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Composition |
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The General
Conference consists of the representatives of the States Members of the Organization. It
meets every two years, and is attended by Member States
and Associate Members, together with observers for
non-Member-States, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
etc. |
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Functions |
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The General
Conference determines the policies and the main lines of work of the Organization
(article IV of the Constitution) : |
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by adopting, for
the subsequent two years, a Programme and Budget the draft of which is submitted to the
General Conference and is the outcome of a consultation process between the Secretariat
and the Member States; |
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by electing for
four years the Members of the Executive Board (renewed by half at each session) and, every
six years, the Director-General; |
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by adopting the
(six-year) Medium-Term Strategy of the Organization. |
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Frequency |
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The General Conference meets every two
years in ordinary session. If required, it may also hold extraordinary sessions. Since the
founding of UNESCO, the General Conference has met 30 times in ordinary session and 4
times in extraordinary session. The most recent session was held in Paris, at UNESCO
Headquarters, from 26 October to 17 November 1999. |
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Order of work |
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The work of the General Conference falls
into three distinct phases: |
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the general policy debate in plenary
meeting; |
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debates in the various commissions with a
view to making recommendations to the plenary meeting; |
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decision-making in plenary meeting. |
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Structure and functioning |
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Plenary meeting |
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The general assembly of the
Member States, or plenary meeting, examines the recommendations submitted to it and takes
all decisions. Heads of delegations attend the plenary meeting and take part in the
general policy debate.
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General Committee |
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The General Committee of the
General Conference consists of the President and Vice-Presidents of the General
Conference, and the Chairpersons of its subsidiary bodies. The General Committee steers
the work of the session and coordinates the work of the commissions. It sets the agenda of
the plenary meetings, draws up the list of speakers in the general policy debate, and
examines requests for the inclusion of new items in the agenda. Each commission
chairperson makes a regular report to the General Committee on the progress of the work.
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Subsidiary bodies |
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The General Conference may set
up, at each session, whatever subsidiary bodies it deems necessary for the conduct of its
work. In view of the many topics to be addressed, the plenary meeting refers a large part
of the agenda items to the commissions and committees. The elected bureau of each
commission consists of a Chairperson, four Vice-Chairpersons and a Rapporteur, who are
assisted by a secretariat composed of staff members specially seconded to the commission
for the duration of the session.
The agendas of the commissions are organized around one of the main themes of
UNESCO’s programme, but each commission considers a great variety of topics connected
with the central one.
The themes for the commissions for the 30th session were : |
| Commission
I |
Working
procedures of the Organization and transverse activities |
| Commission
II |
Education |
| Commission
III |
Natural sciences
and social and human sciences |
| Commission
IV |
Culture |
| Commission
V |
Communication,
information |
| Administrative
Commission |
Administrative
and financial issues (budget, finances, staff, Participation Programme) |
At the 30th session the programme commissions also
discussed the relevant part of the transdisciplinary project "Towards a culture of
peace"
There are also four statutory committees: |
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the Credentials Committee is made up of nine members
elected at the first plenary meeting on the proposal of the Temporary President; it checks
the credentials of participants; |
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the Legal Committee consists of 21 members elected at the
previous session; it is responsible for considering draft amendments to the Constitution
or Rules of Procedure of the General Conference, and legal matters which are submitted to
it; |
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the Nominations Committee consists of the heads of all
the delegations with voting rights at the General Conference; it examines and submits to
the General Conference proposals concerning the composition of commissions and committees
and other bodies whose members must be elected by the General Conference; |
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the Headquarters Committee consists of 25
members elected at the previous session; it advises the Director-General on questions
concerning the Organization’s Headquarters. It reports thereon to the General
Conference. |
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