Ministers' Deputies
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678 Meeting, 8-9 September 1999
7 Education, Culture & Sport

7.1 Committee of the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education in the European Region (Joint Council of Europe/UNESCO Convention)
Abridged report of the 1^st meeting (Vilnius, 16 June 1999)

CM(99)110 12 July 1999

The Committee of the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region (ETS 165) (the Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee) met for the first time in Vilnius on 16 June 1999. This joint Council of Europe/UNESCO Convention was adopted in Lisbon on 11 April 1997 and entered into force on 1 February 1999. 8 states ^footnote1 have become Party to the Convention, while another 31 have signed it ^{footnote 2}

The Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee has been established by virtue of Article X.2 of the Convention. It is composed of representatives of the Parties to the Convention. States invited to the Diplomatic Conference at which the Convention was adopted, the Holy See, the European Community and the President of the ENIC Network may participate in the meetings of the Committee as observers. Representatives of governmental and non-governmental organisations active in the field of recognition in the Europe Region may also be invited to attend meetings of the Committee as observers (Article X.2.1 – 3). The Council of Europe and UNESCO jointly provide the Secretariat for the Committee (Article X.2.10).

The Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee shall promote the application of the Convention and oversee its implementation. It may adopt, by a majority of the Parties, recommendations, declarations, protocols and models of good practice to guide the competent authorities of the Parties in their implementation of the Convention and in their consideration of applications for the recognition of higher education qualifications. While they shall not be bound by such texts, the Parties shall use their best endeavours to apply them, to bring the texts to the attention of the competent authorities and to encourage their application. The Committee shall seek the opinion of the ENIC Network before making its decisions (Article X.2.5).

The Committee shall report to the relevant bodies of the Council of Europe and UNESCO (Article X.2.6).

1. Austria, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Norway, Romania, and Switzerland. Latvia, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia have announced that the national ratification procedure has been completed and that they will deposit their instruments of ratification in the near future.

2.Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", Ukraine, United States of America (all on 11 April 1997), Moldova (6 May 1997), Italy (24 July 1997), Canada (4 November 1997), United Kingdom (7 November 1997), Israel (24 November 1997), Finland (22 January 1998), Switzerland (24 March 1998), Cyprus (25 March 1998), Russian Federation (7 May 1999)

The first meeting of the Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee was attended by six of the eight Parties and 35 observers. The Committee constituted itself by adopting its Rules of Procedures as they appear in Appendix 1.

The Committee elected its Bureau as follows:

President: Ms. Birute Mockiene (Lithuania)

First Vice President: Mr. Christoph Demand (Austria)

Convention Article X.2.1

1.1 The Committee of the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region (hereafter referred to as "Committee") shall be composed of the representatives of the Parties to the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region (hereafter referred to as the Lisbon Recognition Convention), made in Lisbon on 11 April 1997.

1.2 Each Party shall, before each session of the Committee, communicate to the Secretariat of the Lisbon Recognition Convention the names of its representative(s) on the Committee. These shall remain in their function until the following session of the Committee unless the Party concerned designates another representative in their place, by notifying the Secretariat.

1.3 States having denounced the Lisbon Recognition Convention shall cease to be members of the Committee from such time as their denunciation shall become effective.

 

Convention Articles X.2.5, X.2.6, X.2.7, XI.3, XI.8

2.1 The function of the Committee shall be to promote the application of the Lisbon Recognition Convention and oversee its implementation.

2.2 The Committee may adopt, by a majority of the Parties, recommendations, declarations, protocols, models of good practice or other instruments to guide the competent authorities of the Parties in the implementation of the Lisbon Recognition Convention and in their consideration of applications for the recognition of qualifications concerning higher education. The Committee may also initiate the elaboration of such instruments.

2.3 By a two-thirds majority of the Parties, the Committee may adopt amendments to the Lisbon Recognition Convention in accordance with the rules set out for this purpose in the Lisbon Recognition Convention.

