Uruguay

• © UNESCO
• Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento

Uruguay joined UNESCO in November 1947.

The country hosts the UNESCO Office Montevideo, a Cluster Office that covers Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Paraguay. It is also UNESCO’S Regional Bureau for Science in Latin America and the Caribbean. Inaugurated in 1949, it was one of the first UNESCO offices established outside Paris headquarters. It is responsible for a variety of activities and is UNESCO’s official representative to MERCOSUR.

In 1995, UNESCO declared the Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento a World Heritage site. This city, founded by the Portuguese in 1680, played a major strategic role in the struggle against the Spanish conquistadors. Its well- preserved architecture perfectly illustrates the fusion between Portuguese, Spanish and post-colonial styles.

UNESCO’s Director-General, Koïchiro Matsuura, visited Uruguay in March 2005.