Reforms passed by UNESCO鈥檚 general conference this week have increased
the degree of political control over the UN agency鈥檚 policy, programmes
and finance. But developing countries are concerned that the reforms will
give the rich donors more power over the organisation.
In the most crucial reform, proposed by Japan, the biggest donor, seats
on UNESCO鈥檚 executive board will be awarded to states rather than individuals.
Until now, nations took turns on the 51-member board and had a limited term
of office. From this week, a country will be able to retain a seat on the
board indefinitely.
Japan鈥檚 vice-minister for education, Nariaki Nakayama, says this means
governments will be 鈥榤ore directly involved in decision making on basic
policy鈥�. Japan hopes the initiative will entice the US and Britain back
into the organisation.
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UNESCO鈥檚 original goal was to be an agency directed by independent intellectuals.
The last reform to curtail this aim was in 1954, when the US imposed a requirement
that candidates be formally approved by their country of origin. Algeria
and Zaire attempted to defeat Japan鈥檚 proposal with a counter-amendment.
But they met with 鈥榤assive pressure鈥� to drop it, according to an Algerian
diplomat.
A second reform, proposed by Canada, was also accepted. It aims to shift
the focus of the agency鈥檚 financial control by setting up a group of 12
experts to review all issues and documents to go before the commission.
A new forum of 鈥�18 eminent persons鈥� to restore the agency鈥檚 role as
a think-tank of 鈥榦utstanding experts鈥� was proposed by Germany and accepted.
The general conference appeared to hold out little hope that the US
and Britain would return in the near future, and resigned itself to a reduced
budget.
The total sum set aside for new science programmes over the next two
years is just $150 000, and this must come out of the general budget. The
sum for all new programmes, including educational and cultural, is $1.5
million.
