Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport Extraordinary Session and Joint Meeting with the Permanent Consultative Council (PCC)

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1 Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport Extraordinary Session and Joint Meeting with the Permanent Consultative Council (PCC) CIGEPS UNESCO Headquarters, Paris March 2017 Distribution: Limited CIGEPS/2017/Doc.3 Original: English Item 6 of the Provisional Agenda Governance of CIGEPS Background By Resolution/CIGEPS/2016/4, the Committee took note of the presentation by the Secretariat of the Audit Report on the Governance of UNESCO and Dependent Funds, Programmes and Entities contained in Document 38C/23 and 197/EX/28.INF Rev. and 38C/ Resolution 101 on Governance, Procedures and Working Methods of the Governing Bodies of UNESCO. The Committee requested the Chairperson and the Bureau of CIGEPS to analyse the recommendations of the External Auditor s Report and to report on their proposals to the Chairperson of the open-ended working group on governance, procedures and working methods of the governing bodies of UNESCO, and to the 2017 Extraordinary Session of CIGEPS. Decision required: Draft Resolution in para. 10

2 1. Following the Ordinary session of CIGEPS, in 2016 the Chairperson, together with the Secretariat, analysed the external Audit Report and identified concrete measures to improve the governance of CIGEPS. By his letter dated 18 January 2017, addressed to the President of the General Conference, the Chairperson submitted the measures to the Chairperson of the open-ended working group on governance, procedures and working methods of the governing bodies of UNESCO. 2. The following recommendations were identified as being relevant to the work of CIGEPS and its capacity to implement specific actions to improve its governance in line with the report of the external auditor. Follow-up to the recommendation of the External Auditor 3. Recommendation 3 : The External Auditor recommends that the General Conference: (i) delegate the steering and management of the following ten actions to the Bureau of the Executive Board; (ii) to that end, provide the Board with the appropriate means to ensure, after obtaining the opinion of each of the governing bodies, (consulted as needed and in the most efficient way), the adoption, by the General Conference at its 39 th session of, of a guide to best practices applicable to the whole of UNESCO and its dependent funds, programmes and entities: 3.1 accelerate the shortening of sessions; a) A prescribed template will be developed for presentations by Member States and Permanent Consultative Council members that will ensure that reports are concise and address only relevant issues. b) Member States will be requested to forward their presentations 7 (seven) days before the meeting to the Secretariat to avoid delays when loading presentations on the day of the meeting. c) Reducing the number of participants could assist in the shortening of sessions and therefore CIGEPS will review its membership where possible without losing its effectiveness (see 3.6 c). d) Documents that were timeously distributed will be discussed without being presented in full to the meeting. 3.2 group meetings together; a) CIGEPS will investigate the feasibility of streamlining its activities with that of statutory bodies of the International Convention against Doping in Sport, notable the Bureau of the Convention. b) The International Convention against Doping in Sport was adopted in 2005 while CIGEPS, established in 1978, already had competence for the fight against doping. Enhanced synergies between their respective secretariats and modest budgets, should be examined. 2

3 c) Where possible, members of CIGEPS could be responsible for more than one portfolio, thus meetings of the different specialist groups could be grouped together. d) The frequency of meetings is stipulated in the Conventions and CIGEPS Statutes would need to be changed, legally, by amending the Conventions concerned. 3.3 make annual meetings biennial, and biennial meetings quadrennial; a) The ordinary session of CIGEPS is taking place only every two years. CIGEPS will lose its effectiveness if the timeframe between meetings is any longer. 3.4 make more use of teleconferences; a) CIGEPS already implemented, in 2016, an arrangement that the meetings of its Bureau will take place quarterly via a teleconference, or as the need arises. 3.5 convene essential meetings only and finance them through the regular budget; a) The calendar and structure of meetings will be re-examined, taking into account the relatively low level of funding available in the regular budget for CIGEPS sessions. 3.6 reduce the number of meeting participants; a) The current number of participants in meetings is a source of inefficiency. The logistical cost of these vast assemblies is considerable, even though it is hidden when they are hosted and financed by Member States. b) The membership of CIGEPS is limited to 18 Member States as elected by the General Conference and with due consideration of equitable geographical distribution (three Member States per region). In light of the diversity within the different regions, it is recommended to not further reduce this number. c) In line with this recommendation CIGEPS has started to review the membership of its Permanent Consultative Council that comprises approximately 35 members. 3.7 shorten agendas by prioritizing and delegating minor decisions; a) The agenda of meetings are carefully scrutinized by the Chairperson and the Secretariat to ensure an effective and efficient meeting. 3

