National Commissions require a more structured format for their informal meetings format for their informal meetings

• © UNESCO - Opening of the meeting

The representatives of more than forty National Commissions from all regions, who met in Paris on 15 October 2010, asked UNESCO to put in place a more structured format for their informal meetings, which are traditionally held during the Executive Board’s sessions.

They proposed to set up a small working group of selected National Commissions, which could explore how best to prepare and organize future interregional meetings of National Commissions. The working group is expected to work exclusively through electronic exchange tools.

The objective of the 15 October meeting was to bring together the National Commissions’ officials attending the 185th session of the Executive Board and to exchange views with them on recent and upcoming activities. It was convened at the invitation of Mr Eric Falt, Assistant Director-General for External Relations and Public Information.

During the meeting, the participants underscored the key role of National Commissions in assuring the sustainability of UNESCO’s action in Member States. It was also recalled that National Commissions should be always kept informed of any activity that the UNESCO Secretariat undertook in their countries.

The meeting was chaired by Luis Ramallo, President of the Spanish National Commissions and Chair of the Coordinating Group of National Commissions.

Report of the meeting

Follow up

As a follow-up to the 15 October meeting, an ad hoc Working Group is now established to formulate recommendations on the optimal ways of organizing the National Commissions informal meetings.

It is composed of the representatives of National Commissions of Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, Latvia, Lebanon, Mali, Sri Lanka, Spain, Tunisia, Uganda and Uzbekistan. Mr David Walden, Secretary-General of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, is leading the work of the Group.

It is expected to have the Working Group’s recommendations finalized by the end of 2010.

If you have proposals for the improvement of the format and agenda of informal meetings of National Commissions, please send them to natcom@unesco.org or David.Walden@unesco.ca