Rules of Procedure of Muslim Parlimentarians Conference

COMPOSITION

Rule 1: 
1-    The Conference shall be composed of representatives of PUIC Member Parliaments nominated by their respective Parliaments.
2-    Upon recommendation of the Executive Committee and approval of the Conference of Muslim Women Parliamentarians (CMWP), representatives of international, regional organizations, or parliaments participating in PUIC Conferences as observers, and OIC Observer Member Parliaments may participate as observers in the Conference of Muslim Women Parliamentarians. 
3-    Observers may only speak by invitation of the Chairman.


SESSIONS

Rule 2:
1-    The Conference of Muslim Women Parliamentarians shall convene once a year simultaneously with the PUIC Conference at a date and venue proposed by the Executive Committee and the approval of the General Committee.

Rule 3:
1-    The (CMWP) shall submit its proposals to the PUIC Conference.

Rule 4:
1-    Letters of convocation of the (CMWP) shall be sent to the Member Parliaments, observers and invitees on adequate time.

Rule 5:
1-    The Parliament hosting the Conference (CMWP) shall be responsible for providing all necessary facilities for the session.

Rule 6:
1-    Any member of the (CMWP) may request to host an extraordinary conference. In case of the approval of the majority of members of the (CMWP) the chairman of the (CMWP) shall convene the extraordinary conference.


 CHAIRMANSHIP

Rule 7:
1-    At the beginning of the first sitting, the chairperson of the delegation of the host country shall be elected as chairman of the conference for one year by acclamation. 
2-    The outgoing chairperson shall open the session pending the election of chairperson of the new session.
3-    The conference shall elect a Bureau composed of two Vice-Chairpersons from among the heads of delegation from two different geographical regions as well as a Rapporteur. The Bureau shall assist the PUIC Secretary General, or his deputy, in running the proceedings of the Conference.
 
Rule 8:
1-    The Chairperson shall preside over extraordinary sessions held his/her term office.
2-    In case of the absence of the Chairperson of the session, an interim Chairperson from the geographical region due to host the next (CMWP) shall assume the responsibility.

Rule 9:
1-    The Chairperson shall open, suspend and conclude the proceedings, he shall also direct the work of the Conference, call on speakers to take the floor and put subjects to vote. He declares the session closed. The Chairperson's decisions in these matters are final and shall be accepted without debate.
2-    The Chairperson shall decide on all matters not covered by these Rules after taken the advice of the Bureau of the conference and the PUIC Secretary General.


TROIKA OF WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS CONFERENCE

Rule 10:
1-    The Troika shall be composed of the chairpersons of the current, previous and next sessions of the conference.
2-    The Troika shall hold one meeting annually at least following the convening of the annual conference of Muslim Women Parliamentarians which is held simultaneously with the annual PUIC Conference.
3-    The Troika of Muslim Women Parliamentarians Conference shall follow-up the resolutions and recommendations of the conferences of Muslim Women Parliamentarians and any subjects aimed at developing the work of the Conference of Muslim Women Parliamentarians, including proposing subjects for the agenda.


COMMITTEES

Rule 11:

1-    The Conference may, if necessary, set up its committees or other subsidiary bodies as required examining items on its agenda. These bodies shall submit their reports and recommendations to the Bureau of the conference.
2-    The Bureau of the conference assisted by the PUIC Secretary General shall take the necessary measures to ensure effective organization and smooth functioning of the debates.


AGENDA

Rule 12:
1-    The General Secretariat shall draw up the Draft Agenda of the conference to be submitted to the PUIC Executive Committee and the General Committee for approval.
2-    The PUIC Secretary General shall send the Draft Agenda to all PUIC Member Parliaments together with the preparatory Documents of the PUIC Conference.
3-    The (CMWP) may amend or approve the proposed Draft Agenda.
4-    The (CMWP) shall adopt its Agenda at the beginning of its first session. 
5-    The extraordinary conference shall only consider the item(s) for which it is convened.


Rule 13:
1-    Members of the conference nominated by their respective parliaments may submit to the PUIC Executive Committee to include supplementary item(s) in the Draft Agenda not later than two months before the annual conference. An explanatory Note and a draft resolution should be attached to the proposals.

Rule 14:
1-    The Secretary General shall open the first session by delivering a general report.
2-    The annual report, submitted by the Conference's Bureau shall be the basis for the general debates, with which the conference initiates its discussions.


 SPEAKING-ORDER-PROCEDURAL MOTIONS

Rule 15: 
1-    No delegate may speak without the authorization of the Chairperson. 
2-    Members of the Conference shall speak in the order in which they request the floor.
3-    Any member shall not interrupt a speaker except on a point of order.
4-    The Chairperson shall rule immediately, and without debate, on all points of order.

