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About

The Executive Council

Fifteen members elected for three years, who prepare and follow up the decisions of the General Assembly.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

The steering body

Eighteen Views of Rome: The Piazza Farnese (recto), Lievin Cruyl (1664)
Eighteen Views of Rome: The Piazza Farnese (recto), Lievin Cruyl (1664)

The Executive Council has fifteen members elected by the General Assembly for three years. It meets four times a year, prepares the decisions of the States and monitors their implementation by the General Secretariat.

It relies on the standing committees and reports to the General Assembly. Its current chair is Ms Ingrid Halvorsen-Mbeki.

  • Executive Council
  • Chair
  • Mandate

The Executive Council in figures

15Members
3 yearsTerm of office
4Meetings per year
1/3Renewed each year

Source: OIMAP General Secretariat.

Breakdown

Africa3 seats (indicative)
Americas4 seats (indicative)
Asia-Pacific3 seats (indicative)
Europe4 seats (indicative)
Middle East1 seat (indicative)

Indicative regional distribution of seats.

Role of the Council

The Council prepares the Assembly's agenda, examines the draft budget, supervises the Secretary-General and may take urgent decisions between two sessions, subject to ratification.

It also ensures the consistency of the committees' work and the balance between the Organisation's six missions.

Portrait of John VIII Palaoelogus, Emperor of Constantinople, 1424-1428 (reverse), Pisanello (c. 1438–1439)
Portrait of John VIII Palaoelogus, Emperor of Constantinople, 1424-1428 (reverse), Pisanello (c. 1438–1439)
Portrait of a Man, Louis Lafitte (1793)
Portrait of a Man, Louis Lafitte (1793)
The Dance at the Court of Herod, Israhel van Meckenem (c. 1500)
The Dance at the Court of Herod, Israhel van Meckenem (c. 1500)

Election and renewal

The fifteen seats are distributed by region. Each year, one third of the seats are renewed, which avoids a complete turnover and preserves institutional memory.

Candidates are put forward by States, on the basis of profiles combining diplomatic, legal or museum experience.

A rotating chair

The chair rotates periodically between regions. The current chair, Ms Ingrid Halvorsen-Mbeki, leads the debates, represents the Council to the Secretary-General and ensures that the calendar is respected.

Two vice-chairs assist her. They are elected by the Council at each renewal.

Four meetings per year

The Council meets in February, May, September and December (indicative). The May meeting prepares the June General Assembly; the December meeting examines the following year's budget.

Between meetings, written consultations make it possible to deal with simple items without a physical meeting.

Typical annual calendar

Four meetings, four priorities
MeetingMain topicMonth (indicative)
FirstReview of the past yearFebruary
SecondPreparation of the AssemblyMay
ThirdFollow-up of decisionsSeptember
FourthBudget for the following yearDecember

Milestones

  1. First Council

    Election of the fifteen founding members.

  2. First rotating chair

    Rotation introduced (indicative).

  3. Remote meetings

    Written consultations widely adopted (indicative).

  4. Current chair

    Ms Ingrid Halvorsen-Mbeki.

Urgent powers

The Old Market, Cleveland, Frank Wilcox (1920)
The Old Market, Cleveland, Frank Wilcox (1920)
Coronation of the Virgin, Christoffel Jegher (1632–36)
Coronation of the Virgin, Christoffel Jegher (1632–36)
Portrait of a Woman, Corneille de Lyon (c. 1540)
Portrait of a Woman, Corneille de Lyon (c. 1540)

Council and Secretariat

Sketch of the Labyrinth of the Villa Pisani, Francesco Guardi (1773–1778(?))

Executive Council

Policy
  • Sets priorities
  • Security check
  • Rotating chair

Provides direction.

Capriccio: A Palace with a Courtyard by the Lagoon, Antonio Canaletto (c. 1750–55)

General Secretariat

Implementation
  • Implements
  • Reports
  • Headed by the Secretary-General

Delivers.

Putting forward a candidacy to the Council

  1. Announcement

    By the State to the Secretariat.

  2. File

    Profile and project.

  3. Campaign

    Regional exchanges.

  4. Election

    General Assembly.

  5. Taking up duties

    Upon the close of the session.

Duties of a Council member

A former Council member

The Doge's Palace, Venice, Richard Parkes Bonington (1826)
« Sitting on the Council means learning to decide for sixty-seven States while keeping your eyes on the field. »
Ingrid Lindqvist, former Council member (example)

Vocabulary

Executive Council
Small steering body.
Renewal by thirds
Departure and election of one third of the members each year.
Written consultation
Decision taken without a physical meeting.
Vice-chair
Member assisting the chair.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who chairs the Council?

Ms Ingrid Halvorsen-Mbeki, current chair.

Can a State serve two terms?

Yes, subject to rotation conditions (indicative).

Are the meetings public?

Only the records of decisions are published.

Where can I find the committees?

Useful Documents

Contacts

Temple at Naveshera, Kashmir, India, Samuel Bourne (1864)
Temple at Naveshera, Kashmir, India, Samuel Bourne (1864)
General SecretariatParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 00 00secretariat@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

See the committees

Architectural Conference (c. 1622)

The five standing committees.

Committees
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