Responsibilities of Member States towards National Commissions
1.
It is incumbent upon each Member State, under Article VII of the
Constitution, to provide its National Commission with the status, structure
and resources necessary to enable it effectively to discharge its responsibilities
to UNESCO and to the Member State.
2.
Each National Commission will normally include representatives of
ministerial departments, services and other bodies interested in matters of
education, science, culture and information, as well as representative individuals
belonging to the specialized communities involved. Its members
should be sufficiently senior and competent to secure for it the support
and co-operation of ministries, services, national institutions and persons
capable of contributing to UNESCO’s work.
3.
National Commissions may include executive and standing committees,
coordinating bodies, sub-commissions and any other subsidiary
body, as appropriate.
4.
For their effective operation, National Commissions require:
(a)
A legal status which is consistent with Article VII of the Constitution of UNESCO and the provisions of this Charter and which clearly defines the responsibilities vested in the National Commission, its membership, the conditions governing its operation and the resources on which it may draw;
(b)
A permanent secretariat, provided with:
(i)
a high-level staff, whose status, and in particular that of its Secretary-General, should be clearly defined, and who should be appointed for a sufficiently long period to ensure the necessary continuity of experience;
(ii)
sufficient authority and financial means to enable it to carry out efficiently the functions specified in this Charter and to increase its participation in the activities of the Organization.
5.
It is important for close collaboration to be established in each
Member State between its permanent delegation to UNESCO and its National Commission.
