How unesco stands for. What is unesco, how is it deciphered, what does the organization do? Unesco world heritage

« Culture will save the world"- this is how one can characterize the motto that guided the countries immediately after the end of the Second World War. Time has shown that no art can prevent conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq or Yugoslavia. But every educated person should know what UNESCO is. Even if the hopes associated with its creation never came true.

What is UNESCO: transcript

The international name of the organization looks like UNESCO and is an abbreviation of the words United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization... Translated into Russian, each word translates as: Organization of the [United] Nations [which is in charge of] education, research and culture. The institution was founded in 1945 within the framework of the UN structure.

The main goals have not changed in more than half a century of its existence:

• Combating misunderstandings and conflicts between the peoples of the world by expanding communication in the field of arts and culture;
• Implementation of the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, especially regarding the equality of all representatives of the human race;
• Assistance to the backward regions of the world (primarily African countries south of the Sahara);
• Elimination of discrimination against women in the cultural sphere;
• Combating violations of freedom of speech in third world countries;
• Elimination of digital inequality between regions of the planet and within each state;
• Also, under the focus of attention of employees of the institution are a number of topics that require the collective participation of many states. This includes the resolution of post-war contradictions, the salvation of endangered languages, the education of young people, etc.

Place and role of Russia in the organization

The position of our country in the UNESCO organization can be characterized as beneficial. This is largely due to the superpower status of the Soviet Union, the trace of which is felt in international role countries so far.

Cooperation between Russia and the main cultural organ of the planet is quite fruitful:

• The USSR joined the international club only in 1954 - ten years after its foundation. Statesmen thought to use this infrastructure to spread communist values ​​around the world;
• All documentation is traditionally duplicated in Russian (one of official languages UN), which allows any resident of the country who has access to the Internet to get acquainted with it.
• The UNESCO Office was opened in the capital of the country only in 1994, when Soviet Union already rested in the Bose;
• Initially, the Bureau's activities were limited only to the territory of the Russian Federation, but after 2002 it spread to many CIS states;
• The structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs houses the Secretariat of the Commission of the Russian Federation in UNESCO. Its main purpose is to fulfill the objectives stated at the General Conference in a localized manner;
• In 2009, a Permanent Mission of Russia also operates at the headquarters. His activity is reduced to planning events, round tables, conferences on certain issues. For example, at the initiative of the Representative Office, an international celebration of the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's flight took place.

Where is the headquarters of UNESCO located?

The governing body of UNESCO is located in the capital of France. After the location of the headquarters of the United Nations in New York, the United States was not considered as the location of the new institution. Paris, as the cultural capital of Europe, was the best fit for this role.

Governance is exercised through the following bodies:

• General Conference is a meeting of the participating countries held every couple of years on the selection of current tasks and the mechanism for their implementation. Almost all conferences were held in the headquarters building. Only a few took place in other world capitals;
• Executive Council - the work of this body is reduced to preparing materials for future conferences and monitoring compliance with past decisions;
• Secretariat - responsible for the practical implementation of the provisions approved at the General Conferences.

Elected offices are chosen not only on the basis of simple majority votes, but also on the basis of gender, racial and regional representation. Periodic rotation is designed to eliminate this situation, so that all key positions are seized by only white men.

World Heritage: what is it?

Unique and valuable cultural objects can be destroyed due to poor quality government controlled, military conflicts or momentary commercial interests. To prevent this from happening, was introduced World Heritage Institute... This is a UNESCO approved list of artifacts that should be protected first.

An object is included in its list if it meets the following criteria:

• Demonstrates the capabilities of the human mind;
• It is an exceptional and no longer repeated creation, which in itself is a testament to the era;
• Closely related to religion or tradition;
• An example of a paradigm shift in thinking, science and technology;
• It is not an outstanding work of art, but "participated" in events that are fateful for the world;
• An example of a beneficial interaction between man and nature.