2.4 By a two-thirds majority of the Parties, the Committee shall decide on any requests of accession made under Article XI.3 of the Lisbon Recognition Convention. Acceding States shall become members of the Committee from such time as the Lisbon Recognition Convention shall enter into force with respect to them.

2.5 The Committee shall report to the relevant bodies of the Council of Europe and UNESCO. It shall maintain links to the UNESCO Regional Committees for the application of Conventions on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education adopted under the auspices of UNESCO.

 

Convention Article X.2.9

3.1 The Committee shall meet in ordinary session at least once every three years. The Committee shall decide on the periodicity of ordinary sessions.

3.2 The first ordinary session of the Committee, to be held within a year of the entry into force of the Lisbon Recognition Convention, shall be convened by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the Director-General of UNESCO. Subsequent ordinary sessions shall be convened by the Secretariat of the Committee with the agreement of the President of the Committee.

3.3 As far as possible, ordinary sessions of the Committee shall be held in conjunction with annual meetings of the ENIC network.

3.4 Extraordinary sessions may be convened by the Secretariat of the Committee, according to a decision of the President. The place and date of extraordinary sessions shall be fixed by the President.

3.5 Any member of the Committee may invite the Committee to hold an ordinary or extraordinary session on its territory. The Secretariat of the Committee shall inform the members of the Bureau of any invitation of this kind. The Bureau, through its President, shall decide upon such invitations. In cases where no invitation has been accepted, ordinary or extraordinary meetings of the Committee shall be held at the headquarters of one of the Secretariats.

 

4.1 The draft agenda of the first session shall be drawn up by the Secretariat of the Committee.

4.2 The draft agenda of subsequent ordinary sessions shall be drawn up by the Secretariat of the Committee after consulting the members of the Bureau.

4.3 The draft agenda of ordinary sessions shall be communicated to members of the Committee and to the Observers, at least six weeks before the opening of each session.

4.4 The provisional agenda of an extraordinary session, which shall include only those items for whose consideration the session has been convened, shall be communicated to members of the Committee and to the Observers, at least ten days in advance.

4.5 The Committee shall adopt its agenda and order of business at the beginning of each session.

4.6 During an ordinary session the Committee may change the order of items on the agenda and add or delete items.

 

5.1 The Committee shall elect a Bureau composed of a President, a first and second Vice President and a Rapporteur. The term of office of the Bureau shall run from the end of one session of the Committee to the end of the subsequent session.

5.2 Notwithstanding rule 5.1, the first Bureau of the Committee shall be elected at the beginning of the first ordinary session and remain in office until the end of the second ordinary session.

5.3 The Bureau shall be responsible for co-ordinating the work of the Committee and, in general, assisting the President in his or her duties. The Bureau may be entrusted by the Committee to take certain decisions on its behalf.

5.4 Members of the Bureau shall be eligible to serve for two consecutive terms in the same office.

5.5 The Bureau may meet between sessions of the Committee by decisions of its President reached in agreement with the Secretariat.

Rule 6 Subsidiary bodies

6.1 The Committee shall establish any subsidiary body it may deem necessary in order to consider the items on its agenda.

6.2 These Rules of Procedure shall apply mutatis mutandis to the subsidiary bodies, if applicable.

Convention Articles X.2.3, X.2.4, XI.1

7.1 The States referred to in Article XI.1 of the Lisbon Recognition Convention and the Holy See, if they are not Parties to the Lisbon Recognition Convention, as well as the European Community and the President of the ENIC Network, shall be able to participate in the meetings of the Committee as observers.

7.2 These observers shall be able to express their opinions and positions at the meetings of the Committee during the discussions of general issues, to the exclusion of items which, by their nature are to be dealt with only by the Members of the Committee. They shall also be able in these cases to put forward informal suggestions.

