The UK National Commission for UNESCO

The UK National Commission for UNESCO is an independent body and not an internal part to UNESCO. As such, the Commission does not speak on behalf of UNESCO.

The Commission will answer your enquiries, provide the necessary information; and direct your enquiries to UNESCO (headquarters in Paris and/or other relevant regional offices).

Information below provides an outline to UNESCO and the UN, and a starting point to navigate the UN system.

UNESCO/UN PRESENCE IN THE UK

Neither UNESCO or the UN has an "office" or "branch" in the UK.

Only one UN agency - the International Maritime Organisation - has its headquarters in the UK.

Other UN bodies - the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) - have small offices in London.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has a collaborating centre in Cambridge. Click here for more details.

The UK was previously home to a UN Information Centre, an office of the UN Department of Public Information. However, as part of UN reforms and the consolidation of Western European operations, there is now one central information centre - the UN Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) - in Brussels.

The United Nations Association - UK (an NGO) provides useful information about the UN generally in the UK.

UNESCO in the UN SYSTEM

UNESCO is one of 15 Specialized Agencies in the UN system. It is unique in having a global network of 195 National Commissions.

The UN is a complex family of organisations, made up of six principal organs (General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice and the Secretariat); 15 agencies (e.g. WHO, FAO and UNESCO); and several programmes and funds (e.g. UNICEF, WFP and UNDP). For more information, visit The UN homepage or download an organisational chart of the UN system.