UNESCO - wikipedia UNESCO UNESCO Abbreviation UNESCO Formation 16 November 1945 ( 72 years ago ) ( 1945 - 11 - 16 ) Type Specialized agency Legal status Active Headquarters Place de Fontenoy, Paris, France Membership 195 member states Head Audrey Azoulay Director - General of UNESCO Website unesco.org The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ; French : Organisation des Nations unies pour l'éducation, la science et la culture ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations ( UN ) based in Paris. Its declared purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through educational, scientific, and cultural reforms in order to increase universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and human rights along with fundamental freedom proclaimed in the United Nations Charter. It is the successor of the League of Nations ' International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation. UNESCO has 195 member states and ten associate members. Most of its field offices are `` cluster '' offices covering three or more countries ; national and regional offices also exist. UNESCO pursues its objectives through five major programs : education, natural sciences, social / human sciences, culture and communication / information. Projects sponsored by UNESCO include literacy, technical, and teacher - training programs, international science programs, the promotion of independent media and freedom of the press, regional and cultural history projects, the promotion of cultural diversity, translations of world literature, international cooperation agreements to secure the world 's cultural and natural heritage ( World Heritage Sites ) and to preserve human rights, and attempts to bridge the worldwide digital divide. It is also a member of the United Nations Development Group. UNESCO 's aim is `` to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information ''. Other priorities of the organization include attaining quality Education For All and lifelong learning, addressing emerging social and ethical challenges, fostering cultural diversity, a culture of peace and building inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication. The broad goals and objectives of the international community -- as set out in the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals ( MDGs ) -- underpin all UNESCO strategies and activities. Contents 1 History 2 Activities 3 Media 4 Official UNESCO NGOs 5 Institutes and centres 6 Prizes 6.1 Inactive prizes 7 International Days observed at UNESCO 8 Member states 9 Governing bodies 9.1 Director - General 9.2 General Conference 9.3 Executive Board 10 Offices 10.1 Field offices by region 10.1. 1 Africa 10.1. 2 Arab States 10.1. 3 Asia and Pacific 10.1. 4 Europe and North America 10.1. 5 Latin America and the Caribbean 11 Controversies 11.1 New World Information and Communication order 11.2 Israel 11.2. 1 Occupied Palestine Resolution 11.3 Palestine 11.3. 1 Palestinian youth magazine controversy 11.3. 2 Islamic University of Gaza controversy 11.4 Wikileaks 11.5 Che Guevara 11.6 Listing Nanjing Massacre documents 11.7 US withdrawals 12 Products or services 12.1 Information processing tools 13 See also 14 References and notes 15 External links History UNESCO and its mandate for international cooperation can be traced back to a League of Nations resolution on 21 September 1921, to elect a Commission to study feasibility. On 18 December 1925, the International Bureau of Education ( IBE ) began work as a non-governmental organization in the service of international educational development. However, the onset of World War II largely interrupted the work of these predecessor organizations. After the signing of the Atlantic Charter and the Declaration of the United Nations, the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education ( CAME ) began meetings in London which continued between 16 November 1942 to 5 December 1945. On 30 October 1943, the necessity for an international organization was expressed in the Moscow Declaration, agreed upon by China, the United Kingdom, the United States and the USSR. This was followed by the Dumbarton Oaks Conference proposals of 9 October 1944. Upon the proposal of CAME and in accordance with the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on International Organization ( UNCIO ), held in San Francisco in April -- June 1945, a United Nations Conference for the establishment of an educational and cultural organization ( ECO / CONF ) was convened in London 1 -- 16 November 1945 with 44 governments represented. A prominent figure in the initiative for UNESCO was Rab Butler, the Minister of Education for the United Kingdom. At the ECO / CONF, the Constitution of UNESCO was introduced and signed by 37 countries, and a Preparatory Commission was established. The Preparatory Commission operated between 16 November 1945, and 4 November 1946 -- the date when UNESCO 's Constitution came into force with the deposit of the twentieth ratification by a member state. The first General Conference took place between 19 November to 10 December 1946, and elected Dr. Julian Huxley to Director - General. The Constitution was amended in November 1954 when the General Conference resolved that members of the Executive Board would be representatives of the governments of the States of which they are nationals and would not, as before, act in their personal capacity. This change in governance distinguished UNESCO from its predecessor, the CICI, in how member states would work together in the organization 's fields of competence. As member states worked together over time to realize UNESCO 's mandate, political and historical factors have shaped the organization 's operations in particular during the Cold War, the decolonization process, and the dissolution of the USSR. Among the major achievements of the organization is its work against racism, for example through influential statements on race starting with a declaration of anthropologists ( among them was Claude Lévi - Strauss ) and other scientists in 1950 and concluding with the 1978 Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice. In 1956, the Republic of South Africa withdrew from UNESCO claiming that some of the organization 's publications amounted to `` interference '' in the country 's `` racial problems. '' South Africa rejoined the organization in 1994 under the leadership of Nelson Mandela. UNESCO 's early work in the field of education included the pilot project on fundamental education in the Marbial Valley, Haiti, started in 1947. This project was followed by expert missions to other countries, including, for example, a mission to Afghanistan in 1949. In 1948, UNESCO recommended that Member States should make free primary education compulsory and universal. In 1990, the World Conference on Education for All, in Jomtien, Thailand, launched a global movement to provide basic education for all children, youths and adults. Ten years later, the 2000 World Education Forum held in Dakar, Senegal, led member governments to commit to achieving basic education for all by 2015. UNESCO 's early activities in culture included, for example, the Nubia Campaign, launched in 1960. The purpose of the campaign was to move the Great Temple of Abu Simbel to keep it from being swamped by the Nile after construction of the Aswan Dam. During the 20 - year campaign, 22 monuments and architectural complexes were relocated. This was the first and largest in a series of campaigns including Mohenjo - daro ( Pakistan ), Fes ( Morocco ), Kathmandu ( Nepal ), Borobudur ( Indonesia ) and the Acropolis ( Greece ). The organization 's work on heritage led to the adoption, in 1972, of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The World Heritage Committee was established in 1976 and the first sites inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978. Since then important legal instruments on cultural heritage and diversity have been adopted by UNESCO member states in 2003 ( Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage ) and 2005 ( Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions ). An intergovernmental meeting of UNESCO in Paris in December 1951 led to the creation of the European Council for Nuclear Research, which was responsible for establishing the European Organization for Nuclear Research ( CERN ) in 1954. Arid Zone programming, 1948 -- 1966, is another example of an early major UNESCO project in the field of natural sciences. In 1968, UNESCO organized the first intergovernmental conference aimed at reconciling the environment and development, a problem which continues to be addressed in the field of sustainable development. The main outcome of the 1968 conference was the creation of UNESCO 's Man and the