Constitution

of the United Nations

Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization

2022 Edition
Constitution of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization
Adopted on 16 November 1945

2022 Edition
Contents

Article I Purposes and functions.............................................7

Article II Membership..............................................................8
Article III Organs ................................................................11
Article IV The General Conference........................................11
Article V Executive Board.....................................................16
Article VI Secretariat...............................................................21
Article VII National cooperating bodies..................................23
Article VIII Reports by Member States.....................................24
Article IX Budget ................................................................24
Article X Relations with the United Nations Organization......25
Article XI Relations with other specialized international
organizations and agencies.....................................  25
Article XII Legal status of the Organization............................27
Article XIII Amendments..........................................................27
Article XIV Interpretation..........................................................28
Article XV Entry into force.......................................................28

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All the terms used in this collection of texts to designate the person
discharging duties or functions are to be interpreted as implying
that men and women are equally eligible to fill any post or seat
associated with the discharge of these duties and functions.
Constitution of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization
Adopted in London on 16 November 1945 and
amended by the General Conference at its 2nd,
3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 15th,
17th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th,
29th, 31st and 40th sessions.

The Governments of the States Parties to this

Constitution on behalf of their peoples declare:
That since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of
men that the defences of peace must be constructed;
That ignorance of each other’s ways and lives has been a common
cause, throughout the history of mankind, of that
suspicion and mistrust between the peoples of the
world through which their differences have all too
often broken into war;
That the great and terrible war which has now ended was a war made
possible by the denial of the democratic principles of
the dignity, equality and mutual respect of men, and
by the propagation, in their place, through ignorance
and prejudice, of the doctrine of the inequality of
men and races;
That the wide diffusion of culture, and the education of humanity
for justice and liberty and peace are indispensable
to the dignity of man and constitute a sacred duty

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 which all the nations must fulfil in a spirit of mutual
assistance and concern;
That a peace based exclusively upon the political and economic
arrangements of governments would not be a peace
which could secure the unanimous, lasting and
sincere support of the peoples of the world, and that
the peace must therefore be founded, if it is not to
fail, upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of
mankind.
For these reasons, the States Parties to this Constitution, believing
in full and equal opportun­ities for education for all,
in the unrestricted pursuit of objective truth, and
in the free exchange of ideas and knowledge, are
agreed and determined to develop and to increase
the means of communication between their peoples
and to employ these means for the purposes of
mutual understanding and a truer and more perfect
knowledge of each other’s lives;
In consequence whereof they do hereby create the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for
the purpose of advancing, through the educational
and scientific and cultural relations of the peoples
of the world, the objectives of international peace
and of the common welfare of mankind for which
the United Nations Organization was established and
which its Charter proclaims.

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Article I Purposes and functions
1. The purpose of the Organization is to con-
tribute to peace and security by promoting
collaboration among the nations through
education, science and culture in order to
further universal respect for justice, for the
rule of law and for the human rights and fun-
damental freedoms which are affirmed for the
peoples of the world, without distinction of
race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter
of the United Nations.
2. To realize this purpose the Organization will:
(a) Collaborate in the work of advancing the
mutual knowledge and understanding of
peoples, through all means of mass com-
munication and to that end recommend
such international agreements as may
be necessary to promote the free flow of
ideas by word and image;
(b) Give fresh impulse to popular education
and to the spread of culture:
By collaborating with Members, at their
request, in the development of educa-
tional activities;
By instituting collaboration among the
nations to advance the ideal of equality
of educational opportunity without regard
to race, sex or any distinctions, economic
or social;
By suggesting educational methods best
suited to prepare the children of the world
for the responsibilities of freedom;

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 (c) Maintain, increase and diffuse knowledge:
By assuring the conservation and protec-
tion of the world’s inheritance of books,
works of art and monuments of history
and science, and recommending to the
nations concerned the necessary interna-
tional conventions;
By encouraging cooperation among
the nations in all branches of intellec-
tual activity, including the international
exchange of persons active in the fields
of education, science and culture and
the exchange of publications, objects of
artistic and scientific interest and other
materials of information;
By initiating methods of international
cooperation calculated to give the people
of all countries access to the printed and
published materials produced by any of
them.
3. With a view to preserving the independence,
integrity and fruitful diversity of the cultures
and educational systems of the States Members
of the Organization, the Organization is pro-
hibited from intervening in matters which are
essentially within their domestic jurisdiction.
Article II Membership
1. Membership of the United Nations Organization
shall carry with it the right to membership of
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization.