The list can include not only the creation of a human genius, but also an exclusively natural education, if it:

• Has a high aesthetic importance;
• It is a monument of the geological era or a striking example of characteristic relief formations;
• Location of evolutionary changes in the biosphere;
• It is the habitat of unique endangered living organisms.

How is the contribution to UNESCO taxed?

Since UNESCO does not belong to any state (placement in France is more than formal), it is heavily dependent on the honest donations from the participants. Almost all countries of the world (about 205) are included in UNESCO.

Features of payment of contributions:

• The key criterion for determining the amount of payments is the size of the nominal internal gross product... For this reason, the United States for a long time lead among donors of funds (until they stopped allocating money for political reasons);
• Currency doesn't really matter. However, in most cases, transactions are carried out in euros or dollars. The exchange rate is determined according to our own methodology and does not depend on short-term fluctuations on stock exchanges;
• In extremely rare cases, money does not come from states, but from legal entities or individual patrons. However, such a source was never considered to be the main source by the secretariat;
• The long-term budget is approved for six years, the short-term one - for two years. The organization's turnover reaches over half a billion dollars.

Despite its declared independence, the institution is heavily influenced by the world's largest economies. The latest example of financial blackmail is the end of appropriations by Japan, which does not want to admit responsibility for the Nanjing massacre.

Video about a new symbol of cultural heritage

In this video, Arthur Morin will tell how France decided to recognize Armenian lavash as a UNESCO cultural heritage:

As many people know, there is world organization on science, education and culture, which is called UNESCO. In this article, we will tell you in detail what UNESCO is and talk about its activities.

UNESCO - transcript

In fact, this is the name in Russian - just a transfer english letters, the so-called transliteration. Therefore, we will have to decrypt English name... Literally translated, UNESCO means: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. In Russian it would sound like UNONK - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, but such an abbreviation did not take root, so we use this designation, copied into Russian - UNESCO.

UNESCO action

Founded on November 16, 1945, that is, immediately after the end of the Great Patriotic War, the organization launched vigorous activities aimed at restoring the destroyed educational institutions, restoration of monuments. The main goal of UNESCO is to establish cooperation between states in the field of culture, education and science, solving the problems of discrimination in the field of literacy and education, as well as training national personnel for each state and, of course, protecting cultural objects of world importance. We will now talk about this in a little more detail.

UNESCO world heritage

In 1972, the organization adopted the so-called Convention on the Protection of the World Heritage - Natural and Cultural, which entered into force in 1975. At the annual sessions that have been taking place since then, UNESCO members decide on the inclusion of a particular cultural object in the World Heritage Fund. As soon as this or that natural area or a cultural object falls under the protection of an organization (they say: "is under the auspices of UNESCO"), then international standards prohibit to carry out any work there and to erect, demolish and rebuild something without the knowledge of the Organization. More information about the activities of the organization can be found on the official website of UNESCO.

Thoughts about war arise in the minds of people, therefore, the idea of ​​protecting peace should be rooted in the minds of people.

What is unesco?

UNESCO is the agency of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and seeks to establish peace through international cooperation in these fields. UNESCO programs contribute to the achievement of the Goals sustainable development defined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by The General Assembly UN in 2015.

our vision

Political and economic agreements between governments are insufficient to ensure lasting and sincere support for the aspirations of peoples. Lasting peace must be built on the basis of dialogue and mutual understanding, as well as the intellectual and moral solidarity of humankind.

In this context, UNESCO is developing educational tools to shape future citizens free of hatred and intolerance. UNESCO is committed to ensuring that every child and citizen has access to quality education. Contributing to the conservation cultural heritage and by protecting the equal dignity of all cultures, UNESCO is strengthening the ties between them. UNESCO helps formulate research policies as driving force development and cooperation. UNESCO defends freedom of expression as a fundamental right and a necessary condition for democracy and development. UNESCO acts as a laboratory of ideas, establishes international standards and implements cooperation programs that promote the free exchange of ideas and knowledge.

