Subsidiary bodies: commissions and committees

The Executive Board has five permanent subsidiary bodies:

1. Programme and External Relations Commission (PX)
2. Finance and Administrative Commission (FA)
3. Special Committee (SP)
4. Committee on Conventions and Recommendations (CR)
5. Committee on Non-Governmental Partners (NGP)

While all members of the Board are automatically members of both the PX and FA commissions, committees have restricted membership.

Elections: commissions and committees

• All Members of the Board are automatically members of both commissions (The Ex. Board of UNESCO, III, 23)

• For each committee, the Board establishes from among its Members the representatives from each electoral group. The Board lays down the specific terms of reference and number of members of its committees for each biennium (The Ex. Board of UNESCO, III, 28)

• The Chairpersons of the commissions and committees are elected, in their personal capacity, by the Board by secret ballot from among the representatives appointed by the Members elected to the Board (Ex. Board, Rules of Proc., rule 16, 2)

• At the opening of each session and for the duration of that session, each commission and committee elects, from among the representatives of its Members, a temporary Chairperson, preferably belonging to the same electoral group as its Chairperson in order to replace the latter in the exercise of all his/her functions during his/her temporary absence (Ex. Board, Rules of Proc., rule 16, 2)

Committees

The Board lays down the specific terms of reference and number of members of its committees for each biennium. (The Ex. Board of UNESCO, III, 28) (Ex.Board, Rules of Proc., article 17)

Any Member of the Board may take part in the work of subsidiary bodies to which it does not belong. In such cases it shall not have the right to vote. (Ex. Board, Rules of Proc., rule 30.5).

In addition to these Committees “the Board may also establish such temporary committees as it considers necessary for the execution of its task. The terms of reference of such committees shall be specifically defined by the Executive Board at the time of their establishment” (Ex. Board, Rules of Proc., rule 17).

The Special committee (SP)

The Special committee (SP) is composed of 18 members, three from each electoral group. Its main functions are:

• methods and machinery for evaluating the activities of UNESCO,
• relations with the Joint Inspection Unit of the United Nations,
• organization of the work of the General Conference and the Ex. Board.

In the light of recommendation R.19 (i) of 33 C/Resolution 92 concerning the report by the ad hoc working group on relations between the three organs of UNESCO, approved by the General Conference at its 33rd session and which has been appropriately implemented (179 EX/Decision 18 and 35 C/Resolution 100), the Special Committee (SP) should continue to meet only as needed and for the time necessary to fulfill the duties required of it by the Executive Board
The Chair of the Executive Board is authorized, in consultation with the Chair of the Special Committee, to identify future items that fall within the Special Committee’s terms of reference, for examination at future sessions (174 EX/Decision 20)

• Chairperson: Ms Samira Al Moosa (Oman)

The Committee on Conventions and Recommendations (CR)

The Committee on Conventions and Recommendations (CR) is composed of 30 members, five per regional group. Its mandate is to examine:

• the periodic reports of Members States on the implementation of Conventions and Recommendations ;
• all communications relating to cases and questions concerning the exercise of human rights in the fields of competence of UNESCO ;
• the report of the Joint ILO-UNESCO Committee of Experts on the Application of the Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers ;
• the reports of the Joint Expert Group (CR)/ECOSOC (CESCR) on the Monitoring of the Right to Education once a year.

Chairperson: Mr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury (Bangladesh)

The Committee on Non-governmental Partners (NGP)

The Committee on Non-governmental Partners (NGP), composed of 24 members, four per regional group, studies:

• general policy to pursue its dialogue with all relevant non governmental partners and the Secretariat with a view to promoting the input of those organizations to the work of UNESCO ;
• any other matters concerning UNESCO’s cooperation with international non-governmental organizations, and, in particular, new applications for the establishment of formal relations.

Chairperson: Mr Darko Tanaskovic

What rights do observers have in commissions and committees?

With the permission of the Chairperson of the commission or committee:

• observers may address the commission on matters under discussion ;
• any Member of the Board who is not a member of a committee may take part in the work of subsidiary bodies to which it does not belong ;
• Observers have no right to vote.

(Ex. Board, Rules of Proc., rule 30.5)