The United Nations Environment Assembly

Adopts the following amendments to the rules of procedure:

1. Rule 2 as amended reads as follows:

1. Each regular session of the United Nations Environment Assembly shall be held, subject to the provisions of rule 3, at a date fixed by the United Nations Environment Assembly at its previous session in such a way, if practicable, as to enable the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly to consider the report of the United Nations Environment Assembly in the same year.

2. When setting the date in a given year for the session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, the dates of meetings of other relevant bodies, including the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, should be taken into account.

2. Rule 7 as amended reads as follows:

The Executive Director shall communicate the date of the first meeting of each session to all States Members of the United Nations or members of the specialized agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Chairpersons of subsidiary organs of the United Nations Environment Assembly, as appropriate, the President of the General Assembly when the Assembly is in session, the President of the Economic and Social Council, the specialized agencies, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the appropriate United Nations bodies, the intergovernmental organizations referred to in rule 68 below and the non-governmental organizations and other relevant stakeholders referred to in rule 69 below. Such notification shall be sent

(a) In the case of a regular session, at least forty-two days in advance;

(b) In the case of a special session, at least fourteen days in advance of the date fixed in accordance with rule 6 above.

3. The title of section IV: for “OFFICERS”, read “UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT ASSEMBLY BUREAU”.

4. Rule 18, paragraph 1: for “three Vice-Presidents”, read “eight Vice-Presidents”.

Replace paragraph 2 of rule 18 with the following paragraph:

In electing its officers, the United Nations Environment Assembly shall ensure that each of the five regions is represented by two members in the Bureau of the United Nations Environment Assembly.

5. New rule, to be inserted after rule 18 and before rule 19, as follows:

Replacement of a Bureau member

1. During the session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, if a Bureau member, except the President, is unable to permanently carry out any of her or his functions, the Assembly may elect an alternate upon appointment by a member State or by the regional group to which that member belongs

2. During the intersessional period, if a Bureau member resigns or is unable to exercise functions, the member State or the regional group to which that member belongs shall nominate a replacement for the remainder of the term. The Executive Director shall immediately upon receipt of the nomination inform all members of the United Nations Environment Assembly of the nomination in writing. If within one month no objections are received in writing, the nominee is elected. If a member State objects, the nominee is elected if a majority of member States responding support the nominee.

6. Rule 43 as amended reads as follows:

Proposals and amendments shall normally be introduced in writing and submitted to the Executive Director, who shall circulate copies to the members in all the official languages of the United Nations Environment Assembly. As a general rule, no proposal shall be discussed or put to the vote at any meeting of the United Nations Environment Assembly unless copies of it have been circulated to all members not later than the day preceding the meeting. Subject to the consent of the United Nations Environment Assembly, the President may, however, permit the discussion and consideration of proposals or amendments even though these proposals or amendments have not been circulated or have only been circulated on the same day.

7. Title of section VIII: replace the current title with the following:

SESSIONAL OR INTERSESSIONAL COMMITTEES, WORKING PARTIES AND SUBSIDIARY ORGANS OF THE UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT ASSEMBLY

8. Rule 59 as amended reads as follows:

The United Nations Environment Assembly may establish such sessional or interessional committees, working parties and subsidiary organs as may be necessary for the effective discharge of its functions.

9. Rule 64 as amended reads as follows:

1. All resolutions, declarations, recommendations and other formal decisions of the United Nations Environment Assembly, as well as its reports to the General Assembly and other documents, shall be made available in the languages of the United Nations Environment Assembly.

2. The text of the resolutions, declarations, recommendations and other formal decisions adopted by the United Nations Environment Assembly, its sessional committee and other subsidiary organs, if any, shall be distributed by the secretariat to all members of the United Nations Environment Assembly and any others participating in the session. The printed text of such resolutions, recommendations and other formal decisions, as well as the reports of the United Nations Environment Assembly to the General Assembly, shall be distributed after the close of the session to all States Members of the United Nations or members of the specialized agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and to the intergovernmental organizations referred to in rule 68 below.

10. Rule 66 as amended reads as follows:

The meetings of the United Nations Environment Assembly, its sessional committees and working parties and subsidiary organs, if any, shall be held in public unless the body concerned decides otherwise. If possible, such proceedings shall be broadcast to the wider public through electronic means.

11. Rule 68: insert new paragraph 3 as follows:

A regional economic integration organization may participate in the deliberations of the United Nations Environment Assembly with the same modalities as those applicable to its participation in the sessions and the work of the General Assembly.

Add a footnote against the term “regional economic integration organization” to read as follows: “That is the subject of General Assembly resolution 65/276.”