Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Official website of the State –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On November 16, 1945, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded. Today, it unites 194 full (states) and 12 associate (dependent territories) members—a platform where countries build cooperation for the sake of peace, security, and respect for the rights of every inhabitant of our planet.
Pages of history
The first UNESCO General Conference was held at the Sorbonne in Paris from November 20 to December 10, 1946. The organization was founded amid the grave consequences of World War II, when humanity was searching for new tools to prevent global conflicts. Japan and West Germany joined UNESCO in 1951, and Spain in 1953.
The USSR became a member of the organization in 1954, and the Russian Federation has been a member since 1992. Between 1991 and 1993, 12 former Soviet republics also became members of UNESCO. In 1960, 19 newly independent African states joined the organization.
Since its inception, UNESCO has strived to strengthen interethnic cooperation and ensure access to quality education, advance science for sustainable development, support humanitarian cooperation, and protect cultural heritage. Russia participates in the work of this specialized UN agency in all areas, adhering to the global standards it sets.
UNESCO's headquarters are in Paris and the organization is governed by a General Conference, which gathers representatives of Member States every two years. Between conferences, the organization's affairs are conducted by an Executive Board and Secretariat, headed by a Director-General. Khaled El-Anani, former Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and a Chevalier of the French Order of Arts and Letters, was elected to this post on November 6 at the organization's 43rd General Conference in Samarkand.
Unique area of responsibility
UNESCO considers education a fundamental human right and a global public good. The organization coordinates the efforts of states to ensure that children, youth, and adults have access to modern, high-quality, and continuous education—from kindergarten to university. This initiative, established in 1953, unites schools that promote UNESCO's ideals. The program involves 12,000 educational institutions from 182 countries, including 368 schools in Russia.
In partnership with member countries, the institution promotes developments in science, technology, and innovation for sustainable development. A particular focus is on the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, which officially recognize the key role of science.
As societies become increasingly diverse, UNESCO continues to fulfill its humanist mission to help people understand each other, adapt to global change, and work together to find ways to peaceful coexistence.
Heritage Lists
UNESCO is the only UN agency with a mandate to safeguard culture. Its work is based on international conventions, including those for the safeguarding of the world's cultural and natural heritage and intangible cultural heritage. Its mission is to preserve and promote sites and traditions of value to all humanity.
Since 1972, a list of World Heritage sites—natural and man-made, unique and in need of protection—has been compiled. Today, it includes 1,199 sites in 168 countries. Russia is among the top 10 according to the organization, with 31 sites, while Italy and China lead the way with 59 and 57, respectively.
Since 2003, UNESCO has maintained a list of intangible heritage—oral traditions, music, dance, crafts, rituals, and festivals. It includes 677 items from 140 countries. The program, founded in 1990, is dedicated to preserving documentary heritage—archives, rare documents, and historically significant materials—and currently includes 494 items.
International Day of Tolerance
UNESCO develops initiatives in the field of freedom of expression, the safety of journalists, access to information, and supports the development of media and information literacy.
In 1996, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 51/95, declaring November 16 as the International Day of Tolerance. A year earlier, Member States signed a Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, which states that tolerance is not condescension or indifference, but respect and recognition of the rich diversity of our world’s cultures, our forms of expression and human existence. Tolerance recognizes the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons. People are by nature different, and only tolerance can ensure the survival of mixed communities in every region of the world. At the same time, a prize named after Madanjit Singh, an Indian artist, writer and diplomat, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, was established. It is awarded for creating an atmosphere of tolerance and non-violence in the scientific, artistic, cultural or communication fields. The creation of this honorary award is inspired by the ideals of the organization’s charter, which literally states the following: a world based only on economic and political agreements of governments will not be able to win the unanimous, lasting and sincere support of the people; it must be based on the intellectual and moral solidarity of humanity. Our prize winner was the Russian Federal Scientific and Methodological Center in the Field of Psychology and Pedagogy of Tolerance (CT), a large-scale offline and online platform for the development and broadcast of interactive educational technologies aimed at strengthening humanistic values in society.
Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: November 16, 2025.
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