ATTACHMENT 1

GUIDELINES FOR THE CREATION OF CATEGORY 2 INSTITUTES

AND CENTRES UNDER THE AUSPICES OF UNESCO

 

1. The process and the arrangements for the establishment of an institute and centre under the auspices of UNESCO (category 2) and its cooperation with UNESCO should comply with the following guidelines:

2. The procedures for the establishment of relations between UNESCO and the institutes and centres placed under the Organization’s auspices shall take account of whether the Organization has participated in the setting up of these institutes and centres.

3. The establishment procedure shall comprise four stages:

(i) The request for action submitted to UNESCO This written request must emanate from a Member State or group of Member States and include the necessary particulars with respect to:

• the objectives and functions of the proposed institute or centre;

• its existing or future legal status (particularly in terms of the legislation of the State in which it will be established);

• its governance;

• its method of financing (the origin of its various resources and its legal authority to accept such resources as subventions, gifts and legacies or payments for services rendered);

• the type and nature of cooperation sought with UNESCO (e.g. participation in activities, knowledge-sharing, programmatic cooperation, etc.);

• the respective responsibilities of the Member State or Member States concerned and of the Organization (obligations incumbent upon each party vis-à-vis the institute/centre and its activities); and

• the undertaking by the Member State or Member States concerned to take the necessary measures for the establishment of the institute or centre (where it has not yet been set up) or the adaptation of its legal status, if required.

(ii) Feasibility study

(a) Once the Director-General receives a written proposal from a Member State or Member States for designation of a category 2 institute or centre, he/she will assess it based on the information provided in consultation with the relevant Assistant DirectorGeneral and determine whether a feasibility study should be undertaken by the relevant Programme Sector.

(b) Should the Director-General decide that a feasibility study shall be undertaken, the concerned Member State(s) shall undertake to cover all related costs to prepare such a feasibility study, or identify other extrabudgetary sources to cover these costs; UNESCO shall not bear the costs of such feasibility study.

(c) Where a UNESCO intergovernmental or subsidiary body exists, such body shall be invited to review the proposal, as appropriate, in order to determine if it fits within the relevant framework and sectoral strategy and provide a recommendation to the Director-General as to whether a feasibility study should be conducted. Such study shall be the responsibility of the Secretariat of UNESCO and shall focus on:

• a clear programmatic linkage between the activities of the institute or centre and the Organization’s purposes as set forth in its Constitution and the strategic programme objectives and priorities, including the two global priorities of UNESCO, as well as sectoral programme priorities ;

• the scope of the activities of the proposed institute/centre and the ability and capacity of the institute/centre to meet its objectives;

• the global, regional, subregional or interregional relevance and impact (actual or potential) of the institute or centre, in particular the complementarities between its activities and those of other existing institutes or centres with similar focus; the contribution that it is expected to make in strengthening the provision of policy advice, capacity-building in Member States and the promotion of the South-South cooperation; and the contribution and role to be provided by UNESCO.;

• the eventual complementarity and redundancy of a proposed institute/centre with other category 2 entities or with other similar institutions created and operated by other United Nations system organizations;

• the likely impact of the engagement with the proposed institute/centre on the capacity of the Secretariat to undertake effective coordination of this and other category 2 institutes/centres;

• the financial sustainability of the institute/centre.

(d) The feasibility study must include a draft agreement and a draft decision for the Executive Board. It must be reviewed and approved through the appropriate internal Secretariat channels.

(e) Any deviation from the model agreement, as attached to the current strategy, must be explicitly identified and explained in the feasibility study.

(iii) Examination by the Executive Board The Executive Board shall examine the feasibility study and a draft agreement which shall be submitted to it by the Director-General only once per biennium, at its session immediately preceding the regular session of the General Conference, and based thereon the Board shall make appropriate recommendations to the General Conference.

(iv) Resolution by the General Conference The recommendation by the Executive Board shall be considered by the General Conference, which will decide about the establishment of an institute to centre under UNESCO’s auspices (category 2) and authorize the Director-General to conclude an agreement between UNESCO and the government(s) concerned.

(iv) Condition to become a category 2 institute or centre To become a category 2 institute or centre the agreement signed between UNESCO and Member State(s) concerned must enter into force, by written notification of either party.

4. These guidelines do not apply to the relations between UNESCO and non-governmental organizations or private bodies, which shall be governed by distinctly separate directives concerning UNESCO’s relations with non-governmental organizations and with foundations and similar institutions, also adopted by the UNESCO General Conference.