UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION

UNESCO CORRESPONDENCE

MANUAL

PARIS, 1999

Published in I998 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP Printed in the workshops of UNESCO

0 UNESCO 1998 Printed in France

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FOREWORD

This new edition of the UNESCO Correspondence Manual sets out the guidelines to be followed in the drafting, presentation, submission and dispatch or routing of the Organization’s official correspondence. It is consequently addressed to all members of the Secretariat who are involved in the preparation or finalization of the Organization’s written communications with its correspondents throughout the world.

Drafted jointly by the Executive Office of the Director-General (CAB) and the Bureau for External Relations (BRX), in consultation with the Manual Unit (MCRM), the Bureau of Conferences, Languages and Documents (CLD) and the Bureau for Support and Services (BSS), this Manual is composed of Part I of the UNESCO Official Correspondence Guide, with the exception of Annex III thereto (List of Member States and Associate Members of UNESCO), which is not reproduced here in view of the need for it to be regularly updated. Users will find in it all the rules relating to correspondence together with model letters for official communications. They may also find it a source of useful information for the drafting of documents.

Whereas the Guide, by virtue of the many kinds of information it contains and the possibility it offers of continually being updated, is designed to be a work of reference, the Manual is intended to provide each of the Organization’s staff members with a handy tool that can easily be consulted at any time in order to find the answers to the main questions that may arise in the drafting of letters but also, if need be, of other texts.

December 1998

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Paragraph Page

I. Preparation of correspondence: general remarks

A. Responsibility for correspondence B. Signing of correspondence

II. Drafting style and practice

A. Style B. Languages C. Official and personal titles D. Reference to previous communications E. Introductory phrase F. Names of Member States and of

Heads of State or Government G. Reference to resolutions and decisions H. Reference to languages of meetings I. Reference to the Programme and Budget

of the Organization

Ill. Submission

A. Visas 22 4

B. Copies 25 5

IV. Presentation of correspondence

A. Letters in general B. Letters for the signature of the Director-General

or the Deputy Director-General C. Circular letters D. Notes verbales

1 1

2 1 6 1

9 12 13 14 15 17

18 3 20 4 21 4

26 6 34 7

42 8 48 9

Paragraph Page

Dispatch/routing of correspondence

A. General instructions B. Distribution of copies C. Letters signed by the Director-General

or the Deputy Director-General D. Circular letters E. Fax F. Telegrams and telex G. Electronic mail

I. Rules and usage to be followed

A. Spelling 14 B. Capitalization, punctuation and related matters 15 C. Foreign words and phrases 20 D. Currencies 21 E. Numbers 21 F. References to dates and time 23

II. Salutations and complimentary endings

III. List of document symbols to be used on letters for the signature of the Director-General or the Deputy Director-General

APPENDICES

1. Model forwarding letter for a communication from the Director-General to a Head of State (English)

2. Model forwarding letter for a communication from the Director-General to a Head of State (Spanish)

3. Model letter 4. Model letter for the signature of the Director-General 5. Model circular letter 6. Model note verbale

49 10 50 10 52 10

55 11 56 11 59 11 60 11

13

25

29

31

33

35 37 39 41

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I. PREPARATION OF CORRESPONDENCE:

GENERAL REMARKS

1. Written communications from UNESCO to Member States and Associate Members, international intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the international intellectual community as a whole must be clear and accurate in content, correct in form, direct and precise in style, and attractively set out. The principles outlined below are intended to guide and assist staff members whose task it is to draft, key in, format or dispatch the Organization’s correspondence.

A. RESPONSIBILITY FOR CORRESPONDENCE

2. The responsibility for drafting the Organization’s outgoing communications and for their substance and factual accuracy lies with the sectors/bureaux/offices/units concerned. They are normally responsible for keying in the text of the communication, checking the name, title and address of the addressee, obtaining clearance and dispatching the original and copies. A copy of the correspondence must be kept in the records of the originating sector/bureau/office/unit and filed in accordance with current filing procedures and plans. An extra copy of the correspondence may be kept in chronological files (“chronos”).

3. Replies to incoming communications should be prepared and dispatched promptly. If for any reason a reply has to be delayed, an interim acknowledgement should be sent to the author of the communication.

4. The staff member responsible for drafting a reply should ensure that all questions raised in the original communication are answered and should, where appropriate, request other sectors to provide the necessary information. All communications, not only from national authorities and regional or international bodies, but also from the public, should be given careful attention and answered. A form letter may be used where a large number of communications deal with a subject on which the policy of the Director-General has been clearly set.

5. When a letter from the Organization requires a reply (standard letters and circular letters in particular), it should always indicate the name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the member of the Secretariat to whom the answer should be sent.

B. SIGNING OF CORRESPONDENCE

6. The nature and importance of the subject, the status of the addressee and the rules on the delegation of signature determine who is to sign a letter. Mail dealing with programme execution can be signed by the ADG of the sector, or by a competent staff member to whom that authority has been delegated, it being understood that he or she has to obtain the necessary clearance and send copies to those concerned. Correspondence to be signed by these staff members is normally limited to technical matters and follow-up action. It will not initiate or establish policy decisions.

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7. Letters to Heads of State or Government are signed by the Director-General; letters to Ministers are, according to circumstance, signed by the Director-General, the DDG, the appropriate ADG or ADG/BRX (on the advice of CAB). Standard letters to NGOs and IGOs bear the signature of the Director-General or ADG/BRX. Communications sent to Permanent Delegates (such as invitations to information meetings preceding statutory meetings ofthe governing bodies or thematic meetings organized by the sectors) are signed by ADG/BRX.

8. In the absence of the Director-General, the senior official standing in for him or her (the Deputy Director-General or an Assistant Director-General) signs on behalf of the Director-General; the latter’s name appears on the correspondence.

II. DRAFTING STYLE AND PRACTICE

A. STYLE

9. Official written communications (which at UNESCO are mostly letters) addressed to Heads of State or Government, Ministers, National Commissions, Permanent Delegates of Member States and observers from non-Member States are drafted according to strict protocol and established diplomatic usage. They are submitted at the draft stage for clearance by BRX and CAB. A less formal style may be used for letters to members of the public or officials of other institutions of the United Nations system.

10. Annex I offers guidance on the rules and usage to be followed.

11. Sections IV and V below contain directives on margins, spacing, the address and other matters relating to the presentation and dispatch of correspondence; the most frequently used salutations and complimentary endings are reproduced in Annex II.