Biosphere Programme. In the field of communication, the `` free flow of ideas by word and image '' has been in UNESCO 's constitution from its beginnings, following the experience of the Second World War when control of information was a factor in indoctrinating populations for aggression. In the years immediately following World War II, efforts were concentrated on reconstruction and on the identification of needs for means of mass communication around the world. UNESCO started organizing training and education for journalists in the 1950s. In response to calls for a `` New World Information and Communication Order '' in the late 1970s, UNESCO established the International Commission for the Study of Communication Problems, which produced the 1980 MacBride report ( named after the Chair of the Commission, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Seán MacBride ). The same year, UNESCO created the International Programme for the Development of Communication ( IPDC ), a multilateral forum designed to promote media development in developing countries. In 1991, UNESCO 's General Conference endorsed the Windhoek Declaration on media independence and pluralism, which led the UN General Assembly to declare the date of its adoption, 3 May, as World Press Freedom Day. Since 1997, UNESCO has awarded the UNESCO / Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize every 3 May. In the lead up to the World Summit on the Information Society in 2003 ( Geneva ) and 2005 ( Tunis ), UNESCO introduced the Information for All Programme. Laws passed in the United States in 1990 and 1994 mean that it can not contribute financially to any UN organisation that accepts Palestine as a full member. As a result, it withdrew its funding which accounted for about 22 % of UNESCO 's budget. Israel also reacted to Palestine 's admittance to UNESCO by freezing Israel payments to the UNESCO and imposing sanctions to the Palestinian Authority, claiming that Palestine 's admittance would be detrimental `` to potential peace talks ''. Two years after they stopped paying their dues to UNESCO, US and Israel lost UNESCO voting rights in 2013 without losing the right to be elected ; thus, the US was elected as a member of the Executive Board for the period 2016 -- 19. Activities UNESCO offices in Brasília UNESCO implements its activities through the five programme areas : education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, and communication and information. Education : UNESCO supports research in comparative education ; and provide expertise and fosters partnerships to strengthen national educational leadership and the capacity of countries to offer quality education for all. This includes the UNESCO Chairs, an international network of 644 UNESCO Chairs, involving over 770 institutions in 126 countries. Environmental Conservation Organisation Convention against Discrimination in Education adopted in 1960 Organization of the International Conference on Adult Education ( CONFINTEA ) in an interval of 12 years Publication of the Education for All Global Monitoring Report Publication of the Four Pillars of Learning seminal document UNESCO ASPNet, an international network of 8,000 schools in 170 countries. UNESCO does not accredit institutions of higher learning. UNESCO also issues public statements to educate the public : Seville Statement on Violence : A statement adopted by UNESCO in 1989 to refute the notion that humans are biologically predisposed to organised violence. Designating projects and places of cultural and scientific significance, such as : Global Geoparks Network Biosphere reserves, through the Programme on Man and the Biosphere ( MAB ), since 1971 City of Literature ; in 2007, the first city to be given this title was Edinburgh, the site of Scotland 's first circulating library. In 2008, Iowa City, Iowa became the City of Literature. Endangered languages and linguistic diversity projects Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity Memory of the World International Register, since 1997 Water resources management, through the International Hydrological Programme ( IHP ), since 1965 World Heritage Sites World Digital Library Encouraging the `` free flow of ideas by images and words '' by : Promoting freedom of expression, including freedom of the press and freedom of information legislation, through the Division of Freedom of Expression and Media Development, including the International Programme for the Development of Communication Promoting the safety of journalists and combatting impunity for those who attack them, through coordination of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity Promoting universal access to and preservation of information and open solutions for sustainable development through the Knowledge Societies Division, including the Memory of the World Programme and Information for All Programme Promoting pluralism, gender equality and cultural diversity in the media Promoting Internet universality and its principles, that the Internet should be ( I ) human Rights - based, ( ii ) Open, ( iii ) Accessible to all, and ( iv ) nurtured by Multi-stakeholder participation ( summarized as the acronym R.O.A.M. ) Generating knowledge through publications such as World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development, the UNESCO Series on Internet Freedom, and the Media Development Indicators, as well as other indicator - based studies. Promoting events, such as : International Decade for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World : 2001 -- 2010, proclaimed by the UN in 1998 World Press Freedom Day, 3 May each year, to promote freedom of expression and freedom of the press as a basic human right and as crucial components of any healthy, democratic and free society. Criança Esperança in Brazil, in partnership with Rede Globo, to raise funds for community - based projects that foster social integration and violence prevention. International Literacy Day International Year for the Culture of Peace Health Education for Behavior Change program in partnership with the Ministry of Education of Kenya which was financially supported by the Government of Azerbaijan to promote health education among 10 - 19 - year - old young people who live in informal camp in Kibera, Nairobi. The project was carried out between September 2014 - December 2016. Founding and funding projects, such as : Migration Museums Initiative : Promoting the establishment of museums for cultural dialogue with migrant populations. UNESCO - CEPES, the European Centre for Higher Education : established in 1972 in Bucharest, Romania, as a de-centralized office to promote international co-operation in higher education in Europe as well as Canada, USA and Israel. Higher Education in Europe is its official journal. Free Software Directory : since 1998 UNESCO and the Free Software Foundation have jointly funded this project cataloguing free software. FRESH Focussing Resources on Effective School Health. OANA, Organization of Asia - Pacific News Agencies International Council of Science UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors ASOMPS, Asian Symposium on Medicinal Plants and Spices, a series of scientific conferences held in Asia Botany 2000, a programme supporting taxonomy, and biological and cultural diversity of medicinal and ornamental plants, and their protection against environmental pollution The UNESCO Collection of Representative Works, translating works of world literature both to and from multiple languages, from 1948 to 2005 GoUNESCO, an umbrella of initiatives to make heritage fun supported by UNESCO, New Delhi Office The UNESCO transparency portal has been designed to enable public access to information regarding Organization 's activities, such as its aggregate budget for a biennium, as well as links to relevant programmatic and financial documents. These two distinct sets of information are published on the IATI registry, respectively based on the IATI Activity Standard and the IATI Organization Standard. Media UNESCO and its specialized institutions issue a number of magazines. The UNESCO Courier magazine states its mission to `` promote UNESCO 's ideals, maintain a platform for the dialogue between cultures and provide a forum for international debate. '' Since March 2006 it is available online, with limited printed issues. Its articles express the opinions of the authors which are not necessarily the opinions of UNESCO. As of 2016, the latest issue posted was October -- December 2011. In 1950, UNESCO initiated the quarterly review Impact of Science on Society ( also known as Impact ) to discuss the influence of science on society. UNESCO also publish museum international quarterly from the year 1948. Official UNESCO NGOs UNESCO has official