GOVERNMENT
U.S. Withdrawal from UNESCO a Surprise That the U.S. has been irked for some time with the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is no secret. Nevertheless, the U.S/s decision to withdraw its membership has taken many by surprise. A formal letter of resignation signed by U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz was handed to Amadou-Mahtar M'Bow, UNESCO's director general, in the closing hours of last year by Jean Gerard, the U.S. permanent representative to UNESCO. There is still time for a change of heart since, according to UNESCO's constitution, the U.S. will remain a fully participating member for another 12 months. Failing a reversal, however, the eight-member U.S. delegation at UNESCO's Paris headquarters could be gone by next Dec. 31. UNESCO was created in November 1945 to advance "through the educational, scientific, and cultural relations of the peoples of the world, the objectives of international peace and of the common welfare of mankind without distinction of race, sex, language, or religion." Twenty countries originally were linked in its founding. That n u m b e r has increased to 161, many of which could not lay claim to statehood 39 years ago. The growth, unfortunately, has been accompanied by an increase in political activism within the organization, and by a polarization between ideologies of East and West. Comments Gerard, UNESCO now "is so skewed, so radical-political, that it is not serving the purpose it is supposed to serve, namely development." Her view is shared by a number of other countries. In light of this it is ironic that three of UNESCO's 14 major program areas are communication in the public interest; elimination of prejudice, intolerance, racism, and apartheid; and peace, international understanding, and human rights. 12
January 23, 1984 C&EN
The other 11 program areas are more specific and include such things as formulation and application of education policies; the sciences and their application to development; the human environment, and terrestrial and marine resources; and information systems and access to knowledge. Leaving politics and rhetoric aside, UNESCO is a valuable forum for the exchange of ideas and the initiation of programs leading to the advancement of literacy and the protection of cultural heritage. Its involvement in science spans many disciplines, including biology, climatology, geology, and oceanography. The chemistry program is the channel for awarding scholarships, research grants, and technical assistance to maintain analytical equipment in developing countries. International symposia are sponsored and courses are organized on research techniques. Important links have been established between UNESCO and specialized scientific bodies. For example, UNESCO helped launch the International Organization for Chemical Sciences in Development (C&EN, Jan. 3, 1983, page 21). IOCD's aim is to show how chemistry can be used to improve the living standards of developing countries, and to make better use of indigenous natural resources. UNESCO also undertakes collaborative research studies with the International Council of Scientific Unions. An ICSU-UNESCO coordinating committee meets every six months or so to review questions concerning both organizations and to draw up principles of common policy in scientific matters. U.S. scientists already have voiced concern at the prospect of a U.S. pullout from UNESCO. They argue that by so doing, practical and direct contacts with the world of science at large could be seriously impaired. However, few think that the U.S.
pullout will signal UNESCO's demise. But it is almost certain to affect the functioning and effectiveness of its programs. The U.S. is the most important single source of UNESCO's funding, accounting for about 25% of contributions made by member states. In the 1984-85 biennium budget adopted at the last UNESCO general conference in November, the U.S. payment for the two years is earmarked at a little more than $100 million, 23% of the total. The current UNESCO budget represents an increase of 3.8 to 5.5% over the 1982-83 biennium, the largest rise of any within the UN family of specialized agencies. Even the budget figures as published can't be taken at face value. They vary according to the parity value of the U.S. dollar against the French franc. The dollar's strength right now brings the figures down from the $433 million total closer to $374 million. The shift is in the U.S.'s favor, but it may not always be so. Basically it was dissatisfaction with the budget assessment, and with mismanagement of the whole budget process that prompted the State Department to recommend to President Ronald Reagan that the U.S. withdraw from UNESCO. But aggravations and frustrations have been simmering close to the surface in other areas as well. Broad issues such as human rights, and attempts to restrict freedom of the media by establishing what is called the New World Information & Communication Order (NWICO), which M'Bow espouses, have fueled the flame of discontent. NWICO, proposed some 10 years ago as a means whereby developing countries could counter allegedly distorted reporting of their affairs by what they view as the capitalist-dominated news media, has developed into a thinly veiled attack on western press freedom. Dermot O'Sullivan, London