B. LANGUAGES

12. Correspondence signed by officials of the Organization is usually drafted in English, French or Spanish, according to the preference of the addressee. For correspondence to be signed by the Director-General, the language indicated on the relevant page in Part II of the UNESCO Official Correspondence Guide should be used, unless another language is specifically indicated by CAB.

C. OFFICIAL AND PERSONAL TITLES

13. Great care should be taken in the use of official and personal titles in the address, salutation, complimentary ending and text of communications. If there is any doubt, BRX should be consulted.

D. REFERENCE TO PREVIOUS COMMUNICATIONS

14. Where there has been previous correspondence on a subject, the text of a communication should contain a precise reference to the last communication, with an indication of the date, subject

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and, where appropriate,- the reference number, e.g. “In reply to your letter . . . of 5 April 1997 concerning . ..‘I or “Further to my letter . . . of . ..‘I.

E. INTRODUCTORY PHRASE

15. In cases where the Deputy Director-General, an Assistant Director-General or a Director signs a reply to a letter addressed to the Director-General, the first sentence should read: “I am pleased [or, exceptionally: I have the honour] to reply to your letter of . . . addressed to the Director-General. concerning . . .‘I or “On behalf of the Director-General, I acknowledge with thanks receipt of your letter of . . . . concerning”.

16. The form “The Director-General has asked me to reply to your letter of . . . . concerning . ..“. is also acceptable when the aim is to give a less formal tone to the letter.

F. NAMES OF MEMBER STATES AND OF HEADS OF STATE OR GOVERNMENT

17. The list of Member States and Associate Members of UNESCO is to be found in Appendix 4L of the UNESCO Manual. The list of Heads of State or Government may be obtained from BRX which is responsible for compiling and systematically updating it.

G. REFERENCE TO RESOLUTIONS AND DECISIONS

18. When reference is made to a General Conference resolution or an Executive Board decision. its number, the session at which it was adopted and the body concerned should be indicated. as in the following examples:

(a) General Conference resolutions

In the body of the text:

“Resolution 31 adopted by the General Conference at its 29th session” or, more briefly, “29 C/Resolution 31”.

In passing reference:

“(29 C/Resolution 31)” or “(29 URes. 31)“.

(b) Executive Board decisions

In the body of the text:

“In accordance with decision 3.1 adopted by the Executive Board at its 150th session” or “In accordance with 1.50 ENDecision 3.1”.

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In passing reference:

“(I.50 EHDecision 3. I)” or “(150 WDec. 3.1)“.

19. If reference to the number, title and date of a resolution or decision is not enough, the relevant paragraphs may be cited or even, in some cases, the entire text of the resolution or decision may be attached to the communication.

H. REFERENCE TO LANGUAGES OF MEETINGS

20. Letters of invitation to a meeting should indicate the languages in which the proceedings will take place and in which interpretation will be provided. These languages may be specified when there are two or three of them, or indicated by the phrase “the working languages of the General Conference” in the case of the six languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) referred to in Rule 53 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Conference.

I. REFERENCE TO THE PROGRAMME AND BUDGET OF THE ORGANIZATION

2 1. As its title indicates, the C/5 document is a Draft Programme and Budget. It is therefore incorrect to speak of the “Draft C/5 document” . Once approved by the General Conference, it becomes document “,., C/5 Approved” (Approved Programme and Budget for . ..).

Ill. SUBMISSION

A. VISAS

22. The purpose of the clearance process is to ensure that the Organization’s policies, regulations and statutory texts, and Executive Board decisions and General Conference resolutions have been respected; obtaining clearance does not make the person drafting the letter any less responsible for its content.

23. Letters have to be cleared by the highest ranking official in the sector (ADG), bureau, office or unit sending the letter and by:

(a) ADG/BRX for all communications dealing with policy or coordination issues concerning Member States, the United Nations and the Specialized Agencies of the United Nations system, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and the Permanent Delegations to UNESCO’;

(b) ADG/MA if important questions concerning administrative policy are involved;

‘See also Annex I to note ADG/BRX/96/Memo 7 of 2 January 1996 (para. 1).

(cl (4

(4

ci>

(k) (1)

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DIR/LA if the letter deals with legal questions or international standards;

DIR/BB if it concerns budgetary questions or negotiations leading possibly to financial commitments;

DIR/BOG if it relates to the collection of contributions, to obligations or to questions of payments (unless already cleared by the A0 of the sector/bureau/office/unit concerned);

DIR/BER for correspondence relating to operations financed from extrabudgetary funds;

DIR/PER if personnel or employment questions are raised;

DIFUCLD if documents or conference arrangements are involved;

DIR/BSS if the letter concerns the use of rooms or facilities at Headquarters for exhibitions, concerts or shows, or raises questions relating to premises, equipment purchase, postal dispatches or telecommunications;

DIR/OPI if the letter is addressed to a news or information organization, concerns an event intended for the general public or relates to the Organization’s public relations policy;

DIR/UP0 if questions relating to publishing or the sale of publications are raised;

the A0 of the sector/bureau/office/unit if the letter concerns budgetary or financial questions, purchases, travel or other activities involving his or her office, it being understood that it is the responsibility of the A0 to obtain the clearances of BB and BOC if the content of the letter goes beyond his or her authority.

24. All correspondence for the signature of the Director-General must receive final clearance from the Director of the Executive Office.

B. COPIES

25. The sectors/bureaux/offices/units that are to receive copies after the letter has been signed should be identified and indicated on the draft and the copies of each letter. Since - with the exception of CAB - all services whose visa is required automatically receive an information copy. there is no need to repeat their symbol. In addition, there should be:

(a> one copy to the regional office/field unit for any activity involving their region or country;

(b) one copy to the UNDP resident or regional representative/lJnited Nations resident coordinator for operations funded by, or carried out jointly with, UNDP in their country or region;

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(4 one copy to any sector/bureau/office/unit with an interest in the activity in question;

(4 one copy to the Permanent Delegation and National Commission of the Member State concerned, when the correspondence is official;

(4 one copy to the secretariat of the Director-General (Sec/DG) for any letter affecting his or her schedule.

IV. PRESENTATION OF CORRESPONDENCE

(See examples in Appendices)

A. LETTERS IN GENERAL

26. All letters should be on UNESCO letterhead paper; for letters to be signed by the Director- General, special headed paper (Director-General) should be used. The rules of presentation are as follows.

