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tions Educational, nd Cultural Organization Executive Board ex
Hundred and forty-fourth Session
144 EX/32 PARIS, 17 March 1994 Original: English
Item 3.1.1 of the nrovisional apenda
METHODS OF WORK OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE AND THE EXECUTIVE BOARD INCLUDING MEASURES
TO BE TAKEN TO IMPLEMENT PART III, PARAGRAPH 6(b) OF 26 C/RESOLUTION 19.3
SUMMARY
This document aims at facilitating the discussions of the representatives of Board members on the methods of work of:
(i) the General Conference (in pursuance of 27 C/Resolution 39);
(ii) the Executive Board (in pursuance of 143 EX/Decision 6.1).
It contains background and historical information on the different questions encompassed under this item. It also includes the results of the consultation of Board members undertaken by the Chairperson and proposes a provisional questionnaire for Member States, which will be issued as un addendum to this document.
CONTENTS
I. THE TASK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .I..... . . . . . . . . . . . . .
II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A. General Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B. Executive Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
III. REFORM PROCESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Examination by the Executive Board of the methods of work of the General Conference and the Executive Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..a................
IV. COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR CURRENT REVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A. Members of the Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B. Director-General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
V. PROVISIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR MEMBER STATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
VI. MEASURES TO BE TAKEN IN APPLICATION OF 26 C/RESOLUTION 19.3, PART III, PARAGRAPH 6(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Annexes
Page
1
6
10
11 14
14
15
I Statistics on the General Conference II Composition of the General Committee of the General Conference (1946-1993) III Draft questionnaire for Member States (see addendum)
144 EX/32
I. THE TASK
1. The need for reform of the working methods of the General Conference is the subject of 27 C/Resolution 39, the text of which is as follows:
The General Conference.
Considering that the meetings of the various commissions and committees of the General Conference have proved to be less efficient than expected because of the restrictive time-frames and work-loads stemming from the existing working methods,
Convinced that unless the existing working methods are improved it will be extremely difficult to examine individual agenda items and draft resolutions in depth,
BearinP in mind, however, that the duration of the General Conference session was shortened to reduce cost,
1. Reauestz the Executive Board to review the existing working methods of the General Conference for the purpose of bringing about greater efficiency and a more productive outcome and submit recommendations to it at its twenty-eighth session for consideration,
2. Also reauests the Executive Board, when preparing the above-mentioned recommendations, with the assistance of the Secretariat, to consult Member States by means of a questionnaire and to include information on the technical and financial implications of the proposed reform.
2. In pursuance of 27 C/Resolution 39, the Executive Board is required to undertake the following:
(0 review the existing working methods of the General Conference for the purpose of bringing about greater efficiency and a more productive outcome;
(ii) consult Member States by means of a questionnaire in preparing recommendations;
(iii) submit recommendations for reform, including their technical and financial implications, to the twenty-eighth session of the Genera Conference.
3. In accordance with 143 EXDecision 6.1, it is the function of the Special Committee to deal with ‘the organization of work of the General Conference and the Executive Board, including that of their commissions and committees’. The matter is therefore referred to the Special Committee for examination, consideration and presentation of recommendations to the Executive Board.
4. In view of the scope of the task, it is expected that the Special Committee will consider this matter at each session during the present biennium. It will submit findings and recommendations of its deliberations to the Executive Board at each session. Such recommendations, as adopted by the Board, and which are of a technical nature in that they improve the working methods, will be incorporated in the organization of work to be proposed to the General Conference at its twenty-eighth session. As called upon, other recommendations will be submitted by the Executive Board to the twenty-eighth session of the General Conference.
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5. Recalling that, at its 143rd session, the Executive Board also decided to examine its own working methods, a single agenda item has been retained and entitled ‘Methods of work of the General Conference and the Executive Board, including measures to be taken to implement Part III, paragraph 6(b) of 26 C/Resolution 19.3’.*
II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
6. This section provides background information on the different components of this item.
A. General Conference (see Annex I)
7. List of commissions and committees (twenty-seventh session)
Commissions:
Commission I : Women, Support services, External relations, Participation Programme, Public information
Commission II : Education Commission IlI : Science Commission IV : Culture and Communication Commission V : Social Sciences Administrative Commission
Committees:
Legal Committee Nominations Committee Credentials Committee Headquarters Committee
Timetable and work-load of commissions
8. The following is a comparative table between the last (twenty-seventh) session and the twenty-first session (1980), which is one of the longest in recent years.
Duration: There was a decrease of 13 days in 1993, in comparison with the 1980 duration.
Number of participating Member States: There was an increase of 34 Member States in 1993 over the 1980 level.
Number of agenda items in commissions
Tine for consideration
1980 1993 twenty-first session twenty-seventh session (36 calendar days) (23 calendar days)
146 180
c/4 C/5 and 30 items
10 meetings 121 meetings (all commissions)
C/5 and 53 items
73 meetings (all commissions)
1. 26 Cmesolution 19.3, Part III, paragraph 6(b) requests the Executive Board ‘to improve the structure and working methods of the Executive Board (...), for example by establishing a small advisory committee on administrative and budgetary questions, as was done by the Executive Board at its 136th session, and by instituting such arrangements as will enable thorough intersessional preparatory and follow-up work’.
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Number of DRs 436 425
Length of reports for consideration and adoption
more than 300 pages (with the narrative part)
less than 70 pages (without the narrative part)
Time for consideration 1 meeting (3 commissions) and 2 meetings (3 commissions)
1 meeting per commission
Duration of the sessions
9. A long period of stability should be noted - from the ninth to the twenty-fifth sessions (1956-1989) - with the duration of each session ranging between 31 and 37 calendar days. The duration of the Conference was reduced from the 1956-1989 level by approximately two weeks at the twenty-seventh session. Owing to budgetary constraints afflicting the Organization, the duration of the twenty-sixth (1991) and the twenty-seventh (1993) sessions of the Conference was reduced to 24 and 23 calendar days respectively.
Number of Member States
10. The number of Member States participating in the General Conference increased to 180 at the twenty-seventh session from 153 in 1980. Although there has been a constant increase in the number of Member States of the Organization, its acceleration was significant during three distinct periods, namely:
between 1946 and 1950, the early years of the Organization’s existence, when the number of Member States rose from 28 to 59;
between 1958 and 1962, when UNESCO admitted 32 new Member States as a consequence of decolonization; and from 1991 onwards, when 23 new Member States joined UNESCO, mostly as a result of the dissolution of the USSR and the political changes in Eastern Europe.
Number of agenda items
11. While the number of Member States increased and the’ duration of the sessions decreased, the number of agenda items was maintained. Since its ftith session (1950) the number of items and/or sub-items on the agenda of the General Conference was approximately 100.
Working languages
12. The number of working languages of the Conference has gradually progressed from two (English and French) in 1945 to six working languages (same as those of the United Nations) as from 1974.
Draft resolutions (DRs)
13. The number of draft resolutions has escalated from 27 and 13 at the first and second sessions of the General Conference respectively (1946 and 1947) to 425 at the twenty- seventh session.
