The Netherlands joined UNESCO on 1 January, 1947.
The Institute for Water Education (IHE) in Delft (Netherlands), which became the UNESCO IHE Institute in 2003, works to enhance the capacity of water professionals in developing countries. In 2007, it received its first evaluation from the Dutch government and UNESCO, with positive conclusions.
Amsterdam was selected as World Book Capital for 2008 for its exceptional efforts on behalf of books and reading.
World heritage is a principal area of cooperation between the Netherlands and UNESCO. There are seven Dutch cultural sites on the World Heritage List.
The Netherlands has contributed significantly to digital technology conservation, the subject of a conference in The Hague in 2005. Also in 2005, the Netherlands set up a national committee for the UNESCO Information for All programme.