International Hydrological Programme

Council and Bureau

IHP Intergovernmental Council


The planning, definition of priorities, and supervision of the execution of IHP are ensured by the Intergovernmental Council. The Council is composed of 36 UNESCO Member States elected by the General Conference of UNESCO at its ordinary sessions held every two years. Equitable geographical distribution and appropriate rotation of the representatives of the Member States are ensured in the composition of the Council. Each of UNESCO’s six electoral regions elects Member States for membership in the Council.



The term of office of members of the Council is four years, and members are immediately eligible for re-election. To retain continuity, only half of the Council members are elected each second year for the four-year period, so that in each biennium half are newcomers and the other half have already acquired experience. The Council normally meets in plenary session once every two years. Extraordinary sessions may be convened under the conditions specified in the Rules of Procedure.



IHP Bureau

At the beginning of its first session following a session of the General Conference at which elections to the IHP Council have been held, the Council elects a chairperson and four vice-chairpersons. These, with the chairperson of the previous Bureau as ex-officio member, constitute the Council’s Bureau. The composition of the Bureau so formed reflects an equitable geographical distribution, each representing UNESCO’s six electoral regions. The members of the Bureau remain in office until a new Bureau has been elected.



The IHP Bureau discharges, inter alia, the following duties:

  • fix, in consultation with the Secretariat, the dates of the sessions of the Council and of its committees and working groups, in accordance with the general guidelines of the Council;
  • prepare the sessions of the Council, in consultation with the Secretariat;
  • supervise the implementation of the resolutions of the Council, and report at each session of the Council, on the status of implementation of the prescribed phases of project execution and, in particular, follow the activities of the Council’s committees and working groups;
  • prepare for the Council all reports requested by the General Conference of UNESCO;
  • discharge all other duties which it may be assigned by the Council.



    • Composition of the IHP Bureau (2006-2008)


    Chairperson (July 2006 – September 2007) *
    Mr Alhaji Muhktari S. Shagari (Group Va – Africa)
    Deputy Governor of Sokoto State
    Former Minister of Water Resources
    Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of Nigeria
    PMB 159 Garki, Abuja, Nigeria
    Tel: +234 9 234 4436
    Fax: +234 9 234 7349
    E-mail : ihpncng@yahoo.com

    Chairperson (from October 2007)
    Mr Benedito Braga (Group III – Latin America and the Caribbean)
    Director, Agencia Nacional de Aguas
    Chairperson, Brazilian IHP National Committee
    (COBRAPHI)
    Setor Policial, Area 5, Quadra 3,
    Bloco M
    70610-200, Brasilia DF, Brazil
    Tel: +55 61 21 09 54 31
    Fax: +55 61 21 09 54 15
    Email: benbraga@ana.gov.br

    Vice-Chairpersons
    Mr Keizrul Abdullah (Group IV – Asia and the Pacific)
    Director General, Jabatan Pengairan Dan Saliran
    Jalan Salahuddin
    50626 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    Tel : +60 3 26 98 26 18
    E-mail: keizrul@water.gov.my

    Mr Muhammad Al-Rashed (Group Vb – the Arab States)
    Director, Water Resources Division
    Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR)
    PO Box 24885
    Safat 13109, Kuwait
    Tel : +965 49 89310
    Fax : +965 49 89309
    E-mail: mrashed@safat.kisr.edu.kw

    Mr Ognjen Bonacci (Group II – Eastern and Central Europe)
    Professor, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Split
    Matice Hrvatske 15
    21000 Split, Croatia
    Tel : +38 52 13 03 340
    Fax : +38 52 14 65 117
    E-mail : obonacci@gradst.hr

    Mr Alan Jenkins (Group I – Northern America and Western Europe)
    Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
    Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford
    Wallingford, Oxfordshire OXIO 8 BB
    Tel: +44 14 91 69 22 32
    Fax: +44 14 91 69 25 28
    Email: jinx@ceh.ac.uk

    The Vice-Chairperson from Group Va (Africa) to be designated by the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    ----
    * Following a change in government in Nigeria, Mr Shagari, the former Minister of Water Resources, exited cabinet, therefore ceasing his functions as Chairperson of the IHP Intergovernmental Council and as representative of Nigeria to the IHP. In accordance with Article IV, item 6(2) of the Rules of Procedure of the IHP Intergovernmental Council, Mr Benedito Braga (Brazil), Vice-Chairperson, became Chairperson for the unexpired portion of the term of office of the outgoing Chairperson.
    LINKS
    IHP Statutes
    The IHP Statutes were approved by the General Conference of UNESCO at its 18th session and amended at its 20th, 21st, 23rd, 27th and 28th sessions.

    IHP Rules of Procedure
    The IHP Rules of Procedure were approved by the Council at its first session and modified in accordance with the amendment of the Council’s Statutes by the General Conference of UNESCO at its 21st, 23rd and 28th sessions. The IHP Council amended article 26 on ‘secret ballot’ at its 14th session.

    History of the Council and its Bureau (from 1975 to the present) [PDF format - 140 KB]

    Official documents of the 18th session of the IHP Council



    Final Report of the 41st session of the IHP Bureau (2008) [PDF format - 171 KB]

    Official documents of the 41st session of the IHP Bureau



    Final Report of the 40th session of the IHP Bureau (2007) [PDF format - 168 KB]

    Official documents of the 40th session of the IHP Bureau


    Final Report of the 17th session of the IHP Council (2006)     [PDF format - 753 KB]

    Official documents of the 17th session of the IHP Council