Contents:

• I. Role and Composition
• II. Sessions
• III. Presidency
• IV. Agenda
• V. Deliberations - Quorum - Voting
• VI. Report and Recommendations to the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians
• VII. Secretariat
• VIII. Adoption and Amendment of the Rules

Rule 1

1. The Meeting of Women Parliamentarians shall be assisted by a Coordinating Committee whose Rules it shall approve.

2. In accordance with the provisions of Rule 29, para. 2, of the Rules of the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians, the role of the Coordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians is to:

(a) Prepare the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians and facilitate its normal working in conformity with the Statutes of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Rules of the Meeting;
(b) Ensure the continuity of work and the coordination of the initiatives of women parliamentarians;
(c) Ensure, particularly through its Bureau, coordination between the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians and the other bodies of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

The Coordinating Committee shall be constituted in conformity with the provisions of Rule 31 of the Rules of the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians.

Rule 3

1. The Coordinating Committee shall meet on the occasion of the two annual sessions of the Assembly

2. At the first annual session of the Assembly, it shall hold a first sitting before the opening of the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians and a second sitting during the days following the Meeting; if necessary, a further sitting may be organised during that Assembly.

3. The convocation of the Coordinating Committee, together with the provisional agenda, shall be sent to the members of the Committee at least one month before the date of the session.

Rule 4

1. After each renewal of half of the regional representatives, every two years, the Coordinating Committee shall propose to the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians the candidature of three of its members to hold office as President, First Vice-President and Second Vice-President of the Committee.

2. The Coordinating Committee shall take a decision on these candidates in conformity with the provisions of Rules 9 to 11 of these Rules.

3. The President and the Vice-Presidents of the Coordinating Committee shall hold office for the two years till the next renewal of half of the Committee (cf. Rule 31 of the Rules of the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians).

4. If the President dies, resigns or loses her seat in Parliament, the First Vice-President shall assume office as President for the remainder of the term.

5. If a Vice-President dies, resigns or loses her seat in Parliament, the Coordinating Committee shall propose to the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians a candidate to hold office for the remainder of the term.

Rule 5

1. The President shall direct the work of the Coordinating Committee, suspend and close the sitting, see that the Rules are observed, call upon the speakers, put questions to the vote, make known the results of the voting and declare the sessions closed. Her decisions on these matters shall be final and shall be accepted without debate.

2. The President shall decide on all matters not covered by these Rules, on the basis of the general provisions contained in the Rules of the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians.

Rule 6

1. A provisional agenda for each session of the Coordinating Committee shall be established by the Secretary General in consultation with the President of the Committee in the light of the work and decisions of the latter at its previous session. The provisional agenda shall be sent to the members of the Committee at least one month before the session.

2. The final agenda of each session shall be adopted by the Coordinating Committee at the start of its work.

Rule 7

1. Any member of the Coordinating Committee may request the inclusion of supplementary items in the provisional agenda.

2. After having heard the opinion of the President, the Committee shall decide on such a request in accordance with the provisions of Rules 9 to 11 of these Rules.

Rule 8

The members of the Coordinating Committee shall deliberate in camera.

Rule 9

The Coordinating Committee can only deliberate validly and take decisions if at least half of its members are present.

Rule 10

1. Each member of the Coordinating Committee shall have one vote.

2. The President shall participate in the voting only if the votes are equally divided.

Rule 11

1. The Coordinating Committee shall normally vote by show of hands. However, if the President deems it necessary or if one member of the Committee so requests, a secret ballot shall be held.

2. The Coordinating Committee shall take all its decisions by a majority of the votes cast.

3. In calculating the number of votes cast, only positive and negative votes shall be taken into consideration.

Rule 12

The Coordinating Committee shall report on its work to the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians and shall present to it opinions or recommendations on all matters within its competence.

Rule 13

1. At each annual Assembly, the Coordinating Committee shall appoint one of its members to report to the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians on the work carried out since the previous Meeting. The Coordinating Committee shall make that appointment at the start of its second sitting.

2. Only members of the Coordinating Committee having taken part in the two sittings to be covered by the report may act as Rapporteurs to the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians. The same person may not be appointed as Rapporteur more than once.

3. Should the appointed Rapporteur be unable to present the report, she shall be replaced by another titular or substitute member who took part in the sittings to be covered by the report. The Committee may appoint this substitute at the same time as the Rapporteur.

Rule 14

1. The Secretary General or the Secretary General's representative shall assist the President in directing the work of the Coordinating Committee.

2. The Secretary General or the Secretary General's representative may be invited by the President to speak on any question under consideration.

Rule 15

1. The Secretariat of the Union shall receive or prepare all documents needed for the deliberations of the Committee and shall distribute them in English and French; only these documents may be distributed in the meeting room.

2. It shall ensure the simultaneous interpretation in these two languages, as well as in Arabic and Spanish.

Rule 16

The Coordinating Committee shall establish its own Rules which shall then be presented for approval by the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians (cf. Statutes, Article 22).

Rule 17

1. The Coordinating Committee shall adopt its Rules by the majority of the votes cast by the members or substitutes present at the time of voting.

2. Proposals to amend the Rules of the Coordinating Committee must be formulated in writing and sent to the Secretariat of the Union at least three months before the next meeting of the Committee. The Secretariat shall communicate such proposals immediately to all members of the Committee and shall do likewise with any possible sub-amendment.

Statutes

Rules of the Assembly

Rules of the Governing Council

Rules of the Executive Committee

Rules of the Standing Committees

Rules of the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians

Rules of the Secretariat

Financial Regulations

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