27. The text should be aligned on the left under the initial “r” of “reference” and justified on the right. Single spacing is normally used. If a letter is very short, it may be in one-and-a-half spacing. Each new paragraph should be indented five spaces and separated from the preceding paragraph by double spacing. On letters of more than one page, each page except the first should bear a page number in arabic numerals between hyphens (e.g.-2-). Each page after the first should have at least three lines of text in addition to the complimentary ending.

28. The reference consists of the symbol of the originating sector/bureau/office/unit followed by a file number and a serial number.

29. The date should appear on the right on the same horizontal line as the reference and should be in the form ” 15 October 1997”. As far as possible, it should be the date on which the letter was actually signed.

30. Except in the cases of the Director-General, the Deputy Director-General, an Assistant Director-General or the Director of the Executive Office, who are identified by their title at the top of the letter, the name of the signatory should be followed by his or her title (these two indications together with the signature form the signature block).

31. The address, which consists of the name, title and address of the addressee, should appear, with the same margin as the text, in the bottom left-hand comer of the first page, even if the letter runs to more than one page. The contractions Mr, Mrs or Ms should be used. In letters to Ambassadors and Permanent Delegates with the rank of ambassador, the title “His Excellency” or “Her Excellency” (which may be abbreviated to “H.E.“) precedes the name of the addressee.

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Example:

H.E. Mr John Smith Ambassador Permanent Delegate of the United Kingdom

to UNESCO UNESCO House

32. Enclosures (Encl.) should be mentioned in the text, preferably drawing attention to them by three dots in the left-hand margin opposite the lines referring to them. The total number should be indicated at the end of the text, at the left-hand margin. When a letter with enclosures is dispatched, care should be taken to ensure that the enclosures mentioned are in fact enclosed. Their number and volume will affect the choice of envelope.

33. Copies for distribution outside the Secretariat should be on UNESCO letterhead paper, those for internal distribution on plain paper. The name of the drafting official, preceded by the words “drafted by”, should appear in the top left-hand comer. The necessary visas should be shown in the top right-hand comer: the officials concerned are required to indicate their agreement by initialling and dating a copy, to be kept by the originating sector/bureau/office/unit. The recipients of copies are listed at the top right-hand side of the page, below the visas. Save for exceptional circumstances, this information should never appear on the original or on the copies for external distribution. It should therefore be indicated in the body of the letter that the signatory is sending copies to particular persons having an interest in the subject.

B. LETTERS FOR THE SIGNATURE OF THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OR THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL

34. A letter for the signature of the Director-General or the Deputy Director-General must first be prepared in draft form, in double spacing, indicating: (i) in the top left-hand comer the name and sector of the drafting official and the name and extension of the person who keyed it in; (ii) below that, the reference DG/, followed by the number assigned to the originating sector/bureau/office/unit - see Annex III below, which reproduces Appendix 9A of the UNESCO Manual - and a file number or serial number enabling the sector/bureau/office/unit to identify the letter; (iii) in the top right-hand comer the title of the persons whose visa is required (they are to initial and date the draft); (iv) below that, the recipients of copies; (v) the text, including the salutation and complimentary ending, and the name and full address of the addressee.

35. When all the visas other than that of DIR/CAB have been obtained, the draft, to be submitted in a stiff folder with the name, sector, office and telephone number of the person responsible for it. should be forwarded to the Correspondence Unit of the Executive Office (CAB/UC), together with any background material and the original of the incoming letter in the case of a reply.

36. After revision - where necessary - and clearance by CAB the draft letter is returned to the originating sector/bureau/office/unit to be produced in final form on the Director-General’s special

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headed paper (in the appropriate language). This paper and the paper used for letters to Heads of State, and unheaded sheets of the same two kinds of paper, are available from CAB/UC.

37. The letter should be finalized with the greatest care, in single spacing, incorporating all the corrections made by the authors of the various visas. There should always be eight line spaces between the complimentary ending and the Director-General’s name. As in the case of other official letters, the name, title and address of the addressee should appear at the bottom left-hand side of the first page (see above, section A).

38. In English unlike French and Spanish, the family name and the name of the city should not be capitalized. It will be recalled that the last page of a letter of more than one page should never consist solely of the complimentary ending and signature but should also include part of the text (at least three lines, not counting the complimentary ending).

39. Letters for signature by the Director-General should not be dated: CAB/UC (using a date stamp in the appropriate language) dates the letter with the date on which the Director-General actually signs it.

40. All copies for distribution outside UNESCO should be photocopies of the signed and dated original, marked “FOR INFORM4TION”. Copies for distribution within the Secretariat, on unheaded paper, should include all the information appearing in the draft: name of the drafting official, symbol of the sector, visas and recipients of copies.

41. Before forwarding to CAB/UC a letter or letters to be submitted to the Director-General for signature. the originating sector/bureau/office/unit should check that the following are attached: the background material. the draft with visas, the original of the letter replied to, three copies and the envelope for dispatch.

C. CIRCULAR LETTERS

42. Circular letters (CL) are identically-worded letters, signed exclusively by the Director-General and addressed to the governments of all Member States’. A CL is used when a specific action or answer is required, or for the transmission of information in fulfilment of a constitutional or legal obligation. It might involve, for example, the dispatch ofthe texts of General Conference resolutions, questionnaires, calls for candidates, requests for financial contributions or invitations to meetings in category I (international conferences of States) or category II (intergovernmental meetings other than international conferences of States).

43. Unlike letters for the signature of the Director-General, CLs are on standard UNESCO letterhead paper, with the subject indicated at the beginning of the letter before the salutation, and the name of the Director-General and his or her title at the end. The indication “To Ministers

‘Identically-worded letters which do not come into this category (letters to IGOs or NGOs, for example) are called standard letters.

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responsible for relations with UNESCO” appears at the bottom of the first page. The reference is made up of the symbol “CL” followed by a serial number assigned by CAB. An information copy is sent systematically to all National Commissions and Permanent Delegations, with the appropriate indication clearly marked at the end of the text, after the signature, at the left-hand margin.

44. The originating unit forwards the draft bearing the appropriate visas together with any annexes to CAB/UC, indicating the proposed languages. CAB/UC revises the draft letter - where necessary - has it approved by DIR/CAB and returns it to the originating unit; the final decision as to languages is taken by CAB in consultation with the originating unit, according to various criteria including, in the case of invitations to a meeting, that of the working languages of the meeting.

