1. The Assembly shall consist of all the members of the Authority. Each member shallhave one representative in the Assembly, who may be accompanied by alternates andadvisers.
2. The Assembly shall meet in regular annual sessions and in such special sessions asmay be decided by the Assembly, or convened by the Secretary-General at the request ofthe Council or of a majority of the members of the Authority.
3. Sessions shall take place at the seat of the Authority unless otherwise decided by theAssembly.
4. The Assembly shall adopt its rules of procedure. At the beginning of each regularsession, it shall elect its President and such other officers as may be required. They shallhold office until a new President and other officers are elected at the next regular session.
5. A majority of the members of the Assembly shall constitute a quorum.
6. Each member of the Assembly shall have one vote.
7. Decisions on questions of procedure, including decisions to convene special sessionsof the Assembly, shall be taken by a majority of the members present and voting.
8. Decisions on questions of substance shall be taken by a two-thirds majority of themembers present and voting, provided that such majority includes a majority of themembers participating in the session. When the issue arises as to whether a question is oneof substance or not, that question shall be treated as one of substance unless otherwisedecided by the Assembly by the majority required for decisions on questions of substance.
9. When a question of substance comes up for voting for the first time, the Presidentmay, and shall, if requested by at least one fifth of the members of the Assembly, defer theissue of taking a vote on that question for a period not exceeding five calendar days. Thisrule may be applied only once to any question, and shall not be applied so as to defer thequestion beyond the end of the session.
10. Upon a written request addressed to the President and sponsored by at least onefourth of the members of the Authority for an advisory opinion on the conformity withthis Convention of a proposal before the Assembly on any matter, the Assembly shallrequest the Seabed Disputes Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Seato give an advisory opinion thereon and shall defer voting on that proposal pending receiptof the advisory opinion by the Chamber. If the advisory opinion is not received before thefinal week of the session in which it is requested, the Assembly shall decide when it willmeet to vote upon the deferred proposal.