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The average number of draft resolutions per session was as follows:
from 1948 (3 C) to 1958 (10 C) - from 1960 (11 C) to 1966 (14 C) - from 1968 (15 C) to 1972 (17 C) - in 1974 (18 C) in 1980 (21 C) in 1985 (23 C) in 1991 (26 C) in 1993 (27 C)
around 100 DRs around 200 DRs around 300 DRs around 400 DRs 436 DRs 332 DRs 345 DRs 425 DRs
The preceding figures show a steadily increasing trend in the number of DRs despite the practical and legal measures proposed by the Executive Board and approved by the General Conference to reduce it, namely the amendments to Rules 78A and 78B of the Rules of Procedure of the General Conference (26 C/Resolution 19.4). These measures are described in Section III: Reform process.
Documentation
14. Owing to financial constraints measures were taken whereby the documentation was reduced from 47,409 pages (total number of pages of documents in all languages) at the twenty-third session (1985) to 20,912 pages at the twenty-seventh session in 1993. A significant reduction in this respect also resulted from the suppression of the narrative part of the commission reports (see table in para. 8 above).
Structure (see Annex II)
15. It is to be noted that the Administrative Commission as well as the Credentials, Nominations and Legal Committees have been regularly set up by the Conference since its first session, while the Headquarters Committee since its eighth session (1946).
As for the programme commissions, the General Conference set up only one during its first 16 sessions, while at the same time creating on several occasions two subcommissions, or even four in the case of the fifteenth (1968) and sixteenth (1970) sessions. These subcommissions were linked to a programme and reported to the Commission. Since its seventeenth session in 1972 the Conference has regularly had five programme commissions, whose distribution of competence can be summarized as follows:
Education Science Social Sciences Culture and Communication General and other questions related to the programme.
B. Executive Board’
Composition
16. As provided for in Article V.A.l of the Constitution, the Executive Board originally consisted of 18 members; this number was subsequently modified by the General Conference as follows:
1. See the brochure ‘The Executive Board of UNEFXO’ (1994 edition) for more detailed information.
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Resolution 7 C/41.12 1 (1952) 8 C/11.1.2 (1954) 9 Cl37 (1956) 12 C/14 (1962) 15 C/11.1 (1968) 17 c/13.1 (1972) 19 C/17.1 (1976) 21 C/18.1 (1980)
20 members 22 members 24 members 30 members 34 members 40 members 45 members 51 members
Status of members
17. During the first few years of UNESCO’s existence the members of the Board were elected for a term of office of three years with immediate re-eligibility for a second term, At its seventh session in 1952, when the General Conference modified the frequency of its sessions (every two years instead of yearly), it also decided to extend the duration of the Board members’ term of office to four years with immediate re-eligibility for a second term.
In addition to this modification five important amendments concerning the Executive Board have been made to the Constitution in 1954, 1968, 1972, 1976 and 1991:
1954 - A member of the Board received the status of representative of his own State (8 C/Resolution II. 1.2).
1968 - Establishment of a system of electoral groups for election to the Executive Board and modification of the duration of the Board members’ term of office to six years without re-election (15 C/Resolution 11.1).
1972 - The Board members’ term of office was reduced from six to four years, without immediate re-eligibility (17 C/Resolution 17 C/13.2).
1976 - Every Member State was entitled to replace its own member of the Board if special circumstances, in the opinion of the represented State, made it indispensable (19 C/Resolution 17.2).
1991 - Members of the Board are States instead of persons (26 C/Resolution 19.3).
Frequency and duration of sessions
18. With the exception of the first seven years of the Organization the general trend was to have five Board sessions per biennium: two per year plus one brief session (two days) immediately after the session of the Conference in order to set up the different subsidiary organs of the Board and to elect the chairpersons of commissions and committees. As far as the total number of calendar days per biennium is concerned, the trend of the duration of Board sessions was regularly steady (between 130 and 150 days) between 1959 and 1989. Since 1990 the Board met 90 calendar days per biennium.
Commissions, committees and Bureau
19. After having tried several procedures in this direction during its fast few sessions, the Board set up in 1962 the Programme and External Relations (PX) and the Finance and Administrative (FA) Commissions, their tasks being divided on the basis of the responsibilities as implied by the names of these commissions.
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Between 1956 and 1967 the Board also set up a special committee entrusted with responsibilities relating to the organization and methods of work of the Board. This committee was known over the years either as the Ad Hoc Working Party, the Special Committee on the Methods of Work of the Organization or the Special Committee.
In 1967, by 77 EX/Decision 3.1, III, 6(b), 7 and 8, the Board established on an experimental basis a new Special Committee which, since then, has existed as an organ of deliberation and study.
The Committee on Conventions and Recommendations (CR) was preceded by the setting up by the Board at its 71st session (1965) of a special committee which was entrusted with the task of examining the Member States’ reports on the implementation of the Convention and Recommendation against Discrimination in Education. The name of this Committee was changed at the 104th session (1978) of the Board and has, since then, been called the Committee on Conventions and Recommendations (104 EX/Decision 3.3).
The Committee on International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) was set up as an experiment in 1966 (72 EX/Decision 7.4) and began to exercise its responsibilities since the 73rd session of the Board (1966) up to the present.
As regards the Bureau, it is to be noted that, in accordance with Rule 14(2) of the Rules of Procedure of the Board, it should assist the Chairman of the Board in the exercise of his functions. It is composed of the Chairman and Vice-Chairmen of the Board and the Chairmen of the Commissions and Permanent Committees. The number of Vice-Chairmen and Permanent Committees varied during the first years of the Organization’s existence but since 1974 up to the present, the composition of the Bureau has been as follows: the Chairperson of the Board, the six Vice-Chairpersons and the Chairpersons of the Programme and External Relations Commission, the Finance and Administrative Commission, the Special Committee, the Committee on Conventions and Recommendations and the Committee on International Non-Governmental Organizations.
III. REFORM PROCESS
Examination by the Executive Board of the methods of work of Conference and the Executive Board
the General
20. Since the creation of UNESCO, the Executive Board, specifically since 1956 with ‘the setting up of the Special Committee, has regularly examined the question relating to the methods of work of the General Conference and the Executive Board. Following is a summary of the work done by the Board over the last ten years on this subject.
1984-1985
21. During this period the Organization undertook various reforms. This reform process started at the 119th session (1984) of the Board when it decided to set up a Temporary Committee to present ‘recommendations and concrete measures to improve the functioning of the Organization, on which either the Executive Board could take decisions or which could form the basis of recommendations to be presented by the Board to the General Conference at its twenty-third session’ in 1985.
22. The Temporary Committee’s fast report (120 EX/3), submitted to the 120th session (1984) of the Board, included a series of important recommendations concerning the General
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Conference, the Executive Board, UNESCO’s decision-making procedures, decentralization, programme elaboration, programme implementation, publications and documentation, operational activities, programme evaluation, personnel, budgetary and financial matters, public information, outside advice, the role of the Permanent Delegations to UNESCO and finally, the Medium-Term Plan. By 120 EX/Decision 3.1, the Board adopted this report.
23. The Committee’s second report, was examined by the Executive Board at its 121st and 123rd sessions (1985).
1986-1987
24. At its 123rd session (1985) the Executive Board decided to entrust the Special Committee with the additional responsibility to ‘follow the implementation of the reforms approved by the Executive Board, including those concerning its own functioning and of the measures taken on the initiative of the Director-General with a view to improving the functioning of the Organization’ and to report thereon to the Board. It was also instructed to assess their implementation and the results obtained and in the light of the experience, to consider the advisability of suggesting to the Board any adjustment to the decisions ah-eady adopted.
