IV
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 103
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the President should develop
a strategy to bring the United States back into active and full mem-
bership in the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 19, 1993
Mr. TORRES (for himself, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. BROWN of California, Mr. LAN-
TOS, Mr. LEACH, and Mr. MILLER of California) submitted the following
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the President
should develop a strategy to bring the United States
back into active and full membership in the United Na-
tions Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.
Whereas the Congress recognizes that the United Nations
Educational, 
Scientific, 
and 
Cultural 
Organization
(UNESCO) was created in 1946 as an integral part of
the United Nations system, designed to promote inter-
national cooperation and exchanges in the fields of edu-
cation, science, culture, and communication with the larg-
er purpose of constructing ‘‘the defenses of peace’’
against intolerance and incitements to war;
•HCON 103 IH
Whereas in 1984, the United States withdrew from the orga-
nization over questions of internal management and polit-
ical polarization;
Whereas since that time UNESCO has elected new leader-
ship, instituted tightened financial controls and strategic
planning, cut staff and budget, renewed professionalism,
restored recognition of intellectual property, returned the
organization to the principle of an unfettered, independ-
ent international press, therefore addressing and redress-
ing the criticisms which formed the justification for the
United States’ withdrawal;
Whereas in 1993 the General Accounting Office, after con-
ducting extensive review of the organization’s progress in
implementing changes toward solving the problems that
were cited in justifying the withdrawal of the United
States from the organization in 1984, concluded that, the
organization’s member states, Director General, man-
agers, and employee associations have demonstrated a
commitment to management reform through their
actions;
Whereas the interest of the United States to encourage fur-
ther progress toward solving the problems of the organi-
zation would be best ensured by the leadership, support,
and participation of the United States;
Whereas many countries that are members of the organiza-
tion, especially countries that collaborate closely with the
United States, have expressed a strong desire for the
United States to resume active participation in the orga-
nization;
Whereas the organization’s current and projected plans offer
means for advancing the foreign policy interests of the
•HCON 103 IH
United States in promoting democracy, sustainable devel-
opment, and conflict resolution;
Whereas the four interrelated areas of expertise of the orga-
nization, which are education, science, culture, and com-
munication, represent important areas of American com-
petitive advantage, and participation in global programs
and policymaking in these fields advances the interests of
the United States;
Whereas the organization has placed high priority on the pro-
motion of democracy, free flow of information, training
and expertise, and other goals consistent with United
States policy in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet
Union;
Whereas the organization has put a high priority on pro-
grams to strengthen a free press and journalistic inde-
pendence;
Whereas multilateral initiatives in such politically sensitive
activities offer advantages not always offered by bilateral
initiatives;
Whereas the organization avoids program duplication within
the United Nations system and cooperates with other
specialized agencies of the system to allocate distinct
responsibilities;
Whereas other United Nations specialized agencies recognize
the distinct role of the organization in building intellec-
tual networks for the implementation of their system-
wide activities;
Whereas the organization is a catalytic agency that manages,
designs, and promotes projects which raise additional
funding beyond the costs directly borne by the organiza-
tion;
•HCON 103 IH
Whereas the distinct role of the organization is reflected in
its inclusion in all major multi-agency initiatives, such as
preparation and followup of the United Nations Con-
ference on Environment and Development;
Whereas active and effective participation in the organization
could advance the domestic policy interests of the United
States;
Whereas such policy interests include reducing illiteracy and
improving education, including education for immigrant
populations coming from other nations and cultures, in-
creasing tolerance among ethnic and racial minority
groups, protecting cultural freedom and the free flow of
information, widening access to communications tech-
nology markets in developing countries by American busi-
nesses, providing broader channels for international col-
laboration on scientific research, and understanding envi-
ronmental change and preservation;
Whereas the policy interest of the United States would be
better served if the United States would resume partici-
pation in the organization and use its strategic position
in the organization to demonstrate, disseminate, and ex-
press unambiguously the values of the United States;
Whereas in 1993, the Executive Board and the General Con-
ference of the Organization will make important decisions
affecting the program content, work methods, executive
leadership, and general management of the organization
for the remainder of the 20th century; and
Whereas the United States will have to resume active mem-
bership in the organization in 1993 in order to partici-
pate directly in these decisions: Now, therefore, be it
•HCON 103 IH
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that the
President should—
(1) develop a strategy to bring the United
States back into active and full membership in the
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) during 1993;
(2) direct the Secretary of State to consult with
government agencies, nongovernmental organiza-
tions, and other interested parties that had substan-
tial involvement with the work of the organization
before the withdrawal of the United States in order
to formulate goals the United States should seek at
the organization as part of the strategy and to reex-
amine the frameworks established in law for the par-
ticipation of the American nongovernmental sector
in UNESCO policy and activities;
(3) direct the Secretary of State to reconstitute
the 
United 
States 
National 
Commission 
for
UNESCO;
(4) consult with other governments on prospects
for further reform of the organization’s policy bodies
and governance, particularly with an eye to strength-
ening in all member states the role of independent,
•HCON 103 IH
nongovernmental, intellectual sectors in agency pro-
grams and governance; and
(5) report to the Congress before September 30,
1993, on the nature and extent of the consultations
and the progress being made on the strategy.
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