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 2. Subject to the conditions of the Agreement
between this Organization and the United
Nations Organization, approved pursuant
to Article X of this Constitution, states not
members of the United Nations Organization
may be admitted to membership of the
Organization, upon recommendation of the
Executive Board, by a two-thirds majority
vote of the General Conference.
3. Territories or groups of territories which are
not responsible for the conduct of their interna-
tional relations may be admitted as Associate
Members by the General Conference by a
two-thirds majority of Members present and
voting, upon application made on behalf of
such territory or group of territories by the
Member or other authority having respon-
sibility for their international relations. The
nature and extent of the rights and obligations
of Associate Members shall be determined by
the General Conference.1
4. M embers of the Organization which are
suspended from the exercise of the rights
and privileges of membership of the United
Nations Organization shall, upon the request
of the latter, be suspended from the rights and
privileges of this Organization.
5.  M embers of the Organization which are
expelled from the United Nations Organization
shall automatically cease to be Members of
this Organization.
1. 
Paragraph adopted by the General Conference at its 6th session (1951) (6 C/
Resolutions, p. 83). See below, p. 19, resolution 41.2, concerning the rights and
obligations of Associate Members, adopted by the General Conference at the same
session.
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 6. 
A ny Member State or Associate Member
of the Organization may withdraw from
the Organization by notice addressed to the
Director-General. Such notice shall take effect
on 31 December of the year following that
during which the notice was given. No such
withdrawal shall affect the financial obliga-
tions owed to the Organization on the date the
withdrawal takes effect. Notice of withdrawal
by an Associate Member shall be given on its
behalf by the Member State or other authority
having responsibility for its international
relations.2
2. Paragraph adopted by the General Conference at its 8th session (1954) (8 C/Resolu-
tions, p. 12). At its 28th session (1995), the General Conference adopted resolution
20.1 (28 C/Resolutions, p. 117), concerning the amendment of this provision and of
Article IX (new paragraph 3), which is worded as follows:
The General Conference,
 Having examined document 28 C/30 and taken note of the Report of the Legal
Committee (28 C/136),
1.  Decides to amend Article II, paragraph 6, of the Constitution as follows:
 “6. Any Member State or Associate Member of the Organization may
withdraw from the Organization by notice addressed to the Director-General.
The withdrawal shall take effect twenty-four months after its notification to
the Director-General. No such withdrawal shall affect the financial obligations
of the state concerned to the Organization on the date the withdrawal takes
effect. Notice of withdrawal by an Associate Member shall be given on its
behalf by the Member State or other authority having responsibility for its
international relations.”;
2.  Decides to add a new paragraph 3 to Article IX of the Constitution reading as
follows (the present paragraph 3 becoming paragraph 4):
“3. The financial period shall be two consecutive calendar years, unless
otherwise decided by the General Conference. The financial contribution of
each Member State or Associate Member is due for the whole financial period
and is payable by calendar year. However, the contribution of a Member State
or an Associate Member having exercised its right of withdrawal according
to Article II, paragraph 6, shall be calculated, for the year during which
the withdrawal takes effect, on a pro rata basis covering the period of its
membership in the Organization.”;
3.  Considers that the above-mentioned amendments involve new obligations
for Member States and that, consequently, these amendments shall only
come into force after having been accepted by two thirds of the Member
States, in accordance with the provisions of Article XIII, paragraph 1, of the
Constitution. These amendments have not yet entered into force.
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 7.  ach Member State is entitled to appoint a
E
Permanent Delegate to the Organization.3
8. The Permanent Delegate of the Member State
shall present his credentials4 to the Director-
General of the Organization, and shall offi-
cially assume his duties from the day of
presentation of his credentials.
Article III Organs
The Organization shall include a General Conference,
an Executive Board and a Secretariat.
Article IV5 The General Conference
A. Composition
1. The General Conference shall consist of the
representatives of the States Members of
the Organization. The Government of each
Member State shall appoint not more than
five delegates, who shall be selected after
consultation with the National Commission,
if established, or with educational, scientific
and cultural bodies.
B. Functions
2. The General Conference shall determine the
policies and the main lines of work of the
Organization. It shall take decisions on pro-
grammes submitted to it by the Executive
Board.6
3. Paragraph adopted by the General Conference at its 31st session (2001)
(31 C/Resolutions, p. 105).
4. Paragraph adopted by the General Conference at its 31st session (2001)
(31 C/Resolutions, p. 105).
5. Article IV previously contained a paragraph F.15 which was inserted as a transitional
provision by the General Conference at its 20th session (1978) (20 C/Resolutions,
p. 160) and was deleted by the General Conference at its 24th session (1987) (24 C/
Resolutions, p. 168).
6. Paragraph amended by the General Conference at its 7th session (1952)
(7 C/Resolutions, p. 103).
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 3. The General Conference shall, when it deems
desirable and in accordance with the regu-
lations to be made by it, summon interna-
tional conferences of states on education, the
sciences and humanities or the dissemination
of knowledge; non-governmental conferences
on the same subjects may be summoned by the
General Conference or by the Executive Board
in accordance with such regulations.7
4. The General Conference shall, in adopting
proposals for submission to the Member
States, distinguish between recommendations
and international conventions submitted for
their approval. In the former case a majority
vote shall suffice; in the latter case a two-
thirds majority shall be required. Each of the
Member States shall submit recommendations
or conventions to its competent authorities
within a period of one year from the close of
the session of the General Conference at which
they were adopted.
5. Subject to the provisions of Article V,
paragraph 6 (c), the General Conference shall
advise the United Nations Organization on the
educational, scientific and cultural aspects of
matters of concern to the latter, in accordance
with the terms and procedure agreed upon
between the appropriate authorities of the two
Organizations.8

