What is Unesco?
Unesco is perhaps one of the best known international cooperation organisations in the field of culture, education and scientific development, as it has headquarters and operations throughout the world, where it is associated with its clearly pacifist vocation and respect for the cultural heritage of the human race, as well as its efforts to reduce social inequality in its various facets.
Although it was founded with only 20 countries as supporters, Unesco now has 195 member countries and 8 associate states, which provide funds to the institution to continue with its wide range of plans.
This has not meant that the institution has not been heavily criticised over time, some for its hindering of certain economic or cultural policies of hegemonic world powers, and others, paradoxically, for supporting legal decisions contrary to peoples' freedom of trade and expression.
In fact, the US has twice withdrawn from Unesco in protest at its decisions: once in 1985 due to administrative differences, along with the UK and Singapore (the three countries later rejoined, but caused serious financial damage to the institution) and again recently in 2017, in protest at the accession of Palestine as a member country, an event interpreted as an "anti-Israeli" bias by the US and Israeli presidencies.
History of Unesco
Unesco was founded in 1945 and was headquartered in Paris VII in 1958.
Unesco was founded in 1945, in the aftermath of World War II, along with other institutions of international cooperation and organisation, to ensure that war and humanitarian disasters on the scale of that conflict would not happen again.
Its constitution was ratified by more than 20 countries and in 1958 it acquired its headquarters in Paris VII. By then, the restoration of international relations broken by the war allowed more and more countries to join the organisation.
The first time a country left Unesco was in 1957, when Apartheid South Africa reproached it for "interference in its racial affairs", as the whole world protested the brutal segregation of the black population in that nation. Later, under the presidency of Nelson Mandela, South Africa rejoined Unesco.
One of Unesco's first major international events took place in 1960, when the organisation took up the defence of Egypt's Abu Simbel temples and 21 other irreplaceable archaeological monuments, which were threatened by the construction of the Aswan Dam on the lower Nile.
Functions of Unesco
Unesco supports scientific, cultural and social initiatives.
Unesco acts as a cultural ambassador and defender of humanity's heritage in various aspects, operating as a world forum for discussion and dissemination, a kind of counterweight to the States or as a support for scientific, cultural and social initiatives that are considered to be of value not only locally, but for humanity as a whole.
In this sense, it is famous for its heritage management, which gives sites of archaeological, historical, ecological or cultural interest a status of international renown, so that they are preserved and protected for future generations. The same applies to traditions, celebrations and other forms of heritage.
At the same time, Unesco promotes peace and social equality, with literacy campaigns, celebration of diversity and difference, recognition of women and community education at various levels.
Unesco's objectives
Unesco's objectives can be summarised as follows:
- To promote peaceful dialogue and exchange between cultures, preserving the legacy of our species for future generations.
- Promote equality of social and economic opportunity through literacy, education and the growth of human potential, especially in vulnerable or marginalised regions.
- Preserve the heritage of humanity in its various aspects: ecological, historical, cultural, architectural, etc.
- Promote dialogue and cultural exchange in the face of the challenges of the new millennium, for the conscious and proper use of new technologies and to guarantee human rights in social.
