UNESCO has its origins in a series of efforts, made since the beginning of the 20th century, especially after the First World War, to establish international cooperation in order to ensure peace. Particularly noteworthy is the decision by the League of Nations to set up an International Commission for Intellectual Cooperation, based in Geneva, which would be created on 4 January and will have as its executive agency, as from , the International Institute for Intellectual Cooperation.
Also that year, on 18 December , the International Bureau of Education began its activity, first as a private entity and then, from , as an intergovernmental organization, promoting international cooperation through education and science.
These initial efforts were eventually interrupted due to the Second World War. Representatives of forty states took part and decided to set up an organisation to establish a culture of peace based on the intellectual and moral solidarity of humanity. The first session of the General Conference was held in Paris from 19 November to 10 December , with the participation of representatives of thirty governments.
The history of UNESCO began with the aim of building peace in the minds of men and women through education, science and culture. It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. The Second World War was far from over, yet those countries were looking for ways and means to reconstruct their systems of education once peace was restored. Very quickly, the project gained momentum and soon took on a universal note.
New governments, including that of the United States, decided to join in. Scarcely had the war ended when the conference opened. It gathered together the representatives of forty-four countries who decided to create an organization that would embody a genuine culture of peace. Political and economic arrangements of governments are not enough to secure the lasting and sincere support of the peoples.
Peace must be founded upon dialogue and mutual understanding. Peace must be built upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of humanity. In this spirit, UNESCO develops educational tools to help people live as global citizens free of hate and intolerance. UNESCO stands up for freedom of expression, as a fundamental right and a key condition for democracy and development. Serving as a laboratory of ideas, UNESCO helps countries adopt international standards and manages programmes that foster the free flow of ideas and knowledge sharing.
Cultural diversity is under attack and new forms of intolerance, rejection of scientific facts and threats to freedom of expression challenge peace and human rights. UNESCO believes that all forms of discrimination based on gender are violations of human rights, as well as a significant barrier to the achievement of the Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
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