Important information about UNESCO
Who is UNESCO?
The full name of UNESCO is 'United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization'. UNESCO is a constituent body of the United Nations, whose job is to promote international peace through education, environmental and social sciences, culture and communication. The purpose of this special organization of the United Nations is to establish peace and security through international cooperation of education and culture, so that a global consensus can be reached for justice, rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms as mentioned in the UN Charter.
Brief information about UNESCO:
| The headquarters | Paris,(France) |
| Establishment | 4 November 1946 |
| Total member countries | 195 (according to Wikipedia) |
| Current president | Audrey Azoulay (France) |
| First president | Julian Huxley (Great Britain) |
History of UNESCO and Member Countries:
UNESCO was formed on 4 November 1946. The headquarters of UNESCO is located in Paris, the capital of France. UNESCO has 193 member states, along with 11 associate members and two observer member states. Most of its regional offices are in the form of clusters, covering 3 or 4 countries, in addition to its national and regional offices. UNESCO has 27 cluster offices and 21 national offices. The organization conducts its activities mainly through education, natural sciences, social and anthropological sciences, culture and information and communication. It sponsors literacy-enhancing programs and also supports the conservation of World Heritage buildings and parks. Many historical buildings and parks of India are included in the UNESCO heritage list. UNESCO has links with 332 international voluntary organizations around the world. India has been a member country of UNESCO since 1946. In the year 2017, the United States and Israel announced their withdrawal from UNESCO membership.
Current Director General of UNESCO 2021:
The current Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is Audrey Azoulay. UNESCO's 58-member Executive Board on October 13, 2017 nominated André Azoulay, former French Minister of Culture, to the post of Director General of the organization. He had replaced Irina Bokova of Bulgaria in this post from November 2017.
List of Director-General of UNESCO: (1946-2021)
| Name | Tenure Duration | Country |
| Audrey Azoulay | Audrey Azoulay | France |
| Irina Bokova | 2009–2017 | Bulgaria |
| Koichiro Matsuura | 1999–2009 | Japan |
| Federico Mayor Zaragoza | 1987–1999 | Spain |
| Amadou-Mahtar M'Bow | 1974–1987 | Senegal |
| René Maheu | 1961–1974 | France |
| Vittorino Veronese | 1958–1961 | Italy |
| Luther Evans | 1953–1958 | United States |
| John Wilkinson Taylor | 1952–1953 (Acting) | United States |
| Jaime Torres Bodet | 1948–1952 | Mexico |
| Julian Huxley | 1946–1948 | Great Britain |
Now practice related questions and see what you learnt?
☞ UNESCO GK Questions and Answers 🔗
Read also:
UNESCO FAQs:
Conakry was named the city chosen by UNESCO as the World Book Capital for the year 2017. Conakry is the first city in Francophone Africa to be nominated with the World Book Capital title.
UNESCO member states have appointed Audrey Azoulay as the head of UNESCO. Audrey Azoulay was nominated for the position on 13 October 2017 and was appointed as Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 10 November 2017, becoming the organization's second female leader.
The United States of America and Canada have the largest number of World Heritage Sites included in the UNESCO list. India has a total of 40 World Heritage Sites. Of these, 32 are cultural, 7 are natural and one is a mixed property. The Union Culture Minister also mentioned the countries which have 40 or more World Heritage Sites.
Ajanta was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 1983. The Ajanta Caves are about 29 rock-cut Buddhist monument caves located in Maharashtra, India, dating back to the 2nd century BC. Excellent samples of depiction and craftsmanship related to Buddhism are found here.
The current Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is Audrey Azoulay. On October 13, 2017, the 58-member Executive Board of UNESCO nominated former French Culture Minister Audrey Azoulay to the post of Director General of the organization.