United Nations Unesco And The Politics Of Knowledge

The Third UN is the ecology of supportive non-state actors-intellectuals, scholars, consultants, think tanks, NGOs, the for-profit private sector, and the media-that interacts with the intergovernmental machinery of the First UN (member states) and the Second UN (staff members of international secretariats) to formulate and refine ideas and decision-making at key junctures in policy processes. Some advocate for particular ideas, others help analyze or operationalize their testing and implementation; many thus help the UN 'think'. While think tanks, knowledge brokers, and epistemic communities are phenomena that have entered both the academic and policy lexicons, their intellectual role remains marginal to analyses of such intergovernmental organizations as the United Nations.

This book traces the history of UNESCO from its foundational idealism to its current stature as the preeminent international organization for science, education, and culture, building a well rounded understanding of this important organization. The book: provides an overview of the organization and its institutional architecture in the context of its humanistic idealism details the subsequent challenges UNESCO faced through cold war and power politics, global dependence and interdependence, and the rise of identity and culture in global politics analyses the functioning of UNESCO administration, finance, and its various constituencies including the secretariat, member-states, and civil society explores the major controversies and issues underlying the initiatives in education, sciences, culture and communication examines the current agenda and future challenges through three major issues in UNESCO: Education or All, digital divide issues, and norms on cultural diversity assesses the role of UNESCO in making norms in complex world of multiple actors and intersecting issue-areas. Reflecting on UNESCO’s vision, its everyday practices, and future challenges; this work is an essential resource for students and scholars of international relations and international organizations.

Urges governments to expand quality education for all, increase community access to information and communication technology, and improve cross-border scientific knowledge-sharing, in an effort to narrow the digital and "knowledge" divides between the North and South and move towards a "smart" form of sustainable human development.

UNESCO pub. Monograph on the medium term role and activities of UNESCO for 1977 to 1982 - discusses possible spheres of interest, such as the universal affirmation of human rights, peace research, economic and social development, science policy, educational policy, literacy and social participation, the environment, population problems, communication, information services, etc.