Joint Meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee and the Bureau of the Intergovernmental Council of the Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Programme

Concretely, the 6 independent experts appointed to the SAC by UNESCO’s Director-General and the 8 representatives of UNESCO’s Member States elected to the Bureau of the MOST IGC will address the way the Committee can contribute to providing research input within the thematic priorities of MOST: social inclusion and social transformations arising from global environmental change, as adopted during its 11th session in March 2011, and endorsed by the General Conference at its 36th session (25 October to 10 November 2011). <br /><br />The Scientific Advisory Committee will also elect a new President. <br /><br />In February 2013, the Director-General appointed 4 new members to the Committee which is composed of 6 independent experts, representing each of UNESCO’s six electoral groups, for a term of office of three years. <br /><br />These new members are:<br /><br />- Group III: Mr Emir Sader (Brazil), Director, FLACSO, Brazil, and former Secretary-General, CLACSO<br /><br />- Group IV: Mr Michael Woolcock (Australia), Lead Social Development Specialist in the World Bank Development Research Group and Lecturer in Public Policy at Kennedy School of Government, Harvard<br /><br />- Group V: Ms Judi Wakhungu (Kenya), Executive Director, Energy Resources Management, African Centre for Technology Studies.<br /><br />- Group VI: Ms Fadia Kiwan (Lebanon), Professor at the University of Saint-Joseph in Beirut and Director for the Political Science Institute and member of the Board to the United Nations University.<br /><br />Group I and II are represented by:<br /><br />- Group I: Professor Luk van Langenhove (Belgium), Director, Centre for Comparative Regional Integration Studies, United Nations University (UNU-CRIS), and<br /><br />- Group II: Ms Zdenka Mansfeldova (Czech Republic), Deputy Director, Institute of Sociology, Prague.<br /><br />The President of the MOST IGC, H.E. Ms Alicia Kirchner (Argentina), Minister of Social Development, is Ex-Officio member of the SAC. <br /><br />H.E. Ms Kirchner is also Member of the Bureau of the MOST Intergovernmental Council consisting of the President of the MOST IGC, 6 Vice-Presidents (one from each region) and a Rapporteur. <br /> <br />For the current period (2012-2013), the 6 Vice-Presidents are:<br /><br />- for Africa: H.E. Dr Mary Mbiro Khimulu, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate, Kenya;<br /><br />- for the Arab States: Mr Jassim Mohd. Alali, United Arab Emirates;<br /><br />- for Asia and the Pacific: H.E. Mr Mohammad Réza Majidi, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate, Islamic Republic of Iran;<br /><br />- for Europe and North America: Mr Jan M. Haakonsen, Special Adviser, Dept. of Cooperation and Development Research, The Research Council of Norway, Norway;<br /><br />- for Eastern Europe: Mr Audrius Bitinas, Vice-Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, Lithuania;<br /><br />- for Latin America and the Caribbean: H.E. Ms Lucy Lainfiesta, Minister of Social Development, Guatemala.<br /><br />The Rapporteur is Professor Virginia Miralao, Executive Director, Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC), Philippines.