Message from the Secretary-General

The Organization addresses very different audiences: diplomats, customs officers, gallery owners, curators, collectors. The Secretary-General's message gives everyone the same reading of the direction being followed and of the year's priorities, in direct language.

It replaces neither the official reports nor the decisions of the General Assembly. It explains the choices, recalls the commitments made before the States and places the Secretariat's daily work within the mandate conferred in 2007.

The Secretary-General has placed his term under three priorities: strengthening the protection of cultural property, simplifying citizens' access to the Desk's services and broadening cooperation with partner organizations. Each is the subject of objectives monitored every year.

These priorities do not modify the mandate of the six missions. They indicate where the main effort is focused, and they are examined by the Executive Council before being presented to the General Assembly.

The Secretary-General is elected by the General Assembly. He presents it each year with a report on the implementation of the mandate and answers delegations' questions. This accountability shapes his public statements: nothing is announced that has not been voted or budgeted.

Between sessions, he reports to the Executive Council and exchanges with national focal points. The figures he cites come from the Organization's official publications.

The Organization is not only a forum of States. It also addresses collectors, auction houses and museums, which keep the market alive. The Secretary-General meets them at public events and through regular interviews.

Questions from the public may be sent to the General Secretariat via the online form. They inform the preparation of addresses and policy documents.

The three pages offer three complementary entry points. The speeches give the Organization's official position, the biography presents the background of its leader and the interviews show how he answers the press's questions.

To understand the internal organization and the role of the Secretariat, see the Who we are page and the General Secretariat section.