45. The originating unit prepares the approved text and any annexes in the appropriate number of copies, together with a Document Production Request (form 2) in two copies which should be countersigned by the A0 (for administrative control purposes), and forwards them to CAB/UC. The originating unit specifies on the Request the number of copies it needs in each language in addition to the official distribution. The Correspondence Unit detaches the duplicate of the Request, countersigns the original and sends the papers to CLD for translation. CLD returns the receipt indicating the job numbers to CAB.

46. Once the documents have been translated and composed, CLD forwards the different language versions of the CL and its annexes to CAB. CAB: (i) rereads the CL; and (ii) transmits the different language versions of the annexes to the originating unit. It is the unit’s responsibility to check the translation of these annexes and to ensure, in liaison with CAB, that the titles and other expressions which appear in both the CL and the annexes correspond in each language. CAB has the CL signed by the Director-General.

47. After signature, CLD reproduces the CL and its annexes and sends the required number of copies of the CL to the Distribution and Mail Unit (GESREG) so that it can print on them the names of the addressees; GESKEG then forwards these copies to CAB/UC which, after dating the letter, puts it with the enclosures into the envelopes prepared by GES/REG and sends them to the Distribution and Mail Section for dispatching in accordance with instructions provided.

D. NOTES VERBALES

48. Notes verbales are generally used for routine communications and matters of secondary importance. Unlike letters, notes verbales do not include salutation, address or signature block. The date appears at the bottom of the text with the Organization’s official stamp. The text is drafted in the third person and the subject matter is usually introduced by a complimentary phrase (“.,. presents his or her compliments to . . . and has the honour to . . . “). At UNESCO notes verbales (of which there is a model in Appendix 6) are drafted mostly by BRX. A note verbale is always used to reply to an incoming note verbale.

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V. DISPATCH/ROUTING OF CORRESPONDENCE

A. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

49. Correspondence is conveyed to the Distribution and Mail Section (GESREG) in sealed envelopes with a reference identifying the sender (name or title and sector).

B. DISTRIBUTION OF COPIES

50. Copies should be provided as follows:

(a) two copies for CAB of all correspondence signed by the Director-General or the Deputy Director-General (these two copies are taken directly by CAB/UC after the letter has been signed);

(b) one copy to any other sector/bureau/office/unit whose visa is required, it being understood that when clearance by CAB is requested for a letter whose signatory is neither the Director-General nor the Deputy Director-General, there is no need to send a copy to CAB (see Section 1II.B above);

cc> one information copy to any sector/bureau/office/unit designated on the letter as the recipient of a copy.

5 1. With the exception of circular letters (see Section IV.C), all copies except those for CAB are distributed by the originating sector/bureau/office/unit.

C. LETTERS SIGNED BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OR THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL (other than circular letters)

52. Sectors/bureaux/offices/units in the Fontenoy building are responsible for the dispatch of letters and annexes, and of copies, on the same day as the signed letters are returned to them, without changing the date added by CAB.

53. When the originating sector/bureau/office/unit is at Bonvin, CAB/UC dispatches the signed letters (except for standard letters or letters with numerous enclosures) provided envelopes with the name and address of the addressees are supplied. CAB/UC returns the file to the originating sector/bureau/office/unit with a photocopy of the signed and dated letter. All copies are distributed by the originating sector/bureau/office/unit.

54. Ail letters from the Director-General to a Head of State or Government should be routed via the Permanent Delegation of the country concerned under cover of a forwarding letter signed by ADGBRX. Models for this letter will be found in Appendices 1 (English) and 2 (Spanish) of this Guide.

D. CIRCULAR LETTERS

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55. CAB is responsible for the dispatch of circular letters. They will soon be available also, under the same heading as General Conference and Executive Board documents, on UNESCO’s Internet site (http://www.unesco.org/).

E. FAX

56. When it is considered necessary to send a signed letter by fax, the fax number of the addressee should preferably be added after the address. The subsequent dispatch, by normal mail, of the original signed and dated letter will depend on:

(i) the identity of the signatory: originals of letters signed by the Director-General should always be dispatched;

(ii) the status of the recipient: if, exceptionally, a fax needs to be sent to a Head of State, for example, the original should of course be dispatched to him or her subsequently. through the normal channels; conversely, it is to be noted that many communications within the United Nations system are sent by fax only;

(iii) the nature and importance of the subject matter: specific questions concerning the organizational or material arrangements for a meeting may, for example. be dealt with by fax. It is preferable that the original be dispatched when it treats of substantive matters or complex topics. It is essential that it be dispatched when it treats of any matter having legal implications, since a fax has only limited legal validity.

In ordinary cases and for reasons of economy, a fax alone will suffice. When the original is not dispatched, it should be kept in the file, along with the fax transmission report.

57. It is always the responsibility of the originating sector/bureau/office/unit to fax a signed letter.

58. If a large number of faxes have to be sent, use can be made of the Organization’s central fax service (DIT/ITT), which will send them and bill the sector concerned.

F. TELEGRAMS AND TELEX

59. With a few exceptions, such as the sending of official condolences by the Director-General or the Deputy Director-General, telegrams have been replaced by telex and fax. The texts of telegrams and telexes are sent to the central dispatch service (DIT/ITT) via e-mail directly from a PC or terminal.

G. ELECTRONIC MAIL

60. Less expensive than telegrams and telex, e-mail is a cheap and rapid means of communication. whose use is therefore to be encouraged. It cannot, however, be used for the official correspondence which is the subject of this Guide.

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RULES AND USAGE TO BE FOLLOWED

Contents

A. SPELLING

1. Names of States

2. Other geographical names

3. Names of organizations, titles and styles of address

B. CAPITALIZATION, PUNCTUATION AND RELATED MATTERS

1. Proper nouns and adjectives

2. Official titles

3. Designation of personal titles and functions

4. Names of special buildings and rooms

5. Names of organized movements

6. References to States and governments

7. Names of seasons

8. Division of words

9. Quotation marks

10. Brackets round and square

11. Diacritical marks

C. FOREIGN WORDS AND PHRASES

D. CURRENCIES

E. NUMBERS

F. REFERENCES TO DATES AND TIME

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A. SPELLING

With the exceptions noted below, the latest edition of The Concise Oxford Dictionary should be followed as the authority in the matter of spelling and the use of hyphens and diacritical marks for all words listed in it. If a word is not given in the Concise Oxford, the Shorter OTfird should be taken as the authority.

Where the Concise Oxford gives alternative spellings, the preferred spelling should be used, namely the one which is printed first (e.g. “judgement, judgment”), In cases where one spelling is described as a variant of another, the spelling of which it is a variant should be used (e.g. “archeology: US variant of archaeology”).

