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

adopted by the General Conference. Madam President, I hope I have been sufficiently clear to avoid any doubts.
Thank you.
111. The PRESIDENT:
Yes, that was quite clear. This is the situation. Now a proposal has been put forward and seconded. I
give the floor to the representative of Kenya.
112. Mr WANDIGA (Kenya):
Madam President, my understanding of the proposal was different from that given by the Legal Adviser.
I therefore withdraw my proposal.
113. The PRESIDENT:
I give the floor to the representative of the United Kingdom.
114. Mr HALEY (United Kingdom):
Thank you Madam President. This proposal has been tabled and seconded. We have had a period of
discussion which I think is probably, strictly speaking, against proper procedure. The motion should be put to the
vote. Thank you.
115. The PRESIDENT:
I thank the United Kingdom. You heard the proposal, which has been seconded. There is no debate.
Proposals that have been seconded are put to the vote. I am now proposing this to the General Conference for
approval. Can I please have a show of hands. Who is in favour of the proposal that the General Conference takes
note of the report and adopts the draft resolution presented by the Administrative Commission? Who is in favour
of this proposal? I give the floor to Nigeria on a point of order.
116. Mr LIJADU (Nigeria):
Thank you, Madam President. Kenya never proposed the adoption of the report and the resolution.
Kenya never did. So, what are we talking about? What are we voting on? Madam President, with all due respect,
you have just said that we are now going to vote on the approval of the narrative of the report and the resolution.
What I said was that the two should be separated. The Chairperson of the Administrative Commission agreed
with me. We are now putting words into Kenya's mouth that Kenya never said. What Kenya proposed, and of
course it has been withdrawn, was that we approve the narrative part of the report, not the resolution. And those
two things, I am afraid, must be treated separately. I am sorry, Madam President, but we unfortunately will have
to insist on this.
117. The PRESIDENT:
Yes, Sir. Now I give the floor to the representative of India.
118.1 Mr RAO (India):
Madam, I fully agree with the delegate of Nigeria, and therefore there should be another plenary to
discuss the resolution in paragraph 33 and, as the Chairperson of the Administrative Commission rightly said,
that will take time. Yes, but one has to find time, because these are very, very important and very tricky and
difficult issues; because the Legal Adviser has said that what this means is that the six-grade system continues for
the next biennium. Is this really what UNESCO wants? And, strictly speaking, is it really workable? Because all
the other agencies which are in France have already gone into the seven-grade system. And, secondly, the
continuation of the six-grade system will cost much more during the next biennium.
118.2 I am not opening a debate, but I fully share the confusion in the mind of the representative of Nigeria.
So, if you think, Madam President, that the oral report which the Chairperson presented is to be noted, that is all
right. But then we have to have a discussion on the resolution which was presented by the Director-General, and
this as a minimum requires us to approve the salary scale from 1 January 2000. And, secondly, we need to
discuss the amendments which were tabled and were supported by a large majority. And when do we do that? If
time has to be found, I feel it has to be found, because we are not sorting out the problem which has caused a
considerable amount of confusion. Thank you.
119. The PRESIDENT:
Certainly you are right, but there was a proposal. I give the floor to the representative of Germany on a
point of order.
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