In 1951, UNESCO was among the first of the United Nations Specialized Agencies in which the Federal Republic of Germany became a Member State, thus ending Germany's intellectual isolation provoked by the Nazi Regime 1933 to 1945. By joining UNESCO in 1972, the GDR also became a Member State of a UN Organization for the first time. Germany makes the (after USA and Japan) third largest financial contribution to UNESCO.
Like most other Member States, the Federal Republic has a Permanent Delegation to UNESCO in Paris. It ensures constant working contact with UNESCO and is in charge of Germany's political relations with UNESCO. Ambassador Martina Nibbeling-Wrießnig is Germany's Permanent Delegate to UNESCO in Paris.
The German Commission for UNESCO (DUK) was founded on May 12, 1950, preceding Germany's official admission to UNESCO on June 11, 1951. On October 3, 1990, as a result of the German unification, it integrated the functions of the dissolved GDR National Commission into its structure.
DUK is a Liaison Organization for Multilateral Foreign Cultural Policy. Its regular budget is financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is a registered organization with up to 100 members comprising representatives of the German Federal Government and the governments of the Laender, representatives of institutions working at an international or federal level within UNESCO's fields of competence as well as experts for UNESCO's major programmes. Since 2002, Walter Hirche has been the President of the German Commission. Secretary-General is Dr. Roland Bernecker (since December 2004). The Secretariat of the German Commission for UNESCO has its headquarters in Bonn. The Bureau and the Executive Committee of the Commission are appointed by the General Assembly meeting once a year.
Activities of the German Commission for UNESCO cover each of UNESCO's major programme areas: a) Education, b) Natural and Social Sciences, c) Culture, d) Communication and Information. |
