SECRETARIAT
Duties of the secretariat
Rule 14 [47]
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights shall act as secretariat for the
Council. In this regard, it shall receive, translate, print and circulate in all official United Nations languages,
documents, reports and resolutions of the Council, its committees and its organs; interpret speeches made at the
meetings; prepare, print and circulate the records of the session; have the custody and proper preservation of the
documents in the archives of the Council; distribute all documents of the Council to the members of the Council
and observers and, generally, perform all other support functions which the Council may require.
RECORDS AND REPORT
Report to the General Assembly
Rule 15
The Council shall submit an annual report to the General Assembly.
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE MEETINGS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
General principles
Rule 16 [60]
The meetings of the Council shall be held in public unless the Council decides that exceptional
circumstances require the meeting be held in private.
Private meetings
Rule 17 [61]
All decisions of the Council taken at a private meeting shall be announced at an early public meeting of
the Council.
CONDUCT OF BUSINESS
Working groups and other arrangements
Rule 18
The Council may set up working groups and other arrangements. Participation in these bodies shall be
decided upon by the members, based on rule 7. The rules of procedure of these bodies shall follow those of the
Council, as applicable, unless decided otherwise by the Council.
Quorum
Rule 19 [67]
The President may declare a meeting open and permit the debate to proceed when at least one third of
the members of the Council are present. The presence of a majority of the members shall be required for any
decision to be taken.
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