General Assembly

(General Assembly, Its Composition and Competencies):

1. The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the Union and has all the necessary powers and competencies to ensure the achievement of its objectives.
2. The General Assembly is composed of representatives of the official national news agencies of the OIC Member States.

(General Assembly meetings):

1. The General Assembly holds an ordinary session once every two years, and it may hold an extraordinary session in accordance with the procedures stipulated in this statute.
2. The General Administration of the Union calls the General Assembly to meet for the regular session in accordance with what was decided in the previous regular session, and it must send the agenda with documents to the members at least one month before the date of the meeting.
3. The General Administration of the Union calls upon the General Assembly to meet in a session of the simple majority (extraordinary or open membership) based on the request of at least a quarter of the number of member agencies and the approval of the simple majority, or if the Executive Council deems it necessary.
4. If it is not possible to convene the session of the General Assembly in the place and date specified for it, or in the alternative place - if agreed upon - then the session will be held at the Union’s headquarters on the specified date, or at a date not exceeding three months from that date.
5. The Director General of the Union shall prepare the agenda for the session in consultation with the President of the Executive Council or the President of the General Assembly.
6. In particular, the agenda for the regular session includes:

7. Each member has the right to suggest topics to be included in the agenda of the regular session, provided that these topics are sent to the Director General of the Union with explanatory memorandums thereof at least two months before the date of the meeting.
8. New topics may be added to the agenda when the Ordinary General Assembly convenes with the approval of the majority of those present.
9. The agenda of the extraordinary session of the General Assembly includes the topic or topics related to it, and other topics may be added with the approval of two-thirds of the members present.
10. The meetings of the General Assembly are legal if attended by the simple majority of the members.
11. The decisions of the Assembly shall be issued by a simple majority of the members present, except as otherwise stipulated in this bylaw, and the decisions shall be binding on all members.
12. The General Assembly chooses by simple majority at the beginning of each session a president, a vice chairman and a rapporteur. The president presides over the sessions, manages the discussions, maintains order, and follows up on the implementation of the decisions of the session in cooperation with the President of the Executive Council and the Director General of the Union and expresses any observations he deems appropriate in this regard.
13. In the event of hosting a meeting, the member representing the host country shall be the President of the General Assembly during the session held in his country, and the President shall remain in charge of his duties until the presidency is assigned to his successor at the beginning of the next regular session.
14. The General Assembly endorses the recommendations and resolutions of the same session.
15. Attendance at business meetings of the General Assembly shall be restricted to members, provided that the president or the host country in whose territory the session is held may invite any person, organ or organization whose presence is beneficial to attend the meetings as an observer without having the right to vote.