On November 23 the 183rd session of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) took place in Paris. Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO, Davidson Hepburn, President of UNESCO General Conference, A.K.Orlov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to France attended the session.
At the session of the Executive Board election of UNESCO's Executive Board new leadership for the next two years took place, as well as of its corresponding committees and commissions. Other issues of the Executive Board’s activities were also discussed.
Permanent Delegate of the Russian Federation to UNESCO E.V.Mitrofanova was elected to the supreme elective post - Chairperson of the Executive Board of the Organization. She has replaced Benin’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO O.Yai.
E.V.Mitrofanova is Doctor of Economics, speaks English, French and Spanish. She had been elected deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, worked at the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation.
She held posts of First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Head of the Russian Centre of International Scientific and Cultural Cooperation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
In 2001-2003 she was Deputy Director-General of UNESCO.
I.Bokova, UNESCO Director General, speaking at the session, confirmed the readiness of the Secretariat to closely cooperate with the leadership of the Executive Board and the General Conference, with all UNESCO member countries in main priorities of UNESCO’s activities, giving special attention to fulfillment of the Millenium development goals, the development of comprehensive dialogue between scientists, public figures, journalists, civil society, cross-cultural and inter-civilization communication.
Election of the Permanent Delegate of Russia to UNESCO for such a high position gives evidence of the international community’s recognition of the Russian Federation’s contribution to the international humanitarian and cultural cooperation, as well as Russia’s contribution to UNESCO’s activities.
The Russian Federation expresses gratitude to all member states of UNESCO's Executive Board for their support of the Russian representative election.
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The Chairperson of the UNESCO Executive Board is elected from among representatives of the Executive Board member states. According to the rotation principle, every two years the post passes to one of the five regional groups. Now it was the second regional group’s turn to be Chairperson. The Executive Board is UNESCO’s governing body between sessions of the General Conference. It prepares work of the General Conference and inspects the proper implementation of its decisions, defines methods and forms of practical activities of the Organization. The Board consists of representatives of 58 UNESCO member states elected at the General Conference.
Russia’s MFA
Source: official web-site of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
