RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR THE IMSO ASSEMBLY

RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR THE IMSO ASSEMBLY

PART I: SESSIONS

Rule 1: Regular Sessions

Regular sessions of the Assembly shall be held once every two years. Each
session shall determine, if possible, the date of the next session.

Rule 2: Extraordinary Sessions

(1) The Director General shall convene an extraordinary session of the Assembly upon
the request of one or more Parties which receives the support of one-third of the
Parties including the requesting Party or Parties. Requests for extraordinary
sessions shall state the purposes for which the session is required and shall be
addressed in writing to the Director General.

(2) The Director General shall immediately circulate a request from a Party or Parties
among the remaining Parties to ascertain whether it has the required support.

(3) Extraordinary sessions shall be held as soon as possible, but not sooner than thirty
(30) days after the required support has been received for a request from a Party or
Parties.

(4) The Director General may also convene an extraordinary session on his or her own
initiative, after consultation with the Chairman and one of the Vice-Chairmen, on not
less than thirty (30) days' notice to Parties.

Rule 3: Place of Meetings

Regular and extraordinary sessions shall be held in the vicinity of the Organization's
headquarters, unless the Assembly decides otherwise. No meeting shall be held elsewhere
unless the prospective host agrees to defray the additional expenditure involved.

PART II: PARTICIPANTS

Rule 4: Delegates

Each Party may designate as its delegates one representative and such alternates
and advisers as it deems necessary.

Rule 5: Observers

(1) The Director General shall invite as observers to any session or meeting:

(a) representatives of States which have notified to the Director General their
intention to become Party; and

(b) international organizations with interests in common with IMSO which the
Assembly has decided to invite.
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(2) The Director General may, with the advice of the Advisory Committee, make
recommendations to the Assembly on the admittance of new observers, subject to
the following criteria and procedures:

(a) requests for admission as Observer shall be submitted through the Director
General who shall, at least six weeks in advance, provide the Assembly
with relevant information about the purposes, activities, structure and
membership of the organization concerned;

(b) the Director General may invite the applying Organization to be

represented as Observer at the Session of the Assembly, on a provisional
basis, pending a decision to be taken at the opening meeting of the
Session;

(c) the request may be accompanied by a draft Memorandum of

Understanding or Agreement of Cooperation, which has been agreed in
principle between the two Organizations;

(d) in deciding upon such a request, the Assembly shall take into account,
inter alia, all or any of the following considerations:

(i) the organization is one with which IMSO has an obligation to

cooperate pursuant to Article 16 of the Convention or any other
provision of the Convention;

(ii) the organization is one with which IMSO has concluded an

Agreement of Cooperation or other working arrangement
providing, inter alia, for participation of each organization in
meetings or organs of the other comparable to an Assembly of
Parties;

(iii) the organization’s purposes and activities are concerned, inter

alia, with maritime safety and security, protection of the
environment or with space radiocommunication technology or
systems, or with regulation and coordination of the radio
frequency spectrum, or any other aspect of space
radiocommunication that may constitute a matter of common
interest with IMSO; and

(iv) the participation of the organization as observer would be of

benefit to the Assembly in the discharge of its functions.

(e) the Assembly may decide to approve the draft Memorandum of

Understanding or Agreement of Cooperation, which it may authorize the
Director General to sign.

(3) Admission of an organization as observer may be limited to a particular meeting or

agenda item.
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Rule 6: Providers

The Chairman of the Board of each Provider as referred to in Article 1(c) of the
IMSO Convention, or his representative, shall be invited to attend sessions, without right to
vote, on matters arising under the Public Services Agreements, subject to the approval of the
Assembly.

Rule 7: Credentials

(1) Original Credentials of delegations of Parties and observers shall be transmitted to

the Director General in advance of each session.

(2) Credentials of delegations of Parties shall be signed by or on behalf of the Head of

State, or Prime Minister, or Minister/Secretary of Foreign Affairs, or equivalent Ministry,
or Ambassador/High Commissioner.

