Adopted by the First Meeting of the Council in April 1992, Amended in October of 1997

　　The Council is a non-governmental body, established by and advisory to the Government of the People's Republic of China.

　　1. The Mandate of the Council

　　(1) The Mandate of the Council is outlined in the Terms of Reference and was adopted at the First Meeting of the Council in Beijing in April 1992. By September 1 996, the Council successfully completed its mandate for Phase One. The First Meeting of the Second Phase of the Council has defined the tasks of the Council for Phase Two.

　　(2) The objective of the Council is to explore ways of coordinating an integrating environmental protection, economic and social development, science and technology and related areas, as well as to provide advice and assistance to the Chinese Government.

　　(3) The Council will encourage the cooperation and support of the international community for China's efforts to protect the environment, conserve energy and natural resources, and develop its economy.

　　2. Adoption of the Rules of Procedure

　　(1) The Rules of Procedure for the conduct of the Council's meetings and operation, as well as its working groups and the Secretariat Head Office, are presented in this document. These Rules of Procedure have been amended after their original adoption in the First Phase of the Council, and have been approved by the First Meeting of the Second Phase of the Council.

　　(2) Amendments to these Rules of Procedure will be made in accordance with section 17 below.

　　3. Nomination of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons

　　(1) The Chinese Government will nominate the Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons (two Chinese and one international) of the Council and will propose the nominations to the Members of the Council for their agreement.

　　(2) The terms of office of the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairpersons shall be five years. They may, however, be re-elected for a second term. Under special circumstances, they may resign before their term ends. In that case, the nomination of a new Chairperson or Vice-Chairpersons shall be proposed by the Chinese Government.

　　4. Selection of Members of the Council

　　(1) Members will serve on the Council at the invitation of the Chairperson of the Council entrusted by the Chinese Government.

　　(2) The Chairperson will consult with other Members of the Bureau and parties concerned before invitations are issued to new Members.

　　(3) Members may resign by informing the Chairperson in writing.

　　(4) Arrangements will be made for members to retire if they do not perform their duties or, for other personal reasons, no longer meet the requirements of the Council.

　　(5) The Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons, will consider together whether it is necessary to make specific arrangements to ensure the renewal of the membership. Their proposals will then be presented to the Council for examination and approval.

　　5. The Secretary-General and Deputy Secretaries-General of the Council

　　(1) The Chairperson of the Council will appoint the Secretary-General of the Council. The Secretary-General will appoint two Deputy Secretaries-General.

　　(2) The Secretary-General will be in charge of the specific routine affairs of the Council, and will lead the Secretariat Head Office. The Deputy Secretaries-General will be responsible for the work of the Secretariat under the leadership of the Secretary-General.

　　6. Participation in Council Meetings

　　(1) Members participate in the Council in their personal capacities.

　　(2) To ensure frank and open discussion the working sessions of the Council and its working Groups should be attended only by Members of the Council, and by special guests and observers invited with the prior authorization of the Chairperson or a Vice-Chairperson.

　　7. Notice of Meetings

　　(1) Regular meetings of the Council will be held once every calendar year. Notice of a regular meeting of the Council shall, unless otherwise directed by the Chairperson, be communicated in writing to each Member at least 90 days prior to the date of such meeting.

　　(2) Under special circumstances, the Chairperson and the other members of the Bureaus will decide whether it is necessary to hold a special meeting. Notice of such a special meeting of the Council shall, unless otherwise directed by the Chairperson, be communicated in writing to each member at last 30 days prior to the date of such meeting.

　　(3) No meeting shall be invalidated because of the failure of a Member to receive notice as described in this section.

　　8. Procedures at meetings

　　(1) The Chairpersons shall preside at meetings of the Council. In the event of t he absence or inability of the Chairperson to preside, or if the office of Chairperson is vacant, a Vice-Chairperson may exercise and perform all the duties and functions of the Chairperson if the Members agree. Where the Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons are absent from a meeting, the Members shall elect a Member to preside.

　　(2) Decisions at Council meetings will be made by consensus. In the event consensus cannot be reached and, in the opinion of the Chairperson a decision is required, each Member present shall have one vote and a majority present shall decide the issue. When votes are equally divided, the Chairperson may cast the deciding vote.

　　(3) A quorum for any meeting shall be a majority of the members consisting of at least half of the Chinese members and one third of the international members.

　　(4) Reports of the proceedings of Council meetings shall be circulated to member s within 30 days following the meeting. Reports of other activities of the Council and the meetings of the working groups shall be circulated to Council Members prior to regular meetings of the Council.

　　(5) Annual work reports and phase work summary reports of the working groups shall be submitted to the Secretariat Head Office at least 60 days prior to regular meetings of the Council.

　　9. The Bureaus of the Council

　　(1) A Bureau shall be established by the Council, consisting of the Chairperson of the Council, Vice-Chairpersons and the Secretary-General.

　　(2) The Chairperson of the Council shall serve as the Chairperson of the Bureau.

　　(3) The Bureau shall meet at such times and places as it deems necessary and may make rules governing the procedures at its meetings. The Bureau will hold one or two meetings each year in conjunction with the annual meeting of the council.

　　(4) If for any reason a position in the Bureau shall become vacant, the Chairperson may appoint a Member of the Council to that position to serve until the next session of the Council.

