WORLD TRADE G/SG/4
17September 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-3632)
Committee onSafeguards
RULES OFPROCEDURE FOR MEETINGS OF
THE COMMITTEE ONSAFEGUARDS
Approved bytheCouncil forTrade inGoods
Chapter I—Meetings
Rule1
TheCommittee onSafeguards shallmeet notlessthantwice ayearinregular session, and
otherwise asappropriate.
Rule2
Meetings oftheCommittee onSafeguards shallbeconvened bytheDirector-General byanotice
issued preferably three weeks, butinanycase, notlessthantencalendar daysprior tothedateset
forthemeeting. Intheevent thatthetenth dayfallsonaweekend oraholiday, thenotice shallbe
issued nolaterthanthepreceding WTO working day.Meetings maybeconvened withshorter notice
formatters ofsignificant importance orurgency attherequest ofaMember concurred inbythemajority
oftheMembers.
Chapter II—Agenda
Rule3
Alistoftheitems proposed fortheagenda ofthemeeting shallbecommunicated toMembers
together withtheconvening notice forthemeeting. ItshallbeopentoanyMember tosuggest items
forinclusion intheproposed agenda upto,andnotincluding, thedayonwhich thenotice ofthemeeting
istobeissued.
Rule4
Requests foritems tobeplaced ontheagenda ofaforthcoming meeting shallbecommunicated
totheSecretariat inwriting, together withtheaccompanying documentation tobeissued inconnection
withthatitem. Documentation forconsideration atameeting shallbecirculated preferably threeweeks,
butinanycasenotlaterthantencalendar daysprior tothedatesetforthemeeting.
Rule5
Notapplicable.G/SG/4
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Rule6
Thefirstitemofbusiness ateachmeeting shallbetheconsideration andapproval oftheagenda.
Representatives maysuggest amendments totheproposed agenda, oradditions totheagenda under
"Other Business". Representatives shall provide theChairperson ortheSecretariat, andtheother
Members directly concerned, whenever possible, advance notice ofitems intended toberaised under
"Other Business".
Rule7
TheCommittee onSafeguards mayamend theagenda orgivepriority tocertain items atany
timeinthecourse ofthemeeting.
Chapter III—Representation
Rule8
Each Member shallberepresented byanaccredited representative.
Rule9
Eachrepresentative maybeaccompanied bysuchalternates andadvisers astherepresentative
mayrequire.
Chapter IV—Observers
Rule10
Representatives ofStates orseparate customs territories mayattend themeetings asobservers
ontheinvitation oftheCommittee onSafeguards inaccordance withparagraphs 9to11oftheguidelines
inAnnex 2totheRules ofProcedure oftheGeneral Council.
Rule11
Representatives ofinternational intergovernmental organizations mayattend themeetings as
observers ontheinvitation oftheCommittee onSafeguards inaccordance withtheguidelines inAnnex 3
totheRules ofProcedure oftheGeneral Council.
Chapter V—Officers
Rule12
TheCommittee onSafeguards shallelectaChairperson*andmayelectaVice-Chairperson
fromamong therepresentatives ofMembers. Theelection shalltakeplace atthefirstregular meeting
*TheCommittee onSafeguards shallapply therelevant guidelines contained inthe"Guidelines
forAppointment ofOfficers toWTO Bodies" (WT/L/31 dated 7February 1995).G/SG/4
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oftheyearandshalltakeeffect attheendofthemeeting. TheChairperson andVice-Chairperson
shallholdoffice untiltheendofthefirstregular meeting ofthefollowing year.
Rule13
IftheChairpersonisabsentfromanymeetingorpartthereof,theVice-Chairpersonshallperform
thefunctions oftheChairperson. IfnoVice-Chairperson waselected oriftheVice-Chairperson is
notpresent, theCommittee onSafeguards shallelectaninterim Chairperson forthatmeeting orthat
partofthemeeting.
Rule14
IftheChairperson cannolonger perform thefunctions oftheoffice, theCommittee on
Safeguards shalldesignate theVice-Chairperson referred toinRule12or,ifnoVice-Chairperson was
elected, shallelectaninterim Chairperson, toperform those functions pending theelection ofanew
Chairperson.
Rule15
TheChairperson shall normally participate intheproceedings assuch andnotasthe
representative ofaMember. TheChairperson may, however, atanytimerequest permission toact
inthelatter capacity.
Chapter VI—Conduct ofbusiness
Rule16
Notapplicable.
Rule17
Inaddition toexercising thepowers conferred elsewhere bythese rules, theChairperson shall
declare theopening andclosing ofeachmeeting, shalldirect thediscussion, accord therighttospeak,
submit questions fordecision, announce decisions, ruleonpoints oforder and,subject tothese rules,
havecomplete control oftheproceedings. TheChairperson mayalsocallaspeaker toorder ifthe
remarks ofthespeaker arenotrelevant.
Rule18
During thediscussion ofanymatter, arepresentative mayraiseapoint oforder. Inthiscase
theChairperson shallimmediately statetheruling. Iftheruling ischallenged, theChairperson shall
immediately submit itfordecision anditshallstand unless overruled.