(3) Only duly accredited representatives shall be permitted to vote under Part VII of these
Rules.

(4) The Assembly shall elect a Credentials Committee at each Session of the
Assembly, composed of five representatives, ensuring regional representation. The
Credentials Committee shall appoint its own Chairman. The Credentials Committee
shall examine the Credentials submitted, and shall report to one of the immediately
succeeding meetings of that session of the Assembly.

PART III: AGENDA AND DOCUMENTATION

Rule 8: Regular Sessions

(1) Each Party and the Director General may propose items for inclusion on the agenda
of a regular session. Proposals shall be received by the Director General forty (40)
days before the beginning of the session. Each proposal shall be in writing, and shall
state the nature of the proposal and the reasons why it should be considered at the
session.

(2) The Director General shall assemble and coordinate the proposals received into a
provisional agenda which shall also include all matters which the Convention and
these Rules require the Assembly to consider. The Director General shall
communicate the provisional agenda to all Parties and observers at least 30 days
before the beginning of the session.

(3) The Assembly shall adopt the agenda by a simple majority. Urgent items may be
added to the agenda by a two-thirds majority at the time of adoption of the agenda or
later in the session.

Rule 9: Extraordinary sessions

The agenda of an extraordinary session shall be restricted to the purposes for which
the session was convened, except that urgent items may be added by a two-thirds majority
at any time.
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Rule 10: Documentation

The Director General shall endeavour to ensure that documentation is issued at

least four weeks before regular and extraordinary sessions of the Assembly, except as
provided for in Rule 5(2)(a). Parties wishing to submit documents shall endeavour to
ensure that they are received by the Director General at least six weeks in advance of the
Assembly session.

PART IV: OFFICERS

Rule 11: Regional Representation

(1) The Assembly shall ensure that, in the election of Chairman and Vice-Chairmen of
the Assembly, membership of the Credentials Committee and of the Advisory
Committee, regional representation is taken into account. For this purpose, the
membership of the Organization is assumed to be grouped into four regions: Africa,
the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe.

(2) The Chairman and Vice-Chairmen of the previous Session of the Assembly will be
responsible, if available, for coordinating regional activities at the subsequent
session.

Rule 12: Chairman and Vice-Chairmen of the Assembly

At the first meeting of each regular or extraordinary session, the Assembly shall
elect a Chairman and three Vice-Chairmen from among the representatives of the Parties,
ensuring full regional representation. They shall assume office immediately and shall remain
in office until the election of their successors at the next regular or extraordinary session.

Rule 13: Temporary Chairman

At the opening of a session of the Assembly, the Chairman of the preceding session
or, if he is unable, one of the Vice-Chairmen or, if they are also unable, the Director General,
shall act as Chairman until a new Chairman has been elected.

Rule 14: Election

If an officer is not elected by acclamation, the election shall be held by secret ballot
by a simple majority vote taken as follows:

(a) The Secretary shall collect the ballots and, together with two tellers
appointed by the Assembly by a simple majority vote, count the votes in the
presence of the Assembly.

(b) If two or more candidates obtain an equal number of votes a further ballot
shall be held with respect to these candidates only. If the votes are again
divided equally, the Chairman shall decide by drawing lots.

(c) If there are more than two candidates and none of them obtain a simple
majority, a new ballot shall be held between the two candidates who
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obtained the largest number of votes. If the votes for second place are
equally divided a new ballot shall be held between the candidates obtaining
the largest number of votes and those in second place. If no candidate
obtains a majority on the second ballot, a third ballot shall be held between
the candidate obtaining the largest number of votes and one of the
candidates in second place drawn by lots by the Chairman.

Rule 15: Chairman's Absence or Inability to Function

If the Chairman is absent, one of the Vice-Chairmen or, if all are absent, a person
elected by the Assembly by simple majority, shall assume the responsibilities of the
Chairman.

Rule 16: Chairman's Voting

(1) The Chairman or the acting Chairman of the Assembly shall not vote.