As a companion to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, Fowler’s Modern English Usage serves as a supplementary authority for English usage in UNESCO correspondence and documents.

The rules to be followed with regard to capitalization, the names of persons, the names of States, abbreviations and the names of monetary units are set out below, under the corresponding headings.

The following words in common use in UNESCO documents are not listed in the Concise Oxford. They should be spelt as shown below:

decision-maker decision-making (adj. and subst.) extrabudgetary in-session inter-agency interregional inter-sessional intra-industry Maghre b Mashriq peace-keeping (adj. and subst.) policy-maker

policy-making (adjl and subst.) pre-investment sub-entry sub-item subparagraph pre-session post-session Sahel Sahelian webmaster website World Wide Web

1. Names of States

The authority to be followed in the matter of spelling and the use of hyphens and diacritical marks for the names of all Member States of UNESCO (as well as for those of Associate Members) is Appendix 4L of the UNESCO Manual.

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2. Other geographical names

Geographical names should normally be spelt according to the official usage of the country concerned, where there exists an official local spelling in letters of the roman alphabet (e.g. Basel, Dar es Salaam, Jakarta, Djibouti, Gdansk, Singapore, Strasbourg). Where a well-established English conventional form exists, however, it should be used (e.g. Beirut, Belgrade, Brussels, Copenhagen, Damascus, Geneva, Latakia, Lisbon, Milan, Prague, Rome, Teheran, The Hague, Tokyo, Turin, Vienna, Warsaw, Zurich). Note, however, Marseille (NOT Marseilles) and Lyon (NOT Lyons).

In a combined reference to a city and country, English usage should be followed. e.g. Santiago, Chile, not Santiago de Chile.

3. Names of organizations, titles and styles of address

When citing the names of organizations, organs and institutions of an English-speaking country, the national usage should be followed. It should be followed also for the titles of officials and styles of address.

When an organization or body has English as one of its official or working languages, the English spelling and hyphenation that it uses for its own name and for the titles of its officials should be followed.

Examples:

Director-General of UNESCO Executive Director of UNICEF Pan American (Health Organization, etc.) Secretary-General qf the United Nations Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (United States) Secretary (Department) of Dcfense

B. CAPITALIZATION, PUNCTUATION AND RELATED MATTERS

The first word of a sentence should be capitalized.

The first word of a subsidiary part of a sentence set as a subparagraph or as an item in a list, whether or not distinguished by such indications as (a), (b), etc., or (i), (ii), etc., and whether or not the text is run on, should not begin with a capital letter.

Example 1

The General Conference has requested the Director-General:

(a) to continue his efforts to mobilize the necessary resources;

- 16-

(b) to ensure that adequate budgetary arrangements are made for the programme.

Example 2

The programme was designed to cover the development of staff resources; the exchange of information; cooperation with local agencies; and the expansion of existing facilities.

Example 3

The findings may be summarized as follows: (1) the budget should be increased by 10 per cent; (2) the staff should be gradually strengthened as resources permit.

A sentence enclosed in parentheses or given between dashes within another sentence should not normally be written with a capital letter unless it is a question or begins with a word that takes an initial capital letter.

A direct question following a colon, whether phrased as a complete sentence or as a word or part of a sentence, should begin with a capital letter.

Examples:

As you yourself asked me during the Board session: “Who is to pay? ”

The members could rightly ask: “When? ” “By whom? ”

1. Proper nouns and adjectives and recognized geographical appellations

Initial capital letters should be used for proper nouns and adjectives and for recognized geographical appellations.

Examples:

Andrew Wilson Asian, Icelandic Mexico City (Mexico, D. F.) BUT the city of Chicago Place de la Concorde the Dead Sea the Cayman Islands BUT the island of Cyprus the English Channel, the Bay of Naples Danube River, River Danube, the Rhine and Danube rivers, the rivers Rhine and Danube the valley of the Mekong, the lower Mekong basin

- 17-

2. Official titles

Initial capital letters should be used for the official titles of persons, councils, commissions, committees, Secretariat units, organizations, institutions, political parties and the like and for the official titles of treaties and international conventions, in the singular, in specific references only.

Examples (specific):

Director-General of UNESCO Commission on Human Rights Division of Higher Education, Education Sector Socialist Party the Programme of Action adopted by the United Nations Conference on .

BUT (non-specific)

the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council the duties of a resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme the programme of action proposed for the coming biennium

The name of a body should be written with initial capitals if the body has been officially established under a resolution or other authority. If use is made of a shortened form of the name of an officially-established body already referred to earlier in full, it should likewise be capitalized.

Examples:

The aforementioned Committee discussed the terms of reference of the proposed working group of experts on natural resources.

The Consultative Group on DesertiJication Control submitted its report...

N.B. In names and titles, all words other than linking words should begin with a capital, e.g. Declaration on the Rights of the Child; Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies; The Effectiveness of Industrial Estates in Developing Countries.

3. Designation of personal titles and functions

The point should be omitted after the following titles (contractions):

Mr Mrs Ms Dr

It should be shown after the following and similar titles (abbreviations):

Prof B.A. Ph.D.

Note the exception of Rt. in Rt. Hon.

- 18-

The designation of functions such as editor, translator, copy-preparer, accountant and budget officer are not normally capitalized. In the designation of categories of staffthe words “Professional” and “General Service” are capitalized, but the word “category” is not:

Prqfessional categoql General Service category

The designation ofofficers serving on bodies such as committees and councils are capitalized in specific references only.

Examples:

He alas elected Chairperson qf the Administrative Commission.

The secretaries qf committees held a joint meeting.

4. Names of special buildings and rooms

The names of special rooms, halls, buildings and the like are capitalized.

Examples:

Meditation Room Conference Bar Conference Room VII (BUT corzference rooms, in general references) Hall Mire the Covference Building

5. Names of organized movements

The names of organized movements are capitalized, e.g. the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. In general references to trends, the designations of movements are not capitalized, e.g. the women’s movement. liberation movements.

6. Reference to States and governments

When the word “State” is used in reference to a sovereign, organized political unit under one government, it is capitalized, whether or not it is used together with the name of a specific State, e.g. States Members of UNESCO, Member States, States parties to the Agreement, a modern State. When the word “state” is used in reference to a part of a federal entity, the word is capitalized in specific references in which the name is given, e.g. State ofNew York, but not in general references, e.g. the states of Brazil.

