Executive Board Hundred and seventy-sixth session 176 EX/45 PARIS, 9 March 2007 Original: English/French Item 45 of the provisional agenda RELATIONS WITH INTERNATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, FOUNDATIONS AND SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS SUMMARY The Director-General submits this document to the Executive Board pursuant to 175 EX/Decision 40 and in accordance with the 1995 Directives concerning UNESCO s relations with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and those governing UNESCO s relations with foundations and similar institutions. The Executive Board will also examine, in a separate document (176 EX/46), the sexennial report of the Executive Board to the General Conference on the contribution made to UNESCO s activities by nongovernmental organizations (2001-2006). Decision proposed: paragraph 11.
INTRODUCTION 1. The agenda of the meeting of the NGO Committee of the Executive Board will comprise the following: a Round Table on Regional Cooperation between UNESCO and NGOs; an Open Forum on Cooperation with National Commissions for UNESCO; the procedural matters concerning the reclassifications and admissions of NGOs to official relations with UNESCO and the examination of the sexennial report of the Executive Board to the General Conference on the contribution made to UNESCO s activities by non-governmental organizations (2001-2006) (on the latter, refer to documents 176 EX/46 and 176 EX/INF.6). I. THEMATIC DEBATES ON REGIONAL AND NATIONAL COOPERATION 2. Within the framework of revitalization and strengthening of the NGO Committee s role and the need to focus on the contribution of NGOs to UNESCO s work, the NGO Committee will convene a two-day meeting during the 176th session of the Executive Board during which the following debates will take place. 3. On the morning of 12 April 2007, a Round Table on Regional Cooperation between UNESCO and NGOs will be held. This will provide an opportunity to highlight the various arrangements for regional cooperation and coordination, in particular with regard to the choice of partners and methods of action, and to stress the importance of such cooperation and of the results obtained. Representatives of regional or cluster offices will thus share their experiences with us and provide us with examples of best practices in cooperation with regional and/or national NGOs. In addition, NGOs which maintain official relations with UNESCO and have cooperated with its field offices, directly or through their regional members/affiliates, will present their perspective on this cooperation, together with examples of particularly successful and fruitful partnerships. Through the presentation of these experiences, conclusions can be drawn regarding the best methods of cooperation, in particular with NGOs maintaining official relations with UNESCO and their regional or national branches. 4. The afternoon meeting will be devoted to an Open Forum on Cooperation with National Commissions for UNESCO. This forum is conceived and organized with a view to enhancing the tripartite cooperation between UNESCO, NGOs and National Commissions. The panel will consist of representatives of both NGOs and National Commissions from different regions. They will talk about their views on and experiences in their cooperation and share their success stories and good practices with members of the NGO Committee. As a liaison between Member States and UNESCO and with close links to civil society in each country, National Commissions play a privileged role in the pursuit of UNESCO s objectives and the conceptualization, evaluation and implementation of its programmes at regional and country levels. Over the years, many of them have established networking and partnerships with local NGOs and other civil society representatives, such as parliamentarians, clubs and centres for UNESCO, municipalities, the private sector, etc. In the face of global challenges and in the context of United Nations reform, NGOs and National Commissions should further strengthen their networking so as to jointly contribute to the attainment of UNESCO s goals and strategic objectives. II. RECLASSIFICATION, ADMISSIONS AND OTHER ISSUES RELATED TO COOPERATION WITH NGOs AND FOUNDATIONS 5. Pursuant to the Directives concerning UNESCO s relations with non-governmental organizations and those governing UNESCO s relations with foundations and similar institutions, the following points will be called to the attention of the Executive Board.
