Paris, May 23 - The examination of UNESCO's draft 2002-2003 Programme and Budget - the first since Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura took office in 1999 - and the Organization's Medium Term Strategy for 2002-2007 will be the main subjects of the 161st session of the Executive Board that will be held from May 28 to June 13, chaired of Sonia Mendieta de Badaroux (Honduras).

These two subjects reflect the reforms undertaken over more than a year to concentrate UNESCO's efforts on a limited number of priority areas to ensure that its action has lasting effect. The main priorities of the five major programmes are: basic education for all; freshwater resources and ecosystems; the ethics of science and technology; promoting cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue; universal access to information, especially information in the public domain. Following the Executive Board's review and recommendations, the drafts will be submitted to the 31st session of the General Conference, UNESCO's supreme governing body.

The Executive Board numbers 58 members elected by the General Conference. Other than the draft 2002-2003 Programme and Budget and Medium Term Strategy, the Board will examine the Director-General's reports on the execution of the programme and budget adopted by the General Conference and on the reform process, as well as on a large number of administrative and financial questions.

The Executive Board will devote the entire day of May 31 to a thematic debate on the contribution of the new information and communication technologies to the development of education, science and culture.