- 19-

When the word “government” is used in reference to a specific government, it should be capitalized, e.g. your Government, the French Government, but not in general references, e.g. Each government should be elected by the people...

7. Names of seasons

The names of the seasons (spring, summer, autumn Ilfall], winter) are not capitalized.

8. Division of words

The division of words at the end of a line should, as far as possible, be avoided. Where division is necessary, the practice of the Oxford Press should be followed. That practice is set out as follows:

“Divide according to etymology, where this is obvious . . . Otherwise, divide according to pronunciation; and, in general, break between two (or more) consonants coming together; where there is only one consonant it should normally be taken over . . . But do not divide two consonants which form one sound .,. ”

9. Quotation marks

For quotations, double quotation marks should be used; single quotations marks should be used to enclose quotations within quotations, and again double quotation marks for quotations within quotations within quotations (a rather rare occurrence), e.g. Peter said: “I think that we could have done without your cry of ‘Go home”‘.

Angle brackets << . ...>> should not be used in place of quotation marks in English.

10. Brackets round and square

Square brackets should be used for:

editorial additions to quotations: “This day [25 October] is called the feast of Crispian.. “;

parentheses within parentheses: The language from which the book was translated (Spanish[Argentina]) was clearly shown on the cover.

Exception: Round brackets used in references to resolutions adopted by United Nations bodies to identify the session of the body concerned remain round even when appearing within parentheses.

- 20 -

Example:

Resolutions of the General Assembly are identified by an arabic numeral followed, in parentheses, by a roman numeral indicating the session (e.g. resolution 3363 (XXX)).

N.B. As shown in the last example, each set of brackets opened should always be closed, even when they end together.

11. Diacritical marks

It is important to reproduce the diacritical marks that are placed in various languages above or beneath certain letters (e.g. the tilde in Spanish) and that have the effect of modifying their pronunciation.

C. FOREIGN WORDS AND PHRASES

They should normally, with the exception of the following words and abbreviations, which have been adopted into the English language, be set in italics.

ad hoc a.i. (but ad interim) attache charge d’affaires chef de cabinet communique curriculum vitae (plural: curricula vitae) detente diktat e.g. (but exempli gratia) emigre etc. (but et cetera) forum (plural: forums) honorarium (plural: honorariums)

i.e. (but id est) incommunicado interim laissez-passer liaison note verbale (plural: notes verbales) ombudsman (plural: ombudsmen) per annum per capita per diem pro&s-verbal (plural: pro&s-verbaux) versus (abbreviation: vs. or v.) via vice versa

The names of foreign currencies, such as kroner, centimes and pesos, should never be underlined, set in italics or capitalized.

The following Latin words should be italicized:

bis, ter, etc. inter alia ibid 10~. cit. (loco citato) idem (never id.) op. cit. (opere citato)

-21-

D. CURRENCIES

Abbreviations and symbols for units of currency should be used only if it is absolutely clear to what currency reference is made. The unit should be written in full at the first mention if there is any possibility of ambiguity, e.g.: He reported that 1 million French francs had been contributed. Thereafter an abbreviation should be used, e.g. FI million.

When the unit is written in full, it should follow the amount; when an abbreviation is used, it should precede the amount.

Where a symbol such as $ or f is used to represent a unit of currency, there should be no space between the symbol and the figures, e.g. $75,500, $7,300.

E. NUMBERS

In accordance with traditional conventions, numbers may be expressed in figures or spelt out in words: the nature of the text is the determining factor. In legal, formal, literary and narrative style, words are used in certain contexts; in scientific, technical and statistical texts, figures are used almost exclusively.

Numbers expressed in words

In general, numbers under 10 should be expressed in words (e.g. eight, NOT 8).

Numbers should also be spelt out in the following contexts:

at the beginning of a sentence,. in approximate or isolatedreferences to dimensions, weights andmeasures in non-technical, non-statistical texts,. in fractions in narrative text.

Examples:

One hundred andfiifty years ago, there were only IO5 societies. Four hundred andfifty women were chosen for the test. (Better: A total of 450 women were chosen for the test.) The problem has worsened in the past .hundred years, half an inch three quarters of the population (NOT 3/4 of the population).

Numbers expressed in figures

Numbers from 10 on should normally be expressed in figures. In addition, the following are always expressed in figures:

- 22 -

Percentages Ratios Results of voting Dates and time of day Numbers with decimal or simple fractions Statistics Degrees Dimensions, weights and measures, except when they are obviously intended to be approximate or when they occur in isolated references in a non-technical context Series ofjigures Document symbols Page andparagraph references

Examples:

Only 4 per cent of the total, as compared with 14 per cent the previous year. . Observers saw two tanks passing, I2 kilometres from the village. Yields were 3 tonnes per hectare in the three regions covered in the survey. The figure had been 7.4per cent lower two years earlier. She spent 40 days in the hospital. The teacher-student ratio is 1 to 9. A two-year contract, a five-day week, a four-year-old boy, a I &year-old youth He left school at 16, and when he was in his forties he... IO.I5”C 8 cows and 12 horses adopted by 7 votes to none, with 13 abstentions

N.B. The percentage sign % may be substituted for the words “per cent”, particularly in enumerations.

Numbers between 10 and 999,999

In English, numbers between 10 and 999,999 should normally be written in figures.

Millions

In English, numbers in the millions should be written as follows:

1 million, 3.4 million, BUT 3,424,OOO.

Examples:

Oil-producing capacity of 2 million tonnes per year a grant of US$1.5 million

-23 -

Billions

In the usage of UNESCO, as in that of the United Nations generally, “billion”is taken to be equivalent to a thousand million, and NOT to a million million, as in British usage.

Dots and commas

Four-figure numbers and over, unless set out in tabular form, require commas.

Examples:

9,999 13,673 421,876,123

Decimals are shown by the use of a decimal point (and NOT by a comma).

Examples:

7.4 14.36 3.333

F. REFERENCES TO DATES AND TIME

The day, expressed in cardinal numbers, is followed by the month and the year without commas, e.g. 2 December 1996.

When the day of the week is specified, it should be set out as in the following example: Tuesday, 2 7 October 1998.

Periods of two days should be referred to as in the following example: The meeting was held on I6 and I 7 March (NOT from 16 to 17 March).

Periods longer than two days should be referred to as from (date) to (date), e.g. The meeting was heldfrom 16 to 25 March (NOT 16-25 March, and NEVER from 16-25 March).

