Standing Order No. 1 Preamble

No. 2 Standing Orders Committee

No. 3 Conference President and Vice Presidents

No. 4 Election of Conference Committees

No. 5 Credentials Committee

No. 6 Resolutions Committee

No. 7 Voting Procedures

No. 8 Motions concerning Procedure or Order

No. 9 Speakers and Time Limits

No. 10 Alteration of Standing Orders

1.1 These Standing Orders are designed to promote the smooth-running of Conference business but shall be subject at all times to the UNI-Europa Statutes. The standing orders shall be submitted for approval at the beginning of the first working session of the Conference.

2.1 The UNI-Europa Executive Committee shall act as the Standing Orders Committee and subject to Article 6.4 of the Statutes, shall issue a report dealing with the arrangements for Conference including proposals for the order of business and debates, and any other matter requiring a decision for the proper conduct of business.

3.1 The President and Vice Presidents for Conference shall be the President and Vice-Presidents of UNI-Europa.

3.2 The President shall declare the opening and close of Conference and direct its proceedings in accordance with the Statutes and the Standing Orders of Conference.

3.3 In the absence of the President, Conference shall be presided over by one of the Vice-Presidents as directed by the Standing Orders Committee.

3.4 A Vice-President whilst acting as President shall assume the same rights and responsibilities as the President.

4.1 At its first working session Conference shall elect a Credentials Committee consisting of five members, and a Resolutions Committee, the membership of which shall not exceed twelve. The Regional Secretary shall appoint a Secretary for each Committee.

5.1 The Credentials Committee shall examine the credentials of all delegates to Conference.

5.2 There shall be no substantive vote taken until the report of the Credentials Committee has been approved by Conference.

5.3 No delegate whose credentials are under question by the Credentials Committee shall participate in the vote upon the Credentials Committee report.

5.4 The decisions of Conference in regard to delegates’ credentials shall be final.

6.1 The Resolutions Committee shall be responsible for examining motions and amendments submitted in accordance with the provisions of Article 6 of the Statutes including any motions received which are considered by the Standing Orders Committee to be of an emergency nature.

6.2 The Resolutions Committee shall, where necessary, composite, re-draft and/or delete part or all of motions and amendments (but shall not introduce any new subject matter which was not originally present) with the aim of expediting the business of Conference.

6.3 Subject to any advice received from the Standing Orders Committee, it shall be the responsibility of the Resolutions Committee to present to Conference a written report in respect of all motions and amendments and the Committee may also recommend that certain motions/amendments be remitted to the UNI-Europa Executive Committee. Where practicable, a brief indication of the reasons for each decision will be given.

6.4 The report shall be put before Conference for approval.

7.1 Only accredited delegates shall have the right to vote. Voting shall normally be by show of hands. Card votes, in which each delegation shall cast its vote as a unit on the basis of its affiliated membership as at 3l December of the preceding year, may be called for by three or more delegations (representing a collective total of not less than 25 delegates) providing that a vote on the issue by show of hands has not commenced.

7.2 Decisions on votes shall be on the basis of a simple majority of those voting, except in the case of proposals to delete, add to or amend Statutes, proposals to suspend one or more of the Standing Orders or in respect of challenges to the President’s rulings, when there shall be not less than a two-thirds majority of those present and voting, for the proposal/challenge to be carried.

8.1 Motions concerning procedure or order of business may be moved by any delegate without notice and at any time other than when a speech is in progress. Such motions shall have precedence over other business. The President may allow one delegate to speak for and one to speak against the motion and then put the motion to the vote. Motions falling under this category include proposals to adjourn the discussion or the session, motions to take the vote and challenges to the President’s ruling.

8.2 A point of order, other than a procedural motion, shall be taken immediately. The President shall then give a ruling on the point of order, which, unless successfully challenged, shall be final.

9.1 Guests may be allowed to address Conference by arrangement with the Standing Orders Committee and the invitation of the President.

9.2 Applications by delegates wishing to speak shall be made to the President on the appropriate form of notice. The President shall normally call upon the speakers in the order in which applications have been handed in. A delegate may not speak twice on a question without the prior permission of the President.

9.3 Speaking time for rapporteurs shall be at the discretion of the President. All other speakers shall be limited to five minutes except in the case of speakers addressing the report of the Resolutions Committee who shall be limited to two minutes. With the approval of Conference the President may fix a shorter speaking time than five minutes.

10. Alteration of Standing Orders

10.1 These Standing Orders may be altered only by means of a motion submitted in accordance with the provisions of Article 6.5 to 6.8 of the Statutes.