H.E. Dr. Musa Bin Jaafar Bin Hassan is President of the 33rd session of the General Conference of UNESCO since October 2005.

After studying geography at the University of Beirut, he obtained a doctorate in law from the Sorbonne University in Paris (1990). Dr Bin Hassan has been serving as the Sultanate of Oman's Permanent Delegate to UNESCO since 1984. Prior to that date, he was Director of Cultural Relations at his country's Ministry of Education and Youth, and Director General of scholarships and External Relations.

Dr Bin Hassan has worked with, and chaired a number of educational committees in Oman and has a rich experience of UNESCO's executive bodies having attended the Organization's General Conferences since 1978. He was Deputy Chairman of UNESCO's Executive Board (1991-1993) and President of the Arab Group at UNESCO (1986 and 2004). Dr Bin Hassan has also chaired the Consultative Committee of UNESCO's Arabia Plan since 2002 and was Vice Chairman of the Consultative Committee of UNESCO's Silk Roads programme (1988-1999).

Dr Bin Hassan has also worked with the Arab League's Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) as a member of Oman's delegation to the General Conferences of ALECSO, and as member of the Organization's Executive Board (1976-1981). He is also a Professor Lecturer on North Africa and the Middle East at the American graduate School of International Relations and Diplomacy (Paris) and has published a number of scholarly and literary works: "The Development of Omani Administrative Law", "Audat Shanjoub" (The return of Shanjoub), "Wain Zamanak Ya Bahr" (The Lost Glory of Seafaring Days), "Min al Hayat" (From the Life), "Kalam al Nas Youji al Ras" (Gossip Source of Headache), "Al Darawish Sketches".

Dr Bin Hassan who is also an actor and theatre director has penned several plays on social and cultural subjects.

Mr. Koichiro Matsuura
Director General, UNESCO

Mr. Koichiro Matsuura graduated from the Faculty of Law,
Tokyo in 1959 and the Faculty of Economics, Haverford College, USA in 1961.

Prior to joining UNESCO as Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee in 1998, he held various positions with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, culminating as Japanese Ambassador to France (concurrently to Andorra and Djibouti).

Mr. Matsuura was elected for a six-year term on 15 November 1999 and re-elected for a second four-year term on 12 October 2005 as Director General of UNESCO.