The right of representatives to speak

The right of representatives to explain their position and attempt to convince other delegations is a fundamental right of all delegations participating in a conference. Together with the right to submit proposals and the right to participate in decision taking, it is one of the three basic rights that must appear in every set of rules of procedure.

Representatives are not however obliged to speak and there does not appear to be any authority where a representative has been ordered to speak. At a 1973 meeting of the UNGA, the Libyan representative requested that the UK delegation immediately report to the Committee on the situation in Southern Rhodesia. The UK representative demurred, whereupon the Libyan representative proposed that the Committee call upon the UK representative to speak and the Committee approved the Libyan proposal. The UK representative said that it was not within the power of the Committee to insist on a particular delegation speaking at a particular time. The meeting was then adjourned without any further action being taken.

The WHO has formalised the procedure whereby ‘In order to save time, whenever one delegate is invited to come to the rostrum to make a statement, the next delegate on the list of speakers will also be called to the rostrum, where he or she will sit until the time to speak has come.’