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Unit 11: Library Legislation—II

7. Application of Act to books and newspapers published by Government: “This Act shall also Notes
apply to books and newspapers published by or under the authority of the Government but shall
not apply to books meant for official use only.”
8. Power to make rules: The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make
rules to carry out the purposes of this Act.

11.8 UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (French L’Organisation des
Nations unies pour l’éducation, la science et la culture : UNESCO is a specialized agency of the
United Nations. Its stated purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international
collaboration through education, science, and culture in order to further universal respect for justice,
the rule of law, and human rights along with fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the UN Charter.
It is the heir of the League of Nations’ International Commission on Intellectual Cooperation.
UNESCO has 196 Member States (it recently added Palestine in November 2011) and eight Associate
Members. Most of the field offices are “cluster” offices covering three or more countries; there are
also national and regional offices. UNESCO pursues its objectives through five major programs:
education, natural sciences, social andhuman sciences, culture, and communication and information.
Projects sponsored by UNESCO include literacy, technical, and teacher-training programmes;
international science programmes; the promotion of independent media and freedom of the press;
regional and cultural history projects; the promotion of cultural diversity; international cooperation
agreements to secure the world cultural and natural heritage (World Heritage Sites) and to preserve
human rights, and attempts to bridge the worldwide digital divide. It is also a member of the United
Nations Development Group.

Mission and Priorities
UNESCO’s stated aim is “to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable
development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication
and information”.
Other priorities of the Organization include attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning,
addressing emerging social and ethical challenges, fostering cultural diversity, a culture of peace
and building inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication.
The broad goals and concrete objectives of the international community–as set out in the
internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)–
underpin all UNESCO’s strategies and activities.
UNESCO and its mandate for international intellectual co-operation can be traced back to the League
of Nations resolution on 21 September 1921, to elect a Commission to study the question. The
International Committee on Intellectual Co-operation (ICIC) was officially created on 4 January
1922, as a consultative organ composed of individuals elected based on their personal qualifications.
The International Institute for Intellectual Cooperation (IIIC) was then created in Paris on 9 August
1925, to act as the executing agency for the CICI. On 18 December 1925, the International Bureau of
Education (IBE) began work as a non-governmental organization in the service of international
educational development. However, the work of these predecessor organizations was largely
interrupted by the onset of the Second World War.
After the signing of the Atlantic Charter and the Declaration of the United Nations, the Conference
of Allied Ministers of Education (CAME) began meetings in London which continued between 16
November 1942 to 5 December 1945. On 30 October 1943, the necessity for an international

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