IPU Logo-top>>> VERSION FRANÇAISE  
 IPU Logo-middleInter-Parliamentary Union  
IPU Logo-bottomChemin du Pommier 5, Case postale 330, CH-1218 Le Grand Saconnex/Geneva, Switzerland  
RULES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 1

Adopted in 1972, extensively revised in October 1983 and amended in April 2003, March 2016 and April 2017

cubeDownload the entire text of IPU Statutes and Rules in PDF formatred cube

Contents:


I. COMPOSITION

RULE 1

The Executive Committee shall be composed of the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, 15 elected members, the President of the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians and the President of the Board of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians in conformity with Article 25 of the Statutes.

RULE 2

1. Any member of the Executive Committee who is unable to participate in a session may be replaced by another representative of the IPU Member concerned, duly mandated for that purpose. If the President of the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians, who is an ex officio member of the Executive Committee, is unable to attend, she may be replaced by the First Vice-President or the Second Vice-President of the Bureau, as the case may be. .If the President of the Board of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians, who is an ex officio member of the Executive Committee, is unable to attend, he/she may be replaced by the youngest member present of the Board of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians (cf. Board of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians, Rule 5.9)

2. If a member of the Executive Committee dies, resigns or ceases to be a parliamentarian, the IPU Member concerned shall appoint a substitute to serve until the next session of the Governing Council, when an election shall be held in the manner stipulated in Article 25.6 of the Statutes.

3. The number of substitutes may not exceed half of the participants at a session.

II. SESSIONS

RULE 3

1. The Executive Committee shall meet in ordinary session at least twice a year upon convocation by the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

2. It shall be convened in extraordinary session if the President deems it necessary or if three of its members, representing at least two geopolitical groups, so request.

RULE 4

1. The Executive Committee shall determine the place and date of its ordinary sessions.

2. The place and date of extraordinary sessions shall be set by the President in agreement, whenever possible, with the members of the Committee.

III. PRESIDENCY

RULE 5

1. The President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union shall preside ex officio over the Executive Committee.

2. A Vice-President of the Executive Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Committee each year at its last session to replace the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in case of the latter's absence, or to exercise the latter's functions until such time as a new President is elected by the Governing Council in case of resignation, loss of parliamentary mandate, death or of the suspension of the affiliation of the Member of the IPU to which the President belongs.

RULE 6

1. The President shall open, suspend and close the meetings, direct the work of the Committee, ensure respect for the Rules, call upon members to speak, put matters to the vote, announce the results of the voting and declare sessions closed. The President's decisions on these matters shall be final and not open to debate.

2. The President shall make a decision in all cases not covered by these Rules;such decisions shall be based on the general rules of procedure contained in the Rules of the Governing Council.

IV. AGENDA

RULE 7

1. The provisional agenda of each session shall be determined by the Secretary General in agreement with the President. It shall be communicated to the members of the Committee at least one month before the opening of each ordinary session.

2. Any member of the Executive Committee may request the inclusion of supplementary items in the agenda.

3. The definitive agenda of each session shall be set by the Executive Committee at the opening of each session.

V. DELIBERATIONS - QUORUM - VOTE

RULE 8

The members of the Executive Committee shall deliberate in camera.

RULE 9

The Executive Committee may hold valid deliberations and take valid decisions only if eight members or regularly appointed substitutes are present.

RULE 10

1. The members of the Executive Committee or their duly appointed substitutes shall have one vote each.

2. The President shall participate in the voting only if there is a tie.

RULE 11

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

2. Subject to the provisions of Rule 16, the Executive 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

1. In between sessions, the President, acting through the Secretary General, shall, if necessary, consult the Executive Committee by correspondence.

2. For the results of this consultation to constitute a valid decision, the Secretariat must have received replies from at least eight members of the Committee within 20 days of the date of despatch of the communication by which they were consulted.

VI. SUB-COMMITTTEE ON FINANCE

RULE 13

1. The Sub-Committee on Finance shall act as an advisory body to the Executive Committee. It shall review and make recommendations to the Executive Committee on financial matters or any other issue referred to it by the Executive Committee.

2. The Executive Committee shall adopt and amend the Terms of Reference of the Sub-Committee on Finance.

3. The Sub-Committee on Finance shall be composed of one representative from each of the geopolitical groups, selected from among Executive Committee members.

