The Saeima¹ has adopted
and the President has proclaimed the following Law:

Law On the Latvian National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

Section 1. Objective and Operation of this Law

(1) This Law prescribes the legal status, organisational structure, functions and procedures for financing of the Latvian National Commission (hereinafter - Commission) for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (hereinafter - UNESCO).

(2) The objective of the Commission is to strengthen the role of education, science, culture, communication and information in the sustainable development of the State and society, strengthening of the statehood, implementation of democratic values and reduction of poverty, as well as promote the welfare of the society, the equality of its members and mutual respect in Latvia.

Section 2. Legal Status and Structure of the Commission

(1) The Commission is a derived legal person of public rights. The decision-taking authority of the Commission is the Assembly, the administrative work of the Commission is coordinated by the Secretary-General.

(2) The Commission shall be under the supervision of the Cabinet.

(3) The Commission shall operate in accordance with this Law, other regulatory enactments and the By-law of the Commission approved by the Assembly.

Section 3. Functions and Competence of the Commission

(1) The Commission shall have the following functions:

1) to ensure and co-ordinate the successful participation of the Republic of Latvia in UNESCO, by involving State and local government authorities, non-governmental and private organisations, especially those that work in the field of education, science, culture and information, in its work;

2) be the focal point of information, co-ordination and co-operation in Latvia within the framework of the UNESCO educational, scientific, cultural, communication and information spheres;

3) formulate and approve action plans for implementing UNESCO programmes and organise the execution of these plans;

4) establish, maintain and develop a co-operation network with State and local government authorities and non-governmental and private organisations, as well as individual experts;

5) provide opinions, express a view and make proposals regarding matters within the UNESCO educational, scientific, cultural, communication and information spheres;

6) represent State interests at UNESCO and the inter-governmental and international organisations associated with it, co-operating with other responsible State authorities; and

7) perform other functions and obligations prescribed by other regulatory enactments of the Republic of Latvia and UNESCO, which are associated with the implementation of the objectives of the Commission.

(2) During the course of fulfilling the functions State and local government authorities have an obligation to co-operate with the Commission and inform it regarding matters, which are associated with the UNESCO educational, scientific, cultural, communication and information spheres.

(3) When taking decisions related to matters within the UNESCO educational, scientific, cultural, communication and information spheres, State and local government authorities shall take into consideration the decisions, opinions and view of the Commission.

(4) The Rules of Order of the Cabinet shall prescribe the cases, when the UNESCO documents in educational, scientific, cultural, communication and information spheres to be examined by the Cabinet shall be harmonised with the Commission.

(5) State administrative institutions may delegate tasks, which are associated with the matters within the UNESCO educational, scientific, cultural, communication and information spheres, to the administration of the Commission.

Section 4. Rights of the Commission

(1) In order to fulfil its functions, the Commission has the right to perform all the activities prescribed by regulatory enactments, as well as economic activities, which are associated with the implementation of the objectives of the Commission, and to participate in the organisation of the implementation of educational programmes.

(2) The Commission may obtain movable and immovable property into the ownership thereof. It may own intellectual property.

(3) The Commission has the right to request and receive from the State and local government authorities information required for fulfilling its functions, which is associated with UNESCO educational, scientific, cultural, communication and information spheres.

Section 5. Composition of the Assembly

(1) The Assembly shall be comprised of the following 21 member of the Assembly:

1) the Minister for Culture;

2) the Minister for Education and Science;

3) the Minister for Foreign Affairs;

4) a representative of the Ministry of the Environment;

5) a representative of the Ministry of Regional Development and Local Government;

6) a representative of the Ministry of Finance;

7) a representative of the Ministry of Justice;

8) a representative of the Ministry of Welfare;

9) the Chair of the Education, Culture and Science Commission of the Saeima;

10) a representative of the State President;

11) the Head of the Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Latvia to UNESCO;

12) a representative of the Latvian Academy of Sciences;

13) the Director of the National Library of Latvia;

14) the Head of the State Inspection for Heritage Protection;

15) the Rector of the University of Latvia;

16) the Chair of the Council of Creative Unions of Latvia;

17) the President of the National Youth Council of Latvia;

18) a representative of the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments;

19) a representative of the Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies;

20) a representative of the Latvian Information and Communications Technology Association; and

21) a representative of the National Electronic Mass Media Council.

