WORKING RULES

FIRST.
Based on the objectives of the States of the Gulf of Mexico Accord, signed by the governors of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, in which the main sectorial subjects that the working groups should analize are defined, four working sessions will be held each year -one every three months- in order to review and present the accomplishments on those subjects.

SECOND.
Each working group will have two coordinators, one for the states of the United States of America and other for the states of the Mexican United States.

THIRD.
The quarterly meetings will be attended by:

• a representative of each state government,
• the coordinators of the working groups, and
• the registered participants in each of the working groups, that will represent the private sector, the state governments, the academic or any other social segment invited.
  
  

FOURTH.
The quarterly meetings will be held alternatively in the eleven states of both countries and will be organized by the host state.
They will be presided by the governor and will have a general coordinator -the representative of the host state- and a secretary, elected by the participants.

FIFTH.
The cost of these meetings will be covered with the fee that each state will bestow as co-sponsor of the States of the Gulf of Mexico Initiative and with the registration fee that every participant in the working groups will have to contribute with, according to the organization committee.

SIXTH.
The quarterly meeting will be inaugurated by the governor of the host state and will develop in two stages: Simultaneous working meeting on each of the sectorial subjects. The participants will make an evaluation of the work, and will establish progress and conclusions for the follow-up actions, and a plenary session in which progress and conclusions will be announced, as well as the date and place for the next meeting.

SEVENTH.
The subjects' coordinator will be able to call for a meeting of all the participants of their group as many times as they consider necessary, and will have the responsability to prepare the corresponding minutes; as much as they should make public any document or proposal that might be of general interest.

EIGHTH.
During the third quarterly meeting, the working group coordinators could propose date and place for the next Gulf of Mexico Governors Conference. In such event the proposal will be turned on to the participant governors.

NINTH.
The resulting conclusions and agreements derived from each of the quarterly working meetings, will integrate the document that the governors will release to their citizens during the Annual Conference, through the media and press of both countries.

TENTH.
To comply with the Resolution of the Gulf of Mexico States Accord, the annual Gulf of Mexico Governors Conference will be attended by: the governors of the eleven states, their representatives to the Gulf of Mexico States Initiative, the coordinators of the working groups of the sectorial subjects, the participants in such groups, specialists from both countries invited for specific subjects, government executives related with the same subjects, and representatives of the Chancelleries of both countries.