relations with 322 international non-governmental organizations ( NGOs ). Most of these are what UNESCO calls `` operational '' ; a select few are `` formal ''. The highest form of affiliation to UNESCO is `` formal associate '', and the 22 NGOs with formal associate ( ASC ) relations occupying offices at UNESCO are : Abbr Organization IB International Baccalaureate CCIVS Co-ordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service EI Education International IAU International Association of Universities IFTC International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication ICPHS International Council for Philosophy and Humanistic Studies which publishes Diogenes ICSU International Council for Science ICOM International Council of Museums ICSSPE International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education ICA International Council on Archives ICOMOS International Council on Monuments and Sites IFJ International Federation of Journalists IFLA International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions IFPA International Federation of Poetry Associations IMC International Music Council IPA International Police Association INSULA International Scientific Council for Island Development ISSC International Social Science Council ITI International Theatre Institute IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources IUTAO International Union of Technical Associations and Organizations UIA Union of International Associations WAN World Association of Newspapers WFEO World Federation of Engineering Organizations WFUCA World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associations UNESCO Institute for Water Education in Delft Institutes and centres The institutes are specialized departments of the organization that support UNESCO 's programme, providing specialized support for cluster and national offices. Abbr Name Location IBE International Bureau of Education Geneva UIL UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning Hamburg IIEP UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning Paris ( headquarters ) and Buenos Aires ( regional office ) IITE UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education Moscow IICBA UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa Addis Ababa IESALC UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean Caracas UNESCO - UNEVOC UNESCO - UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training Bonn CEPES UNESCO European Centre for Higher Education Bucharest UNESCO - IHE UNESCO - IHE Institute for Water Education Delft ICTP International Centre for Theoretical Physics Trieste UIS UNESCO Institute for Statistics Montreal Prizes UNESCO awards 22 prizes in education, science, culture and peace : Félix Houphouët - Boigny Peace Prize L'Oréal - UNESCO Awards for Women in Science UNESCO / King Sejong Literacy Prize UNESCO / Confucius Prize for Literacy UNESCO / Emir Jaber al - Ahmad al - Jaber al - Sabah Prize to promote Quality Education for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al - Khalifa Prize for the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Education UNESCO / Hamdan Bin Rashid Al - Maktoum Prize for Outstanding Practice and Performance in Enhancing the Effectiveness of Teachers UNESCO / Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science UNESCO / Institut Pasteur Medal for an outstanding contribution to the development of scientific knowledge that has a beneficial impact on human health UNESCO / Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environmental Preservation Great Man - Made River International Water Prize for Water Resources in Arid Zones presented by UNESCO ( title to be reconsidered ) Michel Batisse Award for Biosphere Reserve Management UNESCO / Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights UNESCO Prize for Peace Education UNESCO - Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence UNESCO / International José Martí Prize UNESCO / Avicenna Prize for Ethics in Science UNESCO / Juan Bosch Prize for the Promotion of Social Science Research in Latin America and the Caribbean Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture Melina Mercouri International Prize for the Safeguarding and Management of Cultural Landscapes ( UNESCO - Greece ) IPDC - UNESCO Prize for Rural Communication UNESCO / Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize UNESCO / Jikji Memory of the World Prize UNESCO - Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences Carlos J. Finlay Prize for Microbiology Inactive prizes International Simón Bolívar Prize ( inactive since 2004 ) UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education UNESCO / Obiang Nguema Mbasogo International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences ( inactive since 2010 ) UNESCO Prize for the Promotion of the Arts International Days observed at UNESCO International Days Date Name 27 January International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust 13 February World Radio Day 21 February International Mother Language Day 8 March International Women 's Day 20 March International Francophonie Day 21 March International Day of Nowruz 21 March World Poetry Day 21 March International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 22 March World Day for Water 23 April World Book and Copyright Day 30 April International Jazz Day 3 May World Press Freedom Day 21 May World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development 22 May International Day for Biological Diversity 25 May Africa Day / Africa Week 5 June World Environment Day 8 June World Oceans Day 21 June International Yoga Day 9 August International Day of the World 's Indigenous People 12 August International Youth Day 23 August International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition 8 September International Literacy Day 15 September International Day of Democracy 21 September International Day of Peace 28 September International Day for the Universal Access to Information 2nd October International Day of Non-Violence 5th October World Teachers ' Day 2nd Wednesday in October International Day for Disaster Reduction 17 October International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 20 October World Statistics Day 27 October World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2 November International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists 10 November World Science Day for Peace and Development 3rd Thursday in November World Philosophy Day 16 November International Day for Tolerance 19 November International Men 's Day 25 November International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 29 November International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People 1 December World AIDS Day 10 December Human Rights Day 18 December International Migrants Day Member States Main article : Member states of UNESCO UNESCO counts 195 member states and 10 associate members. Some members are not independent states and some members have additional National Organizing Committees from some of their dependent territories. UNESCO state parties are the United Nations member states ( except Liechtenstein ), Cook Islands, Niue, and the State of Palestine. The USA and Israel plan to leave UNESCO on 31 December 2018 over anti-Israel bias. Governing bodies Director - General There has been no elected UNESCO Director - General from Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central and North Asia, Middle East, North Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, South Africa, Australia - Oceania, and South America since inception. The Director - Generals of UNESCO came from West Europe ( 5 ), Central America ( 1 ), North America ( 2 ), West Africa ( 1 ), East Asia ( 1 ), and East Europe ( 1 ). Out of the 11 Director - Generals since inception, women have held the position only twice since inception. The list of the Directors - General of UNESCO since its establishment in 1946 is as follows : Audrey Azoulay France 2017 -- present Irina Bokova Bulgaria 2009 -- 2017 Koïchiro Matsuura Japan 1999 -- 2009 Federico Mayor Zaragoza Spain 1987 -- 99 Amadou - Mahtar M'Bow Senegal 1974 -- 87 René Maheu France 1961 -- 74 ; acting 1961 Vittorino Veronese Italy 1958 -- 61 Luther Evans United States 1953 -- 58 John Wilkinson Taylor United States acting 1952 -- 53 Jaime Torres Bodet Mexico 1948 -- 52 Julian Huxley United Kingdom 1946 -- 48 General Conference This is the list of the sessions of UNESCO General Conference held since 1946 : Session Location Year Chaired by from 39th Paris 2017 Zohour Alaoui Morocco 38th Paris 2015 Stanley Mutumba Simataa Namibia 37th Paris 2013 Hao Ping China 36th Paris 2011 Katalin Bogyay Hungary 35th Paris 2009 Davidson Hepburn Bahamas 34th Paris 2007 George