(2) The institutions shall delegate their representatives for work in the Assembly for a period of time not exceeding four years. An institution may delegate a person, who substitutes for the representative of the institution during his or her absence. If the representative of an institution is absent and does not attend two consecutive meetings of the Assembly, the institution shall delegate another representative to work in the Assembly. After the end of the term of office of the relevant Assembly member an institution may delegate such a person repeatedly.

(3) In the absence of the Ministers and heads of institutions, as well as when a Minister or head of an institution has ceased to carry out their responsibilities, prior to another person being approved or appointed to the relevant office, a person acting for the Minister or head of the institution shall be appointed according to the procedures prescribed by regulatory enactments. An Assembly member, who is acting also for another member of the Assembly, shall only have one vote.

Section 6. Work Organisation and Decisions of the Assembly

(1) Meetings of the Assembly shall be convened as necessary, but at least twice a year. The President of the Commission shall convene a meeting of the Assembly, if such has been requested by at least five Assembly members or the Secretary-General.

(2) A meeting of the Assembly shall have a quorum, if more than half of the Assembly members participate in it. The Assembly shall take decisions by a majority vote of the Assembly members present. In the event of a tied vote, the vote of the President of the Commission shall be the deciding vote.

(3) The Assembly shall take decisions of the Commission. The decisions taken by it shall be binding to the institutions, which develop the national positions of the Republic of Latvia, which touch upon the spheres in the competence of the Commission.

(4) The work of the Assembly shall be managed by the President of the Commission. In the absence of the President of the Commission the Assembly shall be managed by one of the Vice Presidents in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the Assembly.

Section 7. President and Vice Presidents of the Commission

(1) The President of the Commission shall be the Minister of Culture. The Vice Presidents of the Commission shall be the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Education and Science.

(2) The President of the Commission shall convene meetings of the Assembly, determine the agenda, place and time of the meetings, chair them, as well as represent and act for the Commission.

(3) In the absence of the President of the Commission his or her duties shall be performed by one of the Vice Presidents in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the Assembly.

Section 8. Secretary-General

(1) The Secretary-General shall be selected by the Assembly in an open competion and shall be employed for a period of five years. No later than two months prior to the end of the term of office of the Secretary-General the Assembly shall take a decision regarding the extension of his or her term of office for five years, or a substantiated decision to dismiss him or her from service and announce an open competition for the position of the Secretary-General. The employment contract with the Secretary-General shall be concluded by the President of the Commission.

(2) The Secretary-General shall manage the administrative work of the Commission, fulfil the tasks determined by the Assembly, ensure implementation of its decisions, represent the Commission, appoint to office and remove from office the employees of the Commission and perform the other duties of a head of an institution as prescribed by regulatory enactments.

Section 9. Financial Resources and Procedures for Financing of the Commission

(1) The financial resources of the Commission shall comprise:

1) State budget funds;

2) gifts and donations from legal and natural persons, including foreign legal and natural persons; and

3) income from economic activity.

(2) Local governments may participate in financing the Assembly.

(3) Funding from the State budget for ensuring the activities of the Commission shall be allocated in the amount prescribed by the annual State Budget Law from the sub-programme specially established for the Ministry of Culture for this objective.

(4) The Commission may receive funds from the State budget also for the implementation of individual assignments, programmes or measures.

Transitional Provisions

1. With the coming into force of this Law, the Law On the Approval of the Constitution of the National Commission of the Republic of Latvia for UNESCO (Latvijas Republikas Saeimas un Ministru Kabineta Ziņotājs, 1995, No. 2) is repealed.

2. After the coming into force of this Law the Commission which was founded with the 12 May 1992 decision of the Supreme Council shall continue to operate in accordance with this Law as a derived person of public rights.

3. The By-law of the Commission shall be approved within a period of one month after the coming into force of this Law.

4. Prior to the day of this Law coming into force the term of office of the approved Secretary-General shall be four years from the day, when the Secretary-General was approved in the office in accordance with the Law On the Approval of the National Commission of the Republic of Latvia for UNESCO.

This Law was adopted by the Saeima on 28 October 2010.

President V. Zatlers

Rīga, 17 November 2010

 

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¹ The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia

Translation © 2011 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)