25. The seven sets of recommendations (Recommendations A, B, C, D, E, F, G) to be implemented during 1986-1987 dealt with, among others, the various aspects related to the General Conference, the Executive Board and UNESCO’s decision-making procedures.
26. At its 125th session (1986), the Board set up a working group composed of six members of the Special Committee to examine the implementation of the recommendations relating to the functioning of the Board itself, as well as its working methods. After considering the report of the working group which was presented to the Special Committee at its 126th session, the Board, taking into account the observations of the Special Committee and by 126 EX/Decision 5.1.2, endorsed the recommendations of the working group concerning the methods of work of the Executive Board on the following:
the Bureau’s role;
frequency and length of the sessions;
work of the commissions, committees, working and drafting groups;
documentation (decision-making oriented and shorter);
preparation and consideration of the C/5 document.
1988-1989
27. Pursuant to 24 C/Resolution 48.1, the Executive Board examined at its 130th and 131st sessions (1988 and 1989) the matter of considering the possibility of rationalizing and simplifying the agenda and working methods of the General Conference and, finally, adopted 13 1 EX/Decision 3.3.1 which covered the following matters:
role and interrelationship of the General Conference, the Executive Board and the Secretariat in the preparation and adoption of the C/5 document, on the basis of the Constitution;
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improvement of the ways in which the C/6 document is transmitted and used by the General Conference;
greater involvement of and participation by Member States in the preparation of the C/5 document;
streamlining of the processing and reduction of the number of DRs;
working methods of the plenary and commissions, in particular as regards the examination of the C/5 document.
28. The document on the organization of work of the twenty-fifth session of the General Conference (25 C/2) was prepared by the Board on the basis of this decision.
29. The Board proposed that the General Conference reduce the length of its twenty-fifth session from 33 days (26 working days) to 31 days (of which there were 23% working days). As a consequence, since the provisional agenda of the twenty-fifth session included, in addition to its normal work, the examination of the Draft Medium-Term Plan and with a view to reducing the volume of documentation produced during the session, the Board proposed the deletion of the narrative part of the reports on the work of commissions, and to limit the reports to draft decisions for approval in plenary.
30. It should also be pointed out that the Board decided at its 131st session to omit the narrative part of the reports of its commissions, and those of the Special Committee and the Committee on International Non-Governmental Organizations, a practice which has been followed since the 132nd session.
1990-1991
31. During this period and in accordance with resolution 47.2 adopted by the General Conference at its twenty-fifth session, the Board reviewed the working procedures of the General Conference and the improvement of its own working methods.
With regard to the General Conference, the work of the Board was reflected in the document on the organization of work of the twenty-sixth session of the General Conference (26 C/2). In that document various measures were proposed concerning the limitation of the duration of speeches by heads of delegations, a reduction in the number of commission meetings, the omission of the narrative part of the reports of commissions and the improvement of the procedures for the processing of draft resolutions. This resulted in the reduction of the duration of the twenty-sixth session by nine days in comparison with that of the twenty-fifth session, thereby allowing substantial economies.
As for the Executive Board, it made efforts during this period to enhance the efficiency of its methods of work by streamlining its procedures, reducing the number and volume of its documentation as well as reducing the duration of its sessions. The reduction amounted to more than 40 days in this biennium, in comparison with the duration foreseen in the budget. The Board also tried an experiment whereby the Bureau had an informal meeting during which various issues had been discussed such as enhanced roles for the Bureau in the preparation and conduct of the work of the Board, suggestions for meetings of the Board devoted to the exchange of views on global problems as well as questions of co-ordination of the work of the Programme and External Relations and Finance and Administrative Commissions, and the enhancement of dialogue in the Board.
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32. At its 134th and 135th sessions (1990), recommendations were approved by the Executive Board on the following subjects (1.34 EX/Decision 3.1.2 and 135 EX/Decision 3.1.2):
General Conference
- reduction of the number of agenda items - quality and reduction of documentation - organization of the debates - streamlining of the work - processing of DRs under Rules 78A and 78B of the Rules of Procedure of the
General Conference - time-limit in the General Policy Debate.
Executive Board
- planning and examination of the agenda items and the corresponding documents - planning and organization of its work.
33. At its 136th session (1991) the Executive Board adopted a decision to engage in an exploratory dialogue with all concerned within the Organization, with a view to determining the need and the possibility of establishing a group of experts to advise it on administrative and financial matters.
34. After further consideration and consultations, the Board adopted, at its 137th session, 137 EX/Decision 8.6 which ‘set up on an experimental basis a group of experts on financial and administrative matters which will be drawn from the Finance and Administrative Commission’ and which will be mandated to assist the Commission in its work, with a view to strengthening its efficiency and effectiveness.
1992-1993
(i) Group of experts on financial and administrative matters
35. A group of experts on financial and administrative matters was set up on an experimental basis in 1991, whose members were designated at the 139th session of the Board (139 EX/Decision 6.10). This group, emanating from the Finance and Administrative Commission, met before each session of the Board, thereby permitting technical preparatory work that proved useful to the Finance and Administrative Commission. Mention can be made of the important role that the experts played, especially in connection with the examination of the Director-General’s proposals concerning the Draft Programme and Budget for 1994-1995 (27 C/5).
36. At its 142nd session, the Board took the view that the experiment was successful and therefore recommended the establishment of a new group of experts with the same terms of reference. This new group was set up at the 143rd session of the Board.
(ii) Implementation of 26 C/Resolution 19.3, Part III
37. One of the major decisions of the General Conference at its twenty-sixth session was the adoption of constitutional amendments modifying the status of the members of the Executive Board. In its resolution 19.3 the General Conference invited the Director-General to review all the Organization’s constitutional statutory texts in order to ensure the
144 EX/32 - page 10
consistency of their wording with the constitutional amendments adopted. It also invited the Executive Board:
(a) to establish the new procedure to be followed for the submission of candidatures for the election of Member States to the Executive Board;
(b) to make such amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Executive Board as might become necessary as a result of the constitutional amendments contained in 26 C/Resolution 19.3; and
(c) to improve the structure and working methods of the Executive Board in its new form by all appropriate measures.
38. At its 140th session the Board approved the Director-General’s proposals aimed at making the constitutional and statutory texts consistent. Those proposals were transmitted to the General Conference in document 27 C/33 and Add.
39. At its 141st session the Board decided on a new procedure for the submission of candidatures for the election of Member States to the Executive Board, which was subsequently approved and followed by the General Conference at its twenty-seventh session.
40. As to the Rules of Procedure of the Executive Board, the requirement was to make its text consistent with that of the Constitution as amended, since some provisions of the Rules of Procedure echo the wording of the Constitution, and to propose the modifications made necessary by the constitutional amendments. The Board chose to confine itself to the modifications that were absolutely essential to the conduct of work of the Executive Board in its new form, taking the view that the present Board should be free to review other aspects of its Rules of Procedure, should it see fit to do so.
41. The Board also considered that any modifications of structure and working methods should be left to the present Board. Consultations have taken place on the establishment of intersessional machinery but the whole issue of structures and working methods was deferred to another Board session.
42. The Board prepared all the texts needed for a smooth change-over to the new structure, but did not wish to go any further. It considered that the new Board should decide on its Rules of Procedure, its structure and its working methods.