Time of day

The time of day should be designated with reference to the 12-hour system as follows: 9 a.m. (NOT 9.00 a.m.), noon, 1.15p.m., 3p.m., 9.05p.m. (NOT 9.5 p.m.), midnight.

- 24 -

Decades

Decades should be referred to as follows: In the 198Os, in the mid-l960s, etc.

Centuries

Centuries should be designated not by numbers, and especially not by roman numerals, but by letters in lower case, e.g. During the eighteenth century...

-25 -

ANNEX II

SALUTATIONS AND COMPLIMENTARY ENDINGS

Reigning monarchs:

Your Majesty,

Please accept, Your Majesty the assurances of my most profound respect.

(In the body of the letter the words “Your Majesty”and “Your Majesty’s” should be substituted for “you”and “your”.)

Crown Prince of Japan:

Your Imperial Highness,

Please accept, Your Imperial Highness, the expression of my profound respect.

(Royal) Highnesses:

Your (Royal) Highness,

Please accept, Your (Royal) Highness, the expression of my profound respect.

Presidents of Republics:

Your Excellency,

Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration and respect.

President of the United States:

Dear Mr President,

Yours sincerely,

Prime Minister of Great Britain:

Dear Prime Minister,

Yours sincerely,

- 26 -

Ministers, Secretaries of State, etc., in formal communications:

Sir/Madam,

Accept, Sir/Madam, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Otherwise:

Dear Minister/Secretary of State/etc.,

Yours sincerely,

Ambassadors:

Dear Ambassador,

Yours sincerely,

Secretary-General of UN:

Dear Secretary-General,

Yours sincerely,

Heads of UN agencies:

Either by name - e.g. Dear Mr Speth - or Dear Colleague,

Yours sincerely,

The Pope:

Your Holiness,

Please accept, Your Holiness, the assurances of my deepest respect.

Cardinal:

Your Eminence,

Please accept, Your Eminence, the assurances of my profound respect.

-27 -

Archbishop:

Dear Archbishop,

Yours sincerely,

Monsignor:

Dear Monsignor (name),

Yours sincerely,

Patriarchs of Orthodox Churches:

Your Beatitude,

Please accept, Your Beatitude, the assurances of my highest consideration andprofound respect.

Nota Bene:

A letter beginning “Dear Sir/Madam”should end “Yours faithfully,” and not “Yours sincerely,”

- 29 -

LIST OF DOCUMENT SYMBOLS TO BE USED ON LETTERS FOR THE SIGNATURE OF THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL

OR THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL’

List of codes which constitute the second component of the reference to be used on letters for the signature of the Director-General or the Deputy Director-General; these numbers identify the originating sectors/bureaux/offices.

A Sector/bureau/office

B Second component of the reference for letters signed by the DG or the DDG

ADG/ED 1/ IEP l.l/

ADG/SC 2/ IOC 2.11

ADGISHS 31

ADGKLT 41

WHC 4.11

ADG/CII 51

ADGIDRG (BIO, CED, MDT MFU, OPS, PAL, PHE, WGE included)

61

ADG/BRX 71

ADGkIA (BOC, BSS, CLD, DIT, PER, PSD included)

8/

AFO 91

AFR IO/

‘UNESCO Manual - Appendix 9 A

- 30 -

BB ll/

BER 121

BPE 131

CPP 141

CRP 15/

EPD 161

IOM 171

LA 18/

MCR 191

OPI 20/

OPM 211

PTC 221

SA 231

SCG 241

sex 251

UP0 261

HGA 271

-31-

Gi

APPENDIX United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’education, la science et la culture Organizacion de las Naciones Unidas para la Education la Ciencia y la Cultura

7, place de Fontenoy

75352 Paris 07 SP

1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

Tel: +33(0)1 45 68 10 00 Fax: +33(0)1 45 67 16 90

Ref.: (ReJ: of Sector concerned)

The Assistant Director-General for External Relations

No date (will be stamped once letter signed)

1

Sir,

Please find enclosed the letter which the Director-General is sending to the President of (country).

I should be pleased if you would kindly transmit the letter to its addressee. A copy of that letter is also enclosed for your information.

Accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration. ’

Ahmed Sayyad

Addressee

- 33 -

APPENDIX 2

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’kducation, la science et la culture Organizacibn de las Naciones Unidas para la Educacih la Ciencia y la Cultura

7, place de Fontenoy El Subdirector General 75352 Paris 07 SP de Relaciones Exteriores

1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

TCI: +33(0)1 45 68 10 00 Fax:+33(0)1 45 67 16 90

Ref.: (Referencia Sector) Sin fecha (la misma Serb indicada una vez la carta Jirmada)

Sendr Delegado Permanente:

Con el ruego de hacerla llegar a su destino, me complace enviarle la carta del Director General al Presidente de (pais). Encontrara Ud. Adjunta copia de dicha carta para su informacicn.

Aprovecho esta oportunidad para reiterarle el testimonio de mi distinguida consideraci6n.

Ahmed Sayyad

Destino

-35 -

APPENDIX 3

izi United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’education, la science et la culture Organizacion de las Naciones Unidas para la Education la Ciencia y la Cultura

7, place de Fontenoy 75352 Paris 07 SP

I, rue Miollis

75732 Paris Cedex 15

T~I. +33(O)] 45 68 10 00

Fax: +33(O)] 45 67 16 90

The Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences

Ref.: CLT/CH/HB98/L.025

Dear Mr Mclnerney,

The Director-General has asked me to reply to your letter of 8 January, inviting him to join you as a distinguished guest at the 47’h Pacific Asia Travel Association Annual Conference to be held in Manila, Philippines, from 29 March to 2 April 1998, on the theme “Inspiring Progress: Influencing Prosperity”.

Much to his regret, the Director-General is unable to accept your kind invitation owing to his very heavy timetable on those dates. Your meeting is nevertheless of the greatest interest to UNESCO in view of the Organization’s active involvement in the promotion of culturally appropriate and sustainable tourism in the service of the cultural heritage and cultural identities and for the benefit of local communities.

For this reason, and notwithstanding the personal nature of the invitation extended to Mr Mayor, we should appreciate it if UNESCO could be represented at the Conference and be informed of its outcomes. If you agree to this suggestion, I should be grateful if you would contact for this purpose Mr Richard Engelhardt, UNESCO Regional Adviser for Culture in Asia (920 Sukhumvit Road; Bangkok 10 110 - tel: 391.84.74, fax: 391.08.86, e-mail: UHBGK). I know that he would welcome the opportunity to participate in your meeting.

