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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=984553511-24092009>Sorry the link below is useless unless you use their
search facility and enter in the <FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman">'Symbol' field
A/520/REV.17</FONT><BR></SPAN></FONT><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=984553511-24092009>Anyway the relevant UN rule is:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=984553511-24092009><B>
<P align=left><FONT face="Times New Roman">Rule 86 [126]<SPAN
class=984553511-24092009> </SPAN></FONT></B><FONT
face="Times New Roman">For the purposes of these rules, the phrase “members
present and<SPAN class=984553511-24092009> </SPAN>voting” means members casting
an affirmative or negative vote.<SPAN class=984553511-24092009>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman">Members which abstain from voting are
considered as not voting.</FONT></P></SPAN></FONT></DIV><BR>
<DIV dir=ltr lang=en-us class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT size=2 face=Tahoma><B>From:</B> owner-council@gnso.icann.org
[mailto:owner-council@gnso.icann.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Philip
Sheppard<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, September 24, 2009 12:15 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
'Council GNSO'<BR><B>Subject:</B> [council] Abstentions<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=828001210-24092009>In case of interest
<SPAN class=828001210-24092009>(and sorry to be posting so much on this)
</SPAN>the point about abstentions not counting as a vote is standard practise
in all other international organisations.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=828001210-24092009></SPAN></FONT><FONT
size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=828001210-24092009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828001210-24092009><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The definitive rules
of procedure in international relations are those of the UN General Assembly;
these rules date back in their original version to a codification of customary
Rules of Procedure which was made for the Congress of Vienna early in the 19th
century. The Rules have been continually amended and improved ever since.
Robert's Rules of Order and all other recognised rules of procedure are all
derived from the UN General Assembly Rules.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><A
href="http://documents.un.org/mother.asp">http://documents.un.org/mother.asp</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Philip </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>