Beijing - August 14th and 15th 2010

The World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations held its executive council in Beijing in China from August 14th to 15th 2010, at the invitation of the Chinese Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations.

In addition to the members of the council, the president of the WFUCA, George Christophides and the president of the Chinese Federation, vice-president of the Asia-Pacific region, Tao Xiping had invited representatives of the Confederations and regional Fédérations (Europe-America of North, Africa, the Asia-Pacific) as well as National federations of the area (Nepal, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, India, South Korea, Mongolia) as well as Chinese clubs.

To note the absence of the representatives of the Latin America and Caribbean region and the Arab region.

Many points were in the agenda : reports of the various regions, financial matters and contributions, organization of the secretariat to the head office of UNESCO in Paris, appointment of advisers and honorary members, the world congress, the participation program, the relations with UNESCO and NG

The council adopted the report of the 28th session of the council in Alexandria. It deferred the statutory questions which must be thorough, and gives a progress report on the payment of the contributions. Important debates related to the occupation of the offices of the WFUCA in Paris. Provisional solutions will be installation until the next world congress where a more final solution will have to be found.

Two major decisions were taken :

-       the choice of the place of the next world congress

-       the choice of a new general secretary

On the two candidatures subjected in Alexandria, only the Vietnamese Federation of UNESCO Clubs gave a detailed file including all the elements required by the WFUCA. After a presentation by the Vietnamese delegation, the council unanimously accepted the organization of the 8th congress of the WFUCA in Hanoï after 15, August 2011. The methods of participation will be given by the secretariat of the WFUCA but the fact of being up to date of the whole of its contributions will be a crucial factor to exert its rights.

The council validated the proposal of the president to name a new general secretary at the time of the organization of the 8th congress in the person of Nguyen Xuan Thang, president of the Vietnamese Federation of UNESCO Clubs. The outgoing general secretary, Constantinos Papathomas, named one year ago, will remain at the disposal of secretariat.

In addition, a forum was organized on education for sustainable development for the promotion of international understanding, the high school n°4 of Beijing, which shelters a UNESCO Club.

Several meetings with Chinese local political personalities, UNESCO Clubs, persons in charge of education and media have punctuated this meeting which was completed by the visit of major sites of the world heritage: the great wall and the summer palace.

(Clubs-unesco.org  
- Lionel Vinour )