N. Anastassopoulos Greece 33rd Paris 2005 Musa Bin Jaafar Bin Hassan Oman 32nd Paris 2003 Michael Omolewa Nigeria 31st Paris Ahmad Jalali Iran 30th Paris 1999 Jaroslava Moserova Czech Republic 29th Paris Eduardo Portella Brazil 28th Paris 1995 Torben Krogh Denmark 27th Paris Ahmed Saleh Sayyad Yemen 26th Paris 1991 Bethwell Allan Ogot Kenya 25th Paris Anwar Ibrahim Malaysia 24th Paris Guillermo Putzeys Alvarez Guatemala 23rd Sofia 1985 Nikolai Todorov Bulgaria 22nd Paris Saïd Tell Jordan 4th extraordinary Paris 1982 21st Belgrade 1980 Ivo Margan Yugoslavia 20th Paris 1978 Napoléon LeBlanc Canada 19th Nairobi 1976 Taaita Toweett Kenya 18th Paris Magda Jóború Hungary 3rd extraordinary Paris 1973 17th Paris 1972 Toru Haguiwara Japan 16th Paris 1970 Atilio Dell'Oro Maini Argentina 15th Paris 1968 William Eteki Mboumoua Cameroon 14th Paris 1966 Bedrettin Tuncel Turkey 13th Paris 1964 Norair Sisakian Soviet Union 12th Paris 1962 Paulo de Berrêdo Carneiro Brazil 11th Paris 1960 Akale - Work Abte - Wold Ethiopia 10th Paris 1958 Jean Berthoin France 9th New Delhi 1956 Abul Kalam Azad India 8th Montevideo 1954 Justino Zavala Muñiz Uruguay 2nd extraordinary Paris 1953 7th Paris 1952 Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan India 6th Paris 1951 Howland H. Sargeant United States 5th Florence 1950 Stefano Jacini Italy 4th Paris 1949 Edward Ronald Walker Australia 1st extraordinary Paris 1948 3rd Beirut 1948 Hamid Bey Frangie Lebanon 2nd Mexico City 1947 Manuel Gual Vidal Mexico 1st Paris 1946 Léon Blum France Executive Board Term Group I ( 9 seats ) Group II ( 7 seats ) Group III ( 10 seats ) Group IV ( 12 seats ) Group V ( a ) ( 14 seats ) Group V ( b ) ( 7 seats ) 2016 -- 19 France Greece Italy Spain United Kingdom Lithuania Russia Serbia Slovenia Brazil Haiti Mexico Nicaragua Paraguay India Iran Malaysia Pakistan South Korea Sri Lanka Vietnam Cameroon Ivory Coast Ghana Kenya Nigeria Senegal South Africa Lebanon Oman Qatar Sudan 2014 -- 17 Germany Netherlands Sweden Albania Estonia Ukraine Argentina Belize Dominican Republic El Salvador Saint Kitts and Nevis Trinidad and Tobago Bangladesh China India Japan Nepal Turkmenistan Chad Guinea Mauritius Mozambique Togo Uganda Algeria Egypt Kuwait Morocco 2012 -- 15 Austria France Italy India Spain United Kingdom United States Czech Republic Montenegro Russia Macedonia Brazil Cuba Ecuador Mexico Afghanistan Indonesia Pakistan Papua New Guinea South Korea Thailand Angola Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Malawi Mali Namibia Nigeria Tunisia United Arab Emirates Offices The Garden of Peace, UNESCO headquarters, Paris. Donated by the Government of Japan, this garden was designed by American - Japanese sculptor artist Isamu Noguchi in 1958 and installed by Japanese gardener Toemon Sano. UNESCO headquarters are located at Place de Fontenoy in Paris, France. UNESCO 's field offices across the globe are categorized into four primary office types based upon their function and geographic coverage : cluster offices, national offices, regional bureaus and liaison offices. Field offices by Region The following list of all UNESCO Field Offices is organized geographically by UNESCO Region and identifies the members states and associate members of UNESCO which are served by each office. Africa Abidjan -- National Office to Côte d'Ivoire Abuja -- National Office to Nigeria Accra -- Cluster Office for Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo Addis Ababa -- Liaison Office with the African Union and with the Economic Commission for Africa Bamako -- Cluster Office for Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger Brazzaville -- National Office to the Republic of the Congo Bujumbura -- National Office to Burundi Dakar -- Regional Bureau for Education in Africa and Cluster Office for Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea - Bissau, and Senegal Dar es Salaam -- Cluster Office for Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Tanzania Harare -- Cluster Office for Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe Juba -- National Office to South Sudan Kinshasa -- National Office to the Democratic Republic of the Congo Libreville -- Cluster Office for the Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe Maputo -- National Office to Mozambique Nairobi -- Regional Bureau for Sciences in Africa and Cluster Office for Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda Windhoek -- National Office to Namibia Yaoundé -- Cluster Office to Cameroon, Central African Republic and Chad Arab States Amman -- National Office to Jordan Beirut -- Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States and Cluster Office to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Palestine Cairo -- Regional Bureau for Sciences in the Arab States and Cluster Office for Egypt, Libya and Sudan Doha -- Cluster Office to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen Iraq -- National Office for Iraq ( currently located in Amman, Jordan ) Khartoum -- National Office to Sudan Manama - Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage Rabat -- Cluster Office to Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia Ramallah -- National Office to the Palestinian Territories Asia and Pacific See also : UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards Apia -- Cluster Office to Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Tokelau ( Associate Member ) Bangkok -- Regional Bureau for Education in Asia and the Pacific and Cluster Office to Thailand, Burma, Laos, Singapore and Vietnam Beijing -- Cluster Office to North Korea, Japan, Mongolia, the People 's Republic of China and South Korea Dhaka -- National Office to Bangladesh Hanoi -- National Office to Vietnam Islamabad -- National Office to Pakistan Jakarta -- Regional Bureau for Sciences in Asia and the Pacific and Cluster Office to Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and East Timor Kabul -- National Office to Afghanistan Kathmandu -- National Office to Nepal New Delhi -- Cluster Office to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka Phnom Penh -- National Office to Cambodia Tashkent -- National Office to Uzbekistan Tehran -- Cluster Office to Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Turkmenistan Europe and North America Almaty -- Cluster Office to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan Brussels -- Liaison Office to the European Union and its subsidiary bodies in Brussels Geneva -- Liaison Office to the United Nations in Geneva New York City -- Liaison Office to the United Nations in New York Moscow -- Cluster Office to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova and Russia Venice -- Regional Bureau for Sciences and Culture in Europe Latin America and the Caribbean Carondelet Palace, Presidential Palace -- with changing of the guards. The Historic Center of Quito, Ecuador, is one of the largest, least - altered and best - preserved historic centers in the Americas. This center was, together with the historic centre of Kraków in Poland, the first to be declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO on 18 September 1978. Brasilia -- National Office to Brazil Guatemala City -- National Office to Guatemala Havana -- Regional Bureau for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean and Cluster Office to Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Aruba Kingston -- Cluster Office to Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago as well as the associate member states of British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao and Sint Maarten Lima -- National Office to Peru Mexico City -- National Office to Mexico Montevideo -- Regional Bureau for Sciences in Latin America and the Caribbean and Cluster Office to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay Port - au - Prince -- National Office to Haiti Quito -- Cluster Office to Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela San José -- Cluster Office to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama Santiago de Chile -- Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean and National Office to Chile Controversies New World information and Communication order UNESCO has been the centre of controversy in the past, particularly in its relationships with the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore and the former Soviet Union. During the 1970s and 1980s, UNESCO 's support for a `` New World Information and Communication Order '' and its MacBride report calling for democratization of the media and more egalitarian access to information was condemned in these countries as attempts to curb freedom of the press. UNESCO was perceived as a platform for communists and Third World dictators to attack the West, in contrast to accusations made by