Executive Board of UNESCO 2018

Executive Board of UNESCO

WHY IN NEWS?

 The Government of India has decided to nominate Professor J S Rajput, former Director NCERT, as India’s representative to the Executive Board (EXB) of UNESCO. Professor J S Rajput is an eminent educationist with rich experience in various fields including UNESCO.

About the Executive Board:

• The EXB has a four-year term of office and 58 seats.
• The executive board is one of the constitutional organs of UNESCO and is elected by the General Conference.
• The executive board examines the work for the organization and the corresponding budget estimates.
• In practice, the executive board is the main organ responsible for all policies and programmes of UNESCO.

Significance of the membership:

Being a member of the board enables India in principle to play a role in shaping and reviewing UNESCO’s policies and programmes corresponding to its five major programs on education, the natural science, the social and human Sciences, Culture and Communication and Information.

General conference:

• The general conference consists of the representatives of the states members of the organisation.
• It meets every two years, and is attended by member states and associate members, together with observers for non-member states, intergovernmental organisations and non- governmental organisations (NGOs).
• Each country has one vote, irrespective of its size or the extent of its contribution to the budget.
• The general conference determines the policies and the main lines of work of the organisation. Its duty is to set the programmes and the budget of the UNESCO. It also elects the members of the executive board and appoints, every four years.

Sources: pib.