UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in education, sciences and culture
UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in the 2030 Agenda, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015.
UNESCO's History
As early as 1942, in wartime, the governments of the European countries, which were confronting Nazi Germany and its allies, met in the United Kingdom for the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education (CAME)
World War II was far from over, yet those countries were looking for ways and means to rebuild their education systems once peace was restored
The project quickly gained momentum and soon acquired a universal character
New governments, including that of the United States, decided to join in
Upon the proposal of CAME, a United Nations Conference for the establishment of an educational and cultural organization (ECO/CONF) was convened in London from 1 to 16 November 1945
Scarcely had the war ended when the conference opened
It gathered together representatives of forty-four countries who decided to create an organization that would embody a genuine culture of peace
In their eyes, the new organization was to establish the “intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind” and thereby prevent the outbreak of another world war.