(2) The Chairman of a subsidiary organ may vote for his delegation unless he has
designated another member of his delegation to do so.

PART V: ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Rule 17: Advisory Committee

(1) At each regular Session, the Assembly shall appoint an Advisory Committee
consisting of representatives from a minimum of fifteen Parties and a maximum of
preferably one-third of the total membership of the Organization, taking into account
the need for full geographical representation, and for continuity of membership.

(2) The Advisory Committee shall carry out, on behalf of and under delegation from the
Assembly, the tasks set forth in the Terms of Reference approved at the Fifteenth
Session of the Assembly, as revised from time to time.

PART VI: CONDUCT OF BUSINESS

Rule 18: Quorum

(1) An Assembly Session shall not take place unless there is a quorum present.

(2) A quorum shall consist of:

(a) in the case of plenary meetings, a simple majority of the Parties.

(b) in the case of any organ of restricted membership, a simple majority of the
members of that organ.

(3) In order to avoid the risk that an Assembly Session will have to be abandoned or
cancelled in the event of lack of quorum, the Director General, in the invitation to
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Parties to Sessions of the Assembly, shall urge States to make every effort to be
represented at the Session, and shall draw attention to the consequences of a
quorum not being achieved. One week before the start of an Assembly Session, the
Director General shall advise Parties of the likely status of quorum.

(4) At the commencement of the first meeting of an Assembly Session, the Secretary will
announce whether or not a quorum is present.

(5) In the event that there is no quorum present, the formal opening of the Session may
be delayed for no more than half a day.

(6) The quorum may be checked at any time during the Session.

Rule 19: Public and Private Meetings

(1) Meetings of the Assembly or any of its subsidiary organs shall not be open to the
general public or press, unless the Assembly decides otherwise.

(2) The Assembly and its subsidiary organs may decide to limit attendance to any
meeting to Parties only. In that case, only members of delegations may receive
documents relating to such a meeting unless decided otherwise.

Rule 20: Responsibilities of the Chairman

(1) The Chairman shall exercise the powers of his office in accordance with customary
practice. He or she shall remain under the authority of the meeting.

(2) The Chairman shall open and close the meetings, direct the deliberations, ensure
that these Rules are applied, give the floor to speakers, put questions to the vote and
announce decisions adopted.

(3) The Chairman shall ensure that discussion is confined to the point at issue. He may
interrupt any speaker who departs therefrom.

Rule 21: Procedural Motions

(1) Speakers on procedural motions and points of order shall be given priority over
speakers on the substance, but may not then deal with the substance of the matter
under discussion.

(2) The following motions shall have precedence, in the order indicated below, over all
other proposals or motions:

(a) to suspend a meeting;

(b) to adjourn a meeting;

(c) to adjourn the debate on the question under discussion;

(d) to close the debate on the question under discussion.

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Permission to speak shall be granted only to one speaker in favour of the motion in
addition to the proposer and to two speakers against, after which it shall immediately
be put to the vote.

(3) During the discussion of any matter a delegate may raise a point of order. The
Chairman shall immediately decide the point of order in accordance with these Rules.

(4) A delegate may appeal against a ruling of the Chairman. The appeal shall be put to
the vote and the Chairman's ruling shall stand unless overruled by a simple majority.

Rule 22: Substantive Proposals

(1) Substantive proposals shall normally be presented in writing at least 24 hours before
their consideration at any meeting.

(2) A proposal may be withdrawn by its author before voting on it has begun if no
amendments have been made by other delegates. The proposal may be
reintroduced at any time by any delegate.

Rule 23: Reconsideration

When a proposal has been adopted or rejected it may not be reconsidered at the
same session unless the Assembly by a two-thirds majority decides in favour of
reconsideration. Permission to speak on a motion to reconsider shall be accorded only to
one speaker in favour of the motion in addition to the proposer and to two against, after
which it shall immediately be put to the vote.

Rule 24: Speeches

(1) No delegate may speak without permission of the Chairman. Speakers shall be
called upon in the order in which they request the floor.

