UNESCO. General Conference; 30th; Records ... - unesdoc - Unesco

71. The LEGAL ADVISER:
Madam President, if the motion for the adjournment of the debate is carried, the New Zealand
amendment and the Canadian sub-amendment will be on the table of the General Conference at the 31st session
for consideration and decision, so the amendment will not be ruled out. They will still be on the table during the
next session. Thank you, Madam President.
72. The PRESIDENT:
Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of Argentina.
73. Sr. GONZÁLEZ (Argentina):
Muchas gracias. Señora Presidenta: Quisiera hacer una aclaración sobre lo que usted acaba de decir. Si
la propuesta de posponer todo esto hasta la próxima reunión de la Conferencia General es la que finalmente
prospera, el próximo Director General de la UNESCO tendrá un mandato de seis años con posibilidad de
reelección por otros seis años. Hay ahí una diferencia sustancial, señora, con nuestra propuesta. En ella
proponemos como cláusula transitoria que, a título excepcional, el Director General sea elegido por seis años sin
posibilidad de reelección. Segundo punto: a nuestro entender, señora Presidenta, y no vamos a insistir, a nuestro
entender la propuesta que realizamos es jurídicamente admisible. Gracias.
(73) M. GONZALEZ (Argentine) (traduit de l'espagnol) :
Merci beaucoup, Madame la Présidente. Je voudrais apporter quelques éclaircissements sur ce que vous
venez de dire. Si la proposition visant à reporter l'examen de cette question à la prochaine session de la Conférence
générale est celle qui est finalement retenue, le prochain Directeur général de l'UNESCO aura un mandat de six ans
et pourra être réélu pour six autres années. Il y a là, Madame la Présidente, une différence fondamentale par rapport
à notre proposition. Nous avons proposé, comme clause transitoire, qu'à titre exceptionnel, le Directeur général soit
élu pour six ans sans possibilité de réélection. Ensuite, à notre avis, Madame la Présidente, et je n'insisterai pas sur
ce point, la proposition que nous présentons est juridiquement recevable. Je vous remercie.
74. The PRESIDENT:
I believe we have come to the end of the debate. I give the floor to the Legal Adviser.
75.1 The LEGAL ADVISER:
Madam President, when the distinguished representative of Argentina made his proposal I was not in
this room, but all the same I heard it through other means and therefore I am able to make a comment on it.
75.2 Madam President, the proposal of the distinguished representative of Argentina is that as a special
measure, the Director-General who is to be appointed at this session should be appointed for six years without the
possibility of being re-elected. Madam President, this is a proposal for substantive changes to the New Zealand
amendment. Accordingly, for it to be admissible, it has to conform with the provisions of Rule 114 of the Rules
of Procedure of the General Conference.
75.3 Madam President, with your kind permission I will read that short rule to make things perfectly clear. It
says the following "The General Conference shall not introduce substantive changes in draft amendments under
the terms of [Rule 113] unless the proposed changes have been communicated to Member States and Associate
Members at least three months before the opening of the session". Madam President, it is obvious that the
substantive sub-amendment proposed today does not respect this deadline of three months. Therefore it is my
considered opinion that the amendment cannot be examined by this session of the General Conference. Thank
you, Madam President.
76. The PRESIDENT:
Thank you. It is understood. Does Australia have a point of order?
77. Mr SPYROU (Australia):
Thank you, Madam President for indulging me. I just would like to hear the rest of the legal opinion, to
see if it is in fact just a confirmation of my thinking that if the proposal to defer is defeated we will move to a
discussion of the New Zealand proposal and then of the Canadian proposal. Is that correct?
78. The PRESIDENT:
Yes, that sequence was already suggested, but let us hear the Legal Adviser.
79. The LEGAL ADVISER:
Madam President, the main proposal before the General Conference is the New Zealand proposal; the
Canadian text is an amendment to the proposal submitted by New Zealand. According to the relevant rules, when
an amendment is proposed to a proposal it is the amendment which has to be voted upon first. Therefore, in this
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