Rules of procedure
XIII. Committees
Establishment, officers, organization of work
Establishment of committees: Rule 96 | Categories of subjects: Rule 97 | Main Committees: Rule 98 | Organization of work: Rule 99 | Representation of Members: Rule 100 | Representation of Members: Rule 101 | Subcommittees: Rule 102 | Election of officers: Rule 103 | The Chairman of a Main Committee shall not vote: Rule 104 | Absence of officers: Rule 105 | Functions of the Chairman: Rule 106 | Functions of the Chairman: Rule 107
Conduct of business
Quorum: Rule 108 | Speeches: Rule 109 | Congratulations: Rule 110 | Precedence: Rule 111 | Statements by the Secretariat: Rule 112 | Points of order: Rule 113 | Time limit on speeches: Rule 114 | Closing of list of speakers, right of reply: Rule 115 | Adjournment of debate: Rule 116 | Closure of debate: Rule 117 | Suspension or adjournment of the meeting: Rule 118 | Order of procedural motions: Rule 119 | Proposals and amendments: Rule 120 | Decisions on competence: Rule 121 | Withdrawal of motions: Rule 122 | Reconsideration of proposals: Rule 123
Voting
Voting rights: Rule 124 | Majority required: Rule 125 | Meaning of the phrase “members present and voting”: Rule 126 | Method of voting: Rule 127 | Conduct during voting: Rule 128 | Division of proposals and amendments: Rule 129 | Voting on amendments: Rule 130 | Voting on proposals: Rule 131 | Elections: Rule 132 | Equally divided votes: Rule 133
Establishment, Officers, Organization of Work
Establishment of committees
The General Assembly may establish such committees as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions.
Categories of subjects
Items relating to the same category of subjects shall be referred to the committee or committees dealing with that category of subjects. Committees shall not introduce new items on their own initiative.
Main Committees
The Main Committees of the General Assembly are the following:
- (a) Disarmament and International Security Committee (First Committee);
- (b) Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee);
- (c) Economic and Financial Committee (Second Committee);
- (d) Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (Third Committee);
- (e) Administrative and Budgetary Committee (Fifth Committee);
- (f) Legal Committee (Sixth Committee).
[See introduction paras. 21, 34 and 48 
]
Organization of work
- (a) All the Main Committees shall, at least three months before the opening of the session, elect a Chairman. Elections of the other officers provided for in rule 103 shall be held at the latest by the end of the first week of the session.
- (b) Each Main Committee, taking into account the closing date for the session fixed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the General Committee, shall adopt its own priorities and meet as may be necessary to complete the consideration of the items referred to it. It shall at the beginning of the session adopt a programme of work indicating, if possible, a target date for the conclusion of its work, the approximate dates of consideration of items and the number of meetings to be allocated to each item.
[See introduction paras. 11, 19, 34 and 51 ]
Representation of Members
Each Member may be represented by one person on each Main Committee and on any other committee that may be established upon which all Members have the right to be represented. It may also assign to these committees advisers, technical advisers, experts or persons of similar status.
Upon designation by the chairman of the delegation, advisers, technical advisers, experts or persons of similar status may act as members of committees. Persons of this status shall not, however, unless designated as alternate representatives, be eligible for election as Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen or Rapporteurs of committees or for seats in the General Assembly.
Subcommittees
Each committee may set up subcommittees, which shall elect their own officers.
Election of officers
Each Main Committee shall elect a Chairman, three Vice-Chairmen and a Rapporteur. In the case of other committees, each shall elect a Chairman, one or more Vice-Chairmen and a Rapporteur. These officers shall be elected on the basis of equitable geographical distribution, experience and personal competence. The elections shall be held by secret ballot unless the committee decides otherwise in an election where only one candidate is standing. The nomination of each candidate shall be limited to one speaker, after which the committee shall immediately proceed to the election. [See introduction paras. 34 and 49 ]
The Chairman of a Main Committee shall not vote
The Chairman of a Main Committee shall not vote, but another member of his delegation may vote in his place.
