UNESCO

Last Monday my International Organizations class went on our first visit to an actual International Organization, UNESCO. We went over for a presentation during normal class hours, which meant hoping on the metro across town after French class in the morning. UNESCO is located near the Eiffel Tower and the Ecole Militaire, so it wasn't too hard to find... we had more trouble figuring out which was the visitors entrance than which was the building! Upon arrival we were giving credentials (nametag) so we could pass through security, and we were led down to a conference room.

UNESCO is the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization, and based on that name you better believe it has a broad mandate. Their work is generally administrative based, meaning that while UNESCO deals with education they do not directly provide teachers to third world countries. Instead they write reports that influence non-governmental organizations and national politics. Thus while UNESCO may not seem like they are doing a lot, they are actually very influential in their dealings within the international system.

Our visit to UNESCO was highlighted with a presentation about UNESCO's work with UNAIDS. While UNAIDS is the UN agency devoted to AIDS relief and research, it does not actively do anything (story of the UN). Instead it serves as an umbrella organization to other UN subsidiary bodies, like UNESCO. UNESCO's mandate on AIDS is in the sector of education, so our presentation was about some of the work UNESCO has been doing in Kenya to help with the AIDS situation, through education. It was very enlightening, and it underlined the fact that it is very difficult for International bodies to work in a world where state independence is key.

I enjoyed the visit immensely, although it was a shame that our presentation was so focused and a bit too technical. I would have preferred a more general presentation on all of the workings of UNESCO, and maybe a tour. I did talk to the presenter afterward, explaining my activity in Model UN, and she showed me the main meeting hall (akin to the UN General Assembly hall in NYC). It was impressive, though not on the scale of New York. This visit slightly solidified my desire to be a civil servant and work in an IGO when I graduate. I still need a little more to push me that way though... maybe my next visit (I got to the European Parliament on Thursday, and I still have visits to the OECD and IEA later this quarter)...

There are a few photos of UNESCO in here... among other more recent pics:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011066&l=5c1d1&id=1599570086