Rules of procedure

V. President and Vice-Presidents

Elections: Rule 30 | Temporary President: Rule 31 | Acting President: Rule 32 | Acting President: Rule 33 | Replacement of the President: Rule 34 | General powers of the President: Rule 35 | General powers of the President: Rule 36 | The President shall not vote: Rule 37

 

Elections

Rule 30 PDF

Unless the General Assembly decides otherwise, the General Assembly shall elect a President and twenty-one Vice-Presidents at 9 least three months before the opening of the session over which they are to preside. The President and the Vice-Presidents so elected will assume their functions only at the beginning of the session for which they are elected and shall hold office until the close of that session. [Rule based directly on a provision of the Charter (Art. 21, second sentence)]. The Vice-Presidents shall be elected after the election of the Chairmen of the six Main Committees referred to in rule 98, in such a way as to ensure the representative character of the General Committee. [See introduction paras. 21, 22, 26, 42 and 52 (a) PDF]

Temporary President

Rule 31 PDF

If, at the opening of a session of the General Assembly, the President for that session has not yet been elected, in accordance with rule 30 above, the President of the previous session, or the chairman of that delegation from which the President of the previous session was elected, shall preside until the Assembly has elected a President. [See introduction paras. 21, 22 26 and 52 (b) PDF]

Acting President

Rule 32 PDF

If the President finds it necessary to be absent during a meeting or any part thereof, he shall designate one of the Vice-Presidents to take his place.

Rule 33 PDF

A Vice-President acting as President shall have the same powers and duties as the President.

Replacement of the President

Rule 34 PDF

If the President is unable to perform his functions, a new President shall be elected for the unexpired term.

General powers of the President

Rule 35 PDF

In addition to exercising the powers conferred upon him elsewhere by these rules, the President shall declare the opening and closing of each plenary meeting of the session, direct the discussions in plenary meeting, 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 President may, in the course of the discussion of an item, propose to the General Assembly 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 PDF]

Rule 36 PDF

The President, in the exercise of his functions, remains under the authority of the General Assembly. [See introduction para. 11 PDF]

The President shall not vote

Rule 37 PDF

The President, or a Vice-President acting as President, shall not vote but shall designate another member of his delegation to vote in his place.

 

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