IV. COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR CURRENT REVIEW
43. From the foregoing background information both in respect of the General Conference and the Executive Board, it is abundantly clear that the process of reform of the structure and working methods has been a substantial and ongoing vigorous process. As such, the Board, in deciding to include the item on the methods of work of the General Conference and the Executive Board in the agenda of its 144th session, agreed that in order to give focus to the discussions on this subject, all the representatives of Board members would suggest, in writing, sub-items which they would like to be considered on a priority basis, both in respect of the Conference and the Board. Through letter PRES/CL/2 dated 10 December 1993, the Chairperson requested comments and suggestions of the representatives of the Board
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members on the possible sub-items. Twenty-five replies’ had been received, broken down by electoral group as follows:
Group I 8 Group II 1 Group III 2 Group IV 5 Group Va 6 Group Vb 3
A. Members of the Board
44. A list, which is of course neither exhaustive nor exclusive, of the main subjects which came up frequently in the Board members’ replies appears below.
For the General Conference
45. Plenary
its role:
consideration reduction of time spent on visiting dignitaries;
co-ordination of its work with that of commissions.
46. General policy debate
enforce strictly the time-limit for interventions;
change format of the debate; improve its quality and reduce its duration by examining new metholodogy on the basis of common interyentions by regional groups;
review nature and orientation of interventions;
study measures that could attach more importance to speeches of heads of delegations;
thematic debates on selected programme items; selection of two or three items of basic importance for short special debates;
rank of representatives of Member States intervening in the debate (Ministers, Permanent Delegates and others);
examination of its form and duration (reduction of time spent in diplomatic greetings).
47. Procedures for submission and examination of DRs
streamlining and processing of DRs (each DR should concern more than one Member State);
modification of presentation and criteria for admissibility of DRs (strict application of Rule 78 on admissibility of DRs; review of stricter mechanisms for determining admissibility);
1. The relevant sections of the replies (in English and French) have been forwarded to the Chairperson of the Special Committee and are available for consultation at the Secretariat of the Executive Board.
.-“^- a---.-- ~.-.- CI.. . -.-~ ““-14...1 .-- . “-- _-._-- .--_, -
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review of procedures for submission of DRs (need for co-sponsors; establishment of working groups to decide on their admissibility; limit the number of DRs each Member State can submit and geographical balance of funding);
examination of DRs in commissions (criteria for classification of DRs; grouping of DRs coming from Member States on the same subject; preparation by the Secretariat of DRs with intersectoral contents; classification of DRs into two categories: those involving new activities or substantial budgetary increase and others);
participation of the Executive Board in the classification of DRs.
48. Vote and election procedures
redefinition of the mandate and composition of the Nominations Committee;
review of technical aspects and modalities of voting procedures (computerization; establishment of a committee to make a feasibility study on the introduction of alternative electronic voting systems);
setting of deadlines for submission of candidatures for intergovernmental bodies;
simplification of voting procedures so as to render them less time-consuming (vote by collecting ballots instead of roll-call);
examination of the process of elections on electoral-group basis.
49. Organization of work of commissions and committees
focus on policy direction and more emphasis on major programmes;
concentration of debates on specific agenda items and intensive discussions of options; no general debate; more time for exchange of ideas and opinions;
concentration of meetings in different commissions and introduction of synthesized reports of commission sessions;
examination of procedures of presentation and adoption of commission/committee reports in plenary (by parts or as a whole?);
constitution of commission bureaux on the first day;
distribution of timetable and agenda of commissions before the session;
timetable of commissions (discuss each agenda item separately, including the examination of DRs relating to the item; limit interventions to 5 minutes/speaker);
acceleration of work of commissions by avoiding rhetorical activity;
review of the working methods of commissions and committees (omission of introductory debate; continuity of debates; examination of DRs as early as possible; adoption of DRs on each specific item).
50. In addition, the following sub-items have been recommended by some members:
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review of the budget cycle;
clear definition of the functions of the General Conference;
periodicity, length and costs (productive/counter productive in terms of output, time and costs);
long-term changes such as decentralization of decision-making to the intergovernmental bodies of UNESCO (IBE Council, IHP, IOC, MAB, IFPC, MOST, etc.);
examination of the role of the General Committee of the Conference as well as the commission bureaux and the strict application of their mandate;
time management (punctuality even after short breaks/intervals);
methods employed by the General Conference in the examination of the C/4 and C/5 documents.
For the Executive Board
51. Presentation and organization of debate on the Director-General’s report on UNESCO’s activities:
omission of general introductory debate;
distribution of the Director-General’s report at least one week before the session;
reduction in the duration of the Director-General’s oral presentation (limit oral report to 30 minutes);
reduction in the duration of the general debate to allow more time for follow-up of programmes (limit replies to 30 minutes/speaker).
52. Rationalization of commissions’ and committees’ work
review of the mandate of the subsidiary organs (more directives for the functioning of the Bureau; clarification of the mandate of the Working Group of the Finance and Administrative Commission);
quicker preparation of commission/committee reports;
simplification of examination procedures for commission/committee reports.
53. Intersessional mechanism
improvement and rationalization of Board sessions;
follow-up and report on the implementation of the Board’s decisions;
infoimal meetings in Paris.
54. In addition, the following general sub-items have been recommended by some members:
periodicity and length of sessions;
,. _-._-.. ._.- _ . ._ ,. a---
_.,,a___- .-.. ,. -. _ -. ..-.- -._ . ..II^. _ ..-l.““w-cx.. .I.
.-.-.- ___.-_-.._ -,-_ .-. ---
144 EX/32 - page 14
simplification and rationalization of the agenda:
time management (strict application of time-limits; limit to 7 minutes interventions on each agenda item; spend no more than two hours on an agenda item; allow only two interventions for each proposition having no opposition);
balance between reflection and decision/action;
amendment of actual financial arrangements (consideration of 26 C/Resolution 19.3, Part III, para. 6(c);
review of the procedures followed by the Board in examining the C/4 and C/5 documents;
relationship between members of the Board and the Secretariat (rational implementation of the programmes through information by and discussions with the Secretariat);
improvement of the quality of documentation;
synthesized summary records;
review of election procedures.
B. Director-General
55. The Director-General’s view on this subject is reflected in the following excerpt of his speech delivered at the twenty-seventh session of the General Conference on the occasion of his re-election as Director-General of UNESCO (27 CYINF.25, page 9):
‘As far as the governing bodies of UNESCO are concerned, it would also be advisable to review completely the methods of work and decision-making procedures. The 100 or more ministers of education who have spoken at this General Conference contributed very interesting ideas and proposals, but were unable to exchange ideas and examine together the future of the Organization. Furthermore, a good many of them will not be present when decisions are taken.
Would it not be possible, for example, to conceive of the General Conference beginning with technical meetings and then setting aside a few days at the end for statements by ministers, whose participation is essential in devising the main lines of emphasis of the programme and in allocating budgetary resources? Clearly, this is the exclusive right of the governing bodies, but I at-n willing - if they so wish - to make suggestions to improve operational procedures that now do not meet current requirements’.
56. The Special Committee may like to focus its deliberations on the above listings and consider the offer of the Director-General ‘to make suggestions to improve operational procedures’.
V. PROVISIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR MEMBER STATES
57. A tentative questionnaire for Member States is found in Annex IIF. This draft questionnaire provides mainly a framework for the Special Committee to facilitate
1. Issued as au addendum to this document.
144 EX/32 - page 15
examination and finalization of the questionnaire for Member States. It is submitted to the 144th session of the Executive Board for approval and will be sent to Member States for consultation in June 1994.
