Application Procedure

Requests for official partnership (NGOs) or official relations (foundations and similar institutions) may be submitted at any time and shall include the application form duly filled, and the following documentation (in English or French) :

• a cover letter addressed to the UNESCO Director-General;
• a copy of the instrument of legal recognition of the application organization/institution;
• a copy of the statutes of the organization/institution (by-laws, charter, constitution, or articles of association);
• a copy of its detailed financial statement for the last financial year;
• a copy of the latest activity report(s) covering a period of at least the two years prior to the time of submitting the application;
• a complete list of members by country and by category (as provided in the applicant organization’s statutes or by-laws).

Applications shall be submitted through the dedicated mailbox: csp.applications@unesco.org.

Incomplete requests, as well as requests not fulfilling essential criteria, may not be considered.

Applications are reviewed based on the criteria established in either the Directives concerning UNESCO’s partnership with non-governmental organizations or the Directives concerning official relations with foundations and similar institutions, depending on the functioning and legal status of the applicant organization or institution.

In order to be considered for the establishment of an official relationship with UNESCO (official partnership or official relations), among other criteria, applicant organizations and institutions must be non-governmental, non-profitmaking and must have recognized legal status. Moreover, they must pursue goals that are in conformity with UNESCO’s ideals and with the ethical principles recognized by the international community, and they must be engaged in activities in a spirit of cooperation, tolerance, and solidarity, in the interest of humankind and with respect for cultural identities.

Provided that an applicant NGO or institution fulfills all the essential criteria established in the relevant Directives, the evaluation of its request will be guided by the following considerations:

• the extent of the joint activities implemented in recent years by the NGO/institution and the UNESCO Secretariat, and the existing cooperation with National Commissions for UNESCO;
• the potential for future cooperation and synergies;
• impact of the NGO/institution’s action in the field.

Additionally, in the case of national and local NGOs as well as foundations and similar non-governmental institutions, the eventual establishment of an official partnership or of official relations also involves consultations with the National Commission for UNESCO of the Member State on whose territory the organization or institution concerned has its headquarters. 

The applicant organization/institution is officially informed of the final decision upon completion of the whole process, which generally takes about 12 months.

Before applying for official partnership or official relations, interested organizations/institutions are strongly encouraged to carefully read the relevant Directives and make sure their organization/institution fulfils all the necessary criteria.