Draft Rules of Procedure for the Mixed Arab-Israeli Committees – UNCCP working paper

UNITED NATIONS CONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR PALESTINE

DRAFT

RULES OF PROCEDURE

FOR THE MIXED ARAB-ISRAELI COMMITTEES

(Working Paper prepared by the Secretariat)

CHAPTER I

(Composition)

Rule 1

There shall be established five Mixed Committees: four Bilateral Committees and one Multilateral Committee on Refugees.

Rule 2

The four Bilateral Committees shall be composed respectively of one representative of the Government of Israel, of one representative of each of the Governments of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, and of the Conciliation Commission in corpore.

Rule 3

The Multilateral. Committee on Refugees shall be composed of one representative of each Of the Governments of Israel, Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, and of the Conciliation Commission in corpore.

CHAPTER II

(Chairmanship)

Rule 4

Meetings of the Mixed committees shall be presided over by the Conciliation Commission in corpore, its Chairman acting as Chairman of the meeting. In exceptional cases, however, meetings may be presided over by the Chairman or another member of the Conciliation Commission.

CHAPTER III

(Meetings)

Rule 5

Meetings of the Mixed Committees shall be held at the call of the Chairman. As a general rule there shall be no more than two Committee meetings a day.

Rule 6

The Chairman shall call a meeting of a Mixed Committee at the request either of one or more of the delegations concerned or of the Conciliation Commission.

CHAPTER IV

(Conduct of business)

Rule 7

In the meetings of the Mixed Committees the Chairman shall call upon the members of the Committee in the order in which they signify their desire to speak. The Chairman may, with the agreement of the respective delegations, recognize their advisers and may also, with the agreement of the Committee, call on other persons to supply information or to give other assistance in examining matters pertaining to the meeting.

CHAPTER V

(Working groups)

Rule 8

The Mixed Committee may establish working groups to study, consider and report on particular questions. Each working group shall be presided over by an alternate of a Commissioner to whom this task may have been entrusted by the Commission. A working group may call on persons who are able to supply information or to give other assistance pertaining to the work of the group.

CHAPTER VI

(Co-ordination)

Rule 9

For the purpose of facilitating and co-ordinating the work of the Mixed Committees, the Conciliation Commission may together with the Heads of the delegations concerned, act as a Steering Committee. For the same purpose, the Commission may also meet with individual delegations on specific questions. The Commission may furthermore, at any time, submit proposals to the delegations concerned with a view to ensuring the proper functioning of the Mixed Committees and the progress of their work.

CHAPTER VII

(Decisions)

Rule 10

Decisions of the Mixed Committees shall be taken by agreement between the delegations concerned.

CHAPTER VIII

(Secretariat)

Rule 11

The Principal Secretary of the Conciliation Commission shall act as Secretary in all meetings of the Mixed Committees and the working groups. He may authorize a member of the Secretariat to act as his deputy at any meeting.

CHAPTER IX

(Languages)

Rule 12

English and French shall be the official languages of the Mixed Committees and may be employed at any meeting. Speeches made in the one language shall be interpreted into the other. All speeches delivered in any other language than English and French shall be interpreted either into English or French by interpreters furnished by the delegation concerned.

Rule 13

Documents shall be made available by the Secretariat in English and French.

CHAPTER X

(Publicity of Meetings)

Rule 14

Unless otherwise decided, the meetings of the Mixed Committees and the working groups shall be held in private. If information on a meeting is to be made public the Chairman shall, immediately following the adjournment of the meeting, instruct the Secretary accordingly and approve the text of the communique before its release to the press.

CHAPTER XI

(Records)

Rule 15

The Secretariat shall draw up summary records of the meetings of the Mixed Committees. No records shall be made of the meetings of the working groups. Copies of summary records shall be transmitted to the Conciliation Commission and the delegations.

Rule 16

Corrections to be made in the summary records shall be communicated in writing to the Committee Secretary by the delegation concerned within three working days after the receipt of the records, as indicated by the data of the documentation. The summary record to which no corrections have been made within this period of time shall be considered as the official record of the meeting.