Voting on a candidate will start on 9 October. It will be conducted by secret ballot in private meetings. A majority is required to win the nomination. Five candidates are in the running, following the withdrawal of four of the initial contenders*. The winner is expected to be announced no later than Friday, 13 October. (For information about the procedure and candidates see: http://en.unesco.org/executive-board/dg-candidates-2017).
The election of the Executive Board’s nominee is expected to take place on 10 November and the new Director-General is scheduled to take office on 15 November. She or he will succeed Irina Bokova (Bulgaria) who will have served two four-year terms at the head of UNESCO.
The Executive Board, whose sessions take place twice a year, will also finalize the preparation of the Organization’s Draft Programme and Budget for 2018-2021, which will be submitted for the approval of the General Conference.
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Journalists wishing to cover the work of the Executive Board are requested to contact Djbril Kébé of UNESCO’s Media Section for accreditation: d.kebe@unesco.org +33(0)145681741
*Information updated on 11/10/2017