Reviving UNESCO National Committees in Iran: A New Step in Scientific and Cultural Diplomacy

The National Committees of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, which play a key advisory role in monitoring UNESCO’s developments and enhancing the country’s capacities, are being revived following a period of suspension and review.

These committees are organized into seven specialized areas, in line with UNESCO’s programs:

• Education: National Committee for Education and National Committee for Higher Education
• Sciences: Committees for Man and the Biosphere, Earth Sciences and Geoparks, Hydrology, Basic Sciences, and Oceanography
• Culture: National Committee for the Safeguarding and Diversity of Cultural Expressions, National Committee for Cultural and Natural Heritage, and National Committee for Culture and the Arts
• Social Sciences: Committees for Bioethics and Ethics of Science and Technology, Civil Rights and Peace, Management of Social Transformations, and Sport and Physical Education
• Communication: National Committee for Memory of the World, National Committee for Communication and Media, and National Committee for Information for All
• External Relations: National Committee for External Relations
• UNESCO Networks: National Committee for Civil Society Organizations and Social Responsibility

The revised regulations for these committees provide for the appointment of up to 10 legal entities and 10 individual members to each committee.

The individual members were appointed for two-year terms by the President of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO (the Minister of Science, Research and Technology), upon the recommendation of the Commission’s Secretary-General, through official decrees.