SESSION I : INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND UNDERSTANDING :- "UNESCO, INDIA AND THE WORLD 1946-1996" BY T.N. KAUL
Fifty years sounds longer than half a century, but it is really the same -- a short span in the long history of a country's civilisation, or that of the world. However some spans, though short, are more important than others as signposts in history, standing out as pointers to the future. UNESCO's birth on 16 November 1945, when its Constitution was framed, was such a signpost. It indicated the possibility of a world where "through the wide diffusion of culture and the education of humanity for justice and liberty lasting peace would be established on the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind". This was epitomised in Julian Huxley's famous formulation, which was adopted in the Preamble to the Constitution: "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be construed". Julian Huxley's words recognised the need to banish war and consolidate peace after two devastating World Wars in which over 100 million people had lost their lives.
Another important signpost was the Independence of India in 1947, which ushered in an era of decolonisation and freedom of peoples from foreign rule. Mahatma Gandhi's emphasis on "Truth and Non-Violence" during India's struggle for Independence was a unique phenomenon in world history and in the struggle of man for freedom. Jawaharlal Nehru called UNESCO the "conscience of mankind", indicating the great role UNESCO could play in fulfilling man's hopes for a better quality of life in a world based on equality and social justice. It also indicated the urgent need for peace and the futility of war, the equality and unity of mankind amidst the rich diversity of the world's cultural heritage.
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The Constitution of UNESCO was an improvement on the UN Charter. It did not give permanent seats or the right of veto to the so-called five great powers in its Executive Board. It gave one vote to every member state in its General Conference and provided for "balanced geographical representation" to various regions in its Executive Board. With the expansion of the membership of the United Nations from 51 in 1945 to 185 today, the Constitution of UNESCO's Executive Board could be a model for the UN Security Council to follow. It is time the UN Security Council was enlarged by giving permanent membership to more countries from each region on the basis not only of GDP or economic strength, but also on their cultural, historical and demographic importance. Thus countries like China, India, Indonesia. and Japan in Asia; Russia, Germany, France and Britain in Europe; Egypt, Israel and Iran in the Middle East; Nigeria, Zaire, Tanzania and South Africa in Africa; USA and Canada in North America; Brazil and Argentina in Latin America; Australia in the South Pacific, all deserve to be made permanent members in the Security Council. Other countries from each region could be elected by turn to represent their respective regions, as is the practice in the UNESCO Executive Board. What is equally if not more important, is that the right of veto should be abolished. The veto may have been necessary just after World War II to bring the five great powers together on critical issues. However, in practice, it divided them on many questions because of the cold war.
Now that the cold war is over, or so it is claimed, the above suggestions could create a better world order, where various peoples, regions and countries receive just, fair and equitable consideration and representation in world organizations, with due regard to "the diversity of cultures and a balanced geographical distribution" as per Article V(2) of the Constitution of UNESCO.
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UNESCO by itself cannot protect or maintain peace in the world, which is a function of the UN Security Council. Nor can UNESCO remove the economic and social disparities between or within various countries and regions. That is the function of ECOSOC and UNDP. What UNESCO can and has attempted to do within its sphere of competence is to diffuse knowledge, spread education, promote scientific research, protect our rich cultural heritage and facilitate inter-cultural dialogue and intercourse through dissemination of knowledge and information. UNESCO also tried to provide greater facilities of mass media and communication, specially to the less developed countries which lacked them.
UNESCO's contribution in the above fields has been considerable, but has not been adequately appreciated or publicised. This is because the world's mass media are almost completely controlled by half a dozen radio, TV and telecommunication networks of the developed, industrialised world. In the early eighties UNESCO tried to promote the idea of a New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO), but the Western and in particular US media rose up in arms against it. With the support of such organisations as the Heritage Foundation in the USA, the Western, media deliberately misinterpreted the whole concept of the McBride Report. They painted it as a tool to "restrict freedom of the press through compulsory licensing of journalists", charges which were entirely incorrect and unsubstantiated.