Rule19
During thediscussion ofanymatter, arepresentative maymove theadjournment ofthedebate.
Anysuchmotion shallhavepriority. Inaddition totheproponent ofthemotion, onerepresentative
maybeallowed tospeak infavour of,andtworepresentatives against, themotion, afterwhich the
motion shallbesubmitted fordecision immediately.G/SG/4
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Rule20
Arepresentative mayatanytimemove theclosure ofthedebate. Inaddition totheproponent
ofthemotion, notmore thanonerepresentative maybegranted permission tospeak infavour ofthe
motion andnotmore thantworepresentatives maybegranted permission tospeak against themotion,
afterwhich themotion shallbesubmitted fordecision immediately.
Rule21
During thecourse ofthedebate, theChairperson mayannounce thelistofspeakers and,with
theconsent ofthemeeting, declare thelistclosed. TheChairperson may, however, accord theright
ofreply toanyrepresentative ifaspeech delivered afterthelisthasbeendeclared closed makes this
desirable.
Rule22
TheChairperson, withtheconsent ofthemeeting, maylimitthetimeallowed toeachspeaker.
Rule23
Representatives shall endeavour, totheextent thatasituation permits, tokeep their oral
statements brief. Representatives wishing todevelop theirposition onaparticular matter infuller detail
maycirculate awritten statement fordistribution toMembers, thesummary ofwhich, atthe
representative 'srequest, maybereflected intherecords oftheCommittee onSafeguards.
Rule24
Inorder toexpedite theconduct ofbusiness, theChairperson mayinvite representatives that
wishtoexpress theirsupport foragiven proposal toshow theirhands, inorder tobedulyrecorded
intherecords oftheCommittee onSafeguards assupporting statements; thus, onlyrepresentatives
withdissenting views orwishing tomake explicit points orproposals would actually beinvited tomake
astatement. Thisprocedure shallonlybeapplied inorder toavoid undue repetition ofpoints already
made, andwillnotpreclude anyrepresentative whosowishes from taking thefloor.
Rule25
Representatives should avoid unduly longdebates under "Other Business". Discussions on
substantive issues under "Other Business" shallbeavoided, andtheCommittee onSafeguards shall
limititself totaking noteoftheannouncement bythesponsoring delegation, aswellasanyreactions
tosuchanannouncement byother delegations directly concerned.
Rule26
WhiletheCommitteeonSafeguardsisnotexpectedtotakeactioninrespectofanitemintroduced
as"Other Business", nothing shallprevent theCommittee onSafeguards, ifitsodecides, totakeaction
inrespect ofanysuchitemataparticular meeting, orinrespect ofanyitemforwhich documentation
wasnotcirculated atleasttencalendar daysinadvance.G/SG/4
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Rule27
Representatives should make every effort toavoid therepetition ofafulldebate ateachmeeting
onanyissue thathasalready beenfullydebated inthepastandonwhich there appears tohavebeen
nochange inMembers 'positions already onrecord.
Rule28
Proposals andamendments toproposals shallnormally beintroduced inwriting andcirculated
toallrepresentatives notlaterthantwelve hours before thecommencement ofthemeeting atwhich
theyaretobediscussed.
Rule29
Iftwoormore proposals aremoved relating tothesamequestion, themeeting shallfirstdecide
onthemost far-reaching proposal andthenonthenextmost far-reaching proposal andsoon.
Rule30
When anamendment ismoved toaproposal, theamendment shallbesubmitted fordecision
firstand,ifitisadopted, theamended proposal shallthenbesubmitted fordecision.
Rule31
When twoormore amendments aremoved toaproposal, themeeting shalldecide firston
theamendment farthest removed insubstance from theoriginal proposal, then, ifnecessary, onthe
amendment nextfarthest removed, andsoonuntilalltheamendments havebeensubmitted fordecision.
Rule32
Parts ofaproposal maybedecided onseparately ifarepresentative requests thattheproposal
bedivided.
Chapter VII—Decision-Making
Rule33
Where adecision cannotbearrived atbyconsensus, thematter atissue shallbereferred to
theCouncil forTrade inGoods.
Rule34
Notapplicable.
Chapter VIII—Languages
Rule35
English, French andSpanish shallbetheworking languages.G/SG/4
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Chapter IX—Records
Rule36
Records ofthediscussions oftheCommittee onSafeguards shallbeintheformofminutes.**
Chapter X—Publicity ofmeetings
Rule37
Themeetings oftheCommittee onSafeguards shallordinarily beheldinprivate. Itmaybe
decided thataparticular meeting ormeetings should beheldinpublic.
Rule38
After aprivate meeting hasbeenheld, theChairperson mayissueacommuniqué tothePress.
Chapter XI—Revision
Rule39
TheCommittee onSafeguards maydecide atanytimetorevise theserulesoranypartofthem.
**Thecustomary practice under theGATT 1947, whereby representatives may,upontheirrequest,
verify those portions ofthedraft records containing theirstatements, prior totheissuance ofsuch
records, shallbecontinued.