A/HRC/45/2 Part Two Summary of proceedings I. Organizational and procedural matters A. Opening and duration of the session 1. The Human Rights Council held its forty-fifth session at the United Nations Office in Geneva from 14 September to 7 October 2020. The President of the Council opened the session. 2. In accordance with rule 8 (b) of the rules of procedure of the Human Rights Council, as contained in part VII of the annex to Council resolution 5/1, the organizational meeting of the forty-fifth session was held on 31 August 2020. 3. The forty-fifth session consisted of 39 meetings over 18 days (see paragraph 14 below). B. Attendance 4. The session was attended by representatives of States Members of the Human Rights Council, observer States of the Council, observers for non-Member States of the United Nations and other observers, as well as observers for United Nations entities, specialized agencies and related organizations, intergovernmental organizations and other entities, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations (see annex I). C. Agenda and programme of work 5. At the 1st meeting, on 14 September 2020, the Human Rights Council adopted the agenda and programme of work of the forty-fifth session. 6. At the same meeting, the Human Rights Council decided to hold an urgent debate on the situation of human rights in Belarus under agenda item 1, on 18 September 2020. D. Organization of work 7. At the 1st meeting, on 14 September 2020, the Human Rights Council decided to endorse the extraordinary modalities recommended by the Bureau of the Council, similar to those applied at the forty-fourth session in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The measures included enabling the delivery of statements by pre-recorded video-messages, the virtual exercise of the right of reply, and the participation of special procedure mandate holders, members of investigative mechanisms and panellists via video messages and video-link. 8. At the same meeting, the President of the Human Rights Council referred to the online system for inscription on the lists of speakers for all interactive dialogues, general debates and panel discussions, opened on 8 September 2020. The President also referred to the modalities and schedule of the online inscription. 9. Also at the same meeting, the President noted that the deadline for the submission of draft proposals was 25 September 2020, and that an extension of the deadline for the submission of a draft proposal could be approved by the Human Rights Council under exceptional circumstances, one time only, for a maximum of 24 hours. 8