Chapter V
Functions with Respect
to Individual Proceedings

Regulation 23
The Registers

(1) The Secretary-General shall maintain, in accordance with rules to be promulgated by him, separate Registers for requests for conciliation and requests for arbitration. In these he shall enter all significant data concerning the institution, conduct and disposition of each proceeding, including in particular the method of constitution and the membership of each Commission, Tribunal and Committee. On the Arbitration Register he shall also enter, with respect to each award, all significant data concerning any request for the supplementation, rectification, interpretation, revision or annulment of the award, and any stay of enforcement.

(2) The Registers shall be open for inspection by any person. The Secretary-General shall promulgate rules concerning access to the Registers, and a schedule of charges for the provision of certified and uncertified extracts therefrom.

Regulation 24
Means of Communication

(1) During the pendency of any proceeding the Secretary-General shall be the official channel of written communications among the parties, the Commission, Tribunal or Committee, and the Chairman of the Administrative Council, except that:

(a) the parties may communicate directly with each other unless the communication is one required by the Convention or the Institution, Conciliation or Arbitration Rules (hereinafter referred to as the "Rules");

(b) the members of any Commission, Tribunal or Committee shall communicate directly with each other.

(2) Instruments and documents shall be introduced into the proceeding by transmitting them to the Secretary-General, who shall retain the original for the files of the Centre and arrange for appropriate distribution of copies. If the instrument or document does not meet the applicable requirements, the Secretary-General:

(a) shall inform the party submitting it of the deficiency, and of any consequent action the Secretary-General is taking;

(b) may, if the deficiency is merely a formal one, accept it subject to subsequent correction;

(c) may, if the deficiency consists merely of an insufficiency in the number of copies or the lack of required translations, provide the necessary copies or translations at the cost of the party concerned.

Regulation 25
Secretary

The Secretary-General shall appoint a Secretary for each Commission, Tribunal and Committee. The Secretary may be drawn from among the Secretariat of the Centre, and shall in any case, while serving in that capacity, be considered as a member of its staff. He shall:

(a) represent the Secretary-General and may perform all functions assigned to the latter by these Regulations or the Rules with regard to individual proceedings or assigned to the latter by the Convention, and delegated by him to the Secretary;

(b) be the channel through which the parties may request particular services from the Centre;

(c) keep summary minutes of hearings, unless the parties agree with the Commission, Tribunal or Committee on another manner of keeping the record of the hearings; and

(d) perform other functions with respect to the proceeding at the request of the President of the Commission, Tribunal or Committee, or at the direction of the Secretary-General.

Regulation 26
Place of Proceedings

(1) The Secretary-General shall make arrangements for the holding of conciliation and arbitration proceedings at the seat of the Centre or shall, at the request of the parties and as provided in Article 63 of the Convention, make or supervise arrangements if proceedings are held elsewhere.

(2) The Secretary-General shall assist a Commission or Tribunal, at its request, in visiting any place connected with a dispute or in conducting inquiries there.

Regulation 27
Other Assistance

(1) The Secretary-General shall provide such other assistance as may be required in connection with all meetings of Commissions, Tribunals and Committees, in particular in making translations and interpretations from one official language of the Centre into another.

(2) The Secretary-General may also provide, by use of the staff and equipment of the Centre or of persons employed and equipment acquired on a short-time basis, other services required for the conduct of proceedings, such as the duplication and translation of documents, or interpretations from and to a language other than an official language of the Centre.

Regulation 28
Depositary Functions

(1) The Secretary-General shall deposit in the archives of the Centre and shall make arrangements for the permanent retention of the original text:

(a) of the request and of all instruments and documents filed or prepared in connection with any proceeding, including the minutes of any hearing;

(b) of any report by a Commission or of any award or decision by a Tribunal or Committee.

(2) Subject to the Rules and to the agreement of the parties to particular proceedings, and upon payment of any charges in accordance with a schedule to be promulgated by the Secretary-General, he shall make available to the parties certified copies of reports and awards (reflecting thereon any supplementary decision, rectification, interpretation, revision or annulment duly made, and any stay of enforcement while it is in effect), as well as of other instruments, documents and minutes.