CLT-99/CONF.204/4

Paris, April 1999

Original: English

Paris, UNESCO Headquarters, 19-24 April 1999

I. Composition of the Meeting

The participants shall be experts representing governments of Member States of UNESCO who have been invited to participate by the Director-General after consultation with the Executive Board of UNESCO; they shall have the right to vote.

Representatives of Associated Members and States Members of the United Nations Organizations, as well as representatives of the international organizations and non governmental organizations invited in conformity with a decision of the UNESCO Executive Board may participate in the work of the Meeting, as observers, without the right to vote.

II. Organization of the Meeting

The Meeting shall elect its Chairperson, four Vice-Chairperson and a Rapporteur.

The Meeting may establish such working groups as are necessary for the conduct of its work. Each of these bodies shall elect its Chairperson and its Rapporteur.

1. The Chairperson shall open and close each plenary session. He/she shall direct the discussion, ensure observance of these Rules, accord the right to speak to the representatives, put questions to the vote and announce decision. He/she shall rule the points of order and, subject to the present Rules, shall control the proceedings of each session and the maintenance of order.

2. Should the Chairperson find it necessary to be absent during the session or any part thereof, a Vice-Chairperson designated by him/her shall replace him/her. A Vice-Chaiperson sitting as Chairperson shall share the same powers and responsibilities as the Chairperson.

3. The Chairperson of the working groups have the same duties as far as the bodies which are chairing are concerned.

III. Conduct of business

Article 6: Publicity of the sessions

All plenary sessions shall, unless the Meeting decides otherwise, be held in public.

1. The Chairperson shall call upon speakers in the order in which they signify their wish to speak.

2. To facilitate the conduct of business the Chairperson may limit the time to be allowed to each speaker.

3. With the consent of the participants, the Chairperson may call upon an observer who has expressed his/her wish to speak.

During a discussion, any delegation may rise to point of order. Such points of order shall be immediately decided by the Chairperson. An appeal may be made against the ruling of the Chairperson. Such appeal shall be put to the vote immediately.

Any delegate may move the adjournment or closure of the debate or of the session. Such motions shall be immediately put to vote.

English and French are the working languages of the Meeting.

1. Each participant shall have one vote. Voting shall normally be by show of hands but any participant may request vote by roll-call. The decisions shall be taken by a simple majority of the participants present and voting.

2. For the purpose of the present Rules, the expression Aparticipant present and voting@ means participant casting an affirmative or negative vote. Participants abstaining from voting shall be considered as not voting.

VI. Secretariat of the Meeting

The Secretariat of the Meeting and of its subsidiary bodies shall be provided by the UNESCO staff designated for this purpose by the Director-General.

1. It shall be the duty of the Secretariat to receive, translate and distribute documents, reports and resolutions, to provide for the interpretation of speeches made at the Meeting in one of the working languages and to perform all other work necessary for the smooth functioning of the Meeting.

2. The Secretariat may, at any time, upon the Chairperson=s approval, make statements, either written or oral, at the Meeting or at its bodies, concerning any matter under considering by the Meeting.

V. Amendment to the Rules of Procedure

The present Rules may be amended by a decision of the Meeting taken in plenary session.