ABSTRACT
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) chose as its unifying theme for the period 2002–2007 "to contribute to peace and human development in an era of globalization through education, the sciences, culture and communication". Such an approach explains UNESCO's focus on two cross-cutting themes in all of its programmes: the eradication of poverty, especially extreme poverty; and the contribution of information and communication technologies to the development of education, science and culture and the construction of a knowledge society. Article 1 of the UNESCO Constitution stipulates that furthering universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is among the main purposes for which the Organization was created. The UNESCO Medium-Term Strategy for 2002–2007 requires the mainstreaming of gender equality in all sectors of UNESCO. In order to provide the world community with a larger framework, UNESCO has elaborated a normative and practical apparatus that allows and encourages cultural diversity.