7.3 The President of the UNESCO Regional Committee for the Application of the Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees concerning Higher

Education in the States belonging to the Europe Region shall be invited to participate in the meetings of the Committee as an observer.

7.4 Representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations active in the field of recognition in the European Region may also be invited to attend meetings of the Committee as observers.

7.5 The United Nations and other organizations and institutions of the United Nations system may send representatives to sessions of the Committee.

8.1 In addition to exercising the powers which are conferred upon him elsewhere by these Rules, the President shall declare the opening and closing of each session of the Committee. (S)he shall direct the discussions, ensure observance of these Rules, control the proceedings and maintain order. (S)he shall not vote, but may designate a member of his or her delegation to vote in his or her place.

8.2 If the President ceases to represent a member of the Committee or is unable to perform his or her duties, the first Vice President shall act as President for the remainder of the President's term of office. If that Vice President also ceases to represent a member of the Committee or is unable to perform his or her duties, the second Vice President shall act as President for the remainder of the President's term of office.

8.3 If the President is absent during a session, his or her functions shall be exercised successively by the Vice-President.

 

Rule 9 Publicity of proceedings

9.1 Unless otherwise decided by the Committee or by the body in question, all sessions of the Committee and of its subsidiary bodies shall be held in closed sessions.

 

Convention Article X.2.8

10.1 At plenary meetings of the Committee, a majority of the Parties to the Lisbon Recognition Convention shall constitute a quorum.

10.2 In the subsidiary bodies of the Committee, a majority of their members shall constitute a quorum.

10.3 The Committee and its subsidiary bodies may not take decisions without a quorum.

11.1 The President of the meeting shall call upon members of the Committee in principle in the order in which they signify their wish to speak. The same procedure shall be applied to the Observers referred to in Rule 7.1.

11.2 The Observers referred to in Rule 7.3 – 7.5 may speak with the prior consent of the President.

11.3 The Chair of the meeting may limit the time to be allowed to each speaker when circumstances make this desirable.

Rule 12 Points of order

12.1 In the course of a debate, any member of the Committee may raise a point of order, and such point of order shall be immediately decided by the President.

12.2 An appeal may be made against the ruling of the President. It shall be put to the vote immediately, and the President's ruling shall stand unless overruled by a majority of the members present and voting.

 

Rule 13 Procedural motions

13.1 In the course of a debate, any member of the Committee may move the suspension or adjournment of the meeting, or the adjournment or closure of the debate.

 

13.2 Such motions shall be immediately put to the vote. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 1 of Rule 12, the following motions shall have precedence, in the following order, over all other proposals or motions before the meeting:

a) to suspend the meeting;

b) to adjourn the meeting;

c) to adjourn the debate on the item under discussion;

d) for the closure of the debate on the item under discussions.

Rule 14 Proposals and amendments

14.1 Proposals and amendments may be presented by the members of the Committee and shall be transmitted in writing in one of the working languages of the Committee to the Secretariat, which shall circulate copies to all members of the Committee.

14.2 As a general rule, no proposal and no amendment shall be examined or put to the vote unless they have been circulated sufficiently in advance to all members in the working languages of the Committee.

 

15.1 The working languages of the Committee are English, French, Russian and Spanish.

15.2 Speeches made in one of the working languages shall as a rule be interpreted into the other working languages.

15.3 The documents of the Committee shall as a rule be published in the working languages.

 

Convention Article X.2.1

16.1 Each Member of the Committee referred to in Rule 1 shall have one vote.

16.2 Unless otherwise stipulated in the Lisbon Recognition Convention or in these Rules, decisions shall be taken by a majority of Members present and voting.

16.3 For the purpose of the present Rules, the expression "Members present and voting" shall mean Members casting an affirmative or negative vote. The Members abstaining from voting shall be considered as not voting.

16.4 Voting shall normally be by show of hands, except as concerns elections, which shall normally be conducted by secret ballot if there is more than one candidate for each office.