the USSR in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In 1984, the United States withheld its contributions and withdrew from the organization in protest, followed by the United Kingdom in 1985. Singapore withdrew also at the end of 1985, citing rising membership fees. Following a change of government in 1997, the UK rejoined. The United States rejoined in 2003, followed by Singapore on 8 October 2007. Israel Israel was admitted to UNESCO in 1949, one year after its creation. Israel has maintained its membership since 1949. In 2010, Israel designated the Cave of the Patriarchs, Hebron and Rachel 's Tomb, Bethlehem as National Heritage Sites and announced restoration work, prompting criticism from the United States and protests from Palestinians. In October 2010, UNESCO 's Executive Board voted to declare the sites as `` al - Haram al - Ibrahimi / Tomb of the Patriarchs '' and `` Bilal bin Rabah Mosque / Rachel 's Tomb '' and stated that they were `` an integral part of the occupied Palestinian Territories '' and any unilateral Israeli action was a violation of international law. UNESCO described the sites as significant to `` people of the Muslim, Christian and Jewish traditions '', and accused Israel of highlighting only the Jewish character of the sites. Israel in turn accused UNESCO of `` detach ( ing ) the Nation of Israel from its heritage '', and accused it of being politically motivated. The Rabbi of the Western Wall claimed that Rachel 's tomb had not previously been declared a holy Muslim site. Israel partially suspended ties with UNESCO. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon declared that the resolution was a `` part of Palestinian escalation ''. Zevulun Orlev, chairman of the Knesset Education and Culture Committee, referred to the resolutions as an attempt to undermine the mission of UNESCO as a scientific and cultural organization that promotes cooperation throughout the world. On 28 June 2011, UNESCO 's World Heritage Committee, at Jordan 's insistence, censured Israel 's decision to demolish and rebuild the Mughrabi Gate Bridge in Jerusalem for safety reasons. Israel stated that Jordan had signed an agreement with Israel stipulating that the existing bridge must be dismantled for safety reasons ; Jordan disputed the agreement, saying that it was only signed under U.S. pressure. Israel was also unable to address the UNESCO committee over objections from Egypt. In January 2014, days before it was scheduled to open, UNESCO Director - General, Irina Bokova, `` indefinitely postponed '' and effectively cancelled an exhibit created by the Simon Wiesenthal Center entitled `` The People, The Book, The Land : The 3,500 - year relationship between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. '' The event was scheduled to run from 21 January through 30 January in Paris. Bokova cancelled the event after representatives of Arab states at UNESCO argued that its display would `` harm the peace process ''. The author of the exhibition, Professor Robert Wistrich of the Hebrew University 's Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Anti-Semitism, called the cancellation an `` appalling act, '' and characterized Bokova 's decision as `` an arbitrary act of total cynicism and, really, contempt for the Jewish people and its history. '' UNESCO amended the decision to cancel the exhibit within the year, and it quickly achieved popularity and was viewed as a great success. Occupied Palestine resolution Main article : Occupied Palestine Resolution On 13 October 2016, UNESCO passed a resolution on East Jerusalem that condemned Israel for `` aggressions '' by Israeli police and soldiers and `` illegal measures '' against the freedom of worship and Muslims ' access to their holy sites, while also recognizing Israel as the occupying power. Palestinian leaders welcomed the decision. While the text acknowledged the `` importance of the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls for the three monotheistic religions '', it referred to the sacred hilltop compound in Jerusalem 's Old City only by its Muslim name `` Al - Haram al - Sharif '', Arabic for Noble Sanctuary. In response, Israel denounced the UNESCO resolution for its omission of the words `` Temple Mount '' or `` Har HaBayit, '' stating that it denies Jewish ties to the key holy site. After receiving criticism from numerous Israeli politicians and diplomats, including Benjamin Netanyahu and Ayelet Shaked, Israel froze all ties with the organization. The resolution was condemned by Ban ki - Moon and the Director - General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, who said that Judaism, Islam and Christianity have clear historical connections to Jerusalem and `` to deny, conceal or erase any of the Jewish, Christian or Muslim traditions undermines the integrity of the site. Al - Aqsa Mosque is also Temple Mount, whose Western Wall is the holiest place in Judaism. '' It was also rejected by the Czech Parliament which said the resolution reflects a `` hateful anti-Israel sentiment '', and hundreds of Italian Jews demonstrated in Rome over Italy 's abstention. On 26 October, UNESCO approved a reviewed version of the resolution, which also criticized Israel for its continuous `` refusal to let the body 's experts access Jerusalem 's holy sites to determine their conservation status. '' Despite containing some softening of language following Israeli protests over a previous version, Israel continued to denounce the text. The resolution refers to the site Jews and Christians refer to as the Temple Mount, or Har HaBayit in Hebrew, only by its Arab name -- a significant semantic decision also adopted by UNESCO 's executive board, triggering condemnation from Israel and its allies. U.S. Ambassador Crystal Nix Hines stated : `` This item should have been defeated. These politicized and one - sided resolutions are damaging the credibility of UNESCO. '' In October 2017, the United States and Israel announced they would withdraw from the organization, citing in - part anti-Israel bias. Palestine Palestinian youth magazine controversy In February 2011, an article was published in a Palestinian youth magazine in which a teenage girl described one of her four role - models as Adolf Hitler. In December 2011, UNESCO, which partly funded the magazine, condemned the material and subsequently withdrew support. Islamic University of Gaza controversy In 2012, UNESCO decided to establish a chair at the Islamic University of Gaza in the field of astronomy, astrophysics, and space sciences, fueling controversy and criticism. Israel bombed the school in 2008 claiming they develop and store weapons there, a claim Israel restated in criticizing UNESCO 's move. The head, Kamalain Shaath, defended UNESCO, stating that `` the Islamic University is a purely academic university that is interested only in education and its development ''. Israeli ambassador to UNESCO Nimrod Barkan planned to submit a letter of protest with information about the university 's ties to Hamas, especially angry that this was the first Palestinian university that UNESCO chose to cooperate with. The Jewish organization B'nai B'rith criticized the move as well. WikiLeaks On 16 and 17 February 2012, UNESCO held a conference entitled `` The Media World after WikiLeaks and News of the World. '' Despite all six panels being focused on WikiLeaks, no member of WikiLeaks staff was invited to speak. After receiving a complaint from WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson, UNESCO invited him to attend, but did not offer a place on any panels. The offer also came only a week before the conference, which was held in Paris, France. Many of the speakers featured, including David Leigh and Heather Brooke, had spoken out openly against WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange in the past. WikiLeaks released a press statement on 15 February 2012 denouncing UNESCO which stated, `` UNESCO has made itself an international human rights joke. To use ' freedom of expression ' to censor WikiLeaks from a conference about WikiLeaks is an Orwellian absurdity beyond words. '' Che Guevara In 2013, UNESCO announced that the collection `` The Life and Works of Ernesto Che Guevara '' became part of the Memory of the World Register. US Congresswoman Ileana Ros - Lehtinen condemned this decision, saying that the organization acts against its own ideals : This decision is more than an insult to the families of those Cubans who were lined up and summarily executed by Che and his merciless cronies but it also serves as a direct contradiction to the UNESCO ideals of encouraging peace and universal respect for human rights. UN Watch also condemned this selection by UNESCO. Listing Nanjing massacre documents In 2015, Japan