VI. MEASURES TO BE TAKEN IN APPLICATION OF 26 C/RESOLUTION 19.3, PART III, PARAGRAPH 6(b)
58. The General Conference, at its twenty-sixth session, has requested the Executive Board ‘to improve the structure and working methods of the Executive Board in its new form by all appropriate measures, on which it shall report to the General Conference at its twenty- seventh session, for example by establishing a small advisory committee on administrative and budgetary questions, as was done by the Executive Board at its 136th session, and by instituting such arrangements as will enable thorough intersessional preparatory and follow-up work’ (26 C/Resolution 19.3, Part. III, para. 6(b)).
59. Group of experts on financial and administrative matters (see paras. 33-36).
Intersessional mechanism
60. Concelming the measures to be taken to implement Part III, paragraph 6(b) of 26 C/Resolution 19.3 it is to be noted that the question has been presented to the Board at all its sessions since the twenty-sixth session of the General Conference. At the initiative of a Board member at the 139th session, discussion was held on this subject but no substantial decision was taken by the Board.
61. As for the 144th session, a member of the Board, namely the Representative of the Netherlands, in his reply to the consultation letter of the Chairperson of the Board, has enclosed a synopsis of possible intersessional arrangements in order to improve the structure and working methods of the Executive Board. These arrangements concern the following options: (a) establishment of an intersessional committee; (b) assignment of this question to the existing Special Committee; (c) establishment of ‘ad hoc’ committees; and (d) designation of co-ordinators.
ANNEX I
Statistics on the General Conference
24 Reports of commissions (Rep.) 25 Proceedings (VR, SR)
I I I I 637 1 471 1 527 1 729 1 816 1 938
1. Including repoits of commisions.
Statistics on the General Conference
5 4 5 6 6 3 3 4 3 3 1 1 3 6 4 4 5 5 2 3 4 2 2 1 1 7 4 35 27 25 27 28 30 30 30 29 29 4 31 8 4 40 32 33 32 34 32 37 37 34 36 4 37 9 13 21t75 22i-68 24t66 2at79 34t87 3ot92 45 47 59 57 8 69 10 236 588 668 681 773 1,272 1,293 1,394 1,386 1,280 1,662 416 1,859 11 63 65 70 84 86 94 110 113 120 121 53 125 12 175 158 155 220 225 226 253 236 222 269 6 279 13 7 18 23 26 31 33 36 40 43 39 41 6 48 14 9 2 6 7 15 15 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 16 46 632 619 498 735 505 548 653 655 591 607 21 789 17 IO 129 140 73 198 158 100 209 333 275 349 1 482 18 13 220 193 223 19 6,100 7,100 9,600 20 1,558 23,460 31,613 27,731 32,660 22,141 25,695 48,180 21 1.2 11 14.6 19.2 23.3 34 42 50 22 152 1,026 917 559 751 1,283 1,517 1,538 1,662 1,827 1,888 334 1,682 23 8 91 162 195 250 321 344 395 162 158 170 188 24 169 211 207 224 25 935 755 364 501 962 1,173 1,143 1,331 1,458 1,511 1,270
Statistics on the General Conference
Members of the General Committee of the General Conference (1946-l 993)
President BLUM France
GUAL VIDAL Mexico
FRANGlk Lebanon
WALKER Australia
JACINI Italy
SARGEANT U.S.A.
RACiiAKRSHNAN’ ZAVALAYUNIZ AZAD India Uruguay lndm
BERTHOIN France
HABTE-WOLD Ethczpoa
CARNEIRO SISSAKIAN TUNCEL ElEKl-MBOUMOUA DELL’ORO MAIN1 HAGUIWARA J&OR0 TOWEETT Br4 USSR Turkey Ct%llCi~CG” Argentma Japan Hu”CWY Kenya
‘AcePresIdents (7) (7) Bn3zll Belgium China BraZll Phlkppmes India Saudi Arabia Lebanon U. of South Africa Peru United Kmgdom Poland U.S.A. U.S.A.
(7) A&PJdtB”
Chma Fra8lCe Italy Turkey U.S.A.
(C?echoslovakia Ecuador Ewpt France lndta Italy Umted Kingdom
(7) Br& Egypt France Pakistan United Kmgdom U.S.A. Ve”eZU&
(7) Egypt France lndla Iran United Kmgdom Uruguay Yugoslavia
(10) (10) (10) (12) (15) (15) (15) (15) (15) (15) Canada Chile Braal Argenbna
(15) (15) (22) Argentm Bmzll BraZll Ceylon Canada USSR
France France ECUadQr Fed Rep Germany Austna ;~;zec~;lovakia
Cameroon Central Atncan Rep. ChIna Algerm
Bulgana Chile ECU&Or Chlna Cuba Uruguay Fed. Rep. Gemwy Italy FrallCe Honduras &3.?ll El Salvador France Canada Colombia
Argentma Franc.3 France Canada Ve”eZU&
GEWX Japan Fed Rep. Germany Israel Czechoslovakia France GW3C.3 Colombm Dahomey
France Chma Yugoslavia Italy Pakistan lndonesla Japan Ghana GV38C=S
Fed. Rep. Germany Fed Rep. Genany Gabon Honduras Dem. Rep. Congo Fed. Rep. Germany lndra Honduras
Span Fed Rep. Germany Denmark zam?
Llberla Iran Morocco lkldla lkldla lndla France Ghana Jamaa lndoa llldla France Mexlca Liberia Pakistan Pakistan’ Z.~d
Italy Japan Italy Fed Rep. Germany Japan Japan PeN Pakistan
Japan Fed Rep. Germany Romama Mexico Mall Japan Guatemala Kuwait
Syria USSR Madagascar Poland Kenya Ghana
Umted Kmgdom Span SlIdi%” Ngena Pakistan Iran Mexlw U S.A. U.S.A.
NQ~WI Span Lebanon Ivory Coast Unlted Kmgdom USSR malland Sudan Poland Jordan New Zealand Tan2an1a Swtiedand Pakistan Jamalca
Umted Kmgdom TUlll%? Turkey Senegal Kenya Somaka USSR USSR Panama Japan U.S.A. USSR USSR Uganda Sierra Leone Ukraman SSR Umted Kingdom
Umted Kmgdom Untied Kingdom Untied Kmgdom Senegal L,byan Arab Rep.
Umted Kmgdam USSR USSR U.S.A. U.S.A. USSR Morocw U.S.A. U.S.A. U.S.A. United Kingdom Umted Kmgdom Venezuela Ve”t3ZUda Umted Kmgdom Nepal Vene2llela Uruguay Venezuela U.S.A. U.S.A. YugOSlaVla Zambia U S.A. Netherlands
Sn Lanka Synan Arab Rep.