(2) During the discussion, the Chairman may read the list of speakers and declare the
closure of that list. Nevertheless, he or she may grant the right of reply to any
delegate when an intervention made after the closure of the list of speakers makes it
necessary.

(3) The Chairman may limit the time given to each speaker or the number of speeches
by each delegation on a given question. When the debate is restricted and a
delegate exceeds the time granted the Chairman shall call the speaker to order.

Rule 25: Records

(1) The Director General shall prepare reports of plenary meetings and of such
committee meetings as the Chairman of the Assembly may determine. The reports
shall contain:

(a) the record of decisions taken during the session;

(b) a summary of the discussions; and

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(c) statements submitted by representatives in accordance with paragraph (2).

(2) Individual representatives wishing to include in the reports statements made during
the discussion shall, before the end of each meeting, submit the complete texts to the
Director General.

(3) The reports, which shall cover the work of each meeting, shall be approved by the
Assembly before the end of the session, and shall be the only official record of the
Assembly's proceedings.

PART VII: VOTING

Rule 26: Majority Required

(1) Each Party shall have one vote in the Assembly.

(2) Decisions on matters of substance shall be taken by a two-thirds majority, and on

procedural matters by a simple majority.

(3) Decisions whether a question is procedural or substantive shall be made by the

Chairman. His decisions may be overruled by a two-thirds majority.

(4) Simple and two-thirds majorities are always calculated on the basis of the Parties
present and voting. Parties which abstain from voting shall be considered as not
voting.

Rule 27: Method of Voting

(1) Unless technical means are used, or the vote is taken by secret ballot in accordance
with paragraph (b), votes shall be taken by a show of hands or, if any delegate so
requests, by roll call. Roll calls shall be taken in the alphabetical order of the English
names of the Parties, beginning with the Party chosen by the Chairman by random.

(2) Voting shall be by secret ballot when at least three delegations so request.

Rule 28: Interruption of the Voting

After the Chairman has announced the beginning of a vote, no delegate shall
interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with the actual conduct of the
voting. Delegates may explain their votes after the voting, except when the vote is secret.
The Chairman may limit the time to be allowed for such explanations.

Rule 29: Voting Upon Parts of a Proposal

(1) A delegate may move that part of a proposal or of an amendment shall be voted on
separately.

(2) 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 one
speaker in favour in addition to the proposer and two speakers against.
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(3) If the motion for division is carried, those parts of the proposal or of the amendment
which are subsequently approved shall be put to a vote as a whole.

(4) If all operative parts of the proposal or the amendment have been rejected, the
proposal or the amendment shall be considered to have been rejected as a whole.

Rule 30: Order of Voting on Amendments

(1) When an amendment is moved to a proposal, the amendment shall be voted on first.
A motion is considered an amendment to a proposal if it merely adds to, deletes from
or revises part of the proposal.

(2) When two or more amendments are moved to a proposal, the Assembly 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
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.
(3) If one or more amendments are adopted, the proposal as amended shall then be
voted upon.

Rule 31: Order of Voting on Proposals

Several proposals relating to the same question shall be put to the vote in the order
in which they are received, unless otherwise decided. After each vote the meeting may
decide not to vote on the other proposals. If there are more than two proposals, an
indicative vote may be held first.

Rule 32: Equally Divided Votes

If on any issue, other than elections, the votes are equally divided, a second vote
shall be taken to a subsequent meeting, which should be held not later than 48 hours after
the first vote. If in the second vote the votes are again equally divided, the proposal is
regarded as rejected.

PART VIII: MISCELLANEOUS

Rule 33: Languages

(1) The official languages of the Assembly are English, French, Russian and Spanish.
The working language is English.

(2) Speeches made in any of the four official languages shall be interpreted into the
three other official languages.

Rule 34: Amendment of the Rules

The Assembly may amend these Rules by a two-thirds majority. Proposals for
amendment shall be considered only at regular sessions and only if they have been included
in the provisional agenda in accordance with Rule 8(a).
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