7. Paragraph amended by the General Conference at its 7th session (1952)

(7 C/Resolutions, pp. 103-4).
8. Paragraph amended by the General Conference at its 7th session (1952)
(7 C/Resolutions, p. 104).
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 6. The General Conference shall receive and
consider the reports sent to the Organization
by Member States on the action taken upon the
recommendations and conventions referred to
in paragraph 4 above or, if it so decides, ana-
lytical summaries of these reports.9
7. The General Conference shall elect the
members of the Executive Board and, on the
recommendation of the Board, shall appoint
the Director-General.
C. Voting
8. (a) Each Member State shall have one vote in
the General Conference. Decisions shall
be made by a simple majority except
in cases in which a two-thirds majority
is required by the provisions of this
Constitution,10 or the Rules of Procedure
of the General Conference.11 A majority
shall be a majority of the Members
present and voting.12
(b) A Member State shall have no vote in the
General Conference if the total amount of
contributions due from it exceeds the total
amount of contributions payable by it for
9. Paragraph amended by the General Conference at its 17th session (1972)
(17 C/Resolutions, p. 114).
10. These provisions are the following: Articles II.2 (admission of new Member States
which are not Members of the ­United Nations, on the recommendation of the Executive
Board); II.3 (admission of Associate Members); IV.4 (adoption of international
conventions submitted for approval of Member States); IV.13 (admission of observers
of non-­governmental or semi-governmental organizations); XIII.l (amendments
to the Constitution); XIII.2 (adoption of regulations governing the procedure for
amendments of the Constitution).
11. See Rule 83, paragraph 2, of the Rules of Procedure of the General Conference.
12. Subparagraph amended by the General Conference at its 10th session (1958)
(l0 C/Resolutions, p. 61).

