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

which promoted the evolution towards a results-based programming/budgeting/monitoring system consistent with
the strategic orientations desired for UNESCO.
12.22 Document 30 C/6, which contains the recommendations by the Executive Board on the Draft
Programme and Budget for 2000-2001 and which you have in your files is intended to specify points that the
General Conference has asked the Director-General to explain in detail. The Director-General facilitates the
Board’s monitoring function by providing a concrete and concise report at each session showing the results
achieved in relation to goals set and the allocation of resources to activities. In regard to the Draft Programme
and Budget, the Board recommends to the General Conference a budget ceiling of US $544,367,250 for the
2000-2001 biennium at the exchange rate of 5.70 FF to the United States dollar. It has invited the Director-
General to prepare within the financial limit of this ceiling any necessary adjustment to document 30 C/5
approved and to submit such adjustments to the Board at its 159th session. The Director-General is urged to
promote savings of some US $10 million to be used in funding other activities of UNESCO.
12.23 I shall now turn to the Committee on Conventions and Recommendations, which examines, in private
meetings, communications received by UNESCO concerning alleged violations of human rights in UNESCO’s
fields of competence. These issues are presented to UNESCO by Member States. The Committee submits its
reports to the full Board in a private meeting. It could be said that this Committee’s work constitutes the
conscience of UNESCO and its intervention has resulted in the release of many political prisoners and other
victims of oppression.
12.24 The Committee on International Non-Governmental Organizations deals with UNESCO’s relations with
NGOs and examined issues of classification and the admission of new members to this relationship with
UNESCO. It also considered material and financial arrangements for cooperation with such organizations. Part of
its work included an examination of its own terms of reference so that other partners such as National
Commissions could be included in the NGO system.
12.25 The Board held a number of thematic debates. At its 155th session, as part of the fiftieth anniversary of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it held a debate entitled “A Duty to Remember and be Vigilant –
From Slavery to the Full Attainment of Human Dignity” which was attended by a number of eminent persons,
including Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Archbishop Desmond Tutu
(South Africa), Ms Rigoberta Menchú (Guatemala), H.E. Mr Bronislaw Geremek (Poland), Mr Robert Badinter
(France), Mr Mohammed Bedjaoui (Algeria) and Ms Corazon Aquino (Philippines). Another debate was held at
the 156th session entitled “Reflection on UNESCO in the Twenty-First Century”, as a result of which a task force
has been set up in UNESCO to carry out detailed reflection on the structure and functions of UNESCO in the
twenty-first century. More recently a dialogue on the slave trade and slavery was held on 22 October 1999. The
Board was addressed by Ms Christiane Taubira-Delannon, a member of the French National Assembly. She is the
author of the draft law, subsequently passed by the French National Assembly, on the recognition of the slave
trade and slavery as a crime against humanity. The dialogue served to remind us all about this tragic event in
human history.
12.26 One of the major activities of the Executive Board is to carry out the procedure for nominating a
Director-General for UNESCO. The process started at the 155th session, at which the Board asked the
Chairperson to write to Member States inviting them to submit applications, together with the personal history of
any candidate, by 6 April 1999. At the 156th session a few applications had been received and it was decided to
extend the deadline to 10 September 1999. At the 157th session following the resignation of the Chairperson of
the Board, who was a candidate for the post of Director-General, I was elected Chairperson to replace him.
Eleven candidates were interviewed in private on 13 October 1999. Voting took place on 18, 19 and 20 October
1999, when Mr Koïchiro Matsuura (Japan) won the election for nomination.
12.27 Ladies and gentlemen, this ends my summary of the activities of the Executive Board during the 1998-
1999 biennium. There are a lot more details on each one of the topics covered in the paper that was given to you.
I have attempted to summarize the salient features of that report and hope that it has been useful for you to gain
an appreciation of the work of the Executive Board. The Board is very much alive and actively engaged in the
process of reforming itself and its working methods. For me, it has been a privilege and an honour to serve as its
Chairperson. Thank you for listening.
13.1 The PRESIDENT:
Thank you Mr Chetsanga, you did a marvellous job and you certainly made it clearer and more colourful
with the slides, and you are also to be thanked for conducting the most recent session of the Executive Board. I
should like to take this opportunity to thank also Mr Pál Pataki who deserves our appreciation for the way he
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