UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization , founded in 1946 , is a specialized agency of the United Nations .

Summary

[ disguise ]

• 1 UNESCO
• 2 History of the Organization
  • 1 Origins of UNESCO
• 3 Headquarters
• 4 Members
• 5 The Constitution
• 6 Way of working
• 7 General Directors
• 8 External links
• 9 Sources

The UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization , founded in 1946, is a specialized agency of the United Nations. The objective of the Organization has been defined as follows:

“Contribute to the preservation of peace and security by strengthening, through education , science and culture , collaboration between nations in order to ensure universal respect for justice, law, human rights and of the fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, which the Charter of the United Nations recognizes for all peoples.”

To achieve this purpose, the Organization:

1. It will promote the mutual knowledge and understanding of nations by contributing to information organs for the masses; To this end, it will recommend the international agreements it deems appropriate to facilitate the free circulation of ideas through word and image.
2. It will give new and vigorous impetus to popular education and the dissemination of culture: Collaborating with Member States that wish to do so to help them develop their own educational activities; Instituting cooperation among nations in order to promote the ideal of equal educational opportunities for all, without distinction of race, sex or any social or economic condition; Suggesting suitable educational methods to prepare the children of the entire world for the responsibilities of the free man.
3. It will help the conservation, progress and dissemination of knowledge by: Ensuring the conservation and protection of the universal heritage of books, works of art and monuments of historical or scientific interest, and recommending to interested nations the international conventions that are necessary to such an end.

Encouraging cooperation between nations in all branches of intellectual activity and the international exchange of representatives of education, science and culture, as well as publications, works of art, laboratory materials and any useful documentation in this regard ; facilitating, through appropriate methods of international cooperation, the access of all peoples to what each of them publishes.

Organization History

In 1942 , in the middle of World War II , the governments of the European countries facing Nazi Germany and its allies met in England at the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education (CAME). The war is far from over, but countries are already wondering how they would rebuild educational systems once peace is restored. Very quickly this project grows and acquires a universal dimension. New governments decide to participate, including that of the United States of America .

On the basis of the CAME proposal, a United Nations Conference for the establishment of an educational and cultural organization (ECO/CONF) was held in London from November 1 to 16 , 1945 , just at the end of the war.

This brings together representatives of about 40 States. With the impetus of France and the United Kingdom , two countries greatly affected by the conflict, the delegates decide to create an organization aimed at instituting a true culture of peace. Within its spirit, this new organization must establish the “intellectual and moral solidarity of humanity” and, in this way, prevent a new world war from breaking out.

At the end of the conference, 37 of these States sign the Constitution that marks the birth of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The UNESCO Constitution comes into force in 1946 and is ratified by 20 States: Saudi Arabia , Australia , Brazil , Canada , Czechoslovakia , China , Denmark , Egypt , United States of America , France, Greece , India , Lebanon , Mexico , Norway , New Zealand , Dominican Republic , United Kingdom, South Africa and Turkey .

The first meeting of the General Conference of UNESCO was held in Paris from November 19 to December 10 , 1946. Representatives of 30 governments participated with the right to vote.

The composition of the founding Member States of UNESCO was marked by the political divisions that emerged after the Second World War. Japan and the Federal Republic of Germany joined as members in 1951 and Spain did so in 1953 . Historical events of transcendental importance, such as the Cold War , the decolonization process and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, have repercussions for UNESCO. The USSR becomes a member in 1954 before being replaced, in 1992 , by the Russian Federation . Nineteen African States joined the Organization in 1960 . Twelve former Soviet republics became Member States of UNESCO between 1991 and 1993 , after the disintegration of the USSR.

The People’s Republic of China has been, since 1971 , the only legitimate representative of China to UNESCO. The German Democratic Republic , a member since 1972 , reunified as the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990 .

Some countries withdrew from the Organization for political reasons at various times in history. Today, all of them have returned to UNESCO. South Africa was absent from 1957 to 1994 , the United States of America from 1985 to 2003 , the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1986 to 1997 , and Singapore from 1986 to 2007 .

Origins of UNESCO

The main antecedents of UNESCO were:

• The International Commission for Intellectual Cooperation (ICIC), Geneva , 1922 -1946; its executive agency, the International Institute for Intellectual Cooperation (IICI), Paris , 1925 -1946.
• The International Bureau of Education (IBE), Geneva, 1925 -1968; Since 1969 , the IBE has been an integral part of the UNESCO Secretariat and has its own statute.

Campus

UNESCO Headquarters

UNESCO Headquarters in Havana, located at Calzada and D, El Vedado

Irina Bokova . Director of UNESCO from November 15, 2009-November 15, 2017

Located in Plaza de Fontenoy , the main building of UNESCO Headquarters was inaugurated on November 3 , 1958 . Its Y-shaped plan is the work of three architects of different nationalities led by an international committee.

Called the three-armed star , the entire building rests on 72 cement pillars. It is famous throughout the world not only because it houses a famous organization, but also for its architectural qualities. The building houses the bookstore, which offers all the Organization’s publications, plus a large philatelic and numismatic collection and a section of UNESCO gifts.

Later, three more buildings were added. A second accordion-shaped building contains the large oval room that houses the plenary sessions of the General Conference and a third cubic building. Finally, a fourth construction was added, consisting of two levels, from the offices to the basement, around a series of small boxed patios. UNESCO buildings contain many famous works of art and are open to the public.

Once the Place Fontenoy site was conceived, UNESCO commissioned great artists to create works intended to beautify the place and, in some cases, symbolize the peace that this institution wishes to establish and preserve in the world. As time went by, more works were acquired and the Member States gave more to the Organization. Picasso , Bazaine , Miró , Tápies , Le Corbusier and many other famous or unknown artists are present in this universal museum, a symbol of the diversity of artistic creation in the world.

Members

UNESCO has 194 Member States and seven Associate Members. Its governing bodies are the General Conference and the Executive Council. The Secretariat, led by the Director General, implements the decisions made by both bodies.

• UNESCO Member Countries See list of member countries

The Constitution

In its preamble, UNESCO’s Constitution proclaims:

“since wars are born in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the bastions of peace must be erected”

In order to establish a lasting, sincere peace accepted by all, the preamble declares that the signatory States of the Constitution are:

“resolved to ensure for all full and equal access to education, the free search for its objective truth and the free exchange of ideas and knowledge”

The objective of the Organization has been defined as:

“Contribute to the preservation of peace and security by strengthening, through education, science and culture, collaboration between nations in order to ensure universal respect for justice, law, human rights and of the fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, which the Charter of the United Nations recognizes for all peoples.”

Way of working

The General Conference establishes the objectives and priorities of the Organization every two years and sets the budget to meet them. The Executive Council meets twice a year to review program implementation.

CEOs

Every four years, the General Conference elects a new Director General; Previously, the term was six years. Under his authority, the staff of the UNESCO Secretariat implements the programs approved by the General Conference. The current Director-General of UNESCO and his predecessors:

UNESCO Directors General
Name	Period	Country
Julian Huxley	1946 – 1948	United Kingdom
Jaime Torres Bodet	1948 – 1952	Mexico
John W. Taylor	1952 – 1953	USA
Luther Evans	1953 – 1958	USA
Vittorino Veronese	1958 – 1961	Italy
Rene Maheu	1962 – 1974	France
Amadou-Mahtar M’Bow	1974 – 1987	Senegal
Federico Mayor	1987 – 1999	Spain
Koichiro Matsuura	1999 – 2009	Japan
Irina Bokova	2009 – 2017	Bulgaria
Audrey Azoulay	2017 – In office	France