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 the current year and the immediately
preceding calendar year.13
(c) The General Conference may neverthe-
less permit such a Member State to vote,
if it is satisfied that failure to pay is due
to conditions beyond the control of the
Member State.14
D. Procedure
9. (a) The General Conference shall meet in
ordinary session every two years. It may
meet in extraordinary session if it decides
to do so itself or if summoned by the
Executive Board, or on the demand of at
least one third of the Member States.
(b) At each session the location of its next
ordinary session shall be designated by
the General Conference. The location of
an extraordinary session shall be decided
by the General Conference if the session
is summoned by it, or otherwise by the
Executive Board.15
10. The General Conference shall adopt its own
rules of procedure. It shall at each session elect
a President and other officers.16

13. Subparagraph adopted by the General Conference at its 4th session (1949) and amended
at its 6th (1951) and 7th (1952) sessions (4 C/Resolutions, p. 9; 6 C/Resolutions, p. 85
and 7 C/Resolutions, p. 104).
14. Subparagraphs (b) and (c) adopted by the General Conference at its 4th session (1949)
(4 C/Resolutions, p. 9). Subparagraph (c) amended at its 25th session (1989) (25 C/
Resolutions, p. 194) (English only).
15. Subparagraphs (a) and (b) amended by the General Conference at its 3rd (1948) and
7th (1952) sessions (3 C/110, p. 113 and 7 C/Resolutions, p. 104). 
16. Paragraph amended by the General Conference at its 2nd session (1947) (2 C/132,
p. 63).
14
 11. The General Conference shall set up special
and technical committees and such other sub-
sidiary organs as may be necessary for its
purposes.17
12. The General Conference shall cause arrange-
ments to be made for public access to meetings,
subject to such regulations as it shall prescribe.
E. Observers
13. The General Conference, on the recom-
mendation of the Executive Board and by a
two-thirds majority may, subject to its rules
of procedure, invite as observers at specified
sessions of the Conference or of its commis-
sions representatives of international organi-
zations, such as those referred to in Article XI,
paragraph 4.
14. When consultative arrangements have been
approved by the Executive Board for such
international non-governmental or semi-
governmental organizations in the manner
provided in Article XI, paragraph 4, those
organizations shall be invited to send observers
to sessions of the General Conference and its
commissions.18

17. Paragraph amended by the General Conference at its 25th session (1989)
(25 C/Resolutions, p. 194) (English and French only).
18. Paragraph adopted by the General Conference at its 3rd session (1948) (3 C/110,
p. 113).

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Article V19 Executive Board
A. Composition
1. (a) T he Executive Board shall be elected
by the General Conference and it shall
consist of fifty-eight Member States. The
President of the General Conference shall
sit ex officio in an advisory capacity on
the Executive Board.
(b) A Member State shall not be eligible as
a Member of the Executive Board if the
total amount of contributions due from
it exceeds the total amount of contribu-
tions payable by it for the current year
and the immediately preceding calendar
year. The General Conference may nev-
ertheless permit such a Member State to
be eligible as a Member of the Executive
Board if it is satisfied that failure to pay
is due to conditions beyond the control of
the Member State.
(c) Elected States Members of the Executive
Board are hereinafter referred to as
“Members” of the Executive Board.
2. (a) Each Member of the Executive Board
shall appoint one representative. It may
also appoint alternates.
19. Text revised by the General Conference at its 40th session (2019) (40 C/Resolu-
tion 83). Previously, article V had been amended by the General Conference at its 7th
(1952), 8th (1954), 9th (1956), 12th (1962), 15th (1968), 17th (1972), 19th (1976),
21st (1980), 25th (1989), 26th (1991), 27th (1993) and 28th (1995) sessions (7 C/
Resolutions, p. 104; 8 C/Resolutions, p. 12; 9 C/Resolutions, p. 70; 12 C/Resolutions,
p. 95; 15 C/Resolutions, 103; 17 C/Resolutions, p. 113; 19 C/Resolutions, p. 93; 21 C/
Resolutions, p. 122; 25 C/Resolutions, p. 194, 26 C/Resolutions, p137, 27 C/Resolu-
tions, p. 102 and 28 C/Resolutions, pp.117-18).
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 (b) In selecting its representative on the
Executive Board, the Member of the
Executive Board shall endeavour to
appoint a person qualified in one or more
of the fields of competence of UNESCO
and with the necessary experience and
capacity to fulfil the administrative and
executive duties of the Board. Bearing in
mind the importance of continuity, each
representative shall be appointed for
the duration of the term of the Member
of the Executive Board, unless excep-
tional circumstances warrant his replace-
ment. The alternates appointed by each
Member of the Executive Board shall act
in the absence of its representative in all
his functions.
3. In electing Members to the Executive Board,
the General Conference shall have regard to
the diversity of cultures and a balanced geo-
graphical distribution.
4. (a) Members of the Executive Board shall
serve from the close of the session of the
General Conference which elected them
until the close of the second ordinary
session of the General Conference
following their election. The General
Conference shall, at each of its ordinary
sessions, elect the number of Members
of the Executive Board required to fill
vacancies occurring at the end of the
session.

