Institutes and Centres linked to Communication and Information
UNESCO’s efforts to build knowledge societies are being complemented by the work undertaken by Institutes and Centres. These entities which are normally funded by Member States carry out a plethora of activities which contribute to the achievement of UNESCO’s strategic programme objectives.
Through capacity-building knowledge sharing and research, they provide a valuable and unique contribution to the implementation of UNESCO’s Communication and Information strategic programme objectives for the benefits of Member States.
Though they are not legally part of the Organization, these Institutes and Centres are associated with UNESCO through formal arrangements.
Requests for the establishment of these Institutes and Centres emanate from Member States. The Executive Board then examines the individual application alongside a feasibility study, before forwarding recommendations to the General Conference which has the final say.
Centres and Institutes complying with the Integrated Strategy adopted by the 37th UNESCO General Conference, are defined as “Category 2”.
Category 2 Institutes and Centres
To date, UNESCO has given Category 2 status to over 80 entities, including the following Centres which are linked to the Communication and Information Sector:
- Regional Centre for the Information and Communication Technology (CICT), Manama, Bahrain
- Regional Centre of Studies for the Development of the Information Society, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- IZUM-Regional Centre for Library Information Systems and Current Research Information Systems, Maribor, Slovenia
- Institute for Intercultural Dialogue and Conflict-Sensitive Reporting (IIDCSR), Oregon, United States of America