ABSTRACT
At its inception, the founders hesitated between making UNESCO a purely intellectual organization or an intergovernmental body. They finally adopted a compromise, combining the best of both structures. As a result, the organization has organic links with member state governments, academics, and intellectuals through national commissions, and with what is now called the civil society, with representatives of a large spectrum of international nongovernmental organizations. These constituencies, as well as the Secretariat comprised of approximately 2000 international civil servants based mainly in Paris led by a directorgeneral, have shaped UNESCO’s unique profile over more than five decades.
