A politburo or political bureau is the highest political organ of the central committee in communist parties. It is present in most former and existing communist states.
The Soviet Politburo passes a resolution to execute 346 "enemies of the CPSU and the Soviet Government" who led "counter-revolutionary, pro-Trotskyist, plotting and spying activities", signed by secretary Stalin, 17 January 1940
The central committee is designated as the highest organ of a communist party between congresses. Per the principles of democratic centralism and unified power, the central committee is empowered to deal with any issue that falls under the party's purview. While formally retaining this role in socialist states, commonly referred to as communist states by outside observers, in practice, it delegates this authority to numerous smaller internal organs due to the infrequency of its meetings. The term of a central committee of a ruling communist party is usually five years. The party congress elects individuals to the central committee and holds it accountable. At the first central committee session held immediately after a congress, it elects the party leader, an office usually titled general secretary of the central committee, a political organ, commonly known as the politburo, and a executive organ, customarily named the secretariat.
The opening day (5 March 2015) of the 3rd Session of the 12th National People's Congress, the highest organ of state power in China.
Mao Zedong (right), the Chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and Lin Biao, the First Vice Chairman of the CCP Central Committee, attending the 2nd Plenary Session of the 9th Central Committee, held on 23 August – 6 September 1970.
The following shows the composition of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Ukraine elected at its 3rd Congress, held on 1–6 March 1919.
Slobodan Milošević (left) and Ivan Stambolić (right) of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia attending the session of the 10th Congress of the League of Communists of Serbia that elected a new Central Committee.