UNESCO

Alright, let's dissect this UNESCO entity. It's a mouthful, isn't it? The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, as the world insists on abbreviating it. A specialized agency of the United Nations, tasked with the rather ambitious goal of fostering world peace and security through the rather delicate channels of education, arts, sciences, and culture. As if those four things alone could mend the perpetual fractures in humanity. It boasts 194 member states and a dozen associate members, plus a motley crew of non-governmental, intergovernmental, and private sector partners. Its nerve center is in Paris, France, but it scatters its influence through 53 regional field offices and 199 national commissions.

History

The origins of this whole endeavor trace back to a rather quaint resolution by the League of Nations in 1921, proposing that nations might, just might, share their intellectual wares. This led to the creation of the International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation (ICIC) in 1922. Imagine, a committee dedicated to intellectual exchange. It even managed to snag luminaries like Henri Bergson, Albert Einstein, and Marie Curie. Then came the International Institute for Intellectual Cooperation (IIIC) in Paris, a sort of executive arm. Of course, World War II threw a rather large wrench into those well-intentioned gears. Private initiatives, like the International Bureau of Education, were also chugging along, eventually merging with UNESCO in 1969.

Creation

The ink was barely dry on the Atlantic Charter and the Declaration of the United Nations before the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education (CAME) started its meetings in London, which stretched from 1942 to 1945. The notion of an international organization was solidified in the Moscow Declaration of 1943, a joint statement by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the USSR. This was followed by the Dumbarton Oaks Conference proposals. Then, in November 1945, with 44 governments in tow, the UN Conference for the establishment of an educational and cultural organization (ECO/CONF) convened in London. The architect of much of this was Rab Butler, the UK's Minister of Education. The UNESCO Constitution was signed there, and a Preparatory Commission was set up. It wasn't until November 4, 1946, when the twentieth ratification came through, that the Constitution officially took effect. The first General Conference, held from November 19 to December 10, 1946, saw Julian Huxley elected as Director-General. Later, in 1954, the General Conference decided that executive board members would represent their governments, not act as individuals, a subtle but significant shift in governance. The organization's trajectory has, predictably, been shaped by the Cold War, the messy business of decolonization, and the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Development

Among its more notable contributions, UNESCO has grappled with the insidious nature of racism, issuing influential statements on race that began with a declaration in 1950 and culminated in the 1978 Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice. The Republic of South Africa had a brief, ill-advised flirtation with withdrawal in 1955, citing "interference" in their "racial problems," but eventually rejoined in 1994, under the rather more enlightened leadership of Nelson Mandela.

In education, a pilot project on fundamental education in the Marbial Valley, Haiti, launched in 1947, was an early foray. This led to expert missions elsewhere, including Afghanistan in 1949. By 1948, UNESCO was already recommending compulsory and universal primary education. The global push for basic education for all gained momentum with the 1990 World Conference on Education for All in Jomtien, Thailand, and the 2000 World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal, where governments committed to achieving this by 2015. The World Declaration on Higher Education, adopted in 1998, aimed to set global standards for higher education.

Culturally, the organization spearheaded the monumental International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia starting in 1960. This massive undertaking, which saw the relocation of structures like the Great Temple of Abu Simbel to save them from the rising waters of the Aswan Dam, was just the beginning. Similar campaigns followed for sites like Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan, Fes in Morocco, and the Acropolis of Athens in Greece. This heritage work paved the way for the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, leading to the establishment of the World Heritage Committee and the first World Heritage List in 1978. Further legal instruments on cultural heritage and diversity followed, including the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

On the scientific front, a 1951 intergovernmental meeting in Paris laid the groundwork for the European Council for Nuclear Research, which eventually became CERN. The Arid Zone programming from 1948 to 1966 was another significant scientific endeavor. In 1968, UNESCO convened the first intergovernmental conference focused on balancing the environment and development, leading to the creation of the Man and the Biosphere Programme. UNESCO has also been instrumental in the proliferation of national science bureaucracies.

Communication, too, has been a focus. The principle of "free flow of ideas by word and image" has been enshrined in its constitution since its inception, a direct response to the propaganda machines of World War II. Post-war efforts concentrated on reconstruction and identifying communication needs. Journalist training began in the 1950s. The call for a "New World Information and Communication Order" in the late 1970s led to the establishment of the International Commission for the Study of Communication Problems, producing the influential 1980 MacBride report. The subsequent creation of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) aimed to foster media development in developing countries. In 1993, the Windhoek Declaration on media independence and pluralism was endorsed, prompting the UN General Assembly to declare May 3rd as World Press Freedom Day. The UNESCO / Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize has been awarded annually since 1997.