Charmen Programme Commlsslon(s)
YARTlNEZ BAEZ BEEBY CARNEIRO CARNEIRO SEYDOUX PIAGET MAROUN BOURGEOIS MYRDAL BEEBY FRANCOIS EL FASI COOKEY KIRPAL DE HOOG SARRUF ED-CARNElRO Braal ED.HABlE Em (I) EL BOROLOSSY Egypt Mexico New Zealand Erezll Brazil France Swltzettand Lebanon Swtierland SWede” New Zealand France Morocco Nogena lndla Nethertands Lebanon SC-TOLBA
A.R. of Egypt zuca$o (II) TODOROV Bulgana
(Ill) BETANCUR YWIA Colombm SHC-MARINELLO Y MEJIA Colomboa VwlAURRETA C&a COM-GROHYAN
COM-DADlk Czechas!avakla Ivory Coast GPYLEBLANC
GPWTFKHlAS Fraw, Canada
Charman Admlnistratwe Commtuion
SOMMERFELT Norway
HAN Llli-WU Chma
ROBERTS MUNDELEER CHAND VAN DER EVANS BEEBY DAVIES BAUGNIET BARON CASTRO EEEEY TUNCEL SUYAMA KIRPAL HELA GROHMAN WYNTER MARTIN U. of South Africa B&glum lndla -ALLET U.S.A. New Zealand Australia Belgium El Salvador New Zealand Turkey Japan lkldla Fmland Czechoslovakia Jamaica Umted Kmgdom
Belgium
Chamnan Credentials Commmee
DAOUK EEY Lebanon
UZGOREN Turkey
HUYSMANS Belgium
NIELSEN Denmark
DESY Canada
STONE Austraha
PARRA-PEREZ Venezuela
BERNAL JIMENEZ Colombia
KAHUDA Czechoslovakta
FUENTES PANTOJA Chole
MATSUI Japan
SHARIF Pakwtan
BAUGNIET Belgull
DELL’ORO MAINI Argenbna
TEJEIRA Panama
OKINDA Gabon
ETEMADI Afghan&n
ETEMADI Alghanistan
ALDABA-LlM Phulippmes
Charman Nommtms Commttee
BEEBY New Zealand
PIERCE Canada
RADHAKRISHNAN ALLEN lndla U.S.A.
WALKER Austraka
MANACH Cuba
BENDER Netherlands
KABIR India
MALLEA Argenbna
MASSAQUOI LlbL?na
SHARIF Pakistan
VIANU Romama
DELL’ORO MAINI Argenhna
HAJEK Czechoslovakia
J6BORti Hungary
ETEMADI Afghamstan
DE HODG Netherlands
MR HDCHLEllNER AGBLEMAGNON spa!” TogO
ChaIrman Legal Commmee’
MARTINEZ BAEZ HARDMAN NIELSEN BEAGLEHOLE NIELSEN SAGLAM HAGUIWARA AWAD MATSUI CHATTEAJEE RAADI COSIO VILLEGAS SZABO SAUNTE EEK BAUGNIET BAUGNIET NACHABE JONES Mexico United Kingdom Denmark New Zealand Denmark Turkey Japan Egwt Japan lndla Iran MexKx, HWWY Denmark SW&3” E&gum Belgium Synan Arab Rep U.S.A
Chawman RepOtiS Committee
- - PECSON TUNCEL AL-HAN1 ZIEGLER, then TUNCEL KAMINSKA PECSON AWAD ETEKC AGBLEMAGNON - - - Philippines Turkey Iraq ZEISSL Turkey Poland Phllippmes Umted Arab MBOUMOUA TX9
AU&la Repubkc C%lW”X”
Charman Headqualters Gnnmttee
- - - . - - - - CARNEIRO PARRA-PEREZ PARRA-PEREZ DAVIES CARNEIR03 DE HDOG DAVIES CIRAOLO LlPATll SAID CUEVAS CANCINO HUMMEL Brazil Venezuela Venezuela Austraka Br.Wl Netherlands Australia Italy Romama TUnlSla MBXICO Swtzerland
I
Chairman DRZEWIESKI Reconst~ctt~n and Poland Rehabilitation &mm.
- - - - - - - - - - -
I
Chanan Olfiaal and External Relations Commmee
- HARDMAN CASTRO LEAL BARALT y MAMELI - - - - - - - - - - - Umted Kingdom Mexlw ZACHARIE Italy
Cuba I
Chawman Budget Commiitee
- - -
- BENDER BENDER DURING - - - - - - Nethedands Netherlands SWede”
I
Charman Advisory Commdtee on P. and B.
- - - - - DAVIES AGUILA - - - - - Australia Phlkppmes
I
ChaIrman - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - DE HOOG Resolutions Comm. Netherlands
1. This CommIttee replaces the Procedure Committee smce the Seventh Session of the General Conference. 2. The General Conference. at Its scdeenth plenary meebng. elected SHARIF (Pak&an). Acbng President I” the absence of RADHAKRISHNAN (Indm). 3. RAADI (Iran) Vice-Charman Headquarters Committee, sat on General Committee after CARNEIRO (Braal) elected President of General Conference.
144 EXl32 Annex II English only
2Orshession 1976
LEBLANC Canada
2 1 Em&m 1964
MARGAN Yugoslavia
1963
TELL Jordan
23Zession 1985
TODOROV Bulgaria
24Zession 1967
PUTZEYS ALVAREZ Guatemala
25’s”ession 1989
IBRAHIM Malaysia
26kssion 27&ssion 1991 1993
ALLAN OGOT SAYYAD Kenya Yemen
(23) Barbados Burundi Chma Cuba Ecuador Finland France German Demwatic
Republic Fed. Rep. Germany Ghana Indonesia Japan Liberia Socialist People’s
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Mozambique Netherlands Oman Syrian Arab Rep. To90 Tumsm USSR U.S.A.
(32) Angola Bangladesh B&ados Botswana Brazil ChIna Cuba Demaxdic Yemen
Morolxo Nethedands New Zealand Niger NQWb Pakistan Panama Romania Saudi Amboa ;Siekeone
USSR U.S.A. Uruguay Zambia
w Austraka Eanm BrWll Burundi Chma Czechoslovakia Domimcan Republo Ecuador Ethiopia France giny ol Germany
Guinea lndla Iran (Islamic Rep. of) Iraq Japan
Lesotho Netherlands Nmragua Nigeria NOlWay Pakistan Poland Portugal Sant Lucia Sao Tome 8 Pnncipe Soaakst People’s
Libyan Arab Jamahinya
ThaIland USSR Untied Rep. of
Tanzama
(W U.S.A. Angola Uruguay Australia Yemen Arab Rep. Austna
Benin Brazil Cameroon Central African Chma
E: Rica Finland France GC33X Guatemala Gumea Honduras Hungary
India lslamtc RBD
Iran Iraq Italy Jamara Japan Kenya Kuwait
United Rep Tanzania
Zambia Zimbabwe
Of (W AUsW Brazil Cameroon Canada China Ethiopia FWlCe German Dem.
Republic Ghana Haiti India Iraq Islamic Rep.
of Iran w Jamalca
w United Rep. Algeria
of Tanzania Braz!l Uruguay Burkina Faso Yemen Camercm Zaire Chile Zimbabwe Chma
Costa Rica Cuba Czechoslovakia Democratic People’s
Rep. of Korea Egypt
Japan Jordan
Union of Sovkzf Soaakst Republics
w Algeria Argentina Austraka Burundi Cape-Verde Chile China Costa Rica Czechoslovak!a Dem. People’s
Rep. of Korea Denmark Ecuador Egypt Equatorial Gumea Gambta
GFS‘SX Gumea India Italy Japan Jordan Mauritania Monaco Mongoka Niger Pakistan Poland St Lucia Sudan Swttzerland Tunw
(35) Turkey Argentina Union of Sowet Bangladesh
Scaalist Repubkcs BMZll Venezuela Burundi Yemen Chma Zimbabwe Costa RIM
Cdte d’lvolre CroatIs Ecuador France Ghana Hungary lndla Iraq Italy Jamatca
Japan Umted Rep of Kenya Tanzania Lebanon Togo Morocco Turkey Norway Ukraine Oman Paraguay Phlllpplnes Poland Portugal Syrian Arab Republic Republic of Korea Czech Repubkc Romania Swtzerland Umted Arab Emwates
Of Joidan Lebanon Mongolia Mozambique Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria Peru Sudan Switzerland Tumsia Uganda Ukramian SSR USSR
Madagascar Yemen Mauritania Yugoslavia Mexm Zambia Mozambique Netherlands Nigeria Paktstan Portugal Repubkc of Korea Spain
Rep.
