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Governance

The General Assembly, the Executive Council and the five standing committees that run the Organization.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

Pages in this section

Portrait of John VIII Palaoelogus, Emperor of Constantinople, 1424-1428 (reverse), Pisanello (c. 1438–1439)The General AssemblyThe supreme body of OIMAP: composition, powers, voting rules and conduct of a session.› Eighteen Views of Rome: The Piazza Farnese (recto), Lievin Cruyl (1664)The Executive CouncilFifteen members elected for three years, who prepare and follow up the decisions of the General Assembly.› Coronation of the Virgin, Christoffel Jegher (1632–36)The standing committeesFive specialised committees that examine technical files and advise the Executive Council.›

Who decides at OIMAP

The Apotheosis of Romulus: Design for a Ceiling, Domenico Maria Canuti (c. 1675–76)
The Apotheosis of Romulus: Design for a Ceiling, Domenico Maria Canuti (c. 1675–76)

The governance of OIMAP rests on three levels: the General Assembly, where the 67 Member States sit, the fifteen-member Executive Council, and five specialized standing committees. The General Secretariat carries out their decisions.

This section details the General Assembly, the Executive Council and the committees.

  • Governance
  • Assembly
  • Council

Governance in figures

67States in the Assembly
15Council members
5Standing committees
4Council meetings per year

Source: OIMAP General Secretariat.

Three Pages

Self-Portrait, John I Smart (1802)67 votesGeneral Assembly

The supreme body.

›The Dance at the Court of Herod, Israhel van Meckenem (c. 1500)3 yearsExecutive Council

Fifteen elected members.

›Nowshera, Kashmir (number 1000), Samuel Bourne (1864)5Committees

Five standing committees.

›

Breakdown

General AssemblyGuidelines
Executive CouncilFollow-up
CommitteesExpertise

Indicative weight of the bodies in preparing decisions.

Portrait Bust of a Man (27 BCE–14 CE)
Portrait Bust of a Man (27 BCE–14 CE)
Maharaja of Kotah Listening to Music and Watching Dancers (c. 1820)
Maharaja of Kotah Listening to Music and Watching Dancers (c. 1820)
Pair of Drawings: Sketch of the Labyrinth of the Villa Pisani and Piazza San Marco with Doges' Palace, Francesco Guardi (1773–1778(?))
Pair of Drawings: Sketch of the Labyrinth of the Villa Pisani and Piazza San Marco with Doges' Palace, Francesco Guardi (1773–1778(?))

A three-level architecture

The General Assembly sets the guidelines and adopts the budget. The Executive Council prepares its work, monitors the implementation of decisions and reports back. The committees examine technical files and issue opinions.

This architecture provides both universal legitimacy, each State having one vote, and effective steering, thanks to a smaller body that meets regularly.

The one-State, one-vote rule

Regardless of its size or contribution, each Member State has one vote. Decisions are taken by consensus where possible, and failing that by simple majority. Major questions require a two-thirds majority.

The following are considered major: amendment of the Statutes, admission of a new State, adoption of a binding directive and election of the Secretary-General.

Time-limited terms

Members of the Executive Council are elected for three years and renewed by thirds, which ensures both continuity and rotation. The Secretary-General is elected for four years, renewable once.

The chair of the Council rotates. This rule avoids the concentration of power and allows each region to exercise responsibilities.

A regional balance

The composition of the Council aims to represent the five continents. Seats are distributed according to a geographical balance that takes into account the number of Member States in each region, while guaranteeing a presence for the less numerous regions.

The offices in Paris, Geneva, New York, Singapore and Nairobi relay the concerns of their area to the bodies.

Bodies and roles

The decision-making bodies
BodyCompositionFrequency
General Assembly67 States, one vote eachOne session per year
Executive Council15 elected membersFour meetings per year
Finance and Audit CommitteeAppointed experts (indicative)Quarterly (indicative)
Certification and Standards CommitteeAppointed experts (indicative)Quarterly (indicative)
Other committeesSee the Committees pageAccording to the calendar

Milestones

  1. First Assembly

    Adoption of the rules of procedure.

  2. First Council

    Election of the first fifteen members.

  3. Committee reform

    Creation of the cooperation and training committee (indicative).

  4. 19th General Assembly

    Singapore, 10–12 June.

Egypt and Nubia, Volume I: The Great Temple of Aboo-Simble, Nubia, Louis Haghe (1846)
Egypt and Nubia, Volume I: The Great Temple of Aboo-Simble, Nubia, Louis Haghe (1846)
Portrait of a Man, Italian Painter
Portrait of a Man, Italian Painter
The Pyramid of Cestius, Rome, Michiel van Overbeek (c. 1650–80)
The Pyramid of Cestius, Rome, Michiel van Overbeek (c. 1650–80)

Calendar

Assembly and Council

Small Mosque in the Kaiserbagh, Felice A. Beato (1858)

General Assembly

Supreme body
  • 67 votes
  • One session a year
  • Two-thirds majority for major questions

Decides.

The Grotto of Posillipo, Hubert Robert (c. 1769)

Executive Council

Smaller body
  • 15 members
  • Four meetings per year
  • Rotating chair

Prepares and follows up.

How a decision is reached

  1. Proposal

    A State or the Secretariat.

  2. Investigation

    Competent committee.

  3. Examination

    Executive Council.

  4. Decision

    General Assembly.

  5. Implementation

    General Secretariat.

Good governance practices

A delegate to the Assembly

Portrait Head of a Noble or Official (175–200 CE)
« The one-State, one-vote principle gives the smallest members the certainty of being heard, which changes the nature of the dialogue. »
Tomás Ibarra, Member State delegate (example)

Vocabulary

Consensus
Decision without formal objection.
Two-thirds majority
Threshold for major questions.
Rotating chair
Chair appointed in turn.
Quorum
Minimum number of members present to deliberate.

Accountability

Each year, the Secretary-General presents his or her activity report to the Assembly. The accounts, certified by an external auditor, are published by 30 June at the latest. An internal audit is carried out annually.

These mechanisms are extended by the transparency policy and by the Organization's financial reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who elects the Executive Council?

The General Assembly.

Can a State delegate its vote?

Under the rules of procedure, by written proxy (indicative).

Are the sessions public?

The decisions are; some debates are held in camera.

Where can I find the executive?

Useful Documents

Contacts

Egypt & Nubia, Volume III, No. 8: Mosque of Sultan Hassan, Cairo, Louis Haghe (1842–49)
Egypt & Nubia, Volume III, No. 8: Mosque of Sultan Hassan, Cairo, Louis Haghe (1842–49)
General SecretariatParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 00 00secretariat@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

See the General Assembly

The Doge's Palace, Venice, Richard Parkes Bonington (1826)

Operation and calendar.

General Assembly
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