page 2 A. Reclassification 6. The Executive Board is invited to admit to formal consultative relations with UNESCO the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB). It should be noted that at the previous session the Executive Board already took note of the Director-General s recommendation in this regard. The individual fact sheet on this NGO is provided in Annex I. B. Admissions (a) Non-governmental organizations 7. The Executive Board is informed of decisions on admissions to operational relations taken by the Director-General in respect of the following five organizations: International Association of Art (IAA) which aims to foster international cultural cooperation among artists worldwide. The Executive Board will recall that, due to unresolved internal problems concerning representation within this NGO, it was decided at its 169th session in April 2004 (169 EX/Decision 7.1.8) to continue cooperation on an informal basis. In light of recent negotiations among the parties concerned which led to re-invigorated coherence within the IAA and following the outcomes of the 176th General Assembly held in Beijing (China) in 2005, the Director-General has decided to resume operational relations with IAA. International Consortium of Landslides (ICL) which aims to promote landslide research for the benefit of society and the environment, as well as capacity-building in developing countries. Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE) which contributes to the protection of the marine, terrestrial and atmospheric environment of the Mediterranean region. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC-International) which aims to establish and maintain culturally appropriate credentials for counsellors as well as to promote professional accountability and visibility for counsellors certified by NBCC. Yachay Wasi (House of Learning in Quechua) which aims to promote intercultural exchanges with the Native Peoples of Peru, which was part of Tawantinsuyu, the empire at the time of the Incas. The corresponding fact sheets are provided in Annex II. (b) Foundation 8. The Executive Board is informed of the decision taken by the Director-General in respect of the admission of one foundation to official relations: The Intervida Foundation aims at improving the living conditions of thousands of children and their families in the most disadvantaged countries, giving special attention to children, women and minorities, and providing them with material and human resources. The corresponding fact sheet is provided in Annex III. C. Other issues relating to cooperation with NGOs 9. It is worth bringing to the attention of the Executive Board that two organizations, the International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC) and the Federation of International Youth Travel Organizations (FIYTO), which have a long history of cooperation with UNESCO, and are
page 3 both in operational relations with the Organization, have successfully merged to create the World Youth Student and Educational Travel Confederation (WYSE) in October 2006 in Melbourne, Australia. 10. It should also be noted that the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), admitted in 1950, and the World Confederation of Labour (WCL), admitted in 1960 and both in operational relations with UNESCO, have recently merged at their World Congress held in Vienna (Austria) in Autumn 2006, forming a new united world organization namely the International Trade Union Confederation. Proposed draft decision 11. After examining the present document, the Executive Board may wish to adopt the following decision: The Executive Board, 1. Recalling 174 EX/Decision 31 and 175 EX/Decision 40, 2. Having examined document 176 EX/45, 3. Welcomes the continued efforts made by the NGO Committee to further stimulate a better dialogue and improve interaction among Member States, NGOs and the Secretariat; 4. Decides to grant the NGO Committee an additional working day at the 177th session; 5. Further decides to admit to formal consultative relations the World Fellowship of Buddhists; 6. Takes note of the Director-General s decision to admit to operational relations five organizations: International Association of Art (IAA); International Consortium of Landslides (ICL); Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE); National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC); and Yachay Wasi (House of Learning in Quechua); 7. Further takes note of the Director-General s decision to admit to official relations the Intervida Foundation.
Annex I ANNEX I Individual fact sheet of the NGO reclassified into formal consultative relations WORLD FELLOWSHIP OF BUDDHISTS 1. Headquarters: Bangkok (Thailand) 2. Date of creation: 1950 World Fellowship of Buddhists aims to promote strict observances and practice of the teaching of the Buddha among its members; to secure unity, solidarity and brotherhood among Buddhists; to propagate the inspirational doctrine of the Buddha; to organize activities in the field of social, educational, cultural and other humanitarian services. WBF s fields of competence are: education and culture with a focus on human rights education, non-formal education, social and humanitarian activities, culture of peace, philosophy and ethics. WFB has regional centres in approximately 50 countries, including in non-traditional Buddhist countries such as Australia, India, the United States of America and several countries in Africa and Europe. The Executive Council is the governing body that consists of 24 members elected by the General Assembly. The President is elected by the General Assembly, which meets every two years. Financial resources are generated from membership subscriptions, voluntary contributions, admission fees, endowments and subventions from other funding sources. Admitted in 1970 to former category B and subsequently reclassified to operational relations in 1997, the World Fellowship of Buddhists continues to collaborate with UNESCO in areas such as dialogue among civilizations, tolerance and the culture of peace. In its capacity as an NGO in operational relations with UNESCO, WFB co-organized several events with the joint collaboration of several Buddhist Member States, NGOs and educational and cultural foundations. It continues to be closely associated with UNESCO s activities in the implementation of its regular programmes ranging from education for all, non-formal education, research and higher education, cultural policies and intercultural dialogue, tolerance and peace, cultural diversity, bioethics and philosophy to the culture of peace in order to maintain peace and harmony among different religions and cultures worldwide. The cooperation between UNESCO and WFB is also being strengthened via the frequent consultations to obtain its views and vision on issues related to UNESCO s goals. In light of the aforementioned activities and collaboration, UNESCO is favourable to the modification of its status from operational relations to formal consultative relations. Recommendation by the Director-General: Admission to formal consultative relations.
