Rules of Procedure of the Assembly (December 2025)

33.1. Each item on the agenda shall be considered on the basis of a report from the relevant committee or from the Bureau.

33.2. Subject to the provisions of Rules 7., 8.3., 9.2. and 73.4 and of paragraph 3 below, this report, except for the Progress Report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee, shall be distributed at least two weeks before the opening of the part-session. The main committee’s report shall be made available to the committee for opinion in time for the latter to draw up its opinion if possible one week before the latter’s meeting. If the report is not distributed within the time-limit laid down, and at least ten representatives or substitutes belonging to at least five national delegations so request when the draft agenda is considered, the debate shall be postponed until a later part-session unless urgent procedure has already been requested with respect to that report. However, if at least ten representatives or substitutes belonging to at least five delegations object, the postponement may be overruled by the Assembly through a vote by a two-thirds majority.

33.3. In the case of a debate under urgent procedure, the committee’s report may not be considered until twenty-four hours after its distribution.

33.4. Following the debate on the committee’s report or on the report of a Bureau ad hoc committee on the observation of an election, the Assembly shall vote on the draft text or texts which it may contain. Amendments and sub-amendments to those draft texts may be tabled and considered in accordance with the provisions of Rule 34. When all amendments and sub-amendments have been considered and voted, the Assembly shall vote on the text as a whole. After the announcement of the outcome of the vote, representatives or substitutes who have not spoken in the proceedings may speak for not more than one minute each to explain their votes.

33.5. The Progress Report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee may contain a special section or an appendix listing the decisions to be ratified by the Assembly, in particular decisions taken on the basis of Rule 26 concerning official documents. Adoption of a motion by a member to change a Bureau decision shall require a majority of the votes cast. On any such motion only the mover, one speaker against and the rapporteur of the Bureau shall be heard.