　　(5) If the international Member of the Bureau shall not be able to attend a meeting of the Bureau, he/she may, with the approval of the Chairperson, designate a n international Member of the Council to act as alternate on his/her behalf.

　　(6) A quorum of the Bureau shall be a majority of its members, providing that it includes both Chinese and international members.

　　(7) The Deputy Secretaries-General of the Council and the head of the Canadian S secretariat of the Council shall attend the meetings of the Bureaus as observers.

　　10. Operation of the Secretariat

　　(1) The Secretariat Head Office of the Council in NEPA shall provide support to, coordinate, and follow up the activities of the Council and its working groups a s directed by the Chairperson of the Council.

　　(2) The Secretariat Head Office will obtain support in the international aspects of the Council's activities from an international support group. This support will be provided by an executive agency of Canada and financed by Canada. This support group is called the Canadian Secretariat of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.

　　(3) The Secretariat Head Office, in the event that it can not make decisions by itself during its operation, shall act as directed by the Chairperson of the Council.

　　(4) The Canadian Secretariat shall operate in accordance with the Management Plan agreed to by the Council and Canadian International Development Agency.

　　(5) The heads of the Secretariat Head Office and the Canadian Secretariat shall attend all Council and Bureau meetings as observers. The Secretariat shall provide record takers and translation services at all meetings.

　　11. Operation of Expert Working Groups

　　(1) The Council may establish Expert Working Groups as it deems appropriate and necessary.

　　(2) In establishing Expert Working Groups, the council will specify:

　　● The purpose and budget for each group and the results to be achieved.

　　● The chairpersons of each group and their responsibilities.

　　● The expected time frame of all work to be completed.

　　● The broad composition of each group.

　　● The framework within which each group will operate including reporting and financial accountability requirements.

　　(3) The Expert Working Groups shall operate under the direction of the Council, with the support of the Secretariat Head Office and the Canadian Secretariat.

　　(4) The Chairpersons of each group, in consultation with the Secretariat Head Office, shall decide on the Membership of the group and take such other decisions as may be required to ensure the successful completion of its work, within the framework decided by the Council.

　　(5) Each person who is nominated as a member of an Expert Working Group, shall b e informed of the terms and conditions of the appointment including, but not limited to, the level of honorarium, the expected commitment of time required, and the appropriate duration of the commitment.

　　(6) Each person selected as a member of a Working Group shall signify acceptance in writing.

　　(7) Any member of a Working Group wishing to resign shall notify the Secretariat Head Office at least 60 days in advance.

　　(8) In the event of an unresolved disagreement related to the activities or membership of the Working Groups, the matter will first be referred to the Bureau. I f the matter cannot be resolved at the level, it will be referred to the Council by correspondence if necessary. The decision of the council will be final and binding on all parties.

　　12. Financial Aspects

　　(1) Support for the Council will include contributions from the Government of China and from a broadly-based group of international contributors.

　　(2) The Council will make specific arrangements to ensure a systematic and sustained effort to obtain the financial and other support necessary for the carrying out of its activities.

　　(3) Contracts or other obligations which must be incurred in the course of the activities of the Council may only be incurred with the prior agreement of the Bureau or by a Member of the Bureau designated to act on its behalf or by other individuals authorized in writing to enter into commitments on behalf of the Council.

　　(4) Support from international contributors will be managed as mutually agreed b y the contributor and the Council or the Bureau acting on its behalf.

　　(5) Funds from international sources will be subject to audits as mutually agree d by the contributor and the Council or the Bureau acting on its behalf.

　　(6) The annual budgets for the Council and the Expert Working Groups must be app roved by the Council before they can be implemented.

　　(7) The Council, Working Groups and any other bodies or individuals receiving financial supports, shall keep accurate and complete accounting records in accordance with accepted accounting practices.

　　(8) Contributions from interested organizations that wish to collaborate in the work of the Council will be actively pursued.

　　13. Presents and Donations

　　(1) No gift, present or donation shall be accepted by or on behalf of the Council without the approval of the Bureau.

　　(2) Where a gift, present or donation is approved by the Bureau, it shall be dealt with in accordance with the terms and conditions of its acceptance by the Bur eau.

　　14. Conflict of Interest

　　(1) During the consideration of any gift, present, donation or allocation of fund s, any Member of the Council or of its Bureau who is officially or formally connected to the contributor shall declare his/her connection.

　　(2) No council member shall materially benefit, either directly or indirectly, from a contract or agreement entered into by the Council without the prior agreement of the Bureau.

　　15. Execution of Document

　　Every agreement, contract, or official document in writing that requires execution or certification on behalf of the Council shall be signed by the Council Chairperson or by one or several members of the Bureau designated for such purpose b y the Chairperson.

　　16. Statements and Reports

　　(1) Any official statements or announcements in the name of the Council, other than routine statements or releases to be made by the Council Secretariat Head Off ice in the performance of its duties, may be made only by the Chairperson of the Council or his/her designee.

　　(2) The Council will make an Annual Report to the Chinese Government on its conclusions and activities. This Report will be presented under the personal authority of the Chairperson, after discussion in the Council.

　　(3) The Council will make appropriate arrangements for its relations with the media.

　　17. Amendments to the Rules of Procedure

　　Amendments to these rules and procedure may be made by the Council at any Council meeting. Notice of Amendment shall be sent to council members prior to such a meeting.