Annex II ANNEX II Individual fact sheets of NGOs admitted to operational relations INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ART (IAA) ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONALE DES ARTS PLASTIQUES (AIAP) 1. Headquarters: Paris (France) 2. Date of creation: 1954 IAA aims to stimulate international cultural cooperation, free from any aesthetic, political or other bias, among the artists of all countries; to improve the economic and social position of artists at the national and international levels; and to defend their material and moral rights. IAA is instrumental in facilitating the exchange of artists and ideas as it relates to fine arts; organizes regional meetings pertaining to the status of the artists as well as, inter alia, meetings and conferences related to art activities; sponsors workshops, art contests, exhibitions on paintings, sculpture and poetry. With regional offices on the five continents the IAA extends membership worldwide. General policy is decided at the general meeting held every three years by the governing body that consists of the President, Vice-President, Regional Vice-Presidents representing Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, Africa and the Arab States, as well as the Treasurer and three other members including the Executive Secretary. The financial resources consist of membership fees and funds derived from costs of participation in various activities organized by the NGO. The new cooperation with IAA should be consistent with the policy of rapprochement with the artistic world and its networks, namely plastic artists, in order to meet UNESCO s priorities with regard to the protection and promotion of cultural expressions, through, inter alia, activities for the implementation of the Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist and with regard to the support that can be provided by artists for initiatives to strengthen social cohesion within societies. Decision of the Director-General: Admission to operational relations.
Annex II page 2 INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM OF LANDSLIDES (ICL) 1. Headquarters: Kyoto (Japan) 2. Date of creation: 2002 ICL aims to promote landslide research for the benefit of society and the environment, as well as capacity-building including education notably in developing countries. To achieve these objectives it integrates geosciences and technology within the appropriate cultural and social contexts in order to evaluate landslide risks in urban, rural and developing areas, including cultural and natural heritage sites. ICL contributes to a number of scientific disciplines including: technology development; targeted landslides; mechanisms and impact; capacity-building; enhancing human and institutional capacities; mitigation, preparedness and recovery. ICL is composed of more than 40 scientific organizations established in the following regions: Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. ICL is administered by a Board of Representatives, which is held annually during the months of October and November. It convenes a General Assembly every three years to report and disseminate the information on its activities. The financial resources of ICL consist of membership dues, subventions and funds derived from other funding sources. ICL contributes significantly to furthering the activities of UNESCO in disaster reduction. For this reason the Natural Sciences Sector has strongly recommended the establishment of official relations between UNESCO and the International Consortium of Landslides. Decision of the Director-General: Admission to operational relations.
MEDITERRANEAN INFORMATION OFFICE FOR ENVIRONMENT, CULTURE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (MIO-ECSDE) 176 EX/45 Annex II page 3 1. Headquarters: Athens (Greece) 2. Date of creation: 1993 MIO-ECSDE contributes to the protection of the marine, terrestrial and atmospheric environment of the Mediterranean region, including wild flora and fauna, biotopes, forests, coasts, as well as the conservation, restoration and promotion of the cultural elements of cities, archaeological and traditional settlements and monuments which aim at promoting sustainable development in a peaceful Mediterranean. This NGO facilitates the educational community in contributing to a systematic and concrete way towards the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Millennium Development Goals, through the successful application of innovative educational programmes. The federation comprises members from 23 different countries. It is headed by an Executive Bureau, which consists of 18 members. The highest decision-making body of MIO-ECSDE is the Annual General Meeting. Directly below the Executive Bureau meets at least three times a year. Income derived from membership dues, subventions and various funding sources. This NGO has been cooperating with UNESCO on jointly organized activities during the last several years. The Natural Sciences Sector cooperates with MIO-ECSDE by using biosphere reserves as demonstration sites for sustainable development, as well as for educational purposes. The Natural Sciences Sector, therefore, has strongly recommended that official relations be established between UNESCO and MIO-ECSDE. Decision of the Director-General: Admission to operational relations.
