Rule 9 Procedural motions

9.1 During a discussion, any delegation may move the suspension or adjournment of the meeting or the adjournment or closure of the debate.

9.2 Such a motion shall be put to the vote immediately. Subject to Rule 8.1, such motions shall have precedence in the following order over all other proposals or motions before the meeting: (a) suspension of the meeting; (b) adjournment of the meeting; (c) adjournment of the debate on the question under discussion; (d) closure of the debate on the question under discussion.

Rule 10 Working languages

10.1 The working languages of the Assembly shall be Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

10.2 Speeches made at the Assembly in one of the working languages shall be interpreted into the other languages.

10.3 Speakers may, however, speak in any other language, provided that they make their own arrangements for interpretation of their speeches into one of the working languages.

Rule 11 Resolutions and amendments

11.1 Draft resolutions and amendments may be proposed by the participants referred to in Rule 1 and shall be transmitted in writing to the Secretariat of the Assembly, which shall circulate copies to all participants.

11.2 As a general rule, no draft resolution or amendment shall be discussed or put to the vote unless it has been circulated reasonably in advance to all participants in the working languages of the Assembly.

Rule 12 Voting

12.1 The representative of each State referred to in Rule 1 shall have one vote in the Assembly.

12.2 Subject to the provisions of Rules 6.2 and 17, decisions shall be taken by a majority of the States present and voting, except for the provisions of Rule 12.3.

12.3 The decision concerning the amount of the contributions, in the form of a uniform percentage applicable to all States which have not made the declaration referred to in paragraph 2 of Article 26 of the Convention, shall be determined by a majority vote of the States Parties present and voting which have not made the above-mentioned declaration.

12.4 For the purpose of the present Rules, the expression ‘States present and voting’ shall mean States casting an affirmative or negative vote. States abstaining from voting shall be regarded as having not voted.

12.5 Voting shall normally be by show of hands, except for the election of members of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Committee’).

12.6 When the result of a vote by show of hands is in doubt, the Chairperson may take a second vote by roll-call. A vote by roll-call shall also be taken if it is requested by not less than two delegations before the voting takes place and for the decision mentioned in Rule 12.3.

12.7 When an amendment to a proposal is moved, the amendment shall be voted on first. When two or more amendments to a proposal are moved, the Assembly shall first vote on the amendment deemed by the Chairperson to be furthest removed in substance from the original proposal, and then on the amendment next furthest removed therefrom and so on, until all the amendments have been put to the vote.

12.8 If one or more amendments are adopted, the amended proposal shall then be voted upon as a whole.

12.9 A motion is considered an amendment to a proposal if it merely adds to, deletes from or revises part of that proposal. IV Election of Members of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage