity?......Page 348
15.2 Majority voting......Page 349
15.3 Simple majority......Page 350
comment......Page 351
15.4 Two-thirds majority......Page 352
15.4.1 Majority required for amendments to proposals requiring
a two-thirds majority......Page 355
15.5 ‘Representatives present and voting’......Page 356
15.6 Calculating fractions of votes......Page 358
15.7 Absolute majority of all States represented......Page 359
15.8 Two-thirds majority of all States represented......Page 361
15.9 Weighted majority......Page 362
15.10 Equally divided votes......Page 364
15.11 A situation where two alternative proposals each receive
equally divided votes......Page 365
16.1 Defining consensus......Page 367
16.2 Background to the increased use of consensus......Page 370
16.3 Consensus at the Third Law of the Sea Conference......Page 372
16.4 Use of the word ‘consensus’ in the rules of procedure
of the UN General Assembly......Page 375
16.6 Consensus with possibility of voting......Page 376
16.7 Reservations to a consensus......Page 377
17.1 Separate votes on parts of proposals and amendments......Page 379
17.3 The right of a delegation to have a separate vote on parts
of a proposal......Page 380
17.4 The IMO formula for authorising requests for separate votes......Page 383
17.6 Voting on request for a separate vote......Page 384
17.8 Number of speakers on a motion for a separate vote on part
of a proposal......Page 385
17.9 Right to object to a motion for a separate vote on part
of a proposal......Page 386
comment......Page 387
17.11 What are ‘parts of a proposal’ for purposes of a
separate vote?......Page 388
17.13 A motion for a separate vote on a phrase after the failure of
a motion for deletion of the phrase......Page 389
17.14 Status of preambular parts of an amendment when
operative parts have been rejected......Page 391
17.16 Voting on the proposal as a whole following a separate vote......Page 392
17.19 Voting on the remainder of a proposal after voting
on separate paragraphs......Page 396
17.20 Priority as between voting on amendments and voting
on a separate part of a proposal......Page 397
17.21 Combining the vote on several proposals......Page 398
17.22 Separate votes on two amendments submitted together......Page 399
17.24 A separate vote on parts of a procedural motion......Page 400
18.2 Interruption when voting on individual proposals......Page 402
18.3 When does voting commence?......Page 403
18.3.2 When does voting commence in elections?......Page 406
18.3.4 When does voting end?......Page 407
18.4.1 Is an adjournment of a meeting an interruption
of the voting procedure?......Page 408
18.4.2 Is a suspension of a meeting an interruption
of the voting procedure?......Page 409
18.4.3 Interruption of voting between votes on a series of amendments......Page 410
18.4.4 Interruption of voting for points of order......Page 411
18.4.5 Interruption of voting for proposal not to vote......Page 412
18.4.7 Interruption of voting to make comments......Page 413
18.4.10 Interruption of voting in order to submit an amendment......Page 414
18.4.11 Interruption of voting to submit an oral amendment......Page 415
18.4.13 Interruption of voting to submit sub-amendments......Page 416
18.4.16 Interruption of voting to allow explanation of vote on a
separate paragraph......Page 417
18.4.17 Interruption of voting to revise a proposal......Page 418
18.4.19 Interruption of voting for withdrawal of candidatures......Page 419
18.5.1 The report of the UN Secretary-General on correction of vote......Page 420
18.5.2 Practice as to correction of votes before announcement of results......Page 421
18.5.3 Correction of votes after announcement of results......Page 422
18.5.5 Correction of votes – indication in the records......Page 425
comment......Page 426
19.1.1 Official languages......Page 427
19.1.4 Authentic language......Page 429
19.2.1 Documentation......Page 430
19.2.2 Distribution of documentation submitted by observers......Page 431
19.2.3 Summary and verbatim records......Page 432
19.2.4 Adding written statements to the record......Page 434
19.2.6 Adding to the record......Page 435
19.2.7 Deleting from the records......Page 436
19.2.8 Final Act......Page 439
20.3 Relations between committees and plenary......Page 440
20.4.1 General committee......Page 441
20.4.1.1 Composition of the general committee......Page 442
20.4.2 Main committees......Page 443
20.4.3.1 Mandate of a drafting committee......Page 444
20.4.3.2 Drafting committee as a body for informal negotiations......Page 448
20.4.3.3 Deciding to transfer a proposal to a drafting committee......Page 450
20.4.3.4 Drafting committees acting beyond their mandate......Page 453
20.4.3.5 Composition of a drafting committee......Page 455
20.4.3.6 Drafting committees at the UN General Assembly......Page 457
21.1 Suspension of rules of procedure......Page 459
21.1.1 Practice in international conferences as to suspension......Page 460
21.1.2 Practice in the UN General Assembly as to suspension......Page 462
21.1.3 Practice in international organisations as to suspension......Page 464
comment......Page 465
21.2 Amendment of rules of procedure......Page 466
21.2.1 Majority required for amending rules of procedure......Page 467
comment......Page 468
Books......Page 469
Articles......Page 473
Index......Page 478