Rules of Procedure of the Assembly (January 2023)

(Resolution 1202 (1999) adopted on 4 November 1999) with subsequent modifications of the Rules of Procedure* 

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Rule 34 - Amendments and sub-amendments

34.1. For amendments and sub-amendments to be tabled, they must be signed by at least five representatives or substitutes or approved by the committee submitting the report or an opinion.
34.2. Amendments may relate only to texts submitted to the Assembly for adoption.
34.3. Except where an amendment is self-explanatory, it may be accompanied by an explanatory note of no more than 50 words to facilitate better understanding or clarify the scope of the amendment.
34.4. An amendment which would tend to delete, replace or render inoperative the whole of a draft text or which seeks to convert a draft resolution into a draft recommendation is not in order.
34.5. Sub-amendments shall relate to an amendment previously tabled and may not contradict the sense of the amendment. A sub-amendment may not be further amended.
34.6. The President shall decide whether amendments and sub-amendments are in order. Unless the Bureau decides otherwise and except for debates under urgent procedure, amendments shall be tabled in accordance with the following deadlines:

- for the first day of a part-session, three hours before the opening of the sitting;

- for debates on the second day, not later than 4 p.m. on the first day of the part-session;

- for debates on the subsequent days of a part-session, not later than twenty-three and a half hours before the opening of the sitting at which the debate is to begin.

If the Assembly adopts changes to the draft agenda, the President may, if necessary, propose different deadlines to the Assembly.
Sub-amendments shall be tabled one hour before the scheduled end of the sitting preceding that in which the debate begins.
34.7.a. The President may exceptionally declare an oral amendment or sub-amendment to be in order if, in his or her opinion, it is designed to make a clarification, to take account of new facts or to lead to conciliation. In coming to that decision, he or she may consult the chairperson of the committee concerned.
34.7.b. An oral amendment or oral sub-amendment judged to be in order by the President shall not be taken into consideration if ten or more members of the Assembly object.
34.8. Amendments and sub-amendments shall have priority over the texts to which they refer and shall be put to the vote before the text itself.
34.9. When an amendment or sub-amendment is called, only the following shall be heard: one of the signatories (or, if none of them do so, any other member of the Assembly) in order to move it, one member to speak against and the chairperson or rapporteur of the committee seized for report to express the committee’s opinion. An amendment or sub-amendment which is not moved shall not be considered. An amendment or sub-amendment which has been withdrawn by its signatories may be moved by any other member of the Assembly. A rapporteur may not sign or move any amendment or sub-amendment to a draft text presented by the committee on whose behalf he or she is reporting except for amendments or sub-amendments tabled on behalf of that committee.
34.10. Before the first amendment is called, the President or any member may move a motion that only the rapporteur or the committee chairperson should speak on amendments. On any such motion shall only be heard the mover, one speaker against and the chairperson of the committee concerned.
34.11. Following a proposal presented by the chairperson of the committee seized for report, and if no Assembly member objects, amendments which have been unanimously approved by the committee shall be declared as adopted by the Assembly. In these circumstances Rules 34.7 and 34.8. shall not be applied. This paragraph shall also apply to discussion of a report presented by a committee to the Standing Committee.
34.12. Any amendment which has been rejected by the committee seized for report by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast shall not be put to the vote in plenary and shall be declared as definitively rejected, unless ten or more members of the Assembly object.
34.13.a. If two or more contradictory amendments relate to the same paragraph, the amendment which differs most from the text shall have priority over the others and shall be taken first. If it is agreed to, the other amendments thereby fall; if it is rejected, the amendment which is next in priority shall be considered, and similarly for each of the remaining amendments. In case of doubt as to the order, the President shall give a ruling, if necessary after consulting the chairperson of the committee concerned.
34.13.b. The same procedure shall be followed if two or more contradictory sub-amendments relate to the same amendment.
34.13.c. The President can propose that complicated amendments be considered and voted upon in parts, unless the chairperson of the committee concerned objects.