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Executive Board to prepare General Conference and election of new UNESCO Director-General

Executive Board to prepare General Conference and election of new UNESCO Director-General
  • © UNESCO/Michel Ravassard

During its 182nd session, 7 to 23 September, UNESCO’s Executive Board will review over 60 agenda items, including the nomination of a candidate for the post of Director-General of the Organization.

The Executive Board will also examine UNESCO’s Draft Programme and Budget for 2010-2011 and the establishment of different types of centres and institutes under the auspices of the Organization. The outcome of its work will be presented to the 35th session of the General Conference, the organ that brings together all of UNESCO’s 193 Member States (6-23 October).

Starting on the morning of 15 September, the Executive Board’s 58 members will interview each of the nine candidates for the post of Director-General. After completion of all interviews, the Board will discuss the outcome in a private meeting. The vote (by secret ballot and by a simple majority) will also take place in private. The Board will inform the General Conference of the name of the candidate proposed and submit to it a draft contract establishing the terms of appointment, salary, allowances and status of the Director-General.

The Chairman of the Executive Board, Olabiyi Babalola Joseph Yaï, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Benin, will announce the Board’s choice of a candidate during the course of the session.



Explanatory note about the election of the Director-General of UNESCO:

According to UNESCO’s Constitution, the Director-General is nominated by the Executive Board and appointed by the General Conference for a period of four years. The Director-General may be reappointed for a second term of four years, but shall not be eligible for a subsequent term. The Director-General is the chief administrative officer of the Organization.
The Chairperson of the Executive Board invites Member States to submit the names of persons who may be considered as candidates to the post of Director-General. The deadline for Member States to submit the names of candidates for the post of Director-General was set for 31 May 2009.
The Chairman of the 58-member Executive Board will then make a public announcement of the candidatures thus proposed.
The Chairman of the Executive Board will invite the candidates to submit to the Board a text not exceeding 2,000 words setting out their vision of UNESCO, in one of the six working languages of the Executive Board, by 1 August 2009 at the latest.
During its 182nd session (7 to 23 September, just before the 35th session of the General Conference), the Executive Board will consider the proposed candidatures at a private meeting. Each interview with each candidate will last one hour at most and consist of two parts: the candidate will make an oral presentation lasting 20 minutes at most and will then have 30 minutes to answer six questions asked by Board members. The questions, each of which will not exceed two minutes, will be asked in one of the six working languages of the Board, and the candidate will answer either in English or in French. In the interview, they will be encouraged to state their ability to handle the two working languages of the UNESCO Secretariat or to develop it further.
After completion of all interviews, the Executive Board will discuss the outcome in a private meeting. The vote (by secret ballot and by a majority of the votes) will also take place in a private meeting.
The Board will inform the General Conference of the name of the candidate proposed and submit to it a draft contract establishing the terms of appointment, salary, allowances and status of the Director-General.
The General Conference will examine this proposal and the draft contract in a private meeting. It will then decide on them by secret ballot.

  • Author(s):UNESCOPRESS
  • Source:UNESCO Media Advisory No. 2009-46
  • 06-09-2009
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