1. The Governing Council shall be composed of one representative of each Contracting State. An alternate designated by a Contracting State may act as representative in case of his or her principal’s absence from a meeting or inability to act.
2. At each of its annual meetings, the Governing Council shall elect a Chairperson who shall hold office until the election of the next Chairperson. One or more Vice Chairpersons may also be elected, whose term of office shall be the same as that of the Chairperson.
1. Without prejudice to the powers and functions vested in it by other provisions of this Convention, the Governing Council shall:
a)
adopt its own rules of procedure;
b)
adopt the administrative and financial regulations of the Organization;
c)
adopt the selection and appointment procedure of the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretaries-General;
d)
adopt the annual budget of revenues and expenditures of the Organization;
e)
adopt the rules of procedure for the institution of mediation proceedings;
f)
adopt the rules of procedure for mediation proceedings;
g)
adopt the code of conduct for mediators;
h)
review and approve the annual report on the operation of the Organization;
i)
appoint the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretaries-General;
j)
determine the conditions of service of the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretaries-General; and
k)
establish subsidiary institutions or advisory bodies of the Organization.
2. The Governing Council shall also exercise such other powers and perform such other functions as it shall determine to be necessary for the implementation of the provisions of this Convention.
3. The Governing Council shall not intervene in any ongoing mediation proceedings conducted under this Convention, nor shall it intervene in the conclusion of any settlement agreement by the parties.
1. The Governing Council shall hold an annual meeting and such other meetings as may be determined by the Governing Council, or convened by the Chairperson or by the Secretary-General at the request of not less than three members of the Governing Council.
2. The meetings shall be held at the Headquarters of the Organization, unless the Governing Council decides otherwise.
3. A quorum for any meeting of the Governing Council shall be a majority of its members.
4. The Governing Council may, by a majority of two-thirds of its members, allow members to participate in meetings by videoconference or other virtual means.
1. The Governing Council shall, to the furthest extent possible, operate on the basis of consensus.
2. In case consensus cannot be reached on a particular matter after every effort has been exhausted, except as otherwise provided in this Convention or in the selection and appointment procedure of the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretaries-General, the Governing Council shall move to decide on the matter by a majority of its members present and voting. The decision referred to in sub- paragraphs (a) to (g) and (k) of