a) The Commission at a previous Session;
b) The Chairperson of the Commission or a member of the Commission;
c) A State Party to the African Charter;
d) Any African Union organ;
e) An organisation recognised by the African Union, a national human rights institution with affiliate status
or a non-governmental organisation with observer status;
f) A specialised institution of the United Nations of which the State Parties to the African Charter are
members.
4. The items to be included in the provisional agenda under sub-paragraphs d, e and f of paragraph 3
above shall be communicated to the Secretary, accompanied by supporting documents, not later than sixty
(60) days before the opening of the Session at which these items are to be discussed.
5. The decision to include an item on the provisional agenda is taken by the Bureau of the Commission. If
the request is accepted, the Secretary shall include the item on the Provisional Agenda of the session and
inform the requesting party of this decision within one month.
6. The Provisional Agenda of an Extraordinary Session of the Commission shall include only the items in
the notification issued by the Chairperson.
Rule 33 Transmission and Distribution of the Provisional Agenda
1. The Secretary shall distribute the Provisional Agenda and the relevant working documents to the
members of the Commission at least sixty (60) days before the opening of an Ordinary Session.
2. The Secretary shall transmit the provisional agenda and the essential documents of the session to State
Parties, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, affiliate institutions and observers at least
forty-five (45) days before the opening of an Ordinary Session of the Commission.
3. The Secretary, in consultation with the members of the Commission in exceptional cases, may distribute
the Provisional Agenda and essential documents relating to certain items on the Agenda thirty (30) days
prior to the opening of an Ordinary Session.
4. The Secretary shall transmit by all appropriate means, including posting on the website of the
Commission, the Provisional Agenda of the Session to State Parties, the Chairperson of the African Union
Commission, affiliate institutions and observers at least fifteen (15) days before the opening of an Ordinary
Session of the Commission.
Rule 34 Adoption of the Agenda
1. At the beginning of each Session, the Commission shall adopt the agenda of the Session.
2. Proposals made under Rule 32(3) of the present Rules shall be included in the Agenda of the Session if
a majority of the members present so decide.
Rule 35 Revision of the Agenda
The Commission may, during the Session, revise its Agenda.
Chapter VIII Language
Rule 36 Working Languages
1. The Working Languages of the Commission and all its subsidiary mechanisms are those of the African
Union.
2. The proceedings of the Commission shall be conducted in any of the Working Languages of the African
Union.
3. Any person addressing the Commission in a language other than one of the Working Languages shall
ensure the interpretation into one of the Working Languages of the Commission. The interpreters of the
Commission shall take this interpretation as the source language for their interpretation in the other
Working Languages of the Commission.
Chapter IX Records and Reports
Rule 37 Records and Reports of Sessions
1. The Secretary shall keep recordings of the proceedings of the sessions of the Commission and of the
meetings of its subsidiary mechanisms.
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