Absence of officers
If the Chairman finds it necessary to be absent during a meeting or any part thereof, he shall designate one of the Vice-Chairmen to take his place. A Vice-Chairman acting as Chairman shall have the same powers and duties as the Chairman. If any officer of the committee is unable to perform his functions, a new officer shall be elected for the unexpired term. [See introduction para. 34 ]
Functions of the Chairman
The Chairman shall declare the opening and closing of each meeting of the committee, direct its discussions, ensure observance of these rules, accord the right to speak, put questions and announce decisions. He shall rule on points of order and, subject to these rules, shall have complete control of the proceedings at any meeting and over the maintenance of order thereat. The Chairman may, in the course of the discussion of an item, propose to the committee the limitation of the time to be allowed to speakers, the limitation of the number of times each representative may speak, the closure of the list of speakers or the closure of the debate. He may also propose the suspension or the adjournment of the meeting or the adjournment of the debate on the item under discussion. [See introduction, para. 11 ]
The Chairman, in the exercise of his functions, remains under the authority of the committee. [See introduction, para. 11 ]
Conduct of Business
Quorum
The Chairman may declare a meeting open and permit the debate to proceed when at least one quarter of the members of the committee are present. The presence of a majority of the members shall be required for any decision to be taken. [See introduction paras. 11 and 34 ]
Speeches
No representative may address the committee without having previously obtained the permission of the Chairman. The Chairman shall call upon speakers in the order in which they signify their desire to speak. The Chairman may call a speaker to order if his remarks are not relevant to the subject under discussion.
Congratulations
Congratulations to the officers of a Main Committee shall not be expressed except by the Chairman of the previous session - or, in his absence, by a member of his delegation - after all the officers of the Committee have been elected. [See introduction para. 34 ]
Precedence
The Chairman and the Rapporteur of a committee or subcommittee may be accorded precedence for the purpose of explaining the conclusions arrived at by their committee or subcommittee.
Statements by the Secretariat
The Secretary-General, or a member of the Secretariat designated by him as his representative, may at any time make either oral or written statements to any committee or subcommittee concerning any question under consideration by it.
Points of order
During the discussion of any matter, a representative may rise to a point of order, and the point of order shall be immediately decided by the Chairman in accordance with the rules of procedure. A representative may appeal against the ruling of the Chairman. The appeal shall be immediately put to the vote, and the Chairman's ruling shall stand unless overruled by a majority of the members present and voting. A representative rising to a point of order may not speak on the substance of the matter under discussion. [See introduction, para. 11 ]
Time limit on speeches
The committee may limit the time to be allowed to each speaker and the number of times each representative may speak on any question. Before a decision is taken, two representatives may speak in favour of, and two against, a proposal to set such limits. When the debate is limited and a representative exceeds his allotted time, the Chairman shall call him to order without delay. [See introduction paras. 11 and 34 ]
Closing of list of speakers, right of reply
During the course of a debate, the Chairman may announce the list of speakers and, with the consent of the committee, declare the list closed. He may, however, accord the right of reply to any member if a speech delivered after he has declared the list closed makes this desirable.
Adjournment of debate
During the discussion of any matter, a representative may move the adjournment of the debate on the item under discussion. In addition to the proposer of the motion, two representatives may speak in favour of, and two against, the motion, after which the motion shall be immediately put to the vote. The Chairman may limit the time to be allowed to speakers under this rule. [See introduction, para. 11]
Closure of debate
A representative may at any time move the closure of the debate on the item under discussion, whether or not any other representative has signified his wish to speak. Permission to speak on the closure of the debate shall be accorded only to two speakers opposing the closure, after which the motion shall be immediately put to the vote. If the committee is in favour of the closure, the Chairman shall declare the closure of the debate. The Chairman may limit the time to be allowed to speakers under this rule. [See introduction, para. 11]
Suspension or adjournment of the meeting
During the discussion of any matter, a representative may move the suspension or the adjournment of the meeting. Such motions shall not be debated but shall be immediately put to the vote. The Chairman may limit the time to be allowed to the speaker moving the suspension or adjournment of the meeting. [See introduction, para. 11]
Order of procedural motions
Subject to rule 113, the motions indicated below shall have precedence in the following order over all other proposals or motions before the meeting:
- (a) To suspend the meeting;
- (b) To adjourn the meeting;
- (c) To adjourn the debate on the item under discussion;
- (d) To close the debate on the item under discussion.