Annex II page 4 NATIONAL BOARD FOR CERTIFIED COUNSELORS (NBCC-INTERNATIONAL) 1. Headquarters: North Carolina (United States of America) 2. Date of creation: 1982 NBCC-International collaborates with counselling organizations and other groups to promote the counselling profession. NBCC-International helps counsellors develop the methods they will implement to assure quality in culturally relevant ways. Consumers of mental health, academic, and vocational counselling benefit by being able to identify minimally competent professionals. NBCC-International operates in a local, national and international scope, to establish culturally appropriate credentialing for counsellors, as well as promotes professional accountability and visibility for counsellors certified by the corporation. It currently has over 40,000 certificants with the vast majority of them residing in the United States of America. However, it has offices in China, Japan and Romania with international activity on all the continents. NBCC-International is administered by a Board of Directors, based on a majority voting system that meets three times annually. The four-member Executive Committee, elected by the Board for a one-time renewable term of three years, acts for the entire Board between official meetings. Its financial resources consist of membership dues and funds derived from other intergovernmental sources. NBCC-International collaborates with the Education Sector which recognizes the importance of its partnership in the context of the Sector's new priority "from access to success". The Education Sector, therefore, has strongly endorsed its application. Decision of the Director-General: Admission to operational relations.
YACHAY WASI (HOUSE OF LEARNING IN QUECHUA) 176 EX/45 Annex II page 5 1. Headquarters: New York (United States of America) Cuzco (Peru) 2. Date of creation: 1993 Yachay Wasi's aim is to preserve and disseminate the cultural pride and interests of the Native Peoples of Peru, which was part of Tawantinsuyu, the empire at the time of the Incas. Yachay Wasi is dedicated to promoting the contributions of indigenous peoples to human civilizations and equally to encouraging their potential contribution to sustainable development. Its fields of competence include social and economic development of indigenous people, the preservation of indigenous culture and the environment, and the promotion of the human rights of indigenous people. Yachay Wasi currently has over 1,500 individual members, and 53 organizations in 12 countries involved in the activities of the organization. It pledges not to discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, geographic location, religion or gender. The decision-making process emanates from the three founding officers: the President, the Vice- President and the Treasurer (all voluntary positions). They meet three times annually in New York City (United States of America). The financial resources of Yachay Wasi consist of minimal membership dues generated in connection with its publication of a newsletter and grants received through donations and various funding sources. Yachay Wasi has been cooperating with the World Heritage Centre (WHC) on issues relating to indigenous peoples and the conservation of sites in Latin America since 1995. The Sector for Culture, the World Heritage Centre and the Division of Cultural Policies and Intercultural Dialogue have supported the request of Yachay Wasi. Decision of the Director-General: Admission to operational relations.
Annex III ANNEX III Individual fact sheet of the foundation admitted to official relations INTERVIDA FOUNDATION 1. Headquarters: Barcelona (Spain) 2. Date of creation: 1994 The aim of the Foundation is to provide all forms of assistance to the developing world and to marginalized, disabled and helpless persons. It works principally in the fields of literacy and women s empowerment. Offices: Spain, United States of America, France, Italy, Japan. Activities: South and Central America (Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, El Salvador), Africa (Mali) and Asia (Bangladesh, India). The Governing Board is entrusted with the representation, management and administration of the Foundation. Mainly contributions, but also private donations, official organizations and others. In December 2005, the Intervida Foundation, in cooperation with UNESCO, launched a video competition on the theme A child s future is in your hands, so as to give priority to the voices and testimonies of children concerning HIV/AIDS. Together with UNESCO, it organized a conference on women s literacy in February 2006. In May 2006, the Intervida Foundation of Mali entered a women s literacy project in the annual literacy competition held at UNESCO in Paris. The successful activities that the Foundation has recently organized in collaboration with UNESCO on the themes of women s literacy and HIV/AIDS contribute to the promotion and advancement of UNESCO s education goals. Decision of the Director-General: Admission to official relations. Printed on recycled paper