Paris, October 1 (No.2001-100)- A draft Declaration on Cultural Diversity - the first international instrument designed to safeguard cultural diversity in the context of globalization - will be among the subjects to be examined by UNESCO’s Executive Board during its forthcoming session, October 2 to 12.

Other major issues to be examined by the Executive Board include more effective ways of punishing “crimes against the common heritage of humanity” with the aim of reinforcing heritage protection from wanton damage or destruction.

These two texts will be submitted to the 31st session of the General Conference of UNESCO’s 188 Member States, which takes place October 15 to November 3.

The Executive Board will also review UNESCO’s bioethics programme and its priorities in this field. While reviewing the recommendations of UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee and of the Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee on a wide range of ethical issues raised by the advances in genetic research, the Board will consider drafting an international instrument to prevent abuse in the use of genetic data. Ethical issues raised by genetic research will be discussed by some 30 science ministers from around the world at a roundtable, “Bioethics: International Implications” which will be held during the General Conference, on October 22 and 23.

In the course of the session, UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura will report to the Executive Board on the follow-up to the World Conference on Science (Budapest, 1999) and the World Education Forum (Dakar, 2000). The follow-up to Dakar will also be the subject of a high level meeting to be held during the General Conference, on October 29 and 30. It will bring together heads of state, ministers and players from developing countries, the donor community and multilateral aid agencies.

The Executive Board meets twice a year to review the implementation of decisions about UNESCO’s programme and budget adopted by the General Conference. It is also in charge of preparing the General Conference. Currently chaired by Sonia Mendieta de Badaroux from Honduras, the Board’s members are elected by the General Conference. Half the members are replaced every two years and serve for a term of four years.

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More information on the work of the Executive Board, including all the relevant documents, can be found on the Internet: http://www.unesco.org/exboard/index.html