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Adoption of Agenda and Programme of Work

Adoption of the Agenda

The adoption of the agenda (like the election of officers) is usually a formality, confirming the outcome of long preparations and consultations undertaken ahead of a GA Session or UN conference. Because agenda items are enshrined in tradition, it would be very unusual for any delegation to have any objection to the provisional agenda. In the case of Model UN conferences, given the time constraints, the provisional agenda needs to be decided in advance so that delegates have sufficient time to prepare their positions on the topics to be debated.

Nonetheless, it is worth pointing out that the provisional agenda must be adopted at the beginning of a conference before deliberations can begin. The Rules of Procedure do allow delegations to propose amendments to the provisional agenda if they so choose but this would have to be submitted to a vote like any other amendment. While it is unlikely that this would occur, the possibility that it could occur underscores the power that lies with Member States to make all final decisions.

Programme of Work

For a conference of short duration, the organization of work must be decided in advance in consultation with others so that it can be formally agreed with little or no debate.

For a large conference, with a long agenda, the organization of work has essentially three aspects that need to be decided:

1. How many main committees are needed to enable the conference to complete its work in time
2. Which agenda items will be allocated to which committee or handled directly in Plenary, and
3. What is the timetable in which the work will have to be performed, including the scheduling of any special events?

Considerable preliminary work is usually undertaken on these issues before the conference begins. In the case of GA Plenary meetings, the process is outlined in the GA¡¯s description in the Structure section of this publication (see pages 52 ¨C 53). Suggestions on how to incorporate this process in Model UN conferences is outlined in the section on Decisions to Make Before the Conference (see pages 32 ¨C 42.). Once the Programme of Work has been informally agreed, it is submitted to the GA Plenary for adoption during its first meeting, after which it remains an important reference for all delegates during the remainder of the session.

Finally, it should also be noted that not only Plenary but each committee has an opening session at which it must adopt its own agenda at the outset. The Chair of each committee must also prepare a Programme of Work, with the assistance of the UN Secretariat and in consultation with all delegations.