Speaking and voting

Speaking in plenary

Depending on whether they are representatives of a Member State, an Associate Member or an international liaison organization, delegates of the CGPM have different participation rights.

• Member States are convoked to attend the CGPM in accordance with the Metre Convention. Delegates duly accredited by the Member State on whose behalf they are attending the CGPM therefore have the right to speak in plenary and to vote.
• Associate Members are invited to attend the CGPM as observers. Delegates duly accredited by the Associate Member on whose behalf they are attending the CGPM do not have the right to vote. They do not have the right to speak in plenary, but may be invited to do so by the President of the CGPM.
• International liaison organizations are invited to attend the CGPM as observers. Delegates representing international liaison organizations do not have the right to vote. They do not have the right to speak in plenary, but may be invited to do so by the President of the CGPM.

During the meeting

Delegates may only address the CGPM upon invitation by the President of the CGPM.

The President of the CGPM will endeavour to call upon delegates in the order in which they signify their desire to speak.

Precedence will be given to Member State representatives over Associate Member and international liaison organization representatives, to whom the President of the CGPM may only afford the right to speak, consistent with maintaining the efficiency of the meeting.

The President of the CGPM will call to order any delegate whose intervention exceeds five (5) minutes. Delegates at the CGPM should use either English or French. The President of the CGPM will not recognize speakers using any other languages.

Arrangements will be made for the simultaneous interpretation of French speakers into English and English speakers into French. No other interpretation services will be offered.

Advance notification

Delegates wishing to present their view on a specific agenda item, either by means of a live intervention or a pre-recorded video statement, are kindly invited to notify the President of the CGPM in advance of the session at which that item is to be discussed, by addressing an email to cgpm(a)bipm.org.

Online participation

Participants of the CGPM are encouraged to attend the proceedings in person. However, pursuant to the Special Procedure regulating the conduct of the 28th meeting of the CGPM, a secure and user-friendly online platform will be provided for participants who are unable to attend in person.

For further information on online participation

Adoption of decisions and voting

Only Member States are empowered to take decisions and have voting rights at the CGPM.

Pursuant to the Special Procedure, adoption of decisions and voting will be in-person only. Member States are therefore strongly encouraged to send a credentialed delegate to attend the sessions of the CGPM at which adoption of decisions and voting will take place.

Adoption of decisions

In accordance with the established practice at CGPM meetings, the process involves seeking to take into account the views of all States Parties and to reconcile any conflicting views. At the conclusion of each discussion, decisions are reached through consensus or voting by roll-call.

Consensus

Consensus is characterized by the absence of sustained opposition. In this case, the President of the CGPM will ask the Heads of delegations to indicate by raising a hand whether they are for, against or abstain.

This is the favoured procedure and the President of the CGPM will make every effort to build consensus.

Decisions put to vote

If it is not possible to reach a consensus, decisions will be adopted by roll-call voting, which consists in each Member State indicating their vote when called to cast it.

Each Member State possesses one vote. Abstentions will be regarded as the Member State not voting. All matters that proceed to a vote are decided by a majority of the Member States voting. Equally divided voting will be regarded as rejecting the matter for decision. The outcome of the vote and consequent decision of the General Conference will be announced by the President of the CGPM.

Adoption of the dotation

Matters concerning the assessment of financial contributions by Member States will not proceed to a vote, but will be decided on the basis of absence-of-objection. Such consensus will be facilitated by the Secretary of the CGPM, ascertained through a roll-call of the Member States.

Elections

During the 28th meeting of the CGPM an on-site secret ballot will be organized, with the support of a third-party voting service, for the election of the members of the Committee for the Election of the CIPM and the members of the CIPM.

Delegation of voting rights

A Member State that is intending to send its own delegation to attend the 28th meeting of the CGPM meeting in person, but that might nonetheless be unable to attend the sessions during which voting will take place, may transfer their vote to the delegation of another Member State.

Procedure

States Parties intending to delegate their vote are kindly requested to send formal notification to the Director of the BIPM by email addressed to cgpm(a)bipm.org. Such notification should be submitted on the first day of the General Conference and no later than the day before the session during which voting will take place.

Conditions

The Member State transferring their vote must be duly credentialed to attend the 28th meeting of the CGPM. The receiving State Party must be duly credentialed to attend the 28th meeting of the CGPM. A receiving Member State cannot exercise a vote on behalf of more than one other Member State.

At the start of the session during which voting will take place, the President of the CGPM will inform the General Conference of any notifications to transfer a vote and may allow the transfer of voting rights on an absence of objection basis.

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