16.5 When the result of a vote cast by a show of hands is in doubt, the President may take a second vote by roll call. A vote by roll call shall also be taken if it is requested by at least two members of the Committee before the voting takes place.

16.6 When an amendment to a proposal is moved, the amendment shall be voted on first. When two or more amendments to a proposal are moved, the Committee shall first vote on the amendment deemed by the President to be furthest removed in substance from the original proposal, and then on the amendment deemed by him/her to be next furthest removed therefrom, and so on, until all the amendments have been put to the vote, as appropriate.

16.7 If one or more amendments are adopted, the amended proposal shall then be voted upon as a whole.

16.8 A motion is considered an amendment to a proposal if it merely adds to, deletes from or revises part of that proposal.

 

17.1 At each of its sessions, the Committee shall adopt a list of its decisions, including the text of the conclusions and recommendations it has adopted.

17.2 After each session of the Committee, the Secretariat shall issue a final report of the meeting.

 

18.1 Should the approval of the Committee be required for measures of exceptional urgency and importance while the Committee is not in session, the Secretariat – or the President, through the Secretariat – may consult the Members by correspondence. The proposed measures shall be adopted if it is approved by two-thirds of the members of the Committee.

 

Convention Article X.2.10

19.1 The Secretariat of the Committee shall be entrusted jointly to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the Director-General of UNESCO.

19.2 The Secretary General of the Council of Europe and to the Director-General of UNESCO shall each place at the disposal of the Committee a member of their Secretariats who shall act as Co-Secretaries of the Committee, together with the staff and other facilities necessary for the work of the Committee.

19.3 The Co-Secretaries shall participate, without the right to vote, in the work of the Committee, of its Bureau and of its other subsidiary bodies. The Secretariat may at any time make oral or written statements to the Committee, to the Bureau or to any subsidiary body.

 

Convention Article X.2.9

20.1 The Committee shall adopt its Rules of Procedure by a decision taken in the first plenary session by a simple majority of the Members present and voting.

20.2 The Committee may amend these Rules of Procedure, except those based on provisions of the Lisbon Recognition Convention, by a decision in plenary meeting taken by a two-thirds majority of the Members present and voting.

20.3 Any of these Rules of Procedures, other than those based on provisions of the Lisbon Recognition Convention, may be suspended by a decision in plenary meeting taken by a two-thirds majority of the Members present and voting.

 

Conscious of the fact that the right to education and freedom of choice is a human right and that a fair recognition of qualifications is a key element of the right to education and a responsibility of society;

Taking into account the growing diversity in educational systems throughout Europe and the world and the multitude of alternative ways of learning available to students;

Having regard to the increasing internationalisation of higher education as well as of education giving access to higher education;

Considering that any recommendation adopted under the aegis of the Council of Europe and UNESCO should promote international understanding and tolerance and foster mutual confidence and peace among peoples and nations;

Considering that international access qualifications facilitate international academic mobility, one of the major objectives of UNESCO and the Council of Europe;

Having regard to the Lisbon Recognition Convention and in particular Section IV which addresses the Recognition of Qualifications giving Access to Higher Education;

Taking into account that the Lisbon Recognition Convention concerns the recognition of qualifications belonging to the education systems of the Parties and therefore does not cover international access qualifications;

Considering that Article X.2.5 of the Lisbon Recognition Convention foresees the elaboration of recommendations, declarations and protocols as subsidiary to the Convention, and that while Parties are not legally bound by such texts, they should use their best endeavours to encourage their application;

Considering, however, that an international recommendation addressing the recognition of international access qualifications is timely and necessary;

For the purpose of this Recommendation, International Access Qualifications refer to secondary school leaving qualifications awarded upon completion of a programme:

- distinct from the programmes offered within national education systems

- administered by one or more bodies external to national education systems

- having an international orientation and scope per se

- meeting the general requirements for access to higher education

- subject to well-defined and transparent quality assurance mechanisms

- incorporating a core curriculum of sufficient academic rigour.