The result was that instead of working from within UNESCO, the USA and UK withdrew from UNESCO and maligned it from outside. This was perhaps promoted by the loss of their automatic majority, which as Founding Members of UNESCO they enjoyed till the sixties, when the General Conference and its Executive Board were expanded. It is unfortunate that UNESCO was starved of badly needed funds and had therefore to shelve the NWICO and cut down on several
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educational, scientific and cultural programmes that were necessary for the developing countries. The excuse given by the USA and UK governments that they could not afford the funds is baseless, Both of them received more than they contributed because of the large number of English-knowing officials employed by UNESCO mainly from these two countries.
India, which has always been an elected member of the Executive Board of UNESCO tried to act as a bridge between the African majority on the Board and the Western minority, but its efforts were unsuccessful. This was mainly due to Anglo-American attempts to kill UNESCO, and partly due to the rigidity of the Director-General of the time. However, when he was not re-elected for a third term and the present Director-General took over, the British and American administrations had no justification for not coming back into UNESCO. Their object seems to be to convert UNESCO and its Executive Board into a subservient tool through introduction of permanent membership and a virtual veto for the so-called great powers.
This is not a strategy that can succeed, for even in the UN itself there is an urgent demand for enlarging the Security council and removing the right of veto of the five permanent members. It is time the US and the UK came back to UNESCO and worked their ideas through from within rather than criticise UNESCO from outside, as they have been doing for the last decade. It may also be worthwhile to amend the UNESCO Constitution in order to restrict the tenure of the Director-General to one term of six or seven years and make him ineligible for a second term. This is also being considered in the case of the UN Secretary General. It may also be timely to consider the decentralisation of the powers and authority of the Director- General and subject him to effective supervision by the Executive Board, as was done by setting up a Temporary Committee of the Board in the mid-eighties.
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India has always stood by the purpose and principles of UNESCO because it still regards it as the "conscience of mankind". However India's efforts in this direction have not always been successful, because of the formation of group and blocs within the Executive Board by the Western the African members will take a broader view of things than they have at times in the past. It is likely that if they give a lead in this direction, other regions, both in the East and the West, will respond positively and bring UNESCO closer to its cherished goals. India and other like-minded countries could play the positive role of catalytic agent in this regard.
The time has come when we should take a second look at the United Nations and its Specialised Agencies like UNESCO in order to make them more representative of the world, more democratic and effective in bringing about greater cooperation and a more equitable sharing of the world. India could act as a bridge of understanding in this process between the East and the West, the North and the South.
UNESCO, of all the UN Specialised Agencies, could become a model by setting an example through its effective, constructive programmes and by popularising them amongst all peoples and countries. UNESCO needs to concentrate more and more on effective and better means of communication in all fields, especially education, science and culture. It must create facilities for popularising small families, especially in countries like Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Iran and most countries in Africa, where the rate of population growth eats up the fruits of development and leaves those below the poverty line as numerous as before. Education in family planning is urgently needed in all developing countries, especially in the rural areas.
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In the field of education the emphasis should be not merely on increasing literacy, though that is necessary, but even more on providing vocational training among rural youth. They must be taught a trade or craft which would enable them to become self-employed and not merely add to the numbers of the educated unemployed. India could provide facilities in these fields for training youths from developing countries. India has entrepreneurs and infrastructure, which UNESCO could avail of.
These are only a few of the many suggestions for improving UNESCO and utilising the experience and know-how of countries such as India. As Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru taught us during our struggle for Independence, India's freedom is but a part of the world struggle for freedom and development on the basis of equality and mutual cooperation, without any prejudice against race, gender, colour, creed, social or economic status. These are also ideals enshrined in the Constitution. of UNESCO.
India, UNESCO and the world have common goals and ideals. They must therefore work in complete harmony, understanding and cooperation to make our global village a better, happier, more stable and peaceful place to live in for all its inhabitants.
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