[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 3 (Monday, January 22, 2001)]
[Page 137]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
 Statement on Reforms in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and 
Cultural Organization

 January 16, 2001

     I welcome the significant reforms in the United Nations 
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) over the past 
several years, beginning with the distinguished tenure of Federico Mayor 
of Spain. Mr. Mayor helped to revitalize and refocus the organization on 
its core missions of promoting education for all, preserving our 
cultural heritage, and upholding freedom of the press. I also welcome 
the continued emphasis on these issues under UNESCO's current Director-
General, Koichiro Matsuura, who has also taken significant steps to 
reform the organization.
     For several years, we have indicated our willingness to consider 
rejoining UNESCO subject to reform efforts and the availability of 
funding. UNESCO's substantial progress on reform and the U.N. General 
Assembly's agreement on modification of assessments present the United 
States with a new opportunity to move forward on this issue.
     Our participation in UNESCO would strengthen the organization's 
ability to deal with such issues as the digital divide, education for 
all, and international cooperation on scientific issues. It would also 
better enable us to ensure that the organization sustains the progress 
made in recent years.
     For all of these reasons, I would encourage the incoming 
administration to include a request to fund UNESCO in its FY 2002 budget 
and thereby pave the way for reentry into this important organization.