21st century

Changes in States' memberships

Israel, Palestine, and the United States

In 2011, UNESCO stirred the pot by admitting Palestine as a member. This, predictably, ruffled feathers. Laws already in place in the United States, stemming from Palestine's 1989 application to UNESCO and the WHO, meant that any UN organization accepting Palestine as a full member would lose US funding. And so, the US promptly withdrew its contributions, which constituted a rather substantial 22% of UNESCO's budget. Israel, not to be outdone, also froze its payments and slapped sanctions on the Palestinian Authority, arguing that Palestine's admittance would be detrimental to peace talks. By 2013, both the US and Israel had forfeited their voting rights at UNESCO, though they retained the right to be elected to positions. The US, ironically, managed to secure a spot on the executive board from 2016 to 2019. In 2019, Israel decided to sever its 69-year membership, with its ambassador to the UN declaring UNESCO had "corrupted and manipulated by Israel's enemies" and was "deliberately acting against us." The US, however, reversed course in 2023, announcing its intent to rejoin and settle its $600 million in back dues. It was readmitted by the UNESCO General Conference that July, only to announce its intent to withdraw again in 2025, effective December 2026.

Russia

As of 2023, Russia's tenure on the executive committee ended, failing to secure enough votes for renewal.

Cultural policies and sustainable development

In the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global push for the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, UNESCO revived its cycle of MONDIACULT Conferences in 2022, the first of which had been held in Mexico City in 1982. Another conference is slated for Barcelona, Spain, in 2025.

Activities

UNESCO's work is structured around five main pillars: education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, and communication and information.

Education: This involves supporting research in comparative education, offering expertise, and fostering partnerships to bolster national educational leadership and the capacity for quality education for all. This includes the UNESCO Chairs network (over 644 chairs in 770 institutions across 126 countries), the Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960), the International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA), the publication of the Education for All Global Monitoring Report, the seminal "Four Pillars of Learning" document, and the UNESCO ASPNet school network (over 12,000 schools in 182 countries). Crucially, UNESCO does not accredit institutions of higher learning.
Public Statements and Designations: UNESCO issues statements to educate the public, such as the Seville Statement on Violence (1989), which refutes the notion of inherent human predisposition to violence. It also designates projects and places of significance, including the Global Geoparks Network, Biosphere reserves (through the Programme on Man and the Biosphere since 1971), City of Literature (first awarded to Edinburgh in 2007, followed by Iowa City in 2008), projects for Endangered languages and linguistic diversity (documented in the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger), Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, the Memory of the World International Register (since 1997), and initiatives in Water resources management through the International Hydrological Programme (since 1965). And, of course, the globally recognized World Heritage Sites and the World Digital Library.
Promoting the "free flow of ideas": This is achieved by advocating for freedom of expression, including freedom of the press and freedom of information legislation, through its Division of Freedom of Expression and Media Development, and the International Programme for the Development of Communication. It also champions the safety of journalists and combats impunity, coordinating the UN Plan of Action. Universal access to and preservation of information is promoted via the Knowledge Societies Division, encompassing the Memory of the World Programme and the Information for All Programme. Furthermore, UNESCO works to foster pluralism, gender equality, and cultural diversity in the media, and promotes Internet Universality based on human Rights-based, Open, Accessible, and Multi-stakeholder principles (R.O.A.M.). Knowledge generation is disseminated through publications like "World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development," the UNESCO Series on Internet Freedom, and the Media Development Indicators.
Events and Projects: UNESCO organizes significant events like the International Decade for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001–2010), World Press Freedom Day (May 3rd), Criança Esperança in Brazil (a partnership with Rede Globo for social integration and violence prevention), International Literacy Day (September 8th), the International Year for the Culture of Peace (2000), a Health Education programme in Kenya (2014–2016), World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (May 21st). It also funds foundational projects like the Migration Museums Initiative, the UNESCO-CEPES (European Centre for Higher Education), the Free Software Directory (a joint venture with the Free Software Foundation), FRESH (Focusing Resources on Effective School Health), and the UNESCO Collection of Representative Works, which translated world literature.

