Rule 28 Points of order

28.1 During a discussion, a State Member may rise to a point of order and the point of order shall be immediately decided by the Chairperson.

28.2 An appeal may be made against the ruling of the Chairperson. Such appeal shall be put to the vote immediately and the Chairperson’s ruling shall stand unless overruled.

Rule 29 Procedural motions

During the discussion of any matter, a State Member of the Committee may propose a procedural motion: suspension or adjournment of the meeting, adjournment of the debate or closure of the debate.

Rule 30 Suspension or adjournment of the meeting

During the discussion of any matter, a State Member of the Committee may move the suspension or adjournment of the meeting. Any such motions shall be put to the vote immediately and without discussion.

Rule 31 Adjournment of debate

During the discussion of any matter, a State Member of the Committee may move the adjournment of the debate on the item under discussion. On moving the adjournment the State Member shall indicate whether it moves the adjournment sine die or to a particular time which he shall specify. In addition to the proposer of the motion, one speaker may speak in favour of, and one against, the motion.

Rule 32 Closure of debate

A State Member of the Committee may at any time move the closure of the debate, whether or not any other speaker has signified his/her wish to take part in the discussion. If application is made for permission to speak against the closure, it may be accorded to not more than two speakers. The Chairperson shall then put the motion for closure to the vote and, if the Committee is in favour of the motion, the Chairperson shall declare the closure of the debate.

Rule 33 Order of procedural motions

Subject to Rule 28, the following motions shall have precedence, in the following order, over all other proposals or motions before the meeting:

(a) suspension of the meeting;

(b) adjournment of the meeting;

(c) adjournment of the debate on the question under discussion;

(d) closure of the debate on the question under discussion.

Rule 34 Decisions

34.1 The Committee shall adopt such decisions and recommendations as it may deem appropriate.

34.2 The text of each decision shall be adopted at the end of the discussion of the agenda item.

VII Voting

Rule 35 Voting rights

Each State Member of the Committee shall have one vote in the Committee.

Rule 36 Conduct during voting

After the Chairperson has announced the beginning of voting, no one shall interrupt the voting except a State Member of the Committee on a point of order in connection with the actual conduct of the voting.

Rule 37 Simple majority

Except where otherwise specified in these Rules, all decisions of the Committee shall be taken by a simple majority of the States Members present and voting.

Rule 38 Counting of votes

For the purposes of these Rules, the expression ‘States Members present and voting’ shall mean States Members casting an affirmative or negative vote. States Members abstaining from voting shall be regarded as not voting.

Rule 39 Conduct of voting

39.1 Voting shall normally be by a show of hands.

39.2 If there is any doubt concerning the result of a vote by a show of hands, the Chairperson may take a second vote by roll-call.

39.3 A vote by roll-call shall also be taken if it is requested by two or more States Members of the Committee before the voting begins.

A    A decision by secret ballot

39.4 A decision shall be voted on by secret ballot whenever two or more States Members shall so request. The vote by secret ballot shall prevail over any other proposed voting conduct.

39.5 Before the vote begins, the Chairperson shall appoint two tellers from among the delegates present to scrutinize the votes cast.

39.6 When the counting of the votes is completed and the tellers have reported to the Chairperson, he/she shall announce the results of the ballot bearing in mind that the voting will be recorded as follows:

From the total number of States Members of the Committee will be deducted:

     (a) the number of States Members of the Committee absent, if any;

     (b) the number of blank ballot papers, if any;

     (c) the number of invalid ballot papers, if any.

The remaining number will constitute the number of votes recorded.

B  Elections of the members of ad hoc consultative bodies and subsidiary bodies by secret ballot

39.7 Elections shall be conducted by secret ballot except that, where the number of candidates within geographical distribution is the same as or less than the number of seats to be filled, the candidates shall be declared elected without the need to hold a ballot.

39.8 Before the election begins, the Chairperson shall appoint two tellers from among the delegates present; he/she shall hand to them the list of candidates. He/She shall announce the number of seats to be filled.

39.9 The Secretariat shall prepare for each State Member of the Committee an envelope without any distinguishing mark and separate ballot papers, one for each of the electoral groups. The ballot paper for each vacant seat or electoral group shall bear the names of all the candidates in that electoral group.

39.10 Each State Member of the Committee shall cast its vote by encircling the names of those candidates for which it desires to vote.

39.11 The tellers shall collect from each State Member of the Committee the envelope containing the ballot papers and shall count the votes, under the supervision of the Chairperson.

39.12 The absence of any ballot paper in the envelope shall be considered an abstention.

39.13 Ballot papers on which more names have been circled than there are seats to be filled as well as those containing no indication as to the intention of the voter shall be considered invalid.

39.14 The counting of the votes for each electoral group shall take place separately. The tellers shall open the envelopes, one by one, and shall sort the ballot papers into electoral groups. The votes cast for the candidate shall be entered on lists prepared for that purpose.

39.15 The Chairperson shall declare elected those candidates who obtain the greatest number of votes up to the number of seats to be filled. If two or more candidates obtain the same number of votes, and, as a result, there are still more candidates than seats to be filled, there shall be a second secret ballot restricted to those candidates who obtained the same number of votes. If in the second ballot two or more candidates obtain the same number of votes, the Chairperson shall draw lots to decide the elected candidate.

39.16 When the counting of the votes is completed, the Chairperson shall announce the results of the ballot separately for each of the electoral groups.