Sessions of the Commission shall be held:

• On dates fixed by the Commission, after consultation with the Executive Secre­tary, at previous meetings;
• Within thirty days of the communication of a request to that effect by the Eco­nomic and Social Council;
• At the request of the majority of the members of the Commission, after consul­tation with the Executive Secretary;
• On such other occasions as the Chairperson, in consultation with the Vice-Chair­persons and the Executive Secretary, deems necessary.

Sessions shall ordinarily be held at the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG). The Commission may, with the concurrence of the Secretary-General, decide to hold a particular session elsewhere.

The Executive Secretary shall, at least forty-two days before the commencement of a session of the Commission, distribute a notice of the opening date of the session, to­gether with a copy of the provisional agenda.  The basic documents relating to each item appearing on the provisional agenda of a session shall be transmitted not less than forty-two days before the opening of the session, provided that in exceptional cases the Executive Secretary may, for reasons to be stated in writing, transmit such docu­ments not less than twenty-one days before the opening of the session.

The Commission shall invite any Member of the United Nations not a member of the Commission to participate in a consultative capacity

The provisional agenda for each session shall be drawn up by the Executive Secre­tary in consultation with the Chairperson, the two Vice-Chairpersons and the Executive Committee.

The provisional agenda for any session shall include:

• Items arising from previous sessions of the Commission;
• Items proposed by the Economic and Social Council;
• Items proposed by any member of the Commission;
• Items proposed by a specialized agency in accordance with the agreements of relationship concluded between the United Nations and such agencies; and
• Any other items which the Chairperson or the Executive Secretary sees fit to include.

The first item upon the provisional agenda for each session shall be the adoption of the agenda.

The Commission may amend the agenda at any time.

Each member shall be represented on the Commission by an accredited represen­tative.

A representative may be accompanied to the sessions of the Commission by alter­nate representatives and advisers and, when absent, he may be replaced by an alter­nate representative.

The credentials of each representative appointed to the Commission, together with a designation of alternate representatives, shall be submitted to the Executive Secre­tary without delay.

The Commission shall, at each biennial session, elect a country from among its members to hold the chair for the period of the biennium.  The representative of the elected country will be the Chairperson.  The Commission will also, at the same meet­ing, elect two countries whose representatives will become the Vice-Chairpersons for the period of the biennium.  The Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons of the Commis­sion will also serve as the Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons of the Executive Com­mittee for the period of the biennium.

If the Chairperson is absent from a meeting, or any part thereof, one of the Vice- Chairpersons, designated by the Chairperson, shall preside.

If the representative of the country holding the position of Chairperson or Vice- Chairperson of the Commission ceases to represent his/her country, the new repre­sentative of that country will become the new Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson for the unexpired portion of the term.  If the representative of the country holding the position of Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson is so incapacitated that he/she can no longer hold office, the alternate representative will become the new Chairperson or Vice-Chairper­son for the unexpired portion of the term.

The Vice-Chairperson acting as Chairperson shall have the same powers and duties as the Chairperson.

The Chairperson or the Vice-Chairperson acting as Chairperson shall participate in the meetings of the Commission as such and not as the representative of the member by whom he/she was accredited.  The Commission shall admit an alternate represen­tative to represent that member in the meetings of the Commission and to exercise its right to vote.

The Commission shall adopt the terms of reference and the rules of procedure of its intersessional governing Committee (Executive Committee) and may amend these when necessary.  The Commission provides general guidance to the Executive Com­mittee.

After discussion with any specialized agency functioning in the same general field, and with the approval of the Economic and Social Council, the Commission may estab­lish such continually acting sub-commissions or other subsidiary bodies as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions and shall define the powers and compo­sition of each of them.  Such autonomy as may be necessary for the effective dis­charge of the technical responsibilities laid upon them may be delegated to them.

The Commission may establish or discontinue such committees and sub-commit­tees as it deems necessary to assist it in carrying out its tasks.

Subsidiary Bodies shall adopt their own rules of procedure unless otherwise deci­ded by the Commission.

Subsidiary Bodies should, as in rules 52 and 53, consult non-governmental organi­zations with general consultative status to ECOSOC which, because of their importance as regards their activity and the number of their members in Europe, play a part in the economic life of Europe, on questions within the competence of the Commission and deemed of interest to such organizations.  These organizations could in appropriate cases be invited to be represented at meetings of Subsidiary Bodies.1

The Executive Secretary shall act in that capacity at all meetings of the Commis­sion and of its Subsidiary Bodies.  He/She may appoint another member of the staff to take his/her place at any meeting.

The Executive Secretary or his/her representative may at any meeting make either oral or written statements concerning any question under consideration.

The Executive Secretary shall direct the staff provided by the Secretary-General and required by the Commission, and its Subsidiary Bodies.

The Executive Secretary shall be responsible for the necessary arrangements being made for meetings.

The Executive Secretary in carrying out his/her functions shall act on behalf of the Secretary-General.

A majority of the members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum.

