09/28/2002
EDITORIAL NUMBER=0-10157

U.S. REJOINS UNESCO

The United States is committed to working with other nations to promote the goals of peace and freedom. To that end, President George W. Bush has announced the U.S. will return to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, known as UNESCO.

UNESCO was founded in 1946 to promote cooperation among nations in education, science, culture, and communications. The United States was a founding member of UNESCO, but withdrew in 1984 because of the organization's mismanagement and an anti-democratic bias. One of the most serious complaints was that UNESCO was advocating limitations on a free press.

In the past five years, UNESCO has made significant improvements in its operations. The number of senior positions has been cut by fifty percent, and professionals have been brought in to administer key offices.

Even more important, UNESCO now rejects censorship and is a committed supporter of the free flow of ideas and of independent media. Since 1997, UNESCO has sponsored a yearly award of twenty-five thousand dollars to an individual, organization, or institution defending freedom of expression, especially if the activity involves risk or punishment.

The first recipient of the award was Chinese journalist Gao Yu [GOW YEW]. She was jailed for almost six years in the 1990s, after writing a series of articles on Chinese politics and economics that appeared in Hong Kong publications. This year, the award was given to Geoffrey Nyarota [JAHF-ree nyah-RO-tah], editor-in-chief of The Daily News, Zimbabwe's only independent newspaper. Mr. Nyarota has been arrested and detained several times.

In this age of global terrorism, where hatred and ignorance are fomented for evil ends, a renewed UNESCO can play a crucial role. UNESCO's commitment to cross-cultural understanding and the promotion of human rights can do a great deal to advance liberty and peace.

As President Bush said in his speech before the United Nation's General Assembly, UNESCO "has been reformed, and America will participate fully in its mission to advance human rights, tolerance, and learning."