1. Each Party should recognise International Access Qualifications for the purpose of access to programmes belonging to its higher education system, unless a substantial difference can be shown between the International Access Qualification assessed and the comparable qualification(s) of the Party in which recognition is sought.

2. The Parties are encouraged to acknowledge the merits of an International Access Qualification, taking into account the core curriculum and the academic rigour of the programme in resolving possible differences.

3. Parties are encouraged to show flexibility in the assessment of International Access Qualifications in the spirit of the increasing internationalisation and diversification of education.

4. The Basic Principles as laid down in Section III of the Lisbon Recognition Convention shall apply to the assessment of International Access Qualifications.

5. The competent recognition authorities should use criteria and procedures for the assessment of International Access Qualifications comparable to those applied in the assessment of the access qualifications of the other Parties.

6. Parties should encourage the ENIC Network to maintain up-to-date information on International Access Qualifications and to regularly review new developments.

7. Each Party should take all possible measures to widely disseminate the provisions of the present Recommendation.

 

1. In order to facilitate the recognition of International Access Qualifications, each Provider shall establish transparent systems for a complete description of the programmes offered, the evaluation systems, the qualification(s) awarded and the administering bodies.

2. Furthermore, each Provider shall:

a. make available reliable information on the programmes offered and on the basic values they promote

b. use the UNESCO/Council of Europe/European Union Diploma Supplement

c. furnish transparent information on the quality assurance mechanism(s) of the programmes leading to the qualification.

d. provide information essential for the verification of the authenticity of qualifications and documents.

3. Acknowledging the need for relevant, accurate and up-to-date information, each Provider should establish and maintain an information contact point.

4. Each Provider should see to it that students are fully informed of the provisions of the present Recommendation.

 

Dr. Christoph DEMAND, Deputy Head of NARIC/ENIC Department, Federal Ministry for Science and Transport

Mr Gunnar VAHT, Head of the Estonian ENIC, Foundation "Archimedes"

Ms Birute MOCKIENE, Deputy Director of the Lithuanian Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education

Dr Rimantas VAITKUS, Head of the Higher Education Division, Department of Science and Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Science

Ms Lene OFTEDAL, Senior Executive Officer, Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs

Ms Kaja SCHIØTZ, National Academic Information Centre (NAIC), The University of Oslo

Ms Daniela GARBEA, Director, Romanian ENIC, Ministry of Education and Science

Ms Isabella BRUNELLI, Adjointe scientifique, Office fédérale de l’éducation et de la science, Département fédéral de l’intérieur

Ms Christine GEHRIG, Credential Evaluator, Central Office of the Swiss Universities

Mr Dhimitri BAKO, Specialist at Directorate of Development Policies, Ministry of Education and Science

Apologised/excusé

Dr. Sergey VETOKHIN, National Institute for Higher Education

BELGIUM/BELGIQUE

Mme Chantal KAUFMANN, Directrice à la Direction générale de l'Enseignement Supérieur,

Ministère de l'Education

Mr Erwin MALFROY, Assistant Director, Education Department, Higher Education Administration, Ministry of the Flemish Community

Ms Rossitza VELINOVA, Bulgarian ENIC, Ministry of Education and Science

Ms Nicole d'AVIGNON, Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials

Mr Eric SCHVARTZ, Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials

Professor Ivica MANDIC, Deputy Minister for Higher Education, Ministry of Science and Technology

Ms Ana RUŽICIKA, University of Zagreb

CYPRUS/CHYPRE

Dr Tryphon PNEUMATICOS, Chief Education Officer, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Culture

Ms Ždena PASTOROVA, Higher Education Department, Ministry of Education

Ms Štepánka SKUHROVÁ, Centre of Higher Education Studies

Ms Mette BEYER PAULSEN, Head of Section, Ministry of Education, National Education Authority

