United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded on 16 November 1945. For this specialized United Nations agency, Education, Social and Natural Science, Culture and Communication are key to build peace in the minds of men. UNESCO promotes international co-operation among its 193 Member States and 7 Associate Members in all these fields. It is working to create the conditions for genuine dialogue based upon respect for shared values and the dignity of each civilization and culture.
UNESCO works towards establishing universal agreements on emerging ethical issues. The Organization also helps to disseminate and share information and knowledge, while helping Member States to build their human and institutional capacities in diverse fields.
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Main objectives
Through its strategies and activities, UNESCO is actively pursuing the Millennium Development Goals, especially those aiming to:
- halve the proportion of people living in extreme poverty in developing countries by 2015
- achieve universal primary education in all countries by 2015
- eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2005
- help countries implement a national strategy for sustainable development by 2005 to reverse current trends in the loss of environmental resources by 2015.
The Division for Gender Equality
The Division for Gender Equality (GE), located within the Bureau of Strategic Planning (BSP) at UNESCO, is responsible for ensuring the implementation of UNESCO’s global priority, which is the "Priority Gender Equality Action Plan for 2008-2013".
This work is supported by a two-pronged approach involving both gender-specific programmes and gender mainstreaming within UNESCO’s five Major Programmes (i.e. Education, Natural Sciences, Social and Human Sciences, Communication and Culture), intersectoral platforms and thematic areas of focus such as HIV and AIDS and climate change.
The Priority Gender Equality Action Plan was presented to the 181st session of the Executive Board in April 2009, in UNESCO Headquarters, and it as also presented to all Member States during the 35th session of the General Conference in October 2009.
See Also
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Irina Bokova, new Director-General of UNESCO
- Secondary Education in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Statistics:School Enrolment
- Statistics:Education
- Statistics:Literacy Rates
- Education for All
- Access to Education
- GID Variables: School Enrolment
- GID Variables: Literacy Rates
- Primary Completion Rates
- Primary Education in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Net Intake Rate
- Net Enrollment Ratio (NER)
