- [Recommendations 66 - 71], while enhancing synergies among culture Conventions required preferred actions [Recommendations 96, 97 and 100]. Accordingly, the Assembly should be able to discuss amending its Rules of Procedure at its next session with a holistic approach, especially on limiting terms, defining its role, revising its composition, and making working methods more transparent. The culture Conventions needed ways of exploring how to make the Chairpersons of the relevant Committees more interactive. These subjects could also be raised at the meetings of the informal ad hoc working group. Bearing in mind their responsibilities, States Parties should maintain their cooperative stance, interacting and taking decisions, examining nominations, providing additional resources and finalizing procedural amendments in order to work efficiently within the framework of the Convention.
- 435. The delegation of Iceland strongly supported efforts to build a more relevant, focused and effective UNESCO,and hence it placed priority on the implementation of the recommendation of the Open-Ended Working Group on Governance. It was therefore very pleased to see this item on the agenda and it thanked the Secretariat for this comprehensive and useful work, listing the relevant recommendations and the status of their implementation. Moreover, replicating the good practices of the other governing bodies of UNESCO was also highly relevant in this context, and it was therefore of the opinion that the Secretariat could include Recommendation 80 in its follow-up table. The delegation encouraged the Secretariat to continue its work in an open and transparent manner.
- 436. The delegation of Morocco had a couple of comments on the recommendations, especially Recommendation 60 [on politicization], adding that there was a distinction between nominations, which were the responsibility of States Parties, and the decisions that fell within the purview of the Committee. The question of politicization was therefore different in both cases. The issue singled out here concerned the work of the Committee when making decisions to inscribe, refer or not inscribe an element on one of the two Lists, to select or not a programme or project on the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices, or to grant or not a request for International Assistance. Consequently, any action taken now was the responsibility of the General Assembly, as the Committee had already undertaken this reflection, as specified in the actions outlined. In Recommendation 97 [on meetings of the Chairpersons of the Committees of the culture Conventions], the delegation suggested that the Chairpersons report to the General Assembly and the Committee on the issues discussed at these meetings so as to move towards synergistic actions in favour of heritage preservation and the promotion of creativity.
- 437. The Secretary wished to address the points raised by Ecuador, adding that the Secretariat was aware of these concerns, and indeed the issue related to schedules in terms of how they were dealt with in the past. The Secretariat had received a draft amendment supported by a number of countries, which may help to address this, but the issue of harmonization had to happen across all six Conventions because a Convention could not be harmonized without the others. Therefore, there was a risk of starting in one Convention and not necessarily getting the same results in the different General Assemblies, which was why it was proposing a slight delay so that there was a clear understanding about what the agreements were among the different Conventions, as harmonization meant that they would all have to come together. The Secretary believed that the proposed amendment would go some way to remedying this situation. It was understood that the question related to item 12, as item 13 already entered steps to propose harmonization procedures, but had yet to be consulted with other Committees and Conventions, which was why they were not yet proposed for adoption. However, under item 12, the Assembly was examining the recommendations and the Secretary proposed adopting the Annex under item 12.
- 438. The delegation of Palestine thanked the Secretariat for its high-quality report and expressed its gratitude to Ecuador, Morocco and the Philippines for their interventions. It fully agreed with the delegations regarding the harmonization of the Rules of Procedure of the various Conventions. As stated by the Secretariat, this would have an impact on decisions under item 13. With regard to the remarks made on politicization, the delegation regretted that it was often associated with Palestine, even though it was not true. The delegation referred to the