UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations located in Paris, France that aims to build peace through international collaboration in education, science, and culture. It was founded in 1945 after World War II to help rebuild schools, libraries, and museums destroyed during the war and now works to promote universal access to education, scientific knowledge exchange, and preservation of cultural heritage for its 195 member states. UNESCO operates through various sectors and field offices around the world to achieve its mission of promoting justice, human rights, and international understanding.

1. UNESCO
SHOURABH KUMR SINGH
M.Sc. Environmental Science
Central University of South Bihar
ROLL NO: 20

2.  What is the UNESCO ?
 UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation, is a specialised agency of the United
Nations system. The organisation was created more than a
half century ago, with the mission to build the defences of
peace in the minds of men.
 Where is UNESCO ?
 Located on the Place de Fontenoy, in Paris (France)

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4. UNESCO’s initial emphasis was on rebuilding schools,
libraries, and museums that had been destroyed in
Europe during World War II. Since then its activities
have been mainly facilitative, aimed at assisting,
supporting, and complementing the national efforts of
member states to eliminate illiteracy and to extend free
education. UNESCO also seeks to encourage the free
exchange of ideas and knowledge by organizing
conferences and providing clearinghouse and exchange
services.

5. Around the globe .....
• 50 Field Offices
• 10 Regional Bureaux
• 21 National Offices
• 2 Liaison Offices
• 11 UNESCO Institutes and Centres

6. UNESCO’s origins
• Initial idea floated during an Allied Ministerial
Conference in London in 1942
• UNESCO Constitution signed by 30 countries
represented at the London Conference in
November 1945
• UNESCO set up in Paris in November 1946
• Now has 195 Member States + 6 Associate
Members
• 195th member is Palestinians (added in 2011)

7. UNESCO: first General Conference
Opening of the first General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), at the
Sorbonne, Paris, November 20, 1946.

8. UNESCO’s Mission
• UNESCO’s fundamental mission:
to contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among
the nations through education, science and culture in order to further
universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights
and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the
world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the
Charter of the United Nations "

9. Irina Bokova, Bulgaria’s
ambassador to France, was
elected director general of
UNESCO on Sept. 22, 2009.

10. Sectors of UNESCO
• Programme Sectors
– Education
– Natural Sciences
– Social and Human Sciences
– Culture
– Communication and Information
– Special Themes
• Support Sectors
– External Relations and Cooperation
– Administration
• Central Services
– Secretariat of the General Conference
– Secretariat of the Executive Board
– Office of the Director General
– Bureau of Strategic Planning
– Bureau of the Budget
– etc.……
• Field Offices and Institutes

11. UNESCO’s main fields of action
• Education,
• Natural Sciences
• Social and Human Sciences
• Culture
• Communication and Information
• Also works on Special Themes
– Gender
– Poverty Eradication
– HIV/AIDS
– Heritage
– Climate Change, etc.
• Cooperates with UN Institutions and a range of other organisations in
areas of common interest

12. Ongoing projects and future
developments
• Participation in the World Digital Library project
• Knowledge management initiatives
• Thesaurus compatibility project, with EU and other
institutions
• Arabic and Chinese versions of UNESCO thesaurus
• Climate change resource
• Second Life
• Anything else I’ve forgotten !!