Rule 16: 
1-    The Chairperson shall call a Speaker to order when the latter does not keep to the subject under discussion or prejudice the debate by using abusive language. The Chairperson may, if necessary, withdraw permission to speak and may have the objectionable expressions omitted from the record.

Rule 17: 
1-    The Chairperson shall address immediately any incident which may arise during the meeting, and, if necessary, take any measure required to restore the smooth working of the Conference.

Rule 18: 
1-    Procedural motions shall have precedence priority over substantive issues; debate on the latter shall be suspended while the former are being considered.
2-    In debate of procedural motions, only the mover of the proposal and one delegate holding a contrary opinion shall be heard.

Rule 19:
1-    Debates of the conference shall be public. They shall be held only in camera if the conference so decides by a two-third majority of the Member Parliaments participating in the first plenary session of the conference.


QUORUM – CONSENSUS- VOTING

Rule 20: 
1-    The Conference shall be convened with the presence of half the Member Parliaments participating in the conference.
2-    Quorum shall be established on the basis of delegations actually participating in the first plenary meeting when the Secretary General announces this quorum.

Rule 21:
1-    All resolutions and decisions shall be adopted by consensus. Otherwise they shall be adopted by a two-third majority of the votes of Member Parliaments participating in the first plenary session of the conference.


Rule 22: 
1-    Each delegation has one vote for its members each, with a maximum of three votes for each delegation.
2-    The Chairperson is not entitled to vote, unless he is one of the three members of the delegation of his parliament to the Conference.

Rule 23: 
1-    Voting may not take place except with the presence, in the meeting, of not less than half the number of delegations participating in the conference.
2-    The Conference shall normally vote by a show of hands, standing and sitting. However, if the Chairperson deems it necessary or a member of the Conference so requested, a vote by roll call or secret ballot may be taken.
3-    In case of voting, only positive and negative votes shall be taken into consideration.

Rule 24: 
1-    The conference shall vote on texts submitted by the other committees and bodies without debate on the substance of these subjects. 
2-    No debate may be opened or any position on voting taken on a question which the conference has already examined or taken a decision thereon.

Rule 25:
1-    Nobody may interrupt a vote once it has commenced, except to obtain clarification as to the manner in which the voting is being conducted.
2-    Delegates who wish to explain their vote briefly may be authorized to do so by the Chairperson, after voting has taken place.
3-    No explanation of vote shall be admissible on amendments and procedural motions.


AMENDMENTS

Rule 26:
1-    Any delegation may submit amendment to a motion or draft resolution, as well as sub-amendments.
2-    Amendments shall be submitted in writing. Amendments and sub-amendments may be submitted until the conference adopts the texts to which they relate.

Rule 27: 
1-    Amendments and sub-amendments shall be related to the text.
2-    Amendments and partial amendments shall be voted before the text to which they relate.


CONFERENCE SECRETARIAT

Rule 28: 
1-    The Secretary General shall be responsible for the secretariat of the conference. The Secretary General or his representative shall assist the Chairperson in directing the work of the Conference.
2-    The Secretary General or his representative may, at any time, at the request of the Chairperson, offer advice on any subject under consideration by the meeting.

Rule 29: 
1-    The Secretary General shall transmit to the Member Parliaments, as rapidly as possible, all documents related to the conference.
2-    The Parliament of the host country shall provide interpretation of the debates in the working languages of the PUIC (Arabic-English-French).

Rule 30: 
1-    The PUIC General Secretariat shall preserve the documents of the conference in its archives.
2-    The General Secretariat shall publish and distribute the summary record of the proceedings before the convening of the next conference.


 CLOSING THE CONFERENCE


Rule 31:
1-    At the close of the Conference the Chairperson shall read out the principal resolutions which have been adopted.
2-    Delegations shall inform their respective governments and parliaments of the resolutions, decisions and recommendations adopted by the conference with a view to obtaining the most active possible support for the implementation of these resolutions and recommendations.


ADOPTION OF RULES OF PROCEDURE:

Rule 32:
1-    The Conference shall adopt and amend the Rules of Procedure by a majority of members present. 
2-    Proposals for amending the Rules of Procedure of the Conference shall be formulated in writing and sent to the General Secretariat at least two months before the Conference meets. The General Secretariat shall communicate such proposals immediately to all the Member Parliaments. It shall also, if necessary, communicate to the Member Parliaments any proposals on sub-amendments, at least one month before the convening of the conference.
3-    Consideration of any request to amend the Rules of Procedure of the conference shall be included automatically in the agenda of the conference.

Rule 33: 
1-    The Conference may, on the request of a member parliament, amend the Rules of Procedure.
2-    Proposals for amending the Rules of procedure shall be formulated in writing together with an explanatory note and sent to the PUIC General Secretariat two months before the convening of the conference.
3-    The General Secretariat shall communicate these within one month to all Member Parliaments.
4-    Amendment(s) shall not come into force unless adopted by the conference with two- third majority of the members participating and voting.