The UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office (UTCO) was established in January 2003. The Office covers four countries in the region, namely the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Turkmenistan.
Programmes for Afghanistan and Pakistan are managed through UNESCO Offices in Kabul and Islamabad, while programmes for Iran and Turkmenistan are managed directly by the Tehran Cluster Office. UTCO works in close co-operation with the UNESCO National Commissions and key governmental partners of the four cluster countries, as well as UN Agencies, ECO, ISESCO, and other IGOs and NGOs. At the regional level, UTCO also co-operates with UNESCO's regional offices in Bangkok and Jakarta.
Strategy
In implementing UNESCO's mandate to "build peace in the minds of people", UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office underscores the importance of dialogue and sharing of knowledge through all its operations.
Building upon the shared cultural, social, historical and spiritual heritage of the cluster countries, the Office co-operates with national and regional partners in implementing its key activities in the fields of Education, Culture, Natural Sciences and Communication & Information.
Partners & Networks
UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office closely co-operates with the relevant government authorities of the four cluster countries of I.R. of Afghanistan, I.R. of Iran, Pakistan and Turkmenistan, UN and UNESCO offices in the region. UTCO has a wide range of partners in the programme areas of education, culture, natural sciences, communication and information, as well as in the interdisciplinary fields pertinent for the region, such as integrated disaster management.
UTCO builds upon this wide network of partners, inclusive of governmental authorities, academic and research institutions, training institutes, civil society, NGOs, the private sector and international experts.