4 b) The Secretariat of CIGEPS will continue to allocate time slots for each agenda item. c) Briefings for the Chairperson will ensure that discussion points are brought to a conclusion without stifling debates. d) Where possible, decisions will be delegated. e) If required, working groups will be established to do further research or analysis of a topic. The conduct of these working groups will be done via teleconferences or s. 3.8 increase the delegation of authority to the bureau; a) Such delegation will be done on a continuous basis where practically feasible, including notably: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) the collection of information in the Member States for the up-dating of the contacts data base of public authorities responsible for physical education and sport; the identification and mobilization of Member States authorities and experts for international meetings and projects initiated by CIGEPS; the collection of contributions to documents prepared at the initiative of CIGEPS; the solicitation of technical, logistical and financial support for activities initiated by CIGEPS; the promotion within Member States and regional policy structures and fora of activities initiated by CIGEPS. 3.9 simplify and improve the dissemination of results; a) CIGEPS will implement this recommendation on a continuous basis. b) The effectiveness of a reform also depends on UNESCO s ability to evaluate the results achieved in terms of the many expected results and objectives set by the governing bodies encourage best practices. a) In 2017/18 CIGEPS will review its governance documents to ensure that best practices are implemented. 4

5 4. Recommendation 4: The External Auditor recommends that: (i) the Secretariat place at the Executive Board s disposal the budget (possibly funded by the resources of the appropriate Special Accounts), experts and services required to establish a draft guide to best practices in governance and a concrete implementation plan to be considered by the Executive Board at its autumn 2016 session and for adoption by the General Conference at its 39 th session; a) As indicated, CIGEPS will improve its own guiding documents to ensure best practices in governance. (ii) the experts to be placed at the Board s disposal should not have had any ties whatsoever to UNESCO over the previous three years, and should ensure balanced representation of the management cultures of the Member States of the General Conference; (iii) at its autumn 2016 session, the Executive Board had before it a report drawn up by its experts and validated by its Bureau, containing a significant acceleration plan for the implementation of each action listed in the guide, together with indicators of inputs, outputs and expected outcomes that are measurable and relevant regarding the situation as at 31 December 2015; (iv) the reports preparatory to the adoption of the budget contained in document 39 C/5 clearly identify in detail the effects related to the implementation of the guide to best practices, such as decreased expenditure relating to governing bodies, redeployment of the projected savings with a view to the implementation of the plan, dissemination of the guide, and training for delegation and Organization staff members. a) CIGEPS will investigate. 5. Recommendation 7: The External Auditor recommends: (i) draw up a draft governance code in 2016, under the supervision of the Bureau of the Executive Board, that harmonizes and systematizes the rules of procedure, texts and practices of the governing bodies of all UNESCO universe entities; a) CIGEPS will update its own governance code by its 2019 Ordinary Session. (ii) ensuring that this document is regularly updated through a repertoire of practice prepared by the Secretariat and submitted for approval to the Executive Board; (iii) adopting the decisions needed to implement this system at the 39 th session of the General Conference. 5

