Rules of procedure
See also Special Sessions
and Emergency Special Sessions
I. Sessions
Regular Sessions
Opening date
Rule 1
[based directly on a provision of the Charter (Art. 20), see introduction
paras. 46 and 48]
The General Assembly shall meet every year in regular session commencing on the Tuesday of the third week in September, counting from the first week that contains at least one working day.
Closing date
Rule 2
[see introduction, paras. 7 and 14; see also annex IV, para. 4]
On the recommendation of the General Committee, the General Assembly shall, at the beginning of each session, fix a closing date for the session.
Place of meeting
Rule 3
The General Assembly shall meet at the Headquarters of the United Nations unless convened elsewhere in pursuance of a decision taken at a previous session or at the request of a majority of the Members of the United Nations.
Rule 4
Any Member of the United Nations may, at least one hundred and twenty days before the date fixed for the opening of a regular session, request that the session be held elsewhere than at the Headquarters of the United Nations. The Secretary-General shall immediately communicate the request, together with his recommendations, to the other Members of the United Nations. If within thirty days of the date of this communication a majority of the Members concur in the request, the session shall be held accordingly.
Notification of session
Rule 5
The Secretary-General shall notify the Members of the United Nations, at least sixty days in advance, of the opening of a regular session.
Temporary adjournment of session
Rule 6
The General Assembly may decide at any session to adjourn temporarily and resume its meetings at a later date.
Special Sessions
Summoning by the General Assembly
Rule 7
[based directly on a provision of the Charter (Art. 20)]
The General Assembly may fix a date for a special session.
Summoning at the request of the Security Council or Members
Rule 8
[see introduction paras. 9 and 23]
- (a) Special sessions of the General Assembly shall be convened within fifteen days of the receipt by the Secretary-General of a request for such a session from the Security Council or from a majority of the Members of the United Nations or of the concurrence of a majority of Members as provided in rule 9.
- (b) Emergency special sessions pursuant to General Assembly resolution 377 A (V) shall be convened within twenty-four hours of the receipt by the Secretary-General of a request for such a session from the Security Council, on the vote of any nine members thereof, or of a request from a majority of the Members of the United Nations expressed by vote in the Interim Committee or otherwise, or of the concurrence of a majority of Members as provided in rule 9.
Request by Members
Rule 9
[see introduction, para. 9]
- (a) Any Member of the United Nations may request the Secretary-General to convene a special session of the General Assembly. The Secretary-General shall immediately inform the other Members of the request and inquire whether they concur in it. If within thirty days of the date of the communication of the Secretary-General a majority of the Members concur in the request, a special session of the General Assembly shall be convened in accordance with rule 8.
- (b) This rule shall apply also to a request by any Member of the United Nations for an emergency special session pursuant to resolution 377 A (V). In such a case, the Secretary-General shall communicate with the other Members by the most expeditious means of communication available.
Notification of session
Rule 10
[see introduction para. 9]
The Secretary-General shall notify the Members of the United Nations, at least fourteen days in advance, of the opening of a special session convened at the request of the Security Council, and at least ten days in advance in the case of a session convened at the request of a majority of the Members or upon the concurrence of a majority in the request of any Member. In the case of an emergency special session convened pursuant to rule 8 (b), the Secretary-General shall notify Members at least twelve hours before the opening of the session.
Regular and Special Sessions
Notification to other bodies
Rule 11
Copies of the notice convening each session of the General Assembly shall be addressed to all other principal organs of the United Nations and to the specialized agencies referred to in Article 57, paragraph 2, of the Charter.
