Administrative Council
Contracting Parties’ diplomatic representatives accredited to The Netherlands comprise the Administrative Council, under the chairmanship of the Netherlands Minister for Foreign Affairs. This body, in consultation with the Secretary-General, shapes the policy of the organization. It provides general guidance on the work of the PCA, and supervises its administration, budget and expenditure. The Council operates under the Rules of Procedure of the Administrative Council of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
The budget of the PCA is funded in part by contributions from Contracting Parties, the amount of which is based on the system of units maintained by the Universal Postal Union (one of the few intergovernmental organizations in existence in 1899). The Secretary-General reports annually to the Administrative Council on the activities of the PCA and its expenditure.
The Administrative Council entrusts the financial supervision of the International Bureau to a Financial Committee composed of three independent experts elected by the Administrative Council for three-year terms. A Budget Committee exists and functions in parallel to the Financial Committee and is open to the representatives of all Contracting Parties – thereby enabling the full membership of the organization to give early consideration to documents of a financial nature.