The outbreak of the Second World War and the subsequent destruction of books, cultural heritage and education systems, saw endeavours to foster a spirit of international cooperation.

The origins of CAME and therefore of UNESCO, emerged during the summer of 1942 in the offices of Rab Butler MP, the UK Minister of Education, and Malcolm Robertson, Chairman of the British Council. Taking advantage of the many governments-in-exile in London, they convened a meeting of the Allied Educational Ministers for collaboration on educational questions affecting the Allied countries of Europe.

The Conference of Allied Ministers of Education (CAME), convened in London in November 1942, bringing together a group of men and women who viewed education and culture as vital elements for healing the world from the horrors of war and building a more peaceful future. Governments in exile including Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Yugoslavia, Great Britain, Luxembourg, United States, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, China, India, New Zealand, and South Africa attended the many meetings between 1942 and 1945.  Their work culminated in the establishment of UNESCO in 1945.

“Today, the peoples of the world are ‘islands shouting at each other over seas of misunderstanding’. They do not understand each other’s history, each other’s ways of living, each other’s way of thinking. The better they understand each other, the more they will realise how much they have in common and why and how they differ, and the less prone they will be to take up arms against each other. ‘Know thyself’, said the old proverb. ‘Know your neighbour’, we say today. And the whole world is our neighbour”

Clement Attlee, Conference for the Establishment of UNESCO, November 1945.

The United Nations Conference for the Establishment of an Education and Cultural Organisation was convened in London from 1-16 November 1945, with 44 governments represented.

UK Delegates included the Rt. Hon Ellen Wilkinson, Minister of Education; Arthur Creech Jones MP and David Hardman MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Education. Julian Huxley became the first Director-General of UNESCO.

The United Kingdom Government ratified the UNESCO Convention on 8th February 1946. It was signed by the UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Ernest Bevin MP.

UNESCO’s constitution established action through two levels: governments and National Commissions. Based on the notion that political agreements were not enough to create a long and enduring peace, it was up to National Commissions to work with the people of their respective country. The Commissions were seen as essential bridges between UNESCO, national governments and civil society, helping to shape UNESCO’s programmes and advise on relevant policies.

The UK National Commission for UNESCO was founded in 1946. Its first Principal and Secretary was the famous writer and archaeologist, Jacquetta Hawkes, a position she held until 1949. Jacquetta was heavily involved in preparations for the first UNESCO conference in Mexico City in 1947.

Read the speech from the Director-General of UNESCO, Dr. Jaime Torres Bodet, at our first public meeting in 1949.

The UK was one of 12 UNESCO Member States to establish the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN). The Convention was signed in 1953 and came into force in 1954. Western and Soviet scientists continued to collaborate throughout the Cold War era and CERN’s constitution stipulates that all research must be scientific, not military, and all results must be made public. Now the largest physics laboratory in the world, engaging over 10,000 researchers from 100 countries, CERN has pioneered scientific discoveries and made a remarkable contribution to international communication through the language of science.

The building of the Aswan Dam led to an archaeological emergency with ancient temples, monuments, and artifacts at risk from flooding and destruction. The governments of Egypt and Sudan appealed to UNESCO for help. The result was an unprecedented campaign to save irreplaceable ancient culture in the Nubia region – stretching along 200 miles of the Nile and 100 miles into Sudan.

UNESCO launched its appeal on 8 March 1960. An impressive list of high profile political, diplomatic and royal figures were members of a group of patrons, including Sir Julian Huxley, the first Director-General of UNESCO.

The international campaign lasted twenty years, saw the successful rescue and relocation of 20 monuments and contributed to the establishment of the 1972 World Heritage Convention which still forms the bedrock of international efforts to recognise and protect our cultural heritage.

The UK provided funding and resources for the campaign and Sir Mortimer Wheeler, Professor of Archaeology at London University, joined UNESCO’s committee of distinguished experts to advise the global project.

“Art is indivisible. There is no German Beethoven, only Beethoven, no Russian Dostoevski, only Dostoevski, no British Shakespeare, only Shakespeare. Great art is not for an age, but for all time. It is not for this or that side of the Iron Curtain, but for all men”

“On its banks some thousands of years ago the genius of man erected buildings, carved statues and inscribed records which are an important part of the cultural heritage not only of Egypt but of all man everywhere.’ Dr Horace King, 18 November 1960.

UNESCO passed Convention Against Discrimination in Education which provides the cornerstone for international standards in education.