This vision of the world was born after World War II, driven by racist and anti-Semitic ideology. More than seventy years later, UNESCO's mandate remains more relevant than ever in a world where cultural diversity is being attacked and plagued by new forms of intolerance, scientific knowledge is being challenged and freedom of expression is at risk. In response, UNESCO must continue its humanitarian action in the field of education, science and culture.

Key facts: a selection of unesco success stories

strategic documents

UNESCO has a unique role to play in strengthening the foundations lasting peace and equitable and sustainable development. The development of cooperation in the field of education, science, culture, communication and information is strategically essential at a time when societies around the world are faced with growing pressures of change and the international community with new challenges.

unesco history

In 1942, at the height of World War II, the government European countries fighting Nazi Germany and its allies gathered in the UK for a Joint Conference of Ministers of Education (CMOS). The war was far from over, but the country is already concerned about the restoration of education systems with the advent of peace. In a very short time the project takes on a worldwide scale. All new states, including the United States of America, are willing to participate in this work. At the suggestion of the CMOS, in London, immediately after the end of the war, from November 1 to 16, 1945, the UN Conference on the Establishment of the Organization for Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECO / CONF) is being held, in which representatives of 44 states take part. The delegates decide to create an organization dedicated to establishing a true culture of peace. According to their plan, new organization is designed to help ensure "intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind" and, thereby, prevent the outbreak of a new world war.

unesco headquarters

On November 3, 1958, in Paris, on the Place de Fontenoy, the inauguration of the main building of the UNESCO headquarters took place. The Y-shaped building was designed by three architects from different countries, and its construction was carried out under the leadership international committee... The complex is in the shape of a three-pointed star, erected on 72 concrete columns. It is known all over the world not only for the fact that it hosts UNESCO, but also for its architectural merits.

The complex is complemented by three other buildings. The first, called the "accordion", houses a large oval hall with a pleated copper ceiling. General conference plenary meetings are held here. The second building is built in the shape of a cube. And finally, in the third at a depth of two underground levels there are six open courtyards overlooking the windows of the offices located along the perimeter. These buildings are open to the public and store big number unique works of art.

From the very beginning of the construction of the building on the Place de Fontenoy, UNESCO commissioned works of art from famous artists, some of which, in addition to decorative and artistic purposes, would symbolize peace, the strengthening and preservation of which UNESCO sets as its task. Over time, other works of art were acquired. A number of works have been donated to the Organization by Member States. The works of Picasso, Bazin, Miro, Tapies, Corbusier and many other famous and unknown artists have found their place in this universal museum, reflecting the diversity of artistic creativity around the world.

UNESCO logo. Public domain

UNESCO(from the English UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) - an organization at the United Nations, which is responsible for the international cooperation in the field of education, science, culture and communication.

The organization was created on November 16, 1945, becoming the legal successor of the League of Nations International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation and its executive institution - International Institute intellectual cooperation. The charter entered into force on November 4, 1946. The first session of the General Conference of UNESCO was held in Paris from November 19 to December 10, 1946, representatives of 30 states took part in it. The USSR became a member of UNESCO in 1954.

What are the goals of UNESCO?

According to the first article of the UNESCO constitution, the objectives of the organization are to promote peace and international security by developing cooperation between states and peoples in the field of education, science and culture. The organization also sets itself the task of ensuring the observance of the rule of law and universal respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms for all peoples, regardless of race, gender, language, orientation or religion.

UNESCO works to ensure that every child or adult has the following rights:

What is the organization doing for this?

UNESCO's activities are represented in five program sectors: education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, communication and information. There are also cross-cutting themes that cover all areas: since 2008, these are Africa and gender equality.

Implementing the educational strategy, UNESCO organizes various programs that increase the accessibility of education, as well as publishes books and reference materials of Education. In the area of natural sciences the achievement of UNESCO was the creation of such international projects as the European Center for Nuclear Research and International union nature protection. In the field of social and human sciences, the main goal of the organization is to implement the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is implemented, among other things, through projects to create and support independent media expressing different points of view. The cultural mission focuses primarily on protection different forms intangible cultural heritage, masterpieces of oral creativity, preservation of cultural objects in the zone of armed conflicts. One of the activities of UNESCO in the field of communication and information is the preservation of digital heritage: the organization develops standards for the preservation of information and digitizes documents.

