The Assembly is the supreme authority of the Organisation and shall be composed of delegates representing Member-States.
Each Member-State shall be represented by one delegate.
The Assembly shall meet in ordinary sessions in intervals not exceeding two years, and in such special sessions as may be necessary. Special sessions shall be convened at the request of the Council or of a majority of the Members.
The Assembly, at each ordinary session, shall select the country in which the next ordinary session shall be held, the Council subsequently fixing the place. The Council shall determine the place where a special session shall be held.
The Assembly shall elect a President and a Vice President as well as other officers at the beginning of each ordinary session. They shall hold office until their successors are elected.
The Assembly shall adopt its own rules of procedure.
In addition to functions set out in other Articles of the Constitution, the primary duties of the Assembly shall be:
- to determine general policies for the fulfilment of the functions of the Organisation as set forth in Art. 2;
- to name the Members entitled to designate a representative to the Executive Council;
- to appoint the Secretary-General;
- to review and approve reports and activities of the Council and of the Secretary - General;
- to instruct the Council where necessary and establish such commissions as may be considered necessary for the work of the Organisation;
- to supervise the financial policies of the Organisation and to review and approve the budget;
- to promote and conduct research in the field of protection and rescue work by the personnel of the Organisation, by the establishment of its own study and research institutions or by cooperation with official or non-official institutions of any Member-State with the consent of its Government;
- to establish such other institutions as may be considered desirable;
- to invite any organisation, international or national, governmental or non-governmental, which has responsibilities related to those of the Organisation, to appoint representatives to participate, without the right of vote, in its meetings or in those of the committees and conferences convened under its authority, on conditions prescribed by the General Assembly; invitations shall be issued only with the consent of the Government concerned;
- to establish regulations prescribing the procedures to be adopted by the various bodies of the Organisation, and in particular the general regulations, the regulations on finance, and the regulations on the staff of the Organisation;
- To establish technical commissions in conformity with the provisions of Part IX, to define their functions, coordinate their activities and consider their recommendations;
- to determine the location of the Secretariat of the Organisation;
- to take any other appropriate action to further the aims of the Organisation.
- In a vote in Assembly each Member shall have one vote. Decisions shall be by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast for and against.
- The presence of delegates of a majority of the Members shall be required to constitute a quorum for meetings of the Assembly.