4. The members of the Sub-Committee shall be elected ad personam by the Executive Committee for a term of two years, renewable once, as long as they are members of the Executive Committee.

VII. SECRETARIAT

RULE 14 (cf. Secretariat, Rule 6)

1. The Secretary General or his/her representative shall assist the President in directing the work of the Executive Committee.

2. The Secretary General or his/her representative may speak on any question under consideration.

RULE 15

1. The IPU Secretariat shall receive or prepare all documents necessary for the deliberations of the Committee and shall distribute them to its members in English and French. It shall ensure the simultaneous interpretation of the debates in these languages, as well as in Arabic and Spanish.

2. It shall prepare provisional summary records of the sessions, which shall be sent to the members of the Committee within 40 days of the close of each session and submitted for their approval at the opening of the next session.

VIII. ADOPTION AND AMENDMENT OF THE RULES

RULE 16

1. The Committee shall adopt and amend its Rules by an absolute majority of the members or substitutes present at the time of the vote.

2. Proposals to amend the Rules of the Executive Committee must be formulated in writing and sent to the IPU Secretariat at least three months before the next meeting of the Committee.  The Secretariat shall immediately communicate such proposals, as well as any proposals for sub-amendments, to the members of the Committee.

*   *   *   *

TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

GUIDING PRINCIPLE

RULE 1

1. A Sub-Committee on Finance shall be established within the Executive Committee. The Sub-committee on Finance shall act as an advisory body and exercise an independent appraisal function to the Executive Committee as defined in section 2 below.

2. The work of the Sub-Committee on Finance shall be conducted in accordance with internationally accepted best practices and in compliance with IPU policies, rules and regulations.

ROLE OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE

RULE 2

The Sub-Committee shall review and, as appropriate, make recommendations to the Executive Committee on:

  1. The budget;
  2. Evaluations;
  3. The interim Financial Report, the Financial Report and audited Financial Statements, together with the Management Letter of the External Auditor;
  4. The audit plans of the External and Internal Auditors and any reports submitted by them to the Executive Committee;
  5. The IPU Secretariat’s responses to any of the above-mentioned matters;
  6. Other financial and administrative matters on the proposed agenda for the next session of the Executive Committee;
  7. Financial implications of every strategic plan;
  8. Financial contributions from other sources such as voluntary funding, fees for observer status or the like; and
  9. Any other matter referred to it by the Executive Committee.

COMPOSITION OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE

RULE 3

1. Bearing in mind the need to strive for geographical representation and gender balance, the Sub-Committee shall be composed of six members of both sexes, one from each geopolitical group, selected from among Executive Committee members.

2. The Sub-Committee shall elect a Chairperson from among its members.

MANDATE OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE

RULE 4

The members of the Sub-Committee shall be elected ad personam by the Executive Committee for a two-year term renewable once as long as they are still members of the Executive Committee.

WORKING METHODS

RULE 5

1. The Sub-Committee shall meet in closed session prior to each meeting of the Executive Committee. Extraordinary meetings may also be scheduled on an ad hoc basis as necessary.

2. The Sub-Committee shall hold annual meetings with the Internal and External Auditors.

ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS

RULE 6

The Sub-Committee shall have access to all records and documents of the Organization, including audit and evaluation reports, investigations as well as the reports and management letters from the External and Internal Auditors.

RESOURCES

RULE 7

1. The Sub-Committee shall be provided with administrative and secretarial support from the IPU Secretariat as and when required. The IPU Secretariat shall ensure simultaneous interpretation in English and French as well as Arabic and Spanish if so requested.

2. Travel and accommodation costs shall be covered by the national parliament of each member of the Sub-Committee.


  1. In these Rules, whenever the words "parliamentarian", "President", "Vice-President", "delegate", "representative", "member" and "observer" are used, they should be construed as referring to both women and men.


Statutes Rules of the Assembly Rules of the Governing Council Rules of the Executive Committee Rules of the Standing Committees Rules of the Forum of Women Parliamentarians Rules of the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians Forum of Young Parliamentarians of the IPU Rules of the Secretariat Financial Regulations Rights and responsibilities of observers

HOME PAGEred cubeMAIN AREAS OF ACTIVITYred cubeIPU STRUCTURE AND DOCUMENTS