Ethiwia Gabon Guatemala India Italy
Uruguay France Gabon India Iraq Italy Japan Kenya Lebanon Madagascar
Lebanon Mali hloroccu
Phlkppines Spain Turkey USSR
Switzerland TOSO Tunisia
ED-AGIOBLf-KEMMER Nigeria NS-DAYAL India SSZYGULSKI Poland CC-WAGNER DE REYNA Peru GPM-EL-WAKIL Egypt
EDHERMAN Hungary NS-lN6NU Turkey SS-BAKRI Sudan CC-THIAM Senegal GPM-ABADGRIJALVA Ecuador
I -WAGNER DE REYNA Peru II KIUR@OV Bulgana Ill INONU Turkey IV SBNDERGAARD Denmark V - THIAM Senegal
I BAKRI Sudan II - CHAMPATONG ThaIland Ill - ROCHE Venezuela IV - DUMONT Sefgiuni V - THIAM Senegal
I - SUWANSATHlT Thatland II - KUBRYCHT Czechoslovakia
Ill - RDCHE Venezuela IV - BLAGUE Central African Republic V - THIAM Senegal
I - KAEUPF Genan Denmcratic Republic II - ORDONEZ Phllippmes Ill BENSARI Morccco IV - WAGNER DE REYNA Peru V - OGOT Kenya
I MlCKWlTZ FInland II. ALMANSURI Libyan Arab Jamahmya Ill - FOFOLI SEDDOH Togo IV - LE6KPORTfLLA Mexm V - SPLlTCHENKO Ukrame
I CANISIUS Germany II LERNER DE ALMEAVenezuela
Ill SIAMWIZA Zambia IV KHASAWNAH Jordan V WILTSHIRE Austraka
I HUMMEL HUMMEL GUELLOUZ KOTCHUBEY ISAKSSON DUMONT GURUGE JOUKOV Switzerland Switzerland Tunisia Ukraiman SSR Iceland Belgium Sn Lanka RussIan Federatlon
I UPRAITY ARYAL BALASUBRAMANIAM LUCKHOO LUCKHOO LERNER DE ALMEA PRERA FLORES PRERA FLORES Nepal Nepal Sn Lanka Guyana Guyana Venezuela Guatemala Guatemala
KCZERBO PUTZEYSALVAREZ Upper Volta Guatemala
NDINGA DBA Congo
VILLORO TORANZO MhX
EL-KHATlB EcJypt
BIN JAFMR Oman
MANALO Phlkppmes
TIIOMAS Gambia
DE SOLA Venezuela
TANGUAY Canada
SANTlLLAN Argentina
GUELLOUZ KELLY EISEMANN EISEMAN ABDEL HAMID Tunisia Argentina FralllX France Egypt
- - - -
CARDUCCI-ARTENISIO Italy
AGBLEMAGNON TW
TOURI Algena
PRADO Panama
BRElTENSTElN Finland
GURUGE Stj Lanka
HASSAN Oman
FIGUEROA YAlilEZ Chile
I - - -
I - -
- - -
,
ons Educational, d Cultural Organization Executive Board ex
Hundred and forty-fourth Session
144 EX/32 Add. PARIS, 24 March 1994 Original: French/English
Item 3.1.1 of the provisional apenda
METHODS OF WORK OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE AND THE EXECUTIVE BOARD, INCLUDING MEASURES
TO BE TAKEN TO IMPLEMENT PART III, PARAGRAPH 6(b) OF 26 C/RESOLUTION 19.3
ADDENDUM
SUMMARY
This document contains Annex III to document 144 EX/32, namely, a draft questionnaire for Member States on the workzing methods of the General Conference (27 C/Resolution 39, para. 2).
I I
144 EX/32 Add.
ANNEX III
Draft questionnaire for Member States
1. Agenda
As recalled in document 144 EX/32 (para. ll), the agenda for each session of the General Conference has comprised approximately 100 topics (items and sub-items) since the 1950s that is, virtually since the founding of UNESCO. Although this figure has sometimes been considered too high by Members of the Executive Board and representatives of Member States, it has remained relatively stable. A comprehensive analysis shows that at each session about one third of the agenda items concern the application of the Constitution or other legal texts, one third follow on from earlier decisions of the General Conference, and the remaining third relate to decisions of the Executive Board, proposals by Member States or - in a very few cases - proposals by the Director-General.
Several questions may be raised in this context:
1.1 Should the number of items on the agenda be reduced? If so:
- by combining certain items? If so, which? - by placing on the agenda only every second or third session certain items usually
covered at every session? If so, which? - by referring the examination of certain items (the General Conference delegating
its authority) to the Executive Board or to intergovernmental bodies set up within UNESCO? If so, which?
- by some other means?
1.2 Should the discussion of items be simplified and/or speeded up? If so:
- by developing the practice of decision-taking without discussion? - by making greater use of working groups and/or drafting groups? - by imposing a stricter time-limit on speeches? - by abolishing debates of a general nature a well as introductions to debates in
the commissions? - by some other means?
1.3 Would it be appropriate to introduce stricter conditions into the procedures for amending the agenda (Rule 14 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Conference), particularly concerning new items which may be added to the agenda during a session? If so, what are your proposals?
1.4 Have you any other suggestions concerning the agenda?
2. General policy debate
Over the years, the general policy debate, which is traditionally held at the beginning of each session, has undergone a series of modifications decided by upon the General Conference on the suggestion of the Executive Board. For the most part, these changes have concerned either the themes on which heads of delegations are invited to focus their statements, or the time-limit on those statements. For example, it was recommended at the twenty-seventh session that speeches made in the general policy debate be limited to 12 minutes. However, heads of delegation could, as at previous sessions, request the
144 EXi32 Add. - page 2
President’s consent to have appended to the verbatim record of the plenary meeting, in extenso, the text of a statement not exceeding 2,000 words. Several questions arise here:
2.1 Should the general policy debate be maintained? If not, should it be replaced by another type of debate, and in that case what kind?
N.B. Questions 2.2 to 2.6 are based on the assumption that the general policy debate is maintained.
2.2 Would it be appropriate to focus the general policy debate more on issues such as priority programmes and/or agenda items regarded as particularly important?
2.3 Should the general policy debate be shortened? If so, should the length of oral statements be reduced? Should other time-saving measures be sought, e.g. allowing only one statement per regional group on certain items, or reducing the time-limit on speeches to a few minutes?
2.4 Is it desirable that speakers should, as far as possible, be ministers? If so, what proposals would you make to that end?
2.5 Traditionally, this debate takes place at the beginning of the session. Should this practice be maintained, or should the debate be held towards the end of the session, so as to enable heads of delegation to take part personally in the adoption of the final decisions?
