Organic Rules

Organic Rules of the Office International des Epizooties

Decided by the International Committee, 24 May 1973

Considering the International Agreement for the creation of an Office International des Epizooties dated, Paris, 25 January 1924 and

Considering the Organic Statutes of the Office International des Epizooties, Appendix of the said International Agreement,

The Committee of the Office International des Epizooties

Decides:

CHAPTER I

BASIC TEXTS

Article 1

The Office International des Epizooties (hereafter referred to as the Office) is administered by:

– the International Agreement of 25 January 1924;

– the Organic Statutes, Appendix of the said Agreement;

– the Organic Rules of the Office;

– the General Rules of the Office.

Article 2

The International Agreement and the Organic Statutes may be modified only by common consent of the High Contracting Parties.

The Organic Rules are decided by the Committee, in accordance with Article 15 of the Organic Statutes.

No modification of these Organic Rules can be considered without the assent of each Member Country, which is expressed by the Delegates from Member Countries to the Committee.

Should the contemplated modifications involve new financial charges, the Committee must firstly appeal to the Governments of Member Countries for preliminary approval.

The General Rules shall be decided by the Committee and may be modified by a two-thirds majority of the votes of the Committee.

CHAPTER II

ORGANIC STRUCTURE

Article 3

The functions of the Office International des Epizooties shall be carried out by:

– the Committee of the Delegates representing the Member Countries (designated the Committee in these Rules);

– the Administrative Commission;

– the Regional Commissions;

– the Specialist Commissions;

– the Directorate of the Office and the Central Bureau.

CHAPTER III

THE COMMITTEE

Article 4

The Committee shall be composed of technical representatives appointed by the Member Countries of the Office.

Each Member Country shall be represented on the Committee by one permanent technical Delegate.

This Delegate may be the head of a Delegation according to the provisions of the General Rules.

Article 5

The Office shall be under the authority and the control of the Committee.

The Committee shall lay down both Organic and General Rules in accordance with the provisions contained in Article 15 of the Organic Statutes.

The Committee shall meet periodically and at least once a year.

The General Sessions shall be convened and held according to the provisions of the General Rules.

Each Delegate shall have one vote in each ballot.

Article 6

Without limiting its functions, the Committee shall have the power: a. to determine the scientific and technical policy of the Office; b. to study and vote on Proposals and Recommendations to Member Countries on the problems of the moment concerning the prophylaxis of epizootic diseases; c. to elect by secret ballot a President and a Vice-President for a term of office lasting three years; d. to elect an Administrative Commission which, according to the Provisions of the General Rules, shall represent the Committee in the intervals between its Sessions; e. to appoint the Director General; f. to examine and approve the annual Report of the Director General, firstly, on the management, activities and administrative work of the Office; secondly, on the scientific and technical activities of the Office; g. to examine and approve, in accordance with the conditions laid down in the General Rules, the financial report and the accounts already examined and approved by the Administrative Commission and presented by the Auditors; h. to examine and approve the budget and the financial estimates, according to the provisions of the General Rules, and to vote the funds for the next Period; i. to delegate, according to the provisions of the General Rules, the administration of the Office to the Director General; j. to set up all Commissions required for the work of the Office; k. to establish with other international organisations such relationships as may assure collaboration in the achievement of their respective aims, and its own aims.

CHAPTER IV

ADMINISTRATIVE COMMISSION

Article 7

The composition of the Administrative Commission is laid down in the General Rules.

Article 8

The functions of the Administrative Commission shall be the following: a. to represent the Committee in the intervals between its Sessions; b. to examine together with the Director General, before the annual General Session, the financial position of the Office by an evaluation of the receipts and expenses during the Period in question, and by an evaluation of the reserves and the patrimony; c. to study together with the Director General, before the annual General Session, the draft Budget, receipts and expenses for the next Period, to propose the total amount of the contributions to be paid by the Member Countries during the next Period in order to ensure that the work of the Office will be carried out, and to submit this proposition to the approval of the Committee; d. to study and give its approval to the financial report of the Director General and to submit it to the Committee for approval during the General Session;

e. on its own initiative, to submit advice and propositions to the Committee; f. to submit to the Committee, for examination and approval, a general programme of work and to prepare a list of the present-day or future themes from which the Agendas of the next General Sessions of the Committee may be worked out; g. within the objectives and the financial resources of the Office, to authorize the Director General to take such urgent action as may be required by events calling for an immediate action between the Sessions of the Committee.

Article 9

The rules governing the functioning of the Administrative Commission and the proceedings of its meetings are determined by the General Rules.

CHAPITRE V

THE COMMISSIONS

Article10

The Committee may, on the proposition of the Administrative Commission, convene Regional Commissions and Specialist Commissions to carry out the objectives of the Office.

The rules governing the functioning of each of these Commissions are determined by the General Rules.

CHAPTER VI

THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE OFFICE AND THE CENTRAL BUREAU

Article 11

The Director General of the Office shall be appointed by the Committee. The Administrative Commission may, without any exclusive right, submit propositions for this purpose to the Committee.

The technical and administrative personnel of the Central Bureau shall be appointed by the Director General of the Office.

The duties and functions of the Director General are determined by the General Rules.

Article 12

The Central Bureau shall consist of the technical and administrative personnel, the technical officials and the agents necessary for the carrying on of the Central Bureau.

The Central Bureau shall be placed under the authority of the Director General of the Office.

The activities of the Central Bureau are fixed by the General Rules.

CHAPTER VII

FINANCIAL RESOURCES

Article 13

The Committee shall establish its annual Budget and approve the Accounts.

The Committee shall examine the Report on the expenditure of the preceding Period, previously examined by the Administrative Commission and presented by the Auditors.

The Committee shall authorize the expenditure for the next Period and determine the receipts.

Article 14

The financial resources of the Office shall be covered by the financial participations of the Member Countries, viz.:

1. The annual total contribution consisting of:

a. the basic annual contribution as defined by Article 11 of the Organic Statutes;

b. the complementary annual contribution (additional) fixed by the Committee in accordance with the Budget established by the Committee.

For determining the rate of this complementary annual contribution, the Committee shall take into account:

– the total amount of the basic contributions;

– the current economic situation;

– the strictly necessary development of the activities of the Office caused by the evolution of the international zoosanitary situation.

The complementary contribution shall be a percentage of the basic contribution.

The annual total contribution shall be settled for a three-year period, provided that any change in the value of the gold franc or any unforeseeable deterioration of the current economic situation does not occur in the meantime and make necessary a revision of the rate of the complementary contribution.

2. An extraordinary contribution voted by the Committee by a two-thirds majority of the total number of the Member Countries of the Office. The vote shall be recorded during the Session of the Committee but the absent Delegates shall be consulted by letter. They shall be given one month from the receipt of the Resolution for expressing their opinion. In default of receiving the vote within this period it shall be accepted that they are not voting.

The number of abstentions from voting shall not be considered in calculating the majority.

This extraordinary contribution may be voted only for a definite object linked with the normal activities of the Office and its amount shall not be included in the general Budget. The funds must be used solely for the said definite object. A special report must be presented in this case during the following year to the Committee.

3. Other subscriptions, gifts and legacies of any kind from which it may legally benefit.