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 (b) Members of the Executive Board are
eligible for re-­e lection. Re-elected
Members of the Executive Board shall
endeavour to change their representatives
on the Board.
5. In the event of the withdrawal from the
Organization of a Member of the Executive
Board, its term of office shall be terminated
on the date when the withdrawal becomes
effective.
B. Functions
6.20 (a) T
 he Executive Board shall prepare the
agenda for the General Conference. It
shall examine the programme of work
for the Organization and correspond-
ing budget estimates submitted to it
by the Director-General in accordance
with paragraph 3 of Article VI and shall
submit them with such recommendations
as it considers desirable to the General
Conference.
(b) 
The Executive Board, acting under the
authority of the General Conference, shall
be responsible for the execution of the
programme adopted by the Conference.
In accordance with the decisions of the
General Conference and having regard
to circumstances arising between two
ordinary sessions, the Executive Board
shall take all necessary measures to ensure
the effective and rational execution of the
programme by the Director-General.
20. Subparagraphs (a), (b) and (c) amended by the General Conference at its 7th session
(1952) (7 C/Resolutions, p. 104).
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 (c) Between ordinary sessions of the General
Conference, the Board may discharge the
functions of adviser to the United Nations,
set forth in Article IV, paragraph 5,
whenever the problem upon which advice
is sought has already been dealt with in
principle by the Conference, or when the
solution is implicit in decisions of the
Conference.
7. The Executive Board shall recommend to the
General Conference the admission of new
Members to the Organization.
8. Subject to decisions of the General Conference,
the Executive Board shall adopt its own rules
of procedure. It shall elect its officers from
among its Members.
9. The Executive Board shall meet in regular
session at least four times during a biennium
and may meet in special session if convoked
by the Chairman on his initiative or upon
the request of six Members of the Executive
Board.21
10. The Chairman of the Executive Board shall
present, on behalf of the Board, to the General
Conference at each ordinary s­ ession, with or
without comments, the reports on the activi-
ties of the Organization which the Director-
General is required to prepare in accordance
with the provisions of Article VI.3 (b).22

21. Paragraph amended by the General Conference at its 26th (1991) and 27th (1993)
sessions (26 C/Resolutions, p. 135; 27 C/Resolutions, p. 102).
22. Paragraph amended by the General Conference at its 7th (1952) and 8th (1954) sessions
(7 C/Resolutions, pp. 104-5 and 8 C/Resolutions, p. 13).

19
 11. The Executive Board shall make all necessary
arrangements to consult the representatives
of international organizations or qualified
persons concerned with questions within its
­competence.
12. Between sessions of the General Conference,
the Executive Board may request advisory
opinions from the International Court of
Justice on legal questions arising within the
field of the Organization’s activities.23
13. The Executive Board shall also exercise
the powers delegated to it by the General
Conference on behalf of the Conference as a
whole.24
C. Voting rights25
14. (a) E ach Member of the Executive Board
shall have one vote.
(b) A Member State shall have no vote if the
total amount of contributions due from
it exceeds the total amount of contribu-
tions payable by it for the current year
and the immediately preceding calendar
year. The General Conference may nev-
ertheless permit such a Member State to
vote if it is satisfied that failure to pay is
due to conditions beyond the control of
the Member State.
23. Paragraph adopted by the General Conference at its 7th session (1952)
(7 C/Resolutions, p. 105).
24. Paragraph amended by the General Conference at its 8th (1954) and 26th (1991)
sessions (8 C/Resolutions, p. 13; 26 C/Resolutions, p. 136).
25. Text adopted by the General Conference at its 40th session (2019) (40 C/Resolution,
p. 83).

