UNESCO’s commitment to reform
Irina Bokova started down the path to reform as soon as she was elected Director-General in 2009. Her vision: to make UNESCO more relevant and more visible. She decided to implement the recommendations of an Independent External Evaluation (IEE) to stimulate fundamental reform along five major lines:
- Focus the work of the organization:
further focus efforts to address challenges consistent with its mandate. - Deliver programmes more effectively in the field:
a more mobile and deconcentrated workforce able to move flexibly between field and Headquarters. - Define UNESCO’s niche within the United Nations:
Intensifying engagement with United Nations. - Develop partnerships:
develop a comprehensive strategy for partnership that looks outwards to civil society, expert communities and the private sector. - Streamline governance:
clearer division of labor between UNESCO’s three organs (Executive Board, Secretariat and General Conference).
This exercise is driven by a fierce desire to position UNESCO more effectively in the world around it – to make it more relevant to the UN system and to deliver development assistance with more impact.
When the U.S. with-held its funding after UNESCO voted to admit Palestine in 2011, UNESCO lost 22 per cent of its budget: $160 million. It wasn’t easy; lots of people thought the cutbacks would derail reform. But somehow, the reform effort and the budgetary shortfall supported each other.
Now, UNESCO is a more focused Organization both at headquarters and in the field. It’s been given the lead on new initiatives in Education and Science by Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General.
Reform has become part of UNESCO’s organizational culture.
Essential readings
- UNESCO's Annual Report 2012 | 2013 | 2014
- UNESCO's way forward
(address by the Director-General of UNESCO - Nov. 2013) - Audit and Evaluation Reports
- UNESCO at a glance