General Assembly

The General Assembly is the body where OIMAP policy is decided. It examines the Secretary-General's activity report, approves the accounts, sets the work programme and the budget for the following period, and elects the members of the Council. It may also create subsidiary bodies, such as a working group on a specific subject.

States exercise equal power there. One vote per State means that a small importing country carries as much weight as a major market centre: this is a founding principle, laid down in 2007 by the twenty-three pioneer States.

A session lasts three days. The first day is devoted to the opening, the verification of credentials and the adoption of the agenda. The second is divided between plenary sessions and committees. The third is reserved for votes, the closing and the presentation of the restoration and collector awards.

Observers — international organisations, professional associations, universities — follow the debates without a vote. The session is interpreted into French, English and Spanish.

The Rules of Procedure favour consensus. When consensus cannot be reached, the resolution is adopted by a two-thirds majority of the States present and voting. This rule protects minorities while allowing the Organisation to move forward on texts that are legally binding on States.

Each vote is recorded in the minutes. States may submit a declaration of interpretation, which appears as an annex to the resolution concerned.

The General Secretariat prepares the session for nearly a year. It gathers proposals from States, consults the technical committees, drafts the draft resolutions and organises the logistics: reception of delegations, interpretation, security, accessibility. The Events and Communications Directorate coordinates everything with the host country.

Delegations receive a practical guide: travel formalities, recommended accommodation, detailed schedule, and the procedure for accrediting delegates and accompanying experts.

Plenary sessions are broadcast live and recorded. The recordings are then added to the OIMAP video library. States that cannot send a full delegation may take part in committees remotely, without exercising their vote.

The public can consult the adopted resolutions, the record of decisions and the opening speeches in this section, once they have been validated by the Bureau.