UNESCO's transparency portal provides public access to information regarding its activities and finances, published on the IATI registry.

New proposed lists

Two new lists have been proposed by UNESCO: one focusing on movable cultural heritage, including items like Japan's Jōmon Venus, France's Mona Lisa, and Nigeria's Benin Bronzes; the other dedicated to the world's living species.

Media

UNESCO publishes several magazines, including The UNESCO Courier, founded in 1945, which aims to "promote UNESCO's ideals, maintain a platform for the dialogue between cultures and provide a forum for international debate." It's now available online for free, though printed copies are limited. The quarterly review Impact of Science on Society (Impact) ran from 1950 to 1992, exploring the influence of science.

Official UNESCO NGOs

UNESCO maintains official relations with 322 international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), categorized as "operational" or "formal." Those with "formal associate" (ASC) relations have offices at UNESCO. Notable among these are the International Baccalaureate, International Council of Museums (ICOM), International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Institutes and centres

These specialized departments support UNESCO's broader mission. Key examples include the International Bureau of Education in Geneva, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning in Hamburg, the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) with headquarters in Paris and regional offices in Buenos Aires and Dakar, and the IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education in Delft. The UNESCO Institute for Statistics is based in Montreal.

Prizes

UNESCO bestows 26 prizes across its five program areas, plus peace. In education, these include the UNESCO/King Sejong Literacy Prize and the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education. For natural sciences, the prestigious L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science stand out, alongside the UNESCO/Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science. In social and human sciences, the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence is notable. For culture, the Melina Mercouri International Prize is awarded. In communication and information, the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize is significant. And for peace, the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize is recognized. Some prizes, like the International Simón Bolívar Prize, are currently inactive.

International Days observed at UNESCO

Member states

As of July 2023, UNESCO counts 194 member states and 12 associate members. This roster includes most United Nations member states, with a few notable exceptions like Israel and Liechtenstein, alongside Cook Islands, Niue, and Palestine. Israel officially exited in 2018, only to re-enter in 2023. Nicaragua announced its withdrawal in 2025, effective December 2026. The United States has had a particularly tumultuous relationship, withdrawing in 1984, rejoining in 2003, leaving again in 2018, and re-entering in 2023, only to announce another withdrawal in 2025, effective December 2026.

Governing bodies

Director-General

There have been 12 Directors-General of UNESCO since its establishment in 1946, comprising nine men and two women. They have hailed from seven different regions, with West Europe dominating the leadership, followed by North America, West Africa, East Asia, East Europe, and the Middle East. Notably, no Director-General has yet emerged from Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central and North Asia, North Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa, Australia-Oceania, or South America. The current incumbent is Khaled al-Anani, serving from 2025.

General Conference

The General Conference convenes biennially to chart UNESCO's course and budget. Its sessions, dating back to 1946 in Paris, have been chaired by a variety of prominent figures, including Léon Blum of France, Manuel Gual Vidal of Mexico, and more recently, Hao Ping of China and Simona Miculescu of Romania.

Executive Board

The Executive Board, with 58 elected representatives serving four-year terms, oversees UNESCO's operations between General Conference sessions. Elections are organized by geographical groups.

Offices and headquarters

UNESCO's main headquarters resides at Place de Fontenoy in Paris, a complex designed by Bernard Zehrfuss, Marcel Breuer, and Luigi Nervi, featuring a tranquil Garden of Peace donated by the Government of Japan. Within this space, a meditation room, crafted by Tadao Ando, was added in 1994–1995. Beyond Paris, UNESCO maintains field offices globally, categorized into cluster offices, national offices, regional bureaus, and liaison offices. These offices are organized by region: Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Field offices by region

Africa: Offices in Abidjan, Abuja, Accra, Addis Ababa, Bamako, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Harare, Juba, Kinshasa, Libreville, Maputo, Nairobi, Windhoek, and Yaoundé.
Arab States: Including offices in Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Doha, Khartoum, Manama, and Rabat.
Asia and the Pacific: Features offices in Almaty, Apia, Bangkok, Beijing, Dhaka, Hanoi, Islamabad, Jakarta, Kabul, Kathmandu, New Delhi, Phnom Penh, Tashkent, and Tehran.
Europe and North America: Includes liaison offices in Brussels, Geneva, and New York City, as well as a regional bureau in Venice.
Latin America and the Caribbean: Notable offices are located in Brasília, Guatemala City, Havana, Kingston, Jamaica, Lima, Mexico City, Montevideo, Port-au-Prince, Quito, San José, Costa Rica, and Santiago de Chile.

