United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded on 16 November 1945. For this specialized United Nations agency, Education, Social and Natural Science, Culture and Communication are key to build peace in the minds of women and men. UNESCO promotes international co-operation among its 193 Member States and 7 Associate Members in all these fields. It is working to create the conditions for genuine dialogue based upon respect for shared values and the dignity of each civilization and culture.

UNESCO works towards establishing universal agreements on emerging ethical issues. The Organization also helps to disseminate and share information and knowledge, while helping Member States to build their human and institutional capacities in diverse fields.
<div id="toc">
<h2>Table of Contents</h2>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_main-objectives"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Main objectives</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_the-division-for-gender-equality"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">The Division for Gender Equality</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_see-also"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">See Also</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_external-links"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">External Links</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="w_main-objectives">Main objectives</h2>
<ul>
<li>promote international reflection and debate on the ethical, legal and societal challenges of the information society;</li>
<li>promote and widen access to information in the public domain through the organization, digitization and preservation of information;</li>
<li>support training, continuing education and lifelong learning in the fields of communication, information and informatics;</li>
<li>support the production of local content and foster the availability of indigenous knowledge through basic literacy and ICT literacy training;</li>
<li>promote the use of international standards and best practices in communication, information and informatics in UNESCO’s fields of competence; and</li>
<li>promote information and knowledge networking at local, national, regional and international levels.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="w_the-division-for-gender-equality">The Division for Gender Equality</h2>
The Division for Gender Equality (GE), located within the Bureau of Strategic Planning (BSP) at UNESCO, is responsible for ensuring the implementation of UNESCO’s global priority, which is the "Priority Gender Equality Action Plan for 2008-2013".

This work is supported by a two-pronged approach involving both gender-specific programmes and gender mainstreaming within UNESCO’s five Major Programmes (i.e. Education, Natural Sciences, Social and Human Sciences, Communication and Culture), intersectoral platforms and thematic areas of focus such as HIV and AIDS and climate change.

The Priority Gender Equality Action Plan was presented to the 181st session of the Executive Board in April 2009, in UNESCO Headquarters, and it as also presented to all Member States during the 35th session of the General Conference in October 2009.
<h2 id="w_see-also">See Also</h2>
<ul>
<li>"United</li>
<li><a href="http://www.wikigender.org/index.php/Irina_Bokova">Irina Bokova, new Director-General of UNESCO</a></li>
<li>"Education</li>
<li>"Access</li>
<li> "Gender, </li>
<li> "Gender, </li>
<li>"Primary</li>
<li>"Primary</li>
<li>"Net</li>
<li>"Net</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="w_external-links">External Links</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO website</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.unesco.org/women">http://www.unesco.org/women</a></li>
<li>Access <a href="http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001811/181148e.pdf">the Priority Gender Equality Action Plan</a>.</li>
</ul>