Ms Jette KIRSTEIN, Head of Section, The Danish Rectors' Conference

Ms Carita BLOMQVIST, Head of the Finnish ENIC/NARIC, National Board of Education

Ms Leena NEDERSTRÖM, National Board of Education

Mr Irakli MACHABELI, Head of the Foreign Relations Department, Ministry of Education

Dr. Jürgen EBERHARDT, Sekretariat der Kultusministerkonferenz

Mr Peter OBERSCHELP, Deputy Head of the German NARIC/ENIC, Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen im Sekretariat der KMK

Professor Georgios ELIOPOULOS, Vice President of the Institute of Technological Education

Mr Theodoros LIANOS, President of DI.K.A.T.S.A., Inter-University Centre for the Recognition of Foreign Academic Titles

Ms Julia JUHÁZS, Credential Evaluator, Hungarian Equivalence and Information Centre, Ministry of Culture and Education

Ms Andrea KOLTAI, Credential Evaluator, Hungarian Equivalence and Information Centre, Ministry of Culture and Education

Mr. þórður KRISTINSSON, Director of Academic Affairs, Office for Academic Affairs, University of Iceland

Mrs Nira GUR-ARIEH, Committee for the Evaluation of Foreign Academic Diplomas and Degrees, Ministry of Education and Culture

Mr Naftali WEITMAN, Secretary of the Council for Higher Education

ITALY/ITALIE

Ms Maria Luisa PALLOTTINO, Italian ENIC, International Education Officer, CIMEA della Fondazione Rui

Mr Andrejs RAUHVARGERS, Director of the Latvian ENIC, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Academic Information Centre

LIECHTENSTEIN

Mr. Hans Peter WALCH, Schulamt, Department of Education

Dr. Paul HEYWOOD, National Equivalence Information Centre, University of Malta

Ms Maria Wilhelmina NIESJE, Policy Advisor, University Education Section, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science

Ms Joanna TOPINSKA Head of the Non-European Countries and International Organisations Section, Ministry of National Education

Ms María Beatriz CANÁRIO, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education

Professor Gennady LUKICHEV, Director, National Information Centre on Academic Recognition and Mobiliy, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia

Ms Mária HRABINSKÁ, Head of the Slovak ENIC, Institute of Information and Prognoses of Education

Ms Polona MIKLAVC VALENCIC, Slovenian ENIC/NARIC, Ministry of Education and Sport

SPAIN/ESPAGNE

Ms Carmen GARCÍA ALONSO, Spanish ENIC/NARIC, Ministry of Education and Science

Ms Lorena GONZÁLEZ OLVIARES, Spanish ENIC/NARIC, Ministry of Education and Science

Ms Marianne HILDEBRAND, Head of Swedish NARIC/ENIC, National Agency for Higher Education

Ms Nadežda UZELAC, Ministry of Education and Physical Culture

UKRAINE

Mr Vitally POGREBNYAK, Ministry of Education of Ukraine

Professor Irina TERLETSKAJA, Sumy University

Mr Andy WALLS, Head, International Students Team, DFEE

Dr. E. Stephen HUNT, Head of US Network for Education Information, Director for Planning and Policy, National Library of Education

Mr Timothy THOMPSON, Senior Admissions Officer, Office of International Services, University of Pittsburgh

Ms Ginette NABAVI, Principal Administrator, DG XXII

Ms Inger Lise SYVERSEN, Nordic Council of Ministers

Directorate of Education, Culture and Sport/Direction de l'enseignement, de la culture et du sport,

Mr Sjur BERGAN, Head of the Higher Education and Research Section/Chef de la section de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche

Ms Paula SMITH, Assistant, Higher Education and Research Section/Chef de la section de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche

European Centre for Higher Education

Ms Lesley WILSON, Director

Ms Stamenka UVALIC-TRUMBIC, Programme Specialist

Ms Venera CARAUS, Assistant

Mr John DONALDSON, Senior Legal Officer, UNESCO