Thus, UNESCO's activities have a wide scope and include the elimination of illiteracy, the fight against discrimination in education, the study of national cultures, assistance in the training of national personnel, problems of social sciences, geology, oceanography and the biosphere and other areas.

Who runs UNESCO?

The supreme body of UNESCO is the General Conference. It meets every two years and includes representatives of all members of the organization. Also participating in the work of the General Conference as observers are states that are not members of UNESCO, as well as intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and foundations.

The executive body of UNESCO is the Executive Board, which is elected by the General Conference and manages the organization between its sessions. Also the governing body is the Secretariat, which is headed by general manager... Since 2009 it is Bulgarian political figure Irina Bokova.

The headquarters of UNESCO is located in Paris. In addition to it, UNESCO activities are carried out from the regional, cluster and national offices of UNESCO.

UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Photo: www.globallookpress.com / Chen Yichen

How many members are there in UNESCO?

The organization currently has 195 member states and 8 associate members: territories not responsible for foreign policy... On October 12, 2017, the United States and Israel announced their withdrawal from UNESCO, but, according to the charter, they will remain full members of the organization until December 31, 2018.

Any state that is a member of the United Nations can become a member of UNESCO. Upon suspension of UN membership, it automatically leaves UNESCO. States and territories outside the UN can also become members of the organization if they receive two-thirds of the votes at the General Conference. Territories that do not govern their own foreign policy, may join an organization at the request of the state responsible for external relations.

Each Member State has the right to appoint a Permanent Representative to UNESCO. It was used by 182 states, including Russia. September 19, 2016 the permanent representative Russian Federation at UNESCO was appointed Aleksandr Kuznetsov.

This organization is well known today: we often encounter social advertising under the auspices of UNESCO and other references to it. What is behind this acronym? What does UNESCO's transcript imply? Of course, we are all in general outline have heard about, but not every of our compatriots is really deeply aware of these issues. Let's try to figure it out now.

UNESCO: transcript of the abbreviation

And this is exactly the abbreviation. And on English language in its full version, it sounds like this: The united Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. So, in Russian, UNESCO's transcript would sound something like this: the UN structure dealing with science, education and culture. Indeed, this organization is one of the subsidiaries of the UN.

Prerequisites for creation

The idea of ​​creating this type arose during the Second World War. Important role the well-known Allied conferences in 1943 and 1945 played in this process. By the way, in fairness it should also be noted that similar organization, designed to settle peacefully, has already existed since the Versailles Accords after the First World War. It is about the League of Nations. However, it has demonstrated its complete inconsistency. At the peace conference in San Francisco in the spring of 1945, the UN was created, which actually replaced the League of Nations.

Deciphering UNESCO as an Organization: History and Challenges

In the first months of the UN's existence, its structure was formed. In November 1945, a regular conference of this organization is being held in London, where UNESCO is created, a kind of department for various cultural, educational and scientific issues. Thus, deciphering UNESCO as an organization implies that it is engaged in specific issues in these areas. In 1945, 37 states from Europe joined the organization and North America who signed its Charter, which provided for the beginning of activities in November 1946. Then, in November 1946, the first general conference was held. Today UNESCO unites 195 states from all over the planet.

Organization tasks

Today, UNESCO proclaims its main goal to contribute to the strengthening of security and peace throughout the planet by strengthening international and cultural ties, expanding cooperation of various peoples in the field of science, culture and education, as well as promoting mutual respect, justice and human rights regardless of gender, race, religion, nationality, language, and so on.

UNESCO's definition of its own objectives fits into five main functions:

1. Advanced scientific research.
2. Promotion of knowledge, its transfer and exchange on an international scale.
3. Normative activities in the field of science, culture and education.
4. Facilitating the exchange of specialized information.
5. Provision of services different kinds experts for the development of the member states of the organization.