I wish you every success in your Conference.

Yours sincerely,

Lourdes Arizpe Mr Joseph A. Mclnemey Chief Executive Officer Pacific Asia Travel Association 1, Montgomery Street, Telesis Tower, Suite 1000 San Francisco, CA 94 104-4539 United States of America

- 37 -

APPENDIX 4

Gii

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’education, la science et la culture Organizacion de las Naciones Unidas para la Education la Ciencia y la Cultura

7, place de Fontenoy 75352 Paris 07 SP

Tel: +33(0)1 45 68 10 00

Fay,+33(0)1 45 68 55 55

The Director-General

Reference. DGl4.51961802

Dear Mr Isel,

Thank you for your letter of 15 July concerning your projected film on the genesis and functioning of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, with reference also to other microcredit schemes in Africa and the United States inspired by the ideas of the Bank’s founder, Professor Mohammad Yunus. Your initiative is an excellent one and deserves every support, particularly since it should make a significant contribution to making known this innovative means of helping the poor to help themselves> not only in the developing world where poverty is endemic but also in developed countries where it is also far too much in evidence, with its indissociable scourges of illiteracy and sickness.

I therefore have much pleasure in granting UNESCO’s sponsorship to this worthwhile venture. I hope that this expression of the Organization’s moral support will be useful to you in your efforts to secure funding for your film.

It is particularly appropriate that this film should receive UNESCO’s sponsorship since it is to benefit from the cooperation of Professor Yunus himself who, in 1996, was awarded the Organization’s biennial “International Simon Bolivar Prize” in recognition of his outstanding contribution to promoting the freedom, independence and dignity of peoples.

I wish you every success in this undertaking and look forward to viewing the finished film, dedicated to a cause which is dear to us all, namely the further development of microcredit and the eventual eradication of poverty worldwide.

Yours sincerely,

Federico Mayor

Mr Jean-Philippe Isel Kernest International Arts Management 20, passage de la Bonne Graine 75011 Paris

- 39 -

Kii

APPENDIX 5

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Organisation Des Nations Unies pour l’education, la science et la culture

7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP I, rue Miollis, 75732 Paris CEDEX 15

adresse postale: B.P. 3.07 Paris ttlephone: national (1) 45.68.10.00 international + (33.1) 45.68.10.00 tklegrammes: Unesco Paris telex: 20446 I Paris

270602 Paris tCICfax: 45.67.16.90

refkrence: CL/3476

MINEDAF VII - Letter of invitation to Member States

Sir/Madam,

In pursuance of resolution 1, paragraph 2.A.(j), adopted by the General Conference at its 29th session, and at the generous invitation of the Government of the Republic of South Africa, UNESCO will convene in Durban, from 20 to 24 April 1998, the seventh Regional Conference of Ministers of Education of African Member States (MINEDAF VII). The Conference is being organized in cooperation with the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) of the United Nations.

In conformity with decision 3.4.1 adopted by the Executive Board at its 152nd session, I have the honour to invite your Government to be represented at the Conference, with the right to vote.

The six previous regional conferences on educational policy and co-operation in Africa focused on the following themes: Adoption of an outline plan for African educational development (Addis Ababa, 196 1); Consideration of the financing of national education plans (Abidjan, 1964); Problems of education and scientific training in Africa (Nairobi, 1968); Educational reforms and innovations (Lagos, 1976); Review of the implementation of the Addis Ababa Plan and new guidelines for the next 20 years, in particular with respect to the eradication of illiteracy, the renewal of science and technology teaching, and higher education for the development of African societies (Harare, 1982). The sixth Conference (Dakar, 199 l), coming as it did after the World Conference on Education for All (Jomtien, 1990) and the proclamation of 1990 as International Literacy Year by the United Nations, focused on basic education and literacy and identified strategies for the decade.

To Ministers responsible for relations with UNESCO

- 40 -

CL/2476 page 2

The seventh Conference will deal mainly with the theme of “Lifelong Education for All in Africa” and, in particular, will examine developments in education in Africa since the beginning of the 1990s so as to chart future courses of action in the context of OAU’s Decade of Education in Africa, UNESCO’s Lifelong Education for All programme, and the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative on Africa.

I enclose the provisional agenda(ED-98/MINEDAF/l), the provisional rules of procedure (ED- 98/MINEDAF/2) and the general information note (ED-98/MINEDAF/INF. 1). The working languages will be English and French, both in plenary sessions and in the commissions and interpretation will be provided accordingly. The main working document will be prepared in the two languages, and will be forwarded to you in due course.

Given the importance of the items on the provisional agenda for MINEDAF VII, it would be appreciated if the Minister of Education and the Minister or senior official responsible for economic planning could take part in the Conference.

In accordance with the established practice for intergovernmental conferences of this nature, the travel and subsistence expenses of participants are borne by their governments.

I should be grateful if you would kindly inform me as soon as possible, and in any case before the beginning of March 1998, of your Government’s decision regarding participation in the Conference. The names and official titles of the delegates designated to attend should be addressed to:

The Director UNESCO Dakar Office 12, Avenue Roume Dakar, Senegal

Fax: (221) 8-23-83-93 e-mail: uhdak@unesco.org

Accept, Sir/Madam, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Federico Mayor Director-General

Enclosures: 3

cc: National Commissions for UNESCO Permanent Delegations to UNESCO

-4l-

APPENDIX 6

iKi United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Organisation Des Nations Unies pour l’education, la science et la culture

7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP 1, rue Miollis, 75732 Paris CEDEX 15

adresse postale: B.P. 3.07 Paris t&phone: national (1) 45.68.10.00 international + (33.1) 45.68.10.00 t~l~grammes: Unesco Paris

Ref. : DG/16.2/30.6/074

The Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has the honour to invite the UnitedNations, the Specialized Agencies, the International Atomic Energy Agency and intergovernmental organizations to be represented at the 1 5Sh session of the Executive Board, which will be held in Paris from 19 October to 6 November 1998. The provisional agenda of the session (document 155 EX/l (Prov.)) is annexed hereto.

The first plenary meeting will be held on Monday 19 October at 10 a.m. in Room X. At that meeting the Board will adopt its agenda, decide which items to refer to its commissions and committees and draw up a timetable of work for the session.

The Director-General would appreciate receiving as soon as possible the names of the representatives designated to attend this session on behalf of their organization, and avails himself of this opportunity to renew the assurances of his highest consideration.

Paris, 14 September 1998