WIPO
WIPO CRNR/DC/2 ORIGINAL: English DATE: August 30, 1996
DIPLOMATIC CONFERENCE
ON
CERTAIN COPYRIGHT AND NEIGHBORING RIGHTS QUESTIONS
Geneva, December 2 to 20, 1996
DRAFT RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE DIPLOMATIC CONFERENCE
approved by the Preparatory Committee of the Diplomatic
Conference
and noted with approval by the General Assembly of WIPO
and the Assembly of the Berne Union
Observations of the International Bureau
The first version of the draft Rules of Procedure was proposed by the Director General of WIPO to the Preparatory Committee of the Proposed Diplomatic Conference (December 1996) on Certain Copyright and Neighboring Rights Questions and was considered by that Committee in its meeting held in Geneva on May 20 and 21, 1996 (see document CRNR/PM/3).
The Preparatory Committee approved the draft Rules of Procedure as proposed to it, subject to the following four changes: First , it broadened the composition of the Steering Committee by also including the Vice-Presidents of the Conference (Rule 14(2)). Second , it decreased the number of Vice-Presidents (from 15) to 10 (Rule 15(1)). Third , it included a new provision on the right to vote by the European Community (see Rule 33(3); the paragraph containing this new provision appears within a pair of square brackets and its proviso within another pair of square brackets within the first pair of square brackets). Fourth , it decided that the information documents and summary minutes be distributed, whenever practicable, also in Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish (Rule 43(2) and (3)(b)) (see document CRNR/PM/8, paragraphs 31 to 51).
Subsequently, the General Assembly of WIPO (at its eighteenth session (6th extraordinary)) and the Assembly of the Berne Union (at its nineteenth session (7th extraordinary)), in joint meetings held in Geneva on May 21 and 22, 1996, noted with approval the conclusions of the Preparatory Committee (document AB/XXVIII/3, paragraph 7).
Since the Basic Proposal (see document CRNR/DC/3) now contains provisions on a possible Assembly of the Contracting Parties, Rule 12(1) has been changed to refer not only to the final clauses but also to "any administrative... clauses."
All the above-mentioned changes are included in the Draft Rules of Procedure, as set out below.
DRAFT RULES OF PROCEDURE
Contents
CHAPTER I: OBJECTIVE, COMPETENCE, COMPOSITION AND SECRETARIAT OF THE CONFERENCE
Rule 1: Objective and Competence of the Conference
Rule 2: Composition of the Conference
Rule 3: Secretariat of the Conference
Rule 4: Delegations
Rule 5: Observer Organizations
Rule 6: Credentials and Full Powers
Rule 7: Letters of Appointment
Rule 8: Presentation of Credentials, etc.
Rule 9: Examination of Credentials, etc.
Rule 10: Provisional Participation
CHAPTER III: COMMITTEES AND WORKING GROUPS
Rule 11: Credentials Committee
Rule 12: Main Committees and Working Groups
Rule 13: Drafting Committee
Rule 14: Steering Committee
Rule 15: Officers and their Election; Precedence Among Vice Presidents and Vice Chairmen
Rule 16: Acting President; Acting Chairman
Rule 17: Replacement of the President or the Chairman
Rule 18: Vote by the Presiding Officer
CHAPTER V: CONDUCT OF BUSINESS
Rule 19: Quorum
Rule 20: General Powers of the Presiding Officer
Rule 21: Speeches
Rule 22: Precedence in Receiving the Floor
Rule 23: Points of Order
Rule 24: Limit on Speeches
Rule 25: Closing of List of Speakers
Rule 26: Adjournment or Closure of Debate
Rule 27: Suspension or Adjournment of the Meeting
Rule 28: Order of Procedural Motions; Content of Interventions on Such Motions
Rule 29: Basic Proposal; Proposals for Amendment
Rule 30: Decisions on the Competence of the Conference
Rule 31: Withdrawal of Procedural Motions and Proposals for Amendment
Rule 32: Reconsideration of Matters Decided
Rule 33: Right to Vote
Rule 34: Required Majorities
Rule 35: Requirement of Seconding; Method of Voting
Rule 36: Conduct During Voting
Rule 37: Division of Proposals
Rule 38: Voting on Proposals for Amendment
Rule 39: Voting on Proposals for Amendment on the Same Question
Rule 40: Equally Divided Votes
CHAPTER VII: LANGUAGES AND MINUTES
Rule 41: Languages of Oral Interventions
Rule 42: Summary Minutes
Rule 43: Languages of Documents and Summary Minutes
CHAPTER VIII: OPEN AND CLOSED MEETINGS
Rule 44: Meetings of the Conference and the Main Committees
Rule 45: Meetings of Other Committees and of Working Groups
CHAPTER IX: OBSERVER DELEGATIONS AND OBSERVER ORGANIZATIONS
Rule 46: Status of Observers
CHAPTER X: AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES OF PROCEDURE
Rule 47: Possibility of Amending the Rules of Procedure
Rule 48: Signing of the Final Act