Partner organizations

UNESCO collaborates with a range of organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Blue Shield International (BSI), and the International Council of Museums (ICOM).

Controversies

UNESCO has been no stranger to controversy.

New World Information and Communication Order

The push for a "New World Information and Communication Order" in the 1970s and 80s, championed by the MacBride report, drew sharp criticism from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore, who saw it as an assault on freedom of the press. This led to the US withdrawing in 1984 and the UK in 1985. Singapore followed suit, citing rising fees. The UK rejoined in 1997, and the US in 2003.

China

Accusations have been leveled against UNESCO for allegedly being used by the People's Republic of China to promote a Party-sanctioned historical narrative and downplay the contributions of ethnic minorities in China, such as Uyghurs and Tibetans.

Israel

Israel's membership has been fraught with tension. A 2010 UNESCO executive board vote declared the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb as "integral part of the occupied Palestinian Territories," leading to protests and a partial suspension of ties. In 2011, the World Heritage Committee censured Israel's actions regarding the Mughrabi Gate Bridge. In 2014, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova indefinitely postponed an exhibition on the "3,500-year relationship between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel," a decision later reversed. Israel formally left UNESCO on January 1, 2019, citing anti-Israel bias.

Occupied Palestine Resolution

A 2016 UNESCO resolution on East Jerusalem condemned Israel for "aggressions" and "illegal measures" affecting freedom of worship, recognizing Israel as the occupying power. While acknowledging the site's importance to three monotheistic religions, it referred to the compound solely by its Muslim name, "Al-Haram al-Sharif," sparking outrage in Israel, which accused UNESCO of denying Jewish ties to the Temple Mount. Despite criticism, a reviewed version of the resolution was approved, still drawing condemnation. The US and Israel announced their withdrawal from UNESCO in 2017, partly due to this perceived bias.

Palestine

Palestinian youth magazine controversy

In 2011, UNESCO condemned and withdrew funding from a Palestinian youth magazine after an article featured a teenage girl naming Adolf Hitler as a role model.

Islamic University of Gaza controversy

In 2012, UNESCO's decision to establish a chair at the Islamic University of Gaza in astronomy and space sciences, despite Israel's bombing of the university in 2008 and claims of its ties to Hamas, sparked controversy. Israel's ambassador to UNESCO planned to protest, though no concrete evidence of Hamas ties was provided.

Listing Nanjing Massacre documents

Japan threatened to withhold funding in 2015 over UNESCO's inclusion of documents related to the 1937 Nanjing massacre in its "Memory of the World" program. Japan confirmed the suspension of its 2016 funding, though denied a direct link.

United States and UNESCO

The US withdrawal in 1984 was attributed to the organization's "highly politicized" nature, "hostility toward the basic institutions of a free society," and "unrestrained budgetary expansion." Congressman Jim Leach later argued in 1989 that the withdrawal was an overreaction, calling UNESCO "one of the least dangerous international institutions." The US rejoined in 2003 but withdrew again in 2017, citing "mounting arrears," the need for "fundamental reform," and "continuing anti-Israel bias." The US pledged to pay back dues upon rejoining in 2023.

Kurdish–Turkish conflict

In 2016, Zülfü Livaneli, Turkey's sole UNESCO goodwill ambassador, resigned to protest the "human rights situation in Turkey" and the destruction of the historic Sur district in Diyarbakir during conflict. He stated that remaining silent against such violations contradicted UNESCO's ideals.

Campaigns against illicit art trading

In 2020, UNESCO claimed the illicit art trade was worth $10 billion annually, a figure disputed by art dealers and experts who suggested a much lower figure. A UNESCO advertising campaign in November 2020 had to be withdrawn after it falsely presented museum-held artworks with known provenances as recently looted objects.

Products and services

UNESDOC Database: A repository of over 146,000 UNESCO documents dating back to 1945.
Information processing tools: UNESCO develops and disseminates free software packages like CDS/ISIS for database management and IDAMS for data mining and statistical analysis.