General powers of the President
The President shall declare the opening and closing of each plenary meeting of the Conference. He shall direct the discussions, ensure observance of these Rules, accord the right to speak, put questions to the vote and announce decisions. He shall rule on points of order and, subject to the present Rules, shall control the proceedings and the maintenance of order. The President may, in the course of the discussion of an item, propose to the Conference the limitation of the time to be allowed to speakers, the limitation of the number of times each speaker may speak, the closure of the list of speakers or the closure of the debate. He may also propose the suspension or adjournment of the meeting or the adjournment of the debate on the item under discussion.
The President shall not vote, but may designate a member of his delegation to vote in his place.
The President, in the exercise of his functions, remains under the authority of the General Conference.
The President of the General Conference shall sit ex officio in an advisory capacity on the Executive Board.
Acting President
If the President finds it necessary to be absent during a meeting or any part thereof, he shall appoint one of the Vice-Presidents to take his place.
If the President is obliged to be absent for more than two days, the General Conference may, on the motion of the General Committee, elect one of the Vice-Presidents as acting President for the whole period of the President’s absence.
A Vice-President sitting as President or an Acting President, shall have the same powers and responsibilities as the President.
President
Dr George N. Anastassopoulos (Hellenic Republic) was elected President of the 34th session of the General Conference.
Former presidents of the General Conference
33rd session | 2005 - Paris | Mr Musa Bin Jaafar Bin Hassan (Oman) |
32nd session | 2003 - Paris | Mr Michael Abiola Omolewa (Nigeria) |
31st session | 2001 - Paris | Mr Ahmad Jalali (Islamic Republic of Iran) |
30th session | 1999 - Paris | Ms Jaroslava Moserova (Czech Republic) |
29th session | 1997 - Paris | Mr Eduardo Portella (Brazil) |
28th session | 1995 - Paris | Mr Torben Krogh (Denmark) |
27th session | 1993 - Paris | Mr Ahmed Saleh Sayyad (Yemen) |
26th session | 1991 - Paris | Mr Bethwell Allan Ogot (Kenya) |
25th session | 1989 - Paris | Mr Anwar Ibrahim (Malaysia) |
24th session | 1987 - Paris | Mr Guillermo Putzeys Alvarez (Guatemala) |
23rd session | 1985 - Sofia | Mr Nikolaï Todorov (Bulgaria) |
22nd session | 1983 - Paris | Mr Saïd Tell (Jordan) |
4th extraordinary session | 1982 - Paris | Mr Ivo Margan (Yugoslavia) |
21st session | 1980 - Belgrade | Mr Ivo Margan (Yugoslavia) |
20th session | 1978 - Paris | Mr Napoléon LeBlanc (Canada) |
19th session | 1976 - Nairobi | Mr Taaita Toweett (Kenya) |
18th session | 1974 - Paris | Ms Magda Joboru (Hungary) |
3rd extraordinary session | 1973 - Paris | Mr Toru Haguiwara (Japan) |
17th session | 1972 - Paris | Mr Toru Haguiwara (Japan) |
16th session | 1970 - Paris | Dr AtilioDell'Oro Maini (Argentina) |
15th session | 1968 - Paris | Mr Willian Eteki-Mboumoua (Cameroon) |
14th session | 1966 - Paris | Professor Bedrettin Tuncel (Turkey) |
13th session | 1964 - Paris | Professor Norair M. Sissakian (Soviet Union) |
12th session | 1962 - Paris | Professor Paulo E. de Berrêdo Carneiro (Brazil) |
11th session | 1960 - Paris | Mr Akale-Work Abte-Wold (Ethiopia) |
10th session | 1958 - Paris | Mr Jean Berthoin (France) |
9th session | 1956 - New Delhi | Mr Maulana Abul Kalam Azak (India) |
8th session | 1954 -Montevideo | Mr Justino Zavala Muñiz (Uruguay) |
2nd extraordinary session | 1953 - Paris | Mr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (India) |
7th session | 1952 - Paris | Mr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (India) |
6th session | 1951 - Paris | Mr Howland Sargeant (United States of America) |
5th session | 1950 - Florence | Count Stefano Jacini (Italy) |
4th session | 1949 - Paris | Mr E. Ronald Walker (Australia) |
1st extraordinary session | 1948 - Paris | Mr Francisco del Río y Canedo (Mexico) |
3rd session | 1948 - Beirut | Mr Hamid Bey Frangie (Lebanon) |
2nd session | 1947 - Mexico City | Mr Manuel Gual Vidal (Mexico) |
1st session | 1946 - Paris | Mr Léon Blum (France) |