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Article VI26 Secretariat
1. The Secretariat shall consist of a Director-
General and such staff as may be required.
2. The Director-General shall be nominated
by the Executive Board and appointed by
the General Conference for a period of four
years, under such conditions as the Conference
may approve. The Director-General may be
appointed for a further term of four years but
shall not be eligible for reappointment for
a subsequent term.27 The Director-General
shall be the chief administrative officer of the
Organization.
3. (a) The Director-General, or a deputy desig-
nated by him, shall participate, without the
right to vote, in all meetings of the General
Conference, of the Executive Board, and
of the Committees of the Organization.
He shall formulate proposals for appro-
priate action by the Conference and the
Board, and shall prepare for submission
to the Board a draft programme of work
for the Organization with corresponding
budget estimates.28

26. Article VI previously contained a paragraph 7 which was inserted as a transitional

provision by the General Conference at its 20th session (1978) (20 C/Resolutions,
p. 161) and was deleted by the General Conference at its 24th session (1987) (24 C/
Resolutions, p. 168).
27. Paragraph amended by the General Conference at its 25th (1989) and 31st (2001)
sessions (25 C/Resolutions, pp. 192-3; 31 C/Resolutions, p. 105).
28. Subparagraph amended by the General Conference at its 7th session (1952) (7 C/
Resolutions, p. 113).

21
 (b) The Director-General shall prepare and
communicate to Member States and to
the Executive Board periodical reports
on the activities of the Organization. The
General Conference shall determine the
periods to be covered by these reports.29
4. The Director-General shall appoint the staff
of the Secretariat in accordance with staff
regulations to be approved by the General
Conference. Subject to the paramount con-
sideration of securing the highest standards of
integrity, efficiency and technical competence,
appointment to the staff shall be on as wide a
geographical basis as possible.
5. The responsibilities of the Director-General
and of the staff shall be exclusively interna-
tional in character. In the discharge of their
duties they shall not seek or receive instructions
from any government or from any authority
external to the Organization. They shall refrain
from any action which might prejudice their
positions as international officials. Each State
Member of the Organization undertakes to
respect the inter­n ational character of the
responsibilities of the Director-General and
the staff, and not to seek to influence them in
the discharge of their duties.
6. Nothing in this Article shall preclude the
Organization from entering into special
arrangements within the United Nations
Organization for common services and staff
and for the interchange of personnel.
29. Subparagraph adopted by the General Conference at its 8th session (1954)
(8 C/Resolutions, p. 13).
22
Article VII National cooperating bodies
1. Each Member State shall make such arrange-
ments as suit its particular conditions for
the purpose of associating its principal
bodies interested in educational, scientific
and cultural matters with the work of the
Organization, preferably by the form­ation of
a National Commission broadly representative
of the government and such bodies.
2. National Commissions or National
Cooperating Bodies, where they exist, shall
act in an advisory capacity to their respec-
tive delegations to the General Conference,
to the representatives and alternates of their
countries on the Executive Board and to
their Governments in matters relating to the
Organization and shall function as agencies
of liaison in all matters of interest to it.30
3. The Organization may, on the request of a
Member State, delegate, either temporarily
or permanently, a member of its Secretariat
to serve on the National Commission of that
state, in order to assist in the development of
its work.

30. Paragraph amended by the General Conference at its 26th session (1991) (26 C/
Resolutions, p. 136).

23
Article VIII Reports by Member States
Each Member State shall submit to the Organization,
at such times and in such manner as shall be
determined by the General Conference, reports on
the laws, regulations and statistics relating to its
educational, scientific and cultural institutions and
activities, and on the action taken upon the recom-
mendations and conventions referred to in Article
IV, paragraph 4.31
Article IX Budget
1. The budget shall be administered by the
Organization.
2. The General Conference shall approve and
give final effect to the budget and to the appor-
tionment of financial responsibility among the
States Members of the Organization subject
to such arrangement with the United Nations
as may be provided in the agreement to be
entered into pursuant to Article X.
3. The Director-General may accept voluntary
contributions, gifts, bequests and subven-
tions directly from governments, public and
private institutions, associations and private
persons, subject to the conditions specified in
the Financial Regulations.32