6 6. Recommendation 8: The External Auditor recommends: (i) examining means of introducing a screening system for individual candidates for the offices of chair and vice-chair of governing bodies, based on robust and transparent criteria of competence; a) As part of updating its governance processes in 2017/18, CIGEPS will examine the feasibility of developing criteria for members who wish to stand for election to the Bureau. b) Furthermore, CIGEPS will look into the development of an election process to ensure that the best possible candidates are elected to the Bureau and that the election process is transparent and effective. In this regard only members who meet the selection criteria and who have been appropriately nominated and seconded will be eligible for election. (ii) adopting a resolution to limit the total length of consecutive terms of office (e.g. to four years) for the same delegate in a governing body so that delegates can gain sufficient experience but the bodies can at the same time be periodically renewed; a) CIGEPS Bureau members are elected for a two-year period at each Ordinary Session. A total limit of 6 (six) years for the terms of Bureau members will be proposed. (iii) that Member States candidates for a seat on a governing body undertake to nominate a full member or alternate with sufficient experience in that body s field; (iv) introducing mandatory training for the offices of chair and vice-chair of a governing body, tailored to the experience of the new officers. a) CIGEPS will consider the implementation of an induction course for elected Bureau members immediately after the meeting during which elections took place. 7. Recommendation 10: The External Auditor recommends: (i) setting up an ethics committee; (ii) adding a section on the ethical conduct of members of governing bodies to the code of governance recommended elsewhere; (iii) that the Ethics Office assist the governing bodies, at their request; (iv) that public declaration of interest arrangements be put in place for experts assisting governing bodies. 6

7 a) In the process of updating its governing principles in 2017/18, CIGEPS will ensure that the issue of the ethical conduct of its members is addressed sufficiently. 8. Recommendation 11: The External Auditor recommends: (i) strengthening oversight of risk management, under the control of the General Conference and within a framework defined by the General Conference, (ii) delegating oversight of risk management to the Executive Board or an independent audit committee; and (iii) that the arrangements put in place and the progress made be reported on to the General Conference at its 39 th session. a) UNESCO s governing bodies have set up many tools to prevent the risks of corruption and fight fraud, for the benefit of the actions and programmes they supervise. b) An international policy framework is in place to address corruption in sport and the manipulation of sporting competition as part of a follow-up to the fifth International Conference of Ministers and Seniors Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS V). c) As part of its planning process in 2017, CIGEPS will also look at the development of a risk management plan with proposed actions to mitigate identified risks. 9. Recommendation 13: The External Auditor recommends that the General Conference: (i) approve the draft medium- and long-term strategic plans concerning resources, especially IT resources, the organization and methods of the Organization, and in general, structural investments; a) To streamline its activities and to ensure that CIGEPS addresses all areas of its responsibility as outlined in the strategic plan of UNESCO, as well as the critical performance areas as captured in the International Charter of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport, CIGEPS will start to develop its own strategic plan in 2017/18. This plan will have a focused approach that will capture the strategic goals of CIGEPS for the next five years. b) The monitoring and evaluation of the successful implementation of the strategic plan will be done biannually. (ii) delegate to the Executive Board the annual review of these plans, their budgets, and input, output and outcome indicators. 7

8 10. The Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport may wish to approve the following resolution: DRAFT RESOLUTION CIGEPS/2017/3 The Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport 1. Having examined document CIGEPS/2017/Doc. 3; 2. Expresses its gratitude to the Chairperson and the Secretariat for their in-depth analysis of ways to respond to the recommendations of the External Auditor pursuant to 38C/Resolution 101; 3. Approves the recommendations of the Chairperson to improve the governance of CIGEPS and of the submission made to this effect to the Chairperson of the open-ended working group on governance, procedures and working methods of the governing bodies of UNESCO; 4. Invites the Bureau and the Secretariat to start immediately implementing these recommendations in preparation of the next Ordinary session of CIGEPS in 2018 and to submit to the next Ordinary session a report on the follow-up to this Resolution, together with proposals of amendments of the Statutes and Rules of Procedure of CIGEPS, as appropriate. 8