UNESCO New Delhi Office, the Organization's first decentralized Office in Asia was established in 1948. At its inception, it dealt with science and technology programmes in eleven South and Central Asian countries, i.e. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
In time, it incorporated communication programmes, and still later expanded to include education and culture. As part of UNESCO's new decentralization policy, UNESCO New Delhi is presently designated as a Cluster Office and is a platform for delivery of activities in all areas of UNESCO’s competence, namely, education, the natural and social sciences, culture, communication and information.
It implements a biennial Cluster programme that is integrated within itself and with the overall goals of the Organization. This is done through a fundamental operating principle - consultation and consensus with the National Commissions of the Member States, Regional Bureaus, civil society representatives, and other stakeholders and partners.
The New Delhi Office is now mandated to cover six countries of South Asia -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.UNESCO's programmes in Bangladesh and Nepal are implemented by the UNESCO Offices in Dhaka (go to homepage) and Kathmandu (go to homepage) respectively.
Eric Falt, Director and UNESCO Representative to Bhutan, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka
Since May 2018, Mr. Eric Falt has served as the Director and UNESCO Representative for the UNESCO New Delhi Office, which covers Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Mr. Falt previously served as Assistant Director-General for External Relations and Public Information at the Paris Headquarters of UNESCO, with the rank of Assistant Secretary-General of the UN.
He oversaw the work of the organization in the political field and guided UNESCO’s communications and public information efforts. Prior to this, he served as Director of the Outreach Division at the United Nations Department of Public Information in New York, and as the Director of Communications for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), at its headquarters in Nairobi. He is married and has five sons.
Mr. Falt was also posted for the United Nations in Pakistan, Iraq, Haiti and Cambodia.
UNESCO Policy on the Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)
UNESCO is committed to applying a ‘zero tolerance’ policy towards acts of sexual exploitation and abuse by its personnel. In 2003, the United Nations Secretary-General issued a Bulletin on “Special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse” (ST/SGB/2003/13) (“the Bulletin”). To support system-wide implementation of the zero-tolerance policy, the Director-General has decided to adopt the standards of conduct and provisions on protection from sexual exploitation and absuse (PSEA) set by the Bulletin, adjusted as necessary, to be applied by UNESCO personnel.
The PSEA Focal Point at UNESCO New Delhi is Ms Olfa Bouquet.