UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is an organization whose aim is to build world peace through international cooperation in the fields of education, culture and science. UNESCO was founded in 1945 as a reaction to two devastating world wars, when the global community realized that economic and political agreements were not enough to maintain a lasting peace - it is necessary to lead people to moral and intellectual solidarity and mutual understanding of the whole humankind.
As the preamble to the UNESCO Constitution states: "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed". UNESCO strives to do so through sharing knowledge and experience in education, natural and social sciences, culture and the protection of cultural heritage, promotion of the correct use of information and communication technologies and the protection of the environment. UNESCO offers a platform for dialogue, helping its member states to find common solutions for current challenges. It is the only UN organisation with a mandate in cultural and intellectual potential of humanity.
The main programmes of UNESCO are divided into 5 sectors:
1) Education
2) Natural Sciences
3) Social and Human Sciences
4) Culture (including the World Heritage)
5) Communication and Information
UNESCO acts in line with the principle of gender equality and accords special attention to the youth. The utmost priority for the organization at the moment is the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
