Annual General Debate of the Committee
The Committee meets once a year for a two-week period, usually in April-May, to discuss questions relating to information.
Each session includes a general debate, following by informal consultations (informal informals) to adopt a draft resolution. This draft resolution, traditionally adopted by consensus by the Committee on the concluding day of the annual session, is further debated by the Special Political and Decolonization Committee each year in the Fall (usually in October).
The draft, adopted by the Special Political and Decolonization Committee becomes a resolution only after it is formally adopted by the General Assembly, usually in December each year.
Interactive dialogue
Traditionally, the Department of Public Information arranges an interactive dialogue with Member States, led by the Under-Secretary-General for Public Information. This dialogue takes place in the afternoon of the opening day of the annual session.
List of speakers
Any member of COI, including observers, can participate in the general debate and make a formal statement. Traditionally, each statement is limited to ten minutes.
Request for inscribing on the list of speakers should be sent to the Secretariat. The list is closed following the conclusion of the opening day’s debate (before 6:00 pm).
Statements
Member States inscribed to address the session are requested to provide 200 copies (English) and 100 (any other language) of their statements for distribution during the meeting. Copies should be made in advance and delivered to the Conference Officer at the beginning of the meeting the speaker is inscribed.
Member States are also requested to forward electronic copies of their statements as soon as possible to the Committee Secretariat for posting them on the COI website.
Right of reply
In accordance with the rule 115 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly (A/520/Rev.15), the statements in the right of reply may be accorded by the Chairperson after all speakers inscribed for that meeting have spoken. To request a right of reply, Committee members should raise nameplates to indicate their intention, and/or contact the Secretariat.