threatened to halt funding for UNESCO over the organization 's decision to include documents relating to the 1937 Nanjing massacre in the latest listing for its `` Memory of the World '' program. In October 2016, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida confirmed that Japan 's 2016 annual funding of ¥ 4.4 billion had been suspended although denied any direct link with the Nanjing document controversy. U.S. withdrawals After withdrawing from UNESCO in 1984, the United States rejoined in 2002. Former U.S. Congressman Jim Leach stated before a Congressional subcommittee : The reasons for the withdrawal of the United States from UNESCO in 1984 are well - known ; my view is that we overreacted to the calls of some who wanted to radicalize UNESCO, and the calls of others who wanted the United States to lead in emasculating the UN system. The fact is UNESCO is one of the least dangerous international institutions ever created. While some member countries within UNESCO attempted to push journalistic views antithetical to the values of the west, and engage in Israel bashing, UNESCO itself never adopted such radical postures. The U.S. opted for empty - chair diplomacy, after winning, not losing, the battles we engaged in... It was nuts to get out, and would be nuttier not to rejoin. He concluded that the record showed Israel bashing, a call for a new world information order, money management, and arms control policy to be the impetus behind the withdrawal ; he asserted that before the UNESCO withdrawal, a withdrawal from the IAEA had been pushed on him. The United States rejoined UNESCO shortly thereafter. On 12 October 2017, the United States notified UNESCO that it will again withdraw from the organization on 31 December 2018 and will seek to establish a permanent observer mission beginning in 2019. The Department of State cited `` mounting arrears at UNESCO, the need for fundamental reform in the organization, and continuing anti-Israel bias at UNESCO. '' The United States has not paid its $80 million annual UNESCO dues since Palestine became a full member in 2011. Israel and the US were among only 14 votes against the membership, of 194 member countries. Products or Services UNESDOC -- Contains over 146,000 UNESCO documents in full text published since 1945 as well as metadata from the collections of the UNESCO Library and documentation centres in field offices and institutes. Information processing tools UNESCO develops, maintains and disseminates, free of charge, two interrelated software packages for database management ( CDS / ISIS ( not to be confused with UK police software package ISIS ) ) and data mining / statistical analysis ( IDAMS ). CDS / ISIS -- a generalised information storage and retrieval system. The Windows version may run on a single computer or in a local area network. The JavaISIS client / server components allow remote database management over the Internet and are available for Windows, Linux and Macintosh. Furthermore, GenISIS allows the user to produce HTML Web forms for CDS / ISIS database searching. The ISIS_DLL provides an API for developing CDS / ISIS based applications. OpenIDAMS -- a software package for processing and analysing numerical data developed, maintained and disseminated by UNESCO. The original package was proprietary but UNESCO has initiated a project to provide it as open - source. IDIS -- a tool for direct data exchange between CDS / ISIS and IDAMS See also United Nations portal Academic Mobility Network WikiProject UNESCO References and notes ^ Jump up to : `` UNESCO history ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 23 April 2010. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 25 September 2015. Jump up ^ UNESCO 's General Conference voted on 31 October 2011 `` to admit Palestine as a member State ''. However, it notes that, for `` its membership to take effect, Palestine must sign and ratify UNESCO 's Constitution ''. `` UNESCO '' Media Services `` General Conference admits Palestine as UNESCO Member State ''. UNESCO. Jump up ^ `` Member States United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ''. UNESCO. Jump up ^ `` The Faroes become associated < ny specialized institutes and centres throughout the world ''. Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Jump up ^ `` UNDG Members ''. United Nations Development Group. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2011. Jump up ^ `` Introducing UNESCO ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 8 August 2011. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO General Conference ; 34th ; Medium - term Strategy, 2008 -- 2013 ; 2007 '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 August 2011. Jump up ^ Plenary Meetings, Records of the Second Assembly, Geneva : League of Nations, 5 September -- 5 October 1921. Jump up ^ A Chronology of UNESCO : 1947 -- 1987 ( PDF ) format = requires url = ( help ), UNESDOC database, Paris, December 1987, LAD. 85 / WS / 4 Rev, The International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation ( ICIC ) was officially created on 4 January 1922, as a consultative organ composed of individuals elected based on their personal qualifications. The International Institute for Intellectual Cooperation ( IIIC ) was then created in Paris on 9 August 1925, to act as the executing agency for the ICIC. Jump up ^ UNESCO 1987. Jump up ^ The work of U.N.E.S.C.O. ( Hansard, 26 January 1949 ). Millbank systems. Retrieved 12 July 2013. Jump up ^ `` United Nations Conference for the Establishment of an Educational and Cultural Organisation. Conference for the Establishment of an Educational and Cultural Organisation '' ( PDF ). UNESDOC database. The Institute of Civil Engineers, London. 1 to 16 November 1945. ECO / Conf. / 29. Retrieved 8 June 2012. Check date values in : date = ( help ) Jump up ^ Unesco 1945. Jump up ^ `` General Conference, First Session '' ( PDF ). UNESDOC database. UNESCO House, Paris, from 20 November to 10 December 1946. UNESCO / C / 30 ( 1 C / Resolutions ) Item 14, p. 73 : UNESCO. 1947. Retrieved 1 July 2012. Jump up ^ UNESCO. General Conference, 8th Session ( 1955 ). Records of the General Conference, Eighth Session, Montevideo, 1954 : Resolutions. 8 C / Resolutions. ( Paris. ) Resolution II. 1.2, p. 12. UNESDOC database Jump up ^ `` UNESCO. ( 1950 ). Statement by experts on race problems. Paris, 20 July 1950. UNESCO / SS / 1. UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO. General Conference, 20th Session. ( 1979 ). Records of the General Conference, Twentieth Session, Paris, 24 October to 28 November 1978. 20 C / Resolutions. ( Paris. ) Resolution 3 / 1.1 / 2, p. 61. UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ UNESCO. Executive Board, 42nd Session. ( 1955 ). Report of the Director - General on the Activities of the Organization ( March -- November 1955 ). Paris, 9 November 1955. 42 EX / 43. Part I Relations with Member States, paragraph 3. Jump up ^ The Haiti pilot project : phase one, 1947 -- 1949. ( 1951 ). Monographs on Fundamental Education IV. UNESCO : Paris. Jump up ^ `` Debiesse, J., Benjamin, H. and Abbot, W. ( 1952 ). Report of the mission to Afghanistan. Educational Missions IV. ED. 51 / VIII. A. ( Paris. ) UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO. General Conference, 2nd Session. ( 1948 ). Resolutions adopted by the General Conference during its second session, Mexico, November -- December 1947. 2 C / Resolutions. ( Paris. ) Resolution 3.4. 1, p. 17. UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, and The World Bank. ( 1990 ). Final Report. World Conference on Education for All : Meeting Basic Education Needs. 5 -- 9 March 1990, Jomtien, Thailand. ( WCEFA Inter-agency Commission : New York ). UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO. ( 2000 ). The Dakar Framework for Action. Education for All : meeting our collective commitments ( including six regional frameworks for action ). World Education Forum, Dakar, Senegal, 26 -- 28 April 2000. ED. 2000 / WS / 27. ( Paris ). UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO. General Conference, 21st Session. ( 1980 ). International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia : Report of the Executive Committee of the Campaign and of the Director - General. 26 August 1980. 21 C / 82. UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Paris, 16 November 1972. UNESCO. General Conference, 17th Session. Records of the General Conference, Seventeenth Session, Paris, 17 October to 21 November 1972. Volume I : Resolutions, Recommendations. 17 C / Resolution 29. Chapter IX Conventions and Recommendations, p. 135. UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO. Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, Second Session. Final Report. Washington, DC, 5 -- 8 September 1978. CC - 78 / CONF. 010 / 10 Rev. UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Paris, 17 October 2003. UNESCO. General Conference, 32nd Session. Records of the General Conference, Thirty - second Session, Paris, 29 September to 17 October 2003. Volume I : Resolutions. 32 C / Resolution 32. Chapter IV Programme for 2004 -- 2005, Major Programme IV -- Culture, p. 53. UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Paris, 20 October 2005. UNESCO. General Conference, 33rd Session. Records of the General Conference. Thirty - third Session, Paris, 3 -- 21 October 2005. Volume I : Resolutions. 33 C / Resolution 41. Chapter V Programme for 2006 -- 2007, p. 83. UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO. Executive Board, 26th Session. Resolutions and decisions adopted by the Executive Board at its twenty - sixth session. ( 7 June to 9 July 1951 ). Paris, 27 July 1951. 26 EX / Decisions. Item 7 Programme, Resolution 7.2. 2.1, p. 9. UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO. General Conference, 3rd Session. ( 1949 ). Records of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Third Session. Beirut, 1948. Volume II : Resolutions. ( UNESCO : Paris ). 2 C / Resolution 3.7, page 23. UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` '' Use and conservation of the biosphere : Proceedings of the intergovernmental conference of experts on the scientific basis for rational use and conservation of the resources of the biosphere. Paris, 4 -- 13 September 1968. '' ( 1970. ) In Natural Resources Research, Volume X. SC. 69 / XIL. 16 / A. UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ `` UNESCO. ( 1955 ). International Expert Meeting on Professional Training for Journalism. Unesco House, 9 -- 13 April 1956. Purpose and Scope. Paris, 18 November 1955. UNESCO / MC / PT. 1. UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO. General Conference, 19th Session. ( 1977 ). Approved Programme and budget for 1977 -- 1978. Paris, February 1977. 19 C / 5, p. 332, paragraphs 4154 and 4155. UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` MacBride, S. ( 1980 ). Many voices, one world : towards a new, more just, and more efficient world information and communication order. ( UNESCO : Paris ). UNESDOC database '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` About IPDC United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ''. www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 15. Jump up ^ `` International Programme for the Development of Communication ( IPDC ) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ''. www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 19. Jump up ^ `` World Press Freedom Day 2016 ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 19. Jump up ^ `` General Conference admits Palestine as UNESCO Member ''. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ Blomfield, Adrian ( 31 October 2011 ). `` US withdraws Unesco funding after it accepts Palestinian membership ''. The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 October 2011. Jump up ^ `` Limitation on Contributions to the United Nations and Affiliated Organizations '' ( PDF ). The New York Times. Retrieved 12 October 2017. Jump up ^ Erlanger, Steven ; Sayare, Scott ( 31 October 2011 ). `` Unesco Approves Full Membership for Palestinians ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 31 October 2011. Jump up ^ `` After UNESCO vote, Israeli sanctions on Palestinian Authority anger U.S ''. Haaretz. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ `` Israel freezes UNESCO funds ''. CNN. 3 December 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ `` U.S., Israel lose voting rights at UNESCO over Palestine row ''. Reuters. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2014. Jump up ^ Because diploma mills have claimed false UNESCO accreditation, UNESCO itself has published warnings against education organizations that claim UNESCO recognition or affiliation. See Luca Lantero, Degree Mills : non-accredited and irregular higher education institutions Archived 13 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine., Information Centre on Academic Mobility and Equivalence ( CIMEA ), Italy. and UNESCO `` Alert : Misuse of UNESCO Name by Bogus Institutions '' Jump up ^ Varga, Susan ( 2006 ). Edinburgh Old Town ( Images of Scotland ). The History Press Ltd. ISBN 0 - 7524 - 4083 - 7. Jump up ^ `` Fostering Freedom of Expression ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 19. Jump up ^ `` International Programme for the Development of Communication ( IPDC ) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ''. www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 19. Jump up ^ `` Safety of Journalists ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 19. Jump up ^ `` UN Plan of Action United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ''. www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 19. Jump up ^ `` Building Knowledge Societies ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 19. Jump up ^ `` Memory of the World United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ''. www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 19. Jump up ^ `` Information for All Programme ( IFAP ) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ''. www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 19. Jump up ^ `` Internet Universality United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ''. www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 19. Jump up ^ `` World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ''. www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 19. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO Series on Internet Freedom United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ''. www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 19. Jump up ^ `` Media Development Indicators ( MDIs ) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ''. www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 19. Jump up ^ `` Promouvoir l'éducation à la santé chez les jeunes du campement informel de Kibera à Nairobi Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'éducation, la science et la culture ''. unesco.org ( in French ). Retrieved 2017 - 08 - 18. Jump up ^ `` Migration Institutions -- Home ''. Migrationmuseums.org. Retrieved 23 April 2010. Jump up ^ `` Education EDUCATION -- ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 23 April 2010. Jump up ^ Reddy, A ( 2014 ) ' Official support for GoUNESCO from UNESCO New Delhi -- GoUNESCO ', GoUNESCO. Uniform Resource Locator : http://www.gounesco.com/unesco-new-delhi-support-gounesco. Jump up ^ `` The magazine - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ''. Jump up ^ `` Science and technology education -- Unesco '', a UNESCO brochure Jump up ^ `` Quoted on UNESCO official site ''. Ngo-db.unesco.org. Retrieved 1 July 2012. Jump up ^ `` Full list of NGOs that have official relations with UNESCO ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 1 July 2012. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO Headquarters Committee 107th session 13 Feb 2009 ''. Ngo-db.unesco.org. Retrieved 1 July 2012. Jump up ^ admin ( 27 May 2015 ). `` The IBE Team ''. Jump up ^ `` UIL - UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning ''. Jump up ^ `` IIEP UNESCO ''. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO IITE ''. Jump up ^ `` IICBA official site ''. Jump up ^ `` Inicio ''. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO - UNEVOC - Promoting learning for the world of work ''. Jump up ^ `` CEPES official site ''. Archived from the original on 29 September 2010. Jump up ^ `` Home - UNESCO - IHE ''. Jump up ^ `` ICTP - International Centre for Theoretical Physics ''. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO Institute for Statistics : UNESCO Institute for Statistics ''. Jump up ^ UNESCO Executive Board Document 185 EX / 38, Paris, 10 September 2010 Jump up ^ International Days United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO. Retrieved 12 July 2013. Jump up ^ `` International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 19. Jump up ^ `` List of UNESCO members and associates ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 3 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` Summary update on Government progress to become a State Party to the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport '' ( PDF ). WADA. p. 2. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2009. Jump up ^ `` State Parties ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 31 October 2011. Jump up ^ `` Member States of the United Nations ''. United Nations. Retrieved 31 October 2011. Jump up ^ `` Vereinigte Staaten treten aus der Unesco aus '' ( United States is leaving the Unesco ). Frankfurter Allgemeine ( in German ). 