Proposals and amendments
Proposals and amendments shall normally be submitted in writing to the Secretary-General, who shall circulate copies to the delegations. As a general rule, no proposal shall be discussed or put to the vote at any meeting of the committee unless copies of it have been circulated to all delegations not later than the day preceding the meeting. The Chairman may, however, permit the discussion and consideration of amendments, or of motions as to procedure, even though such amendments and motions have not been circulated or have only been circulated the same day.
Decisions on competence
Subject to rule 119, any motion calling for a decision on the competence of the committee to adopt a proposal submitted to it shall be put to the vote before a vote is taken on the proposal in question.
Withdrawal of motions
A motion may be withdrawn by its proposer at any time before voting on it has commenced, provided that the motion has not been amended. A motion thus withdrawn may be reintroduced by any member.
Reconsideration of proposals
When a proposal has been adopted or rejected, it may not be reconsidered at the same session unless the committee, by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting, so decides. Permission to speak on a motion to reconsider shall be accorded only to two speakers opposing the motion, after which it shall be immediately put to the vote.
Voting
Voting rights
Each member of the committee shall have one vote.
Majority required
Decisions of committees shall be made by a majority of the members present and voting.
Meaning of the phrase "members present and voting"
For the purposes of these rules, the phrase "members present and voting" means members casting an affirmative or negative vote. Members which abstain from voting are considered as not voting.
Method of voting
- (a) The committee shall normally vote by show of hands or by standing, but any representative may request a roll-call. The roll-call shall be taken in the English alphabetical order of the names of the members, beginning with the member whose name is drawn by lot by the Chairman. The name of each member shall be called in any roll-call, and its representative shall reply "yes", "no" or "abstention". The result of the voting shall be inserted in the record in the English alphabetical order of the names of the members.
- (b) When the committee votes by mechanical means, a non-recorded vote shall replace a vote by show of hands or by standing and a recorded vote shall replace a roll-call vote. Any representative may request a recorded vote. In the case of a recorded vote, the committee shall, unless a representative requests otherwise, dispense with the procedure of calling out the names of the members; nevertheless, the result of the voting shall be inserted in the record in the same manner as that of a roll-call vote.
[See introduction para. 28 ]
Conduct during voting
After the Chairman has announced the beginning of voting, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with the actual conduct of the voting. The Chairman may permit members to explain their votes, either before or after the voting, except when the vote is taken by secret ballot. The Chairman may limit the time to be allowed for such explanations. The Chairman shall not permit the proposer of a proposal or of an amendment to explain his vote on his own proposal or amendment. [See introduction, para. 11 ]
Division of proposals and amendments
A representative may move that parts of a proposal or of an amendment should be voted on separately. If objection is made to the request for division, the motion for division shall be voted upon. Permission to speak on the motion for division shall be given only to two speakers in favour and two speakers against. If the motion for division is carried, those parts of the proposal or of the amendment which are approved shall then be put to the vote as a whole. If all operative parts of the proposal or of the amendment have been rejected, the proposal or the amendment shall be considered to have been rejected as a whole. [See introduction, para. 11 ]
Voting on amendments
When an amendment is moved to a proposal, the amendment shall be voted on first. When two or more amendments are moved to a proposal, the committee shall first vote on the amendment furthest removed in substance from the original proposal and then on the amendment next furthest removed therefrom, and so on until all the amendments have been put to the vote. Where, however, the adoption of one amendment necessarily implies the rejection of another amendment, the latter amendment shall not be put to the vote. If one or more amendments are adopted, the amended proposal shall then be voted upon. A motion is considered an amendment to a proposal if it merely adds to, deletes from or revises part of the proposal. [See introduction, para. 11 ]
Voting on proposals
If two or more proposals relate to the same question, the committee shall, unless it decides otherwise, vote on the proposals in the order in which they have been submitted. The committee may, after each vote on a proposal, decide whether to vote on the next proposal.
Elections
When only one person or Member is to be elected and no candidate obtains in the first ballot the majority required, a second ballot shall be taken, which shall be restricted to the two candidates obtaining the largest number of votes. If in the second ballot the votes are equally divided, and a majority is required, the Chairman shall decide between the candidates by drawing lots.
Equally divided votes
If a vote is equally divided on matters other than elections, the proposal shall be regarded as rejected.
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