Administration and finance

The President is tasked with overseeing the work of the Council and ensuring that everything runs smoothly. He works with the Bureau to determine the Council's key focal points and overall strategic direction. The President convenes the Bureau, chairs its meetings and sets the agenda. He also calls plenary assemblies. The President is elected by a secret ballot involving all members at a plenary session.

The Bureau is a body of peers that provides day-to-day oversight of Council initiatives, comprising the ESEC President and 18 other representatives including six vice-presidents, two financial oversight officials, four secretaries and six other members.

The Secretary-General is appointed by the government based on Bureau recommendations and takes part in Bureau decisions. Reporting to the ESEC President, he oversees section initiatives and supervises the civil servants who head the various directorates. The ESEC's administrative structure comprises four directorates, each reporting to the Secretary-General:

• The administrative and financial services directorate ensures that ESEC operations run smoothly via a range of support functions, such as logistics, safety and information technology;
• The legal and economic services directorate assists in organising and ensuring compliance of work conducted by ESEC members;
• The communications directorate organises and implements initiatives to promote the work and missions of the ESEC;
• The international relations directorate.