Secretariat of the General Conference
The General Conference of UNESCO
Presentation to the Inter-regional Training Seminar for new Secretaries-General of National Commissions
01 March 2007
The General Conference
• • • • • • • • UNESCO’s supreme policy making body Determines policies and main lines of work All Member States are members (192) Meets once every two years in ordinary session Three weeks (used to be six) Some 3,000 delegates, NGOs, IGOs, press… $ 5 m budget Celebration of diversity
D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
March 2007
Diversity through national flags - Room I Plenary hall
March 2007
D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
Structure
• Plenary (all Member States) • Programme Commissions (all Member States) • Programme Support and External Relations Commission (all Member States) – often attended by NatComs • Administrative Commission (all Member States) • General Committee (President, Vice-Presidents, Chairpersons of Commissions and Committees) • Credentials Committee (9 members) • Legal Committee (24 members) • Nominations Committee (all Member States) • (Headquarters Committee)
March 2007 D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
Main functions
• •
• • • •
General policy debate Consideration and adoption of UNESCO’s medium-term strategy (C/4) and programme and budget (C/5) Consideration and adoption of draft resolutions (DRs) Consideration and adoption of legal instruments Various other items Elections
D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
March 2007
Draft resolutions
• General provisions: Rule 79 of the Rules of Procedure; must relate to an agenda item • DRs related to the C/5 : Rules 80 and 81: must be submitted to the Director-General at last 45 days before the General Conference, and must relate to the proposed resolutions contained in 33C/5 • DRs judged inadmissible may appeal to the Legal Committee
March 2007 D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
Voting rights
• Governed by Constitution Article IV, part C and Rule 83 • Credentials must be in order (Rule 23) • If Member State is in arrears reasons given and/or payment plans can be approved by the Conference allowing voting
D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
March 2007
Reform of governance
• Main functions of three organs laid down in the Constitution (articles III, IV, V and VI) • BUT reform efforts have been on UNESCO’s agenda since the first General Conference in 1946
March 2007
D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
33 C/Res. 92 on the “three organs”
• Adopted after work of a working group established by previous session and chaired by its President • Lengthy and detailed provisions • Follow-up by President, Ex Bd and DG • Some provisions in course of implementation • Others require amendments to Rules of Procedure • Consolidated report to the 34th GC
March 2007 D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
General policy debate
• • • • • • Heads of delegations speak Usually 8 minutes Visits of Heads of State/Gvt Delegations usually Ministerial level Main themes Ex Bd Chairman introduces, DG responds
March 2007
D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
Other items
• General policy and programme questions (often around 20 items, many proposed by Member States) • required to reduce agenda • methods of work of the Organization • constitutional and legal questions • administrative and financial questions
March 2007 D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
Elections
• Executive Board • Governing bodies of intergovernmental programmes • Headquarters Committee • Legal Committee • [Director-General (November 2005-2009)] • [External auditor (2006-2011)]
March 2007 D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
Information for Delegates
• Delegates’ Information Bureau
daily e-journal/“webzine” Media updates
• • • •
Guide Compendium of “Basic texts” – CD-Rom Website Secretariat hot-line
D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
March 2007
34th session
Dates: • Tuesday 16 October to Saturday 3 November 2007 (lunchtime)
NB: 1 November normal working day Rugby World Cup : hotels full!
March 2007 D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
Organizational constraints • 33 C/Res 92 : more flexible more interesting more interactive more lively sessions more interdisciplinary and….
March 2007 D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
Organizational constraints
/2
• ……. less
costly
March 2007
D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
34th session
• Takes place in Paris • Draft agenda
• States may inscribe new items (until 100 days before) • Organization of the work
issued first for Ex Bd (176 EX/35) then issued as 34 C/2
issued first for Ex Bd (176 EX/34) then circulated to Member States as 34 C/1 in July (90 days before opening) Revised by Ex Bd in September
March 2007
D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
34th session
• Will be opened by the President of the 33rd session (H.E. Amb. Musa Hasan, Oman) on 16 October 2007 am • Will elect its own President on 16 October 2005 pm
March 2007 D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
Medium term strategy, programme and budget • • • • • • 34 C/4 (2008-2013) 35 C/5 (2010-2011) 34 C/5 (2008-2009) 34 C/6 Comments by the ExBd on the C/5 34C/11 Board comments on the C/4 34 C/8 DRs on 34 C/5
D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
March 2007
Medium-strategy and programme and budget
Innovation:
Interdisciplinary meeting (Commission level) for 1 ½ days in Week One to discuss:
34 C/4 (before drafting group); 34 C/5 (intersectoral/interdisciplinary programme matters and DRs) 35 C/5
March 2007 D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
Agenda
• • • • Annotated Grouping of items “Without debate/take note” Draft resolutions recommended by Board transmitted to General Conference without corresponding document
March 2007
D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
Documents
• Enhanced use of INF and REP • More electronic distribution • Reduction of hard copies
March 2007
D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
Ministerial Round Tables
Two ( as 33 C) : - Education and economic development – preceding ED Commission (19 – 20 October)
- S&T for development – following SC Commission (26 – 27 October)
March 2007 D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
Exhibition
• single theme • « Planet Earth » • opener for 2008 International Year of Planet Earth
March 2007
D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
Youth Forum
• Two-day Youth Forum to precede opening (Friday 12 and Saturday 13 October) • Integral part of General Conference • Lead: SHS • Specific theme (to be announced)
March 2007 D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
Other activities
• Civil society Forum – 25 October • Participatory interactive sessions in context of Exhibition • Programme Commission activities
March 2007
D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf
Role of National Commissions
• Advise Government on policy positions • Assist in composing delegations (specialists from different fields of competence; youth; parliamentarians, etc; if possible) • Alert Government on voting rights, credentials (payment arrears) well in advance • Propose requests for agenda items/DRs if any • Visibility at home on main issues and discussions
March 2007 D/SCG – Presentation Gen Conf