2017 - 10 - 12. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 12. Jump up ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-BbNf9SkQo Jump up ^ UNESCO official site : Directors - General Jump up ^ UNESCO official site : Previous Sessions of the General Conference Jump up ^ `` President of the 39th session of the General Conference ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 12 November 2017. Jump up ^ `` President of the 38th session of the General Conference ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 11 November 2015. Jump up ^ `` General Conference 37th United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ''. www.unesco.org. Retrieved 25 September 2015. Jump up ^ Executive Board -- Results of elections. UNESCO General Conference, November 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015. Jump up ^ Table_2013 - 2015. pdf UNESCO Membership by Electoral Groups. Retrieved 12 November 2015. Jump up ^ `` List of All UNESCO Field Offices by Region with Descriptions of Member State Coverage ''. UNESCO. Jump up ^ `` City of Quito -- UNESCO World Heritage ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 30 April 2010. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO Office in Brasilia United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ''. www.unesco.org. Retrieved 24 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Oficina de la UNESCO en Quito Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura ''. www.unesco.org. Retrieved 24 September 2015. Jump up ^ Grahm, S.E. ( April 2006 ). `` The ( Real ) politiks of Culture : U.S. Cultural Diplomacy in UNESCO, 1946 -- 1954 ''. Diplomatic History. 30 ( 2 ) : 231 -- 51. doi : 10.1111 / j. 1467 - 7709.2006. 00548. x. Jump up ^ `` Singapore to withdraw from UNESCO '', The Telegraph, 28 December 1984. Jump up ^ `` Hebron clashes over Israel 's West Bank heritage list ''. BBC News. 26 February 2010. Jump up ^ `` Executive Board adopts five decisions concerning UNESCO 's work in the occupied Palestinian and Arab Territories ''. UNESCO. 21 October 2010. Jump up ^ `` THE TWO PALESTINIAN SITES OF AL - HARAM AL - IBRAHIMI / TOMB OF THE PATRIARCHS IN AL - KHALIL / HEBRON AND THE BILAL BIN RABAH MOSQUE / RACHEL 'S TOMB IN BETHLEHEM '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ Hillel Fendel ( 1 November 2010 ). `` UNESCO Erases Israeli Protests from Rachel 's Tomb Protocol ''. Arutz Sheva. Jump up ^ Maayana Miskin ( 29 October 2010 ). `` UN Org. : Rachel 's Tomb is a Mosque ''. Arutz Sheva. Jump up ^ `` Ayalon : Israel will no longer cooperate with UNESCO ''. The Jerusalem Post. 3 November 2010. Jump up ^ Shalom, Rabbi. `` Cooperation with UNESCO only partially suspended ''. The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 8 August 2011. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO censures Israel over Mughrabi Bridge -- Israel News, Ynetnews ''. Ynetnews. 20 June 1995. Retrieved 8 August 2011. Jump up ^ Berman, Lazar ( 17 January 2014 ). `` UNESCO cancels event on Jewish ties to Land of Israel ''. The Times of Israel. Retrieved 21 January 2014. Jump up ^ Ahren, Raphael ( 21 January 2014 ). `` Author of UNESCO 's nixed Israel exhibit decries ' appalling betrayal ' ''. The Times of Israel. Retrieved 21 January 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` UNESCO adopts anti-Israel resolution on al - Aqsa Mosque ''. aljazeera.com. Jump up ^ http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002462/246215e.pdf Jump up ^ `` UNESCO fails to acknowledge Jewish ties to Temple Mount ''. Jump up ^ `` Netanyahu leads angry denunciations of ' absurd ' UNESCO decision ''. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO chief ' received death threats ' for opposing Jerusalem motion ''. Times of Israel. 17 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` Statement by the Director - General of UNESCO on the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls on the occasion of the 40th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO in Istanbul - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ''. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO Director Criticizes Resolution : Temple Mount Sacred to Both Jews, Muslims ''. Haaretz. Retrieved 14 October 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Czech MPs slam ' hateful ' UNESCO Jerusalem resolution ''. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO approves new Jerusalem resolution ''. www.aljazeera.com. Jump up ^ Beaumont, Peter ( 26 October 2016 ). `` Unesco adopts controversial resolution on Jerusalem holy sites ''. The Guardian. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO resolution on Jerusalem holy sites draws criticism from U.S., Israel ''. CBC / Radio - Canada. 26 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` The United States Withdraws From UNESCO ''. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Unesco cuts funding for Palestinian youth magazine over Hitler praise ''. The Daily Telegraph. 23 December 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2012. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO Chair in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Sciences ( 964 ), established in 2012 at The Islamic University of Gaza ( Palestine ) ''. UNESCO. Retrieved 15 July 2012. Jump up ^ The Goldstone Report : The Legacy of the Landmark Investigation of the Gaza Conflict By Adam Horowitz, Lizzy Ratner and Philip Weiss ( 2011 ). Google Books. Jump up ^ `` Israel shocked by UNESCO Chair at Gaza Islamic University '' ( Press release ). Israel ministry of foreign affairs. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2012. Jump up ^ Higgins, Michael ( 12 July 2012 ). `` UNESCO establishes chair at Gaza university accused of housing Hamas bomb labs ''. National Post. Retrieved 15 July 2012. Jump up ^ `` Fatah : Shalit was held at Gaza Islamic University ''. Yedioth Ahronot. 6 February 2007. Retrieved 15 July 2012. Jump up ^ Cambanis, Thanassis ( 28 February 2010 ). `` Hamas University ''. Boston Globe. Retrieved 15 July 2012. Jump up ^ Ravid, Barak ( 12 July 2012 ). `` Israel furious at UNESCO decision to back science chair at Islamic University of Gaza ''. Haaretz. Retrieved 15 July 2012. Jump up ^ Yaakov, Yifa ( 14 July 2012 ). `` B'nai Brith slams UNESCO affiliation with Gaza University ''. The Times of Israel. Retrieved 15 July 2012. Jump up ^ `` News journalism in a digital world ''. UNESCO. 10 February 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2012. Jump up ^ `` UNESCO - leaks to refute wikileaks accusation ''. UNESCO. 16 February 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012. Jump up ^ `` The Guardian 's hatchet job on Julian Assange ''. World Socialist Web Site. 10 March 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2012. Jump up ^ `` The WikiFreak : In a new book one author reveals how she got to know Julian Assange and found him a predatory, narcissistic fantasist ''. Daily Mail. 7 August 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2012. Jump up ^ `` WikiLeaks denounces UNESCO after WikiLeaks banned from UNESCO conference on WikiLeaks ''. WikiLeaks. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2012. Jump up ^ UNESCO Once Again Makes a Mockery of its Own Ideals by Glorifying Mass Murderer Che Guevara, Says Ros - Lehtinen ( press release ), House of representatives, 22 July 2013. Jump up ^ UNESCO honors executioner Che Guevara, UN Watch, 21 July 2013 ( retrieved 11 July 2016 ) Jump up ^ ( www.dw.com ), Deutsche Welle. `` Japan furious at UNESCO listing Nanjing Massacre documents - Asia - DW.COM - 19.10. 2015 ''. Jump up ^ `` Japan halts Unesco funding following Nanjing massacre row ''. The Guardian. Agence France - Presse. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` United States Rejoins UNESCO ''. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 15. Jump up ^ Template : Citation = publisher = Library of Congress. Jump up ^ https://www.c-span.org/video/?9189-1/united-states-unesco-part-1 Jump up ^ `` The United States Withdraws From UNESCO ''. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 12. Jump up ^ John Irish ( October 13, 2017 ). `` U.S., Israel quit UNESCO over alleged bias ''. Globe and Mail. p. A12. Jump up ^ UNESDOC Jump up ^ `` Information Processing Tools ''. Unesco. Jump up ^ `` OpenIDAMS ''. Unesco. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to UNESCO. Official website United Nations António Guterres, Secretary - General Amina J. 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Question: what is the unesco and what does it do
Answer: specialized agency of the United Nations (UN)