Intergovernmental Bureau for Informatics

Identity area

Type of entity

Corporate body

Authorized form of name

Intergovernmental Bureau for Informatics

Parallel form(s) of name

  • Bureau intergouvernemental pour l'informatique
  • Oficina Intergubernamental para la Informatica

Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

Other form(s) of name

  • IBI
  • BII

Identifiers for corporate bodies

Description area

Dates of existence

1961-1988

History

The Intergovernmental Bureau of Informatics was created, with the name International Computation Center, under the auspices of the United Nations and UNESCO by an international Convention signed on December 6, 1951 in Paris. The Resolutions concerning the establishment of this body were taken by the United Nations and UNESCO in 1946, 1948, 1950 and 1951. The International Computation Center was transformed in three stages (1969-70: reorganization; 1971-72: consolidation; and, from 1978: expansion) into the IBI in order to react to the technological evolution in the field.

The IBI had 38 member states which were members either of the United Nations, or of UNESCO, or of one of the other Specialized Agencies of the United Nations.

At its sixth extraordinary session, held in Rome on 28 and 29 November 1988, the General Assembly, by resolution R.6E/09 decided that IBI would cease to exist as from 30 November. Dissolution had been made inevitable due to a series of difficulties encountered by IBI with regard to both its programme activities and its own organizational management and administration. These difficulties led to the successive withdrawal of several Member States from 1985 onwards, in particular the three main contributors (France, Spain and Italy) which deprived IBI of all its funding. Lacking resources, and in the throes of an unprecedented administrative crisis, with a temporary Board of Management acting as a Directorate, IBI was dissolved after 26 years spent in promoting co-operation in informatics.

Places

IBI Headquarters was located at 23, viale Civilità del Lavoro, 00144 Rome, Italy.

Legal status

International organization

Functions, occupations and activities

IBI's mandate was: to assist people in the field of informatics; to help them live in the context created by this discipline; to study the impact of informatics on society; and, to help the world derive the maximum benefit from the field's possibilities.

The IBI undertook actions promoting the development and diffusion of informatics, and, in particular, advised, promoted, and recommended actions of national and international nature concerning:


  • the adoption of informatics policies
  • improvement of administration methods through informatics
  • improvement of education in and through informatics
  • and, research, studies and development programs.

Mandates/sources of authority

The predecessor of the IBI, the International Computing Centre was created by resolution 2.24 of the UNESCO General Conference during its 6th Session, on 6 December 1951. The General Conference resolution followed from United Nations Economic and Social Council resolutions: 22(III) made 3 October 1946; 160(VII) made 10 August 1948; 38 (XI) made 14 August 1950; and, 349 (XIII) made 24 August 1951.

The Convention entered into force on 28 November 1961 with the deposit of the fourth instrument of acceptance. UNESCO's Executive Board authorized the Director-General to sign an agreement with the International Computation Centre on 13 November 1964 (See 68 Ex/Decisions 7.3 and 68 Ex/31 with Annex I and II).

Internal structures/genealogy

The IBI was composed by three organs:

  • the General Assembly which was composed of one representative of each member state and of a representative of UNESCO. Each member had one vote. It met every two years.
  • the Executive Council which was composed of 30% of the members of IBI elected by the General Assembly for a 4 year term, and a representative of UNESCO. It met twice a year.
  • the Director General which was appointed by the General Assembly for a term of 4 years, and the staff whose international character was prescribed

General context

Relationships area

Related entity

Intergovernmental Bureau for Informatics. Administration and Finance Department (1962-1988)

Identifier of the related entity

Intergovernmental Bureau for Informatics

Category of the relationship

hierarchical

Dates of the relationship

Description of relationship

Related entity

Intergovernmental Bureau for Informatics. International Institute for the Development of Informatics (1984-1988)

Identifier of the related entity

Category of the relationship

hierarchical

Dates of the relationship

Description of relationship

Related entity

Bureau intergouvernemental pour l'informatique. Centre régional pour l’enseignement de l’informatique (1977-1988)

Identifier of the related entity

Category of the relationship

hierarchical

Dates of the relationship

Description of relationship

Related entity

Intergovernmental Bureau for Informatics. Projects Department

Identifier of the related entity

Category of the relationship

hierarchical

Dates of the relationship

Description of relationship

Related entity

Intergovernmental Bureau for Informatics. Department of Technology

Identifier of the related entity

Category of the relationship

hierarchical

Dates of the relationship

Description of relationship

Related entity

Intergovernmental Bureau for Informatics. Policies Department

Identifier of the related entity

Category of the relationship

hierarchical

Dates of the relationship

Description of relationship

Related entity

Bureau intergouvernemental pour l'informatique. Bureau des relations extérieures.

Identifier of the related entity

Category of the relationship

hierarchical

Dates of the relationship

Description of relationship

Related entity

Bureau intergouvernemental pour l'informatique. Département de l'information. (1962-1988)

Identifier of the related entity

Category of the relationship

hierarchical

Dates of the relationship

Description of relationship

Related entity

Intergovernmental Bureau for Informatics. Cooperation Department (1981-1986)

Identifier of the related entity

Category of the relationship

hierarchical

Dates of the relationship

Description of relationship

Related entity

FIDI - Fond de l'IBI pour le développement de l'informatique (1980)

Identifier of the related entity

UNESCO

Category of the relationship

hierarchical

Dates of the relationship

Description of relationship

Related entity

International Computation Centre (1951-1974)

Identifier of the related entity

Category of the relationship

temporal

Dates of the relationship

Description of relationship

The ICC transformed in stages into the IBI, beginning in 1969 and ending with the IBI as a new organization unto itself in December 1974.

Related entity

Fond de l'IBI pour le Développement de l'Informatique

Identifier of the related entity

Category of the relationship

associative

Dates of the relationship

Description of relationship

Related entity

Intergovernmental Bureau for Informatics. Liquidation Commitee (1988)

Identifier of the related entity

Category of the relationship

associative

Dates of the relationship

Description of relationship

Access points area

Occupations

Control area

Authority record identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation, revision and deletion

Created by Julia Pohle, August 2009. French authority created by Roland Kiper July 2011. Two combined by AWT July 2011. French authority record is more detailed than English record.

Language(s)

  • English
  • French

Script(s)

Sources

International Governmental Organizations Constitutional Documents: Education, Culture, Copyright, Science and Health Pt. 3 & 4. by Amos J. Peaslee, page 205-208.

131 EX/22, 131st session: North-South Co-operation in the Field of Informatics.

Maintenance notes

  • Clipboard

  • Export

  • EAC