ABSTRACT

There is something about UNESCO that is so quixotic-moral adventures, high idealism, lofty humanism, intellectual guideposts, ethical monumentalism, worldwide deeds and, above all, its quest to shape human solidarity. This is the best of UNESCO. At its worst, well, UNESCO is hardly understood; it remains little known, as in the Commissioner’s ignorance, as a gallant little country. UNESCO’s ministers themselves often fail to rise to the occasion of their organization’s ideals. Instead, they fight over meager resources, politicize their ideals, remain inefficient and nepotistic, and claim a stake to every one of humanity’s problems from flows of communication in the skies above, to primary school education on earth, to the analysis of minerals below its surface. All that UNESCO does for a $300 million annual regular budget and a staff of 2,000. How relevant is UNESCO to global governance as a shared ideal?

The answer obviously depends on who takes part in UNESCO, how much gets shared, and where global governance is headed. This chapter analyzes this question in three parts, starting with the origins and creation of UNESCO’s vision, an analysis of its everyday practices, and the future challenges it faces. Viewed from these perspectives, UNESCO’s strengths and achievements are a microcosm of those of the United Nations system. Its visionary founders rose above the rubble of a devastating war to create an organization that was perhaps too idealistic, but to not have created one would have been worse. To

the question, how far have we come with a United Nations or UNESCO, the answer must also take an account of the “we.” Who are we now? Are we nations, ethnicities, social networks, markets, civil societies, individuals, or governments? All of the above? A reality check is also necessary. UNESCO, like the UN, is too

underfunded to ever achieve the high ideals placed at its door. Relatively speaking though, UNESCO remains among the top three to four of the UN specialized agencies in terms of resources (Table 1.5). Each year, it has the capacity to more than double its resources through extrabudgetary contributions. It can raise more from burgeoning initiatives such as Kofi Annan’s global compact that allows the UN to partner with businesses and civil society. UNESCO’s secretariat is not limited to 2,000 people either. From the diplomatic missions attached to UNESCO, to the National Commissions in member states, to the vast networks of intellectuals, schools, institutes, and NGOs affiliated with UNESCO, the organization has a capacity that ranks it among the top hierarchies of global governors. These concluding reflections on UNESCO as an organization, therefore, also take their cues from this reality check, and note that UNESCO has under-delivered on its resources and that it can do better.