Rules of Procedure and Working Methods for Conferences
of the States Parties Convened Under Article XXI of the Treaty on Conventional
Armed Forces in Europe
20 December 1991
- Introduction
These rules of procedures and working methods apply to the conferences
specified in Article XXI of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces
in Europe of 19 November 1990, hereinafter referred to as the Treaty.
Duties of the Depositary
Consistent with the provisions in paragraph 3 of Article XXII of
the Treaty, the Depositary shall promptly inform all States Parties
of the date, Chairmanship, time and location of the first meeting
of a conference, providing the purpose, stated reasons and proposed
texts as appropriate.
Chairmanship
- The Chairman of the opening meeting of the first conference convened
after the adoption of these rules of procedures and working methods
shall be the representative of the Kingdom of Spain.
- States Parties shall assume in rotation determined by alphabetical
order in the French language the Chairmanship of all conferences.
- A State Party shall remain in the chair until it has completed
one week of Chairmanship or the conference ends whichever occurs
first. During the period between conferences, the Depositary will
assume all responsibilities of the chair.
- The responsibilities of the Chairman shall include the following:
- to inform all States Parties of subsequent meetings of that
conference, as well as of proposals made by States Parties concerning
the agenda of the conference;
- to chair the meetings of the conference;
- to keep a list of speakers and maintain a Journal which shall
be available only to the States Parties;
- to distribute to all States Parties copies of the Journal
and attached texts;
- to propose to the States Parties the suspension of, adjournment
or termination of the conference;
- to propose the adjourning or closure of the debate on the
item under discussion;
- to seek resolution of administrative questions relating to
the organization of the work of the conference in contact with
the services of the administrator; and
- to perform other dudes, as agreed by the States Parties.
Conference Meetings
- Conferences shall be composed of the representatives of the States
Parties. Alternates, advisers and experts of a State Party may take
part in the proceedings of conferences as deemed necessary by that
State Party.
- Decisions shall be taken by consensus. Consensus shall be understood
to mean the absence of any objection by any representative of a
State Party to the taking of the decision in question. In the case
of proposed amendments to the Treaty, such amendments shall be approved
by all the States Parties in accordance with Article XX of the Treaty
and shall enter into force in accordance with Article XXII of the
Treaty.
- Representatives at conferences shall be seated in alphabetical
order of the States Parties in the French language.
- The official languages of conferences shall be: English, French,
German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish. Statements in any of the
official languages shall be interpreted into the other official
languages.
- Conference proceedings shall be confidential, unless the States
Parties decide otherwise.
- The States Parties shall determine their meeting schedule for
conferences.
- The Chairman may declare the list of speakers closed with the
consent of the States Parties. The Chairman shall, however, accord
the right of reply to any representative if, following closure of
the list, he is so requested.
- If any representative raises a point of order in the course of
a meeting, the Chairman shall give that representative the floor
immediately. A representative raising a point of order shall not
speak on the substance of the matter under discussion.
Agenda for the Conference
The States Parties, as the first item of business, shall consider
the agenda of that conference without prejudice to the right of each
States Party to raise before the conference, and have placed on its
agenda, any issue relating to the purpose of the conference.
Journal
- The Journal shall record the date, the time of opening and the
time of closing and the location of each meeting of each conference;
the State Party in the Chair; the agenda of the meeting; the States
Parties whose representatives took the floor; and the date, time,
and location of any additional meetings of each conference.
- Decisions and recommendations shall also be recorded in the Journal
by the Chairman. Any text of such decisions and recommendations
shall be attached to the Journal.
- Interpretive statements, formal proposals and related documents
on matters of substance shall be recorded in the Journal and their
texts attached to it at the request of the originator when submitted
in writing to the Chairman.
ANNEX I
Financial Issues
Payment for conferences shall be made to the Host State in accordance
with the scale of distribution used by the Joint Consultative Group,
unless decided otherwise by the States Parties. An account shall be
rendered by the Host State within 3 months after the completion of
each conference. Accounts shall be payable within 60 days of presentation
in the currency of the Host State, Unless contested by any State Party.
Administrative Issues: Services Rendered by Host State
The government of the Host State shall appoint an administrator,
subject to agreement by all States Parties, who shall be a national
of the Host State. The task of the administrator shall include, in
liaison with the authorities of the Host State, the provision of the
following services:
- arrangement of accreditation;
- management of facilities and equipment;
- security of, and control of access to, facilities and meetings;
- employment and management of appropriate technical staff;
- availability of appropriate technical equipment;
- availability of interpretation and translation services in all
official languages; and
- administration of financial matters.
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