UNESCO New Zealand

Foundation

UNESCO was established in November 1945 in the wake of World War II.  The newly formed organisation was given the responsibility of building peace through global cooperation and intellectual exchange in education and communications.  New Zealand was one of the first twenty nations to ratify the UNESCO Constitution in 1946.  Dr Clarence Beeby – New Zealand’s Education Secretary - played a significant role in the organisation’s creation that saw him appointed Director of UNESCO’s Education Sector.   The Communications programme was added in 1947 and Social Science two years later.  New Zealand has actively participated in UNESCO’s work and has served on the organisation’s Executive Board five times.

UNESCO Medium Term Strategy 2008-2013

UNESCO has established a Medium Term Strategy that defines a range of overarching and strategic objectives. 

“As a specialised agency of the United Nations, UNESCO contributes to the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communications and information. “
UNESCO MEDIUM TERM STRATEGY

The strategy will see changes in the way UNESCO conducts its work, particularly at the country level as the organisation contributes to the United Nations system-wide reform efforts in response to the needs of Member States.  In the context of recent reforms, UNESCO will contribute in concrete terms to a United Nations system delivering as one through joint country programme exercises.  It also forms the framework for the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO’s Strategic Plan for the years 2008 – 2009 and subsequent strategic plans.

UNESCO’s Global Initiatives

UNESCO is vested with responsibilities in pursuit of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, in particular taking the lead role for the goal of Education for All by 2015.  UNESCO is the United Nations focal point for the following global initiatives:

• United Nations International Decade of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010);
• United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014);
• United Nations International Decade for Action ‘Water for Life’ (2005-2015);
• United Nations Literacy Decade (2003-2012);
• United Nations International Year of Languages (2008);
• and a key contributor to the United Nations International Year of Planet Earth (2008).

Governance

General Conference

The General Conference consists of the representatives of UNESCO’s 193 Member States.  It meets every two years and is attended by representatives from Member States and Associate Member States as well as observers from non-Member States, intergovernmental organisations and non-governmental organisations.  Each Member State has one vote, irrespective of its size or the extent of its contribution to the organisation’s budget.  The General Conference determines the organisation’s policies, work programme and budget.  It elects members of the Executive Board as well as members of UNESCO’s subsidiary bodies.  Every four years the General Conference appoints UNESCO’s Director-General.

Executive Board

The Executive Board’s 58 members are elected by the General Conference.  Functions and responsibilities of the Executive Board are derived from the Constitution and rules are set by the General Conference. Every two years the General Conference assigns specific tasks to the Executive Board whose members meet twice a year.  Other functions stem from agreements reached between UNESCO and the United Nations specialised agencies and other intergovernmental organisations. New Zealand has served on the Executive Board five times, the first time in 1960-1964 and most recently from 1995-1999.

National Commissions for UNESCO

National Commissions are the face of UNESCO in Member States, unique among the specialised agencies of the United Nations system.   Most Member States have established their own National Commissions.  The New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO is attached to the Ministry of Education’s International Division in Wellington.

Permanent Delegations

Permanent Delegations to UNESCO are responsible for communications between the organisation and respective governments.  New Zealand’s Permanent delegation is based at the New Zealand Embassy in Paris.

UNESCO Secretariat

The international secretariat is charged with carrying out UNESCO’s programmes worldwide, both at its headquarters in Paris and in 58 field offices around the world including four regional bureaux for education in Dakar, Bangkok, Beirut and Santiago.   The current Director-General of UNESCO is Dr Koichiro Matsuura of Japan.   Most offices have an education officer and maintain close relations with governments to whom they are accredited, development partners and civil society.   Field offices work to advance UNESCO’s goals, assist in designing and implementing programmes and activities and in raising extra-budgetary funds. 

UNESCO Asia and Pacific Region

Stretching from the snow-capped Himalayas to the atolls of Polynesia, UNESCO’s Asia and Pacific region is vast and varied.  The Regional Bureau for Education is based at UNESCO’s Bangkok office, along with the Regional Advisor for Communications and Information, Culture and the Social and Human Sciences.  The UNESCO Office in Jakarta has responsibility for the Regional Science programme. 

UNESCO Pacific Sub Region

Improving access to education and information is vital to the development and sustainability of the Pacific.  Today 15 independent Pacific states –  Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Australia and New Zealand - are UNESCO members.  Tokelau is an Associate Member.  The UNESCO Office for the Pacific is located in Apia, Samoa.  It is headed by Tongan educationalist, Dr Visesio Pongi and staffed by a team of international professional staff and local support staff.  The UNESCO Office for the Pacific coordinates activities in the Pacific in consultation with Member States.

The New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO promotes the interests and priorities of New Zealand and Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific to the international community.  It also encourages cooperation amongst governments and civil society in Asia and the Pacific Sub-Region. This includes supporting the work of the UNESCO Office for the Pacific and seeking the allocation of an equitable share of UNESCO resources towards the development needs of the Pacific from UNESCO’s international programme.