Artikel XV

1. An Intergovernmental Conference of the States Parties, hereinafter referred to as “the Conference”, shall be established.
2. The Conference shall be composed of representatives of all States Parties to this Convention.
3. The States which are not States Parties to this Convention and the heads of the regional recognition convention committees shall be invited to participate in the meetings of the Conference as observers.
4. Representatives of relevant international and regional organizations, as well as representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations active in the field of recognition of higher-education qualifications, may also be invited to attend meetings of the Conference as observers.
5. The Conference shall meet in ordinary sessions at least every two years. It may meet in extraordinary sessions if it so decides or at the request of at least one third of the States Parties. The Conference shall have an interim work programme concerning activities between sessions. The Conference shall submit a report at each of the ordinary sessions of the General Conference of UNESCO.
6. The Conference shall meet for the first time within two years of the entry into force of this Convention, and at that time it shall adopt its own rules of procedure.
7. The Conference shall promote the application of this Convention and shall oversee its implementation by adopting recommendations, declarations, models of good practices, or any relevant subsidiary text at the global or interregional level.
8. The Conference may adopt operational guidelines for the States Parties to this Convention, in consultation with the regional recognition convention committees.
9. The Conference shall support the follow-up of the activities relating to monitoring by and reporting to UNESCO’s governing bodies with regard to the implementation of this Convention.
10. The Conference shall cooperate with the regional recognition convention committees under the auspices of UNESCO.
11. The Conference shall ensure that there is the necessary information exchange between the Conference and the regional recognition convention committees.
12. The Conference shall examine for adoption the draft amendments to this Convention in accordance with Article XXIII. The amendments adopted shall not undermine the principles of transparent, fair, timely and non-discriminatory recognition stated in this Convention.
13. The Secretariat of the Conference shall be provided by the Director-General of UNESCO. The Secretariat shall prepare the documentation of the Conference, draft the agenda of its meetings, and ensure the implementation of its decisions.