In addition to exercising the powers conferred upon him/her elsewhere by these rules, the Chairperson shall declare the opening and closing of each meeting of the Commission, shall direct the discussion, ensure the observance of these rules, and shall accord the right to speak, put questions to the vote, and announce decisions.  The Chairperson may also call a speaker to order if his/her remarks are not relevant to the subject under discussion.

During the discussion of any matter a representative may raise a point of order.  In this case the Chairperson shall immediately state his/her ruling.  If it is challenged, the Chairperson shall forthwith submit his/her ruling to the Commission for decision and it shall stand unless overruled.

During the discussion of any matter a representative may move the adjournment of the debate.  Any such motion shall have priority.  In addition to the proposer of the motion, one representative shall be allowed to speak in favour of, and one represen­tative against, the motion.

A representative may at any time move the closure of the debate whether or not any other representative has signified his wish to speak.  Not more than two represen­tatives may be granted permission to speak against the closure.

The Chairperson shall take the sense of the Commission on a motion for closure. If the Commission is in favour of the closure, the Chairperson shall declare the debate closed.

The Commission may limit the time allowed to each speaker.

Principal motions and resolutions shall be put to the vote in the order of their sub­mission unless the Commission decides otherwise.

When an amendment revises, adds to or deletes from a proposal the amendment shall be put to the vote first, and if it is adopted, the amended proposal shall then be put to the vote.

If two or more amendments are moved to a proposal, the Commission shall vote first on the amendment furthest removed in substance from the original proposal, then, if necessary, on the amendment next furthest removed and so on, until all the amendments have been put to the vote.

The Commission may, at the request of a representative, decide to put a motion or proposal to the vote in parts.  If this is done, the text resulting from the series of votes shall be put to the vote as a whole.

Each member of the Commission shall have one vote.

Decisions of the Commission shall be made by a majority of the members present and voting.

The Commission shall take no action in respect of any country without the agree­ment of the Government of that country.

The Commission shall normally vote by show of hands.  If any representative re­quests a roll call, a roll call shall be taken in the English alphabetical order of the names of the members.

All elections shall be decided by secret ballot, unless, in the absence of any objec­tion, the Commission decides to proceed without taking a ballot on an agreed candi­date or slate.

If a vote is equally divided upon matters other than elections, a second vote shall be taken.  If this vote also results in equality, the proposal shall be regarded as rejected.

English, French and Russian shall be the working languages of the Commission.

Interventions made in any of the working languages shall be interpreted into the other working languages.

As soon as possible, the text of all reports, resolutions, recommendations and other formal decisions made by the Commission and its Subsidiary Bodies shall be communi­cated to the members of the Commission, to the consultative members concerned, to all other Members of the United Nations and to the specialized agencies.

The meetings of the Commission shall ordinarily be held in public.  The Commission may decide that a particular meeting or meetings shall be held in private.

• Where an item proposed for the provisional agenda for a session contains a pro­posal for new activities to be undertaken by the United Nations relating to matters which are of direct concern to one or more specialized agencies or the Interna­tional Atomic Energy Agency, the Executive Secretary shall enter into consultation with the agency or agencies concerned and report to the Commission on the means of achieving coordinated use of the resources of the respective agencies.
• Where a proposal put forward in the course of a meeting for new activities to be undertaken by the United Nations relates to matters which are of direct concern to one or more specialized agencies or the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Executive Secretary shall, after such consultation as may be possible with the representatives at the meeting of the other agency or agencies concerned, draw the attention of the meeting to these implications of the proposal.
• Before deciding on proposals referred to above, the Commission shall satisfy itself that adequate consultations have taken place with the agencies concerned.

Non-governmental organizations with general and special consultative status to ECO­SOC may designate authorized representatives to sit as observers at public meetings of the Commission.  Organizations on the Roster may have representatives present at such meetings which are concerned with matters within their field of competence.  Non- governmental organizations with general consultative status may circulate to the mem­bers of the Commission written statements and suggestions on matters within their competence.  Non-governmental organizations with special consultative status and on the Roster may submit such statements and suggestions to the Executive Secretary. The Executive Secretary will prepare and distribute at each session of the Commission a list of such communications received, briefly indicating the substance of each of them. On the request of any member of the Commission the Executive Secretary will repro­duce in full and distribute any such communication.

The Commission at its discretion may consult with non-governmental organizations with general and special consultative status to ECOSOC and on the Roster on matters in which the Commission regards these organizations as having special competence or knowledge.  Such consultations may be arranged on the invitation of the Commission or on the request of the organization.  In the case of non-governmental organizations with general consultative status, consultations should normally be held with the Com­mission itself.  In the case of nongovernmental organizations with special consultative status and on the Roster consultations might be effected either directly or through ad hoc committees.

The Commission shall submit to the Economic and Social Council a full report on its activities and plans, including those of any subsidiary bodies, once a year, and shall make interim reports at each regular session of the Council.1

Any of these rules of procedure may be amended or suspended by the Commission provided that the proposed amendments or suspensions do not attempt to set aside the terms of reference laid down by the Economic and Social Council.