2.6 Have you any other suggestions concerning the general policy debate?
3. Draft resolutions
As pointed out in paragraph 13 of document 144 EX/32, since UNESCO was established there has been ‘a steadily increasing trend in the number of draft resolutions despite the practical and legal measures proposed by the Executive Board and approved by the General Conference to reduce it, namely the amendment to Rules 78A and 78B of the Rules of Procedure of the General Conference (26 C/Resolution 19.4)‘. Thus there was a total of 425 draft resolutions at the twenty-seventh session of the General Conference, as compared with 345 at the previous session, Le. 8.5 million printed pages.
This trend may be regarded as paradoxical if it is recalled that the principal measures adopted by the General Conference in this respect have consisted in tightening up the conditions for admissibility and the procedures for examination of draft resolutions, However, admissibility is assessed only after translation and distribution of the draft resolutions received from Member States.
3.1 Would it be appropriate, therefore, to reinforce the procedures regarding admissibility and processing of draft resolutions? If so, how?
3.2 In particular, should there be a ruling to translate and distribute, not all the draft resolutions received, but only those which meet the requirements for admissibility? If so, should the admissibility of draft resolutions received by the Secretariat be examined before the session, and, in that case, by what mechanism?
144 EX/32 Add. - page 3
3.3 Is it desirable to allocate part of the draft budget to financing certain draft resolutions? If so, according to what procedures and for what category/categories of draft resolution?
3.4 What practical improvements might be contemplated to facilitate examination by the commissions of admissible draft resolutions?
3.5 Have you any other comments concerning draft resolutions?
4. Voting and election procedures
At the twenty-seventh session of the General Conference, questions were raised concerning the procedures and practices governing the election of members of the Executive Board and of members of the Organization’s intergovernmental councils and committees, notably with regard to:
(i) the grouping of new Member States for elections, and the distribution of seats on those organs by electoral group;
(ii) procedures for submission of candidatures;
(iii) voting procedures and techniques.
4.1 In the light of experience at previous sessions and in particular at the twenty- seventh session, is it desirable to consider:
- new procedures for submission of candidatures? If so, what procedures? Do you think, for example, that the Executive Board and/or the electoral groups could play a role in this respect?
- new procedures and/or voting techniques? If so, what procedures?
4.2 Would it be appropriate to revise the practices and working methods of the Nominations Committee? If so. how?
4.3 Have you any other suggestions concerning voting and election procedures?
5. Organization of work: commissions and committees
Until its fifteenth session (1968), the General Conference entrusted the examination of the draft programme and budget to a single programme commission. This comprised, between sessions, a variable number of working groups or subcommittees. It was at the sixteenth session (1970) that five programme commissions were set up1 which reported directly to the plenary. The Administrative Commission has existed since the first session, as have the Credentials Committee and the Legal Committee, the Headquarters Committee having been established at the eighth session (1954).
At recent sessions, the shortening of the General Conference has led to a reduction in the number of meetings of the Commissions, particularly those of the Programme Commission, while the number of participating Member States has increased - hence the difficulties which prompted 27 C/Resolution 39. The following questions therefore concern
1. Except for the nineteenth session (Nairobi) where, for technical reasons, only three programme commissions were established.
144 EXl32 Add. - page 4
the validity, in your view, of the structure of the General Conference and the functioning of its commissions and committees.
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
Is it preferable to maintain or to modify the present number of programme commissions? Might there be any advantage in returning to the formula of a single commission with several subsidiary organs?
If several programme commissions were maintained, would it be desirable to emphasize the intersectoral nature of the commissions, or of some of them? If so, how?
What progress might be made in the work of the commissions? e.g.: concentration on certain major issues, elimination of discussions of a general nature, examination of draft resolutions as soon as possible, etc.
Does examination of the C/5 document and, possibly, of the C/4 document, call for new working methods‘? Should the content and presentation of these documents be adapted in consequence?
Should the mandate and working methods of the Administrative Commission, on the one hand, and the committees, on the other, be reviewed? If so, on what lines?
Have you any other suggestions concerning the commissions and committees?
6. Organization of work: General Committee of the General Conference and Bureaux of the Commissions
The functions of the General Committee are defined in Rule 36 of the Rules of Procedure:
‘1. The functions of the General Committee are:
(a) to fix the hour, the date and the agenda of plenary meetings of the Conference:
(b) to co-ordinate the work of the Conference, its committees, commissions and other subsidiary organs;
(c) to consider requests for new items to be put on the agenda and make a report on this subject to the General Conference in accordance with Rule 14;
(d) to assist the President in directing the general work of the session.
2. In carrying out the above-mentioned functions, the General Committee shall not discuss the substance of any item except in so far as this bears upon the question whether it should recommend the inclusion of new items in the agenda’.
Furthermore, under Rule 47 of the Rules of Procedure, ‘the committees or commissions set up by the General Conference and in which all the Member States are represented shall select a Chairman, four Vice-Chairmen and a Rapporteur’.
6.1 The functions of the General Committee are for the moment mainly organizational. Would it be appropriate to strengthen its functions? If so, might it,
144 EXf32 Add. - page 5
for example, in certain cases be required to discuss substantive issues and to propose decisions to the plenary? To that end, would it be desirable for the General Committee to set up subsidiary working groups when it saw fit?
6.2 What steps could be taken to improve the role of the bureaux of the commissions? Could they, for example, be entrusted with wider responsibilities for the processing of draft resolutions (classification according to criteria for admissibility, grouping together of similar draft resolutions, contacts with the sponsors as and when required, etc.)? Could they also act as a negotiation group when certain issues make this desirable?
6.3 Have you any other suggestions concerning the General Committee of the General Conference and the bureaux of the commissions?
7. General Conference documentation
Between the twenty-third session (1985) and the twenty-seventh session (1993), General Conference documentation was reduced from 47,400 pages (total in all language versions) to 20,900 pages, i.e. a reduction of more than 50 per cent, due in particular to the suppression of the narrative part of commission reports. These figures reveal the considerable effort that has been made over several years, in pursuance, inter alia, of 22 C/Resolution 48 of the General Conference, not only to reduce the overall volume of documentation but also to focus each document on the main issues for discussion and decision and, as far as possible, to improve clarity and precision.
7.1 Are new measures called for to improve, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the working documents of the General Conference? If so, what are they?
7.2 Are there any documents which need not necessarily be submitted to the General Conference? If so, which? (For example, could reports of regional conferences or reports of intergovernmental organs set up within UNESCO be made available to delegates without being systematically distributed?)
7.3 Should regulations be introduced and practical steps taken to reduce the number of copies distributed of each document? If so, which documents?
7.4 Have you any other comments concerning documentation?
8. Other matters
Under this heading you may, if you so wish, raise matters other than those covered in the foregoing sections. Two general questions are proposed below, but do not preclude any other remarks or suggestions you may consider important,
8.1 In the light of the replies to the foregoing questions, particularly concerning the methods for examining and approving the Draft Medium-Term and the Draft Programme and Budget, do you think it necessary for the future to consider other scenarios for the organization and functioning of the General Conference, particularly if technical discussions and general policy decisions are to be better linked? If so, which?
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8.2 Do you consider, in this context, that the present length of the General Conference (23 days, including 19 working days at the twenty-seventh session) should be modified?
8.3 Have you any suggestions to make in fields not covered by the foregoing questions?