© UNESCO
International Programme for the Development of Communication
Intergovernmental Council and Bureau of IPDC
An Intergovernmental Council composed of 39 member states is elected by UNESCO's General Conference, taking into account the need to ensure equitable geographical distribution and appropriate rotation.
Functions:
The Council is responsible for:
- Policy-making, guiding the planning and the implementation of the Programme;
- Approving priorities of the Programme;
- Reviewing and assessing achievements on the basis of implementation and evaluation reports on the projects and defining the basic areas requiring increased international cooperation;
- Reviewing ways and means whereby Member States might participate more effectively in the International Programme for the Development of Communication;
- Approving an appropriate system of financing for the Programme in order to secure the necessary resources for the benefit of those requesting assistance from the Programme.
The Council normally meets in a regular plenary session once every two years. Extraordinary sessions may be convened as specified in the Council’s Rules of Procedure.
Composition:
Bureau Members (until the 31st IPDC Council)
| President: | Vice-Presidents: | Rapporteur: | Bureau Members: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands
|
Ecuador Mongolia Zambia |
Niger
|
Denmark Oman Poland |
| Regional Groups | Members States elected from 38th to 40th session of General Conference (2015-2019) |
Members States elected from 39th to 41th session of General Conference (2017-2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Group I | Austria Canada Finland Netherlands Norway |
Sweden United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| Group II | Czech Republic Latvia Poland |
Lithuania Russian Federation |
| Group III | Argentina Ecuador Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
Cuba Dominican Republic El Salvador Honduras |
| Group IV | China |
Afghanistan |
| Group V (a) | Cameroon Ethiopia Niger Nigeria Senegal Tanzania (United Republic of) Zambia |
Benin Namibia |
| Group V (b) | Oman United Arab Emirates |
Libya Saudi Arabia |
Bureau of the Intergovernmental Council
The Bureau of the Intergovernmental Council of IPDC is composed of a Chairman, three Vice-Chairpersons, a Rapporteur and three other members.
The members of the Bureau who are representatives of Member States of UNESCO shall preferably be specialists in the fields covered by the IPDC. They are elected by the Council and stay in office until a new Bureau has been elected.
The Bureau discharges duties as the Council may lay upon it. It assumes full responsibility for project selection, approval and allocation of funds from the Special Account, and plans the organization of work of the Council session.
Meetings of the Bureau are convened each year.
Composition of the Bureau elected at the 30th Session of the IPDC Council:
-
Chairperson of the IPDC Bureau
The Netherlands - Ms Albana Shala is a Dutch media development specialist and has been working for the United Nations' Development Programme, Press Now. She is currently working at Free Press Unlimited, responsible for media support activities in the Balkans, Latin America and the South Caucasus. Ms Shala is an award-winning poetrist and writer of fiction and non-fiction novels.
-
Rapporteur
Niger - Mr Coulibaly is a renowned journalist from Niger who is currently the Director of Communications at the Ministry of Communication of Niger. Previously, Mr Coulibaly served as the Secretary General of the Office of Radio and Television of Niger (ORTN) and the Director of Niger's largest public TV channel dedicated to culture, sports and youth programs.
-
Vice-Chairpersons
Ecuador - His Excellency, Mr Galo Mora Witt, Ambassador of Ecuador is the former Minister of Culture of Ecuador (2008). More recently, Mr Mora served as the personal secretary of the Ecuadorian President Correa. Besides his political career, Mr Mora is an anthropologist, writer and musician.
Mongolia - Ms Naranjargal Khashkhuu is a well known media specialist and award-winning TV producer in Mongolia. She has worked on media development projects and authored several reports about the media situation in Central Asia. Ms Naranjargal currently works for Globe International, Mongolia's leading NGO promoting access to information for a democratic society.
Zambia - Mr Gilbert John Bull Maimbo has a long experience and extensive expertise in the communication and information sector. He served, amongst others, as the former Director of the Zambia News and Information Service (ZANIS) and Acting Director of Planning at the Zambian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services.
-
Bureau Members
Denmark - Mr Mogens Blicher Bjerregård is the incumbent President of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and defends the rights of journalists in the rapidly changing media landscape at EU-level. Simultaneously, he serves as the Vice President of the International Media Support, while he previously presided the Danish Union of Journalists from 1995 to 2015.
Poland - Mr Krzysztof Wojciechowski is a Polish media expert and currently works at TVP, Poland's public broadcaster. He is also a Member of the Legal and Policy Committee of the European Broadcasting Union, the world's leading alliance of public service media.
Oman - Ms Suad Al Ishaqi is the Acting Head of Electronic Media Sector and Director of International Cooperation in Oman. He is also the Vice-chairman and Member of New Media Committee at Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU).