The Executive Board A lengthy discussion of the constitutional provision that members of the Executive Board should act in their personal capacity rather than as representatives of their governments and of the difficulties created by this provision resulted in an instruction to the secretariat to prepare a report on the entire problem for submission to the next meeting of the Executive Board. In so far as opinions were expressed by members of the Board, they indicated no enthusiasm for a change in the constitution to permit members of the Board to act as representatives of their governments, but, on the contrary, a feeling that the constitutional arrangement should be tried out in practice before a change was made. Financial Questions The only major question for decision by the Board here was as to the scale of contributions to be adopted by members other than the United States. The issue, briefly, was whether other nations should make their contributions by dividing up among themselves the 55.97 percent of the budget not absorbed by the United States or whether an allowance of 5 percent for possible new members should be set aside. The Board decided not to make such an allowance. Budget The Board adopted a budget presented with great skill by the Deputy Director General, Walter H. C. Laves. Criticisms of the budget were minor and were directed to such matters as an apparently exaggerated estimate of the cost of the Mexico City conference. A finance committee of the Board was established to oversee transfers within the budget from chapter to chapter, from service to service, or from undistributed appropriations. The appointment of the committee was welcomed by the Deputy Director General. Organization of the Secretariat The Board discussed the general administrat set-up and expressed its strong feeling t UNESCO's secretariat should not be departmen ized but should be established on a project b so far as possible, with outside experts emplo for specific jobs. The Deputy Director Gen expressed his agreement with this policy but sta that its success would require educational w in the secretariat and among various gro outside the organization which were continu pressing for group representation within organization. Considerable dissatisfaction expressed in the Board on the subject of geograp distribution of members of the Secretariat. point was made by the American representat that members of the staff of UNESCO should only be drawn from different geographic an but should be truly representative of the opini and the intellectual climate of their areas a particularly should not be "sheep in wolv clothing", pretending to hold opinions of kind while actually holding opinions of anoth This view was incorporated in the report on organization of the secretariat, made when Board terminated the secret meeting in wh this question had been originally discussed. T Board instructed the Director General th appointments to key positions could not be ma except after notification to the Executive Bo or its standing committee 30 days in advance final action. In the case of emergency appo ments, members of the Board or of the stand committee should be notified in advance, allow time for action. Future Meeting The next meeting of the Executive Boardw fixed for some time in the month of July in På and the date of the second General Confere was fixed for November 5 in Mexico City, maximum period of the Conference being limi to four weeks. have a higher priority than those of the section programs. Activities of UNESCO include: collection of information; cooperation with other organizations; exchange of persons; and work of the copyright convention. UNESCO will cooperate with the United Nations and with other specialized agencies in all projects which are of common interest. Following are some highlights of the program:1 UNESCO-WIDE PROJECTS Reconstruction and rehabilitation. The revised program emphasizes provision of scientific and technical equipment, exchange and distribution of publications, aid to museums and assistance in the field of arts and letters. It is hoped to obtain contributions of materials, equipment, fellowships, and money to a total value of $100,000,000. Reconstruction is emphasized throughout the program, because needs are urgent and practical achievements are possible this year. Fundamental education. A Far Eastern Regional Study Conference will be held at Nanking in September at the invitation of China. A proposal by the Government of Haiti for a "pilot project" to be started this year has been approved. Detailed plans are now under consideration. A similar project in British East Africa has been approved. A committee of experts on fundamental education met at Paris on April 17-19, 1947. Education for international understanding. A summer seminar for teachers will be held at Paris in July and August. Each country is asked to send from two to five teachers. Governments have been asked to initiate survey studies of education for international understanding including the improvement of textbooks and teaching materials. Hylean Amazon Institute. A field staff is making 1 For the text of the revised program see The Program of UNESCO (URS/UNESCO Prog./1), mimeographed and issued by the UNESCO Relations Staff, Department of State. 3 preliminary studies at Belém in Pará, Brazil. conference of governments concerned is planned for August, to report to the General Conference at Mexico City in November on the establishment of an international scientific commission. Fundamental education is to be included in the Hylean Amazon project. SECTIONS Education. A committee of experts on educational statistics met at Paris. Studies on adult education, a teachers' charter, and an international education yearbook will be undertaken. Questions relating to the re-education of ex-enemy countries will be explored. Libraries. An exhibit on public libraries and a meeting of experts will be held in connection with the Mexico City conference. Work will be begun on bibliographic services, documentary reproduction, archives development, and a system of international inter-library loan. Natural sciences. Field science cooperation offices will be established in China, Latin America, and the Middle East. Grants-in-aid are being made to organizations with which UNESCO has entered into formal agreements, including members of the International Council of Scientific Unions. Social sciences. UNESCO will offer hospitality to the conference of the International Federation of Housing and Town Planning, Paris, June 5-7, 1947, although primary responsibility in this field lies with the Economic and Social Council. Preliminary studies of the social-tension project, yearbook, social-science abstracts, and comparative and international law will be undertaken. Philosophy and humanistic studies. Philosophers are preparing statements on human rights. Surveys in philosophy and humanistic studies and plans for the translation of classics are contemplated. Arts and letters. A committee of experts will meet in July to plan for an International Theatre Institute. Work will proceed on the International Pool of Literature, translation services, and promotion of international artistic activities. Museums. A survey of museum techniques and other special studies will be undertaken. Mass communication. A commission on the technical needs of war-devastated countries is at work. UNESCO will survey obstacles to the free flow of information with the United Nations and will stimulate the supply of materials contributing to UNESCO's aims through films, radio, press, and magazines. Budget Following is the revised allocation of UNESCO's funds: Name Dr. Julian Huxley. Mr. S. Arnaldo Country U.K. U.S.A. France Philippine Republic UNESCO. THE NATIONAL COMMISSION The U. S. National Commission advises the Government and American delegations to the General Conference of UNESCO, and serves as a link with national groups in matters relating to Organized under authority of Congress, the Commission consisted initially of 90 members, 50 of whom were nominated by national organizations and 40 by the Secretary of State. Ten additional members, also to be nominated by national organizations, were to be added. The Commission has held two meetings, the first at Washington September 23-26, 1946, the second at Philadelphia, March 26-27, 1947. An executive committee of 15 members has held four meetings. The Chairman of the National Commission is Milton S. Eisenhower, President of Kansas State College. Vice Chairmen are Waldo G. Leland, Arthur H. Compton, and Edward W. Barrett. National Conference on UNESCO The National Conference on UNESCO convened by the National Commission was held at Philadelphia March 24-26. Over 500 national organizations sent representatives. Addresses at general sessions were given by A. J. Stoddard, Superintendent of Schools, Philadelphia; Assistant Secretary of State William Benton; Sir Ramaswami Mudaliar, President of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations; Bernard Drzewieski, Director of the Educational Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Division of UNESCO; and Karl E. Mundt, of South Dakota, Member of the House of Representatives. Fourteen section meetings considered different aspects of UNESCO's program. At the final session, the findings of the section meetings were summarized by Howard E. Wilson, Assistant Director of the Division of Intercourse and Education of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and formerly Deputy Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission of UNESCO. The reports were discussed by a panel consisting of Milton S. Eisenhower; Kathryn McHale, American Association of University Women; Mrs. William D. Sporborg, General Federation of Women's Clubs; George A. S dard, President of the University of Illinois; Albert Noyes, President of the American Chem Society. The proceedings of the National Conference being edited and will be published shortly. Mountain Plains Regional Confere A highly successful regional conference UNESCO was held at Denver May 15-17. A s mary report will be given in the next issue. Milwaukee Conference A conference on UNESCO, held at Milwaukee April 30, was marked by city-wide cooperation organizations and educational institutio George A. Stoddard, Louise Wright, and Char S. Johnson were the main speakers. Costs the conference, including radio coverage, w defrayed by the Boston Store. Assignment of UNESCO's Projects The National Commission has begun to recei requests from UNESCO for assistance in carryi out UNESCO's projects. A comprehensive stat ment of requests prepared by the UNESCO sec tariat has been edited by the National Comm sion's staff (URS/UNESCO Prog./2). Some form requests have been received in communicatio from Julian Huxley. Requests are referred to the program assig ments committee of the National Commissio Action taken by the committee so far includ the following: (a) Relief and reconstruction requests referr to the Commission for International Education Reconstruction (b) Natural sciences referred to the Nation Research Council (c) Philosophy and humanistic studies referr to the American Council of Learned Societies (d) Social sciences referred to the Social Scien Research Council (e) Libraries referred to the American Libra Association |