31. Article amended by the General Conference at its 17th session (1972)
(17 C/Resolutions, p. 114).
32. Paragraph amended by the General Conference at its 25th session (1989)
(25 C/Resolutions, p. 193).
24
Article X Relations with the United Nations
Organization
This Organization shall be brought into relation
with the United Nations Organization, as soon as
practicable, as one of the specialized agencies
referred to in Article 57 of the Charter of the United
Nations. This relationship shall be effected through
an agreement with the United Nations Organization
under Article 63 of the Charter, which agreement
shall be subject to the approval of the General
Conference of this Organization. The agreement
shall provide for effective cooperation between the
two Organizations in the pursuit of their common
purposes, and at the same time shall recognize the
autonomy of this Organization, within the fields
of its competence as defined in this Constitution.
Such agreement may, among other matters, provide
for the approval and financing of the budget of the
Organization by the General Assembly of the United
Nations.
Article XI Relations with other specialized international
organizations and agencies
1. This Organization may cooperate with other
specialized intergovernmental organizations
and agencies whose interests and activities are
related to its purposes. To this end the Director-
General, acting under the general authority of
the Executive Board, may establish effective
working relationships with such organizations
and agencies and establish such joint commit-
tees as may be necessary to assure effective
cooperation. Any formal arrangements entered

25
 into with such organizations or agencies shall
be subject to the approval of the Executive
Board.
2. Whenever the General Conference of this
Organization and the competent authorities
of any other specialized intergovern­mental
organizations or agencies whose purpose and
functions lie within the competence of this
Organization deem it desirable to effect a
transfer of their resources and activities to this
Organization, the Director-General, subject
to the approval of the Conference, may enter
into mutually acceptable arrangements for this
purpose.
3. This Organization may make appropriate
arrangements with other intergovernmental
organizations for reciprocal represen­tation at
meetings.
4. The United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization may make suitable
arrangements for consultation and cooperation
with non-governmental international organi-
zations concerned with matters within its
competence, and may invite them to undertake
specific tasks. Such cooperation may also
include appropriate participation by repre-
sentatives of such organizations on advisory
committees set up by the General Conference.

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Article XII Legal status of the Organization
The provisions of Articles 104 and 105 of the Charter
of the United Nations Organization33 concerning
the legal status of that Organi­zation, its privileges
and immunities, shall apply in the same way to this
Organization.
Article XIII Amendments
1.  roposals for amendments to this Constitution
P
shall become effective upon receiving the
approval of the General Conference by a
two-thirds majority; provided, however, that
those amendments which involve fundamental
alterations in the aims of the Organization or
new obligations for the Member States shall
require subsequent acceptance on the part of
two thirds of the Member States before they
come into force. The draft texts of proposed
amendments shall be communicated by the
Director-General to the Member States at least
six months in advance of their consideration
by the General Conference.

33. 
Article 104. The Organization shall enjoy in the territory of each of its Members such
legal capacity as may be necessary for the exercise of its functions and the fulfilment
of its purposes.
Article 105.
   1. The Organization shall enjoy in the territory of its Members such privileges and
immunities as are n­ ecessary for the fulfilment of its purposes.
  2. Representatives of the Members of the United Nations and officials of the
Organization shall similarly enjoy such privileges and immunities as are
necessary for the independent exercise of their functions in connection with the
Organization.
   3. The General Assembly may make recommendations with a view to determining
the details of the application of paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article or may propose
conventions to the Members of the United Nations for this purpose.

27
 2. The General Conference shall have power
to adopt by a two-thirds majority rules of
procedure for carrying out the pro­visions of
this Article.34
Article XIV Interpretation
1. The English and French texts of this
Constitution shall be regarded as equally
authoritative.
2. Any question or dispute concerning the inter-
pretation of this Constitution shall be referred
for determination to the Inter­national Court of
Justice or to an arbitral tribunal, as the General
Conference may determine under its Rules of
Procedure.35
Article XV Entry into force
1. This Constitution shall be subject to accept-
ance. The instrument of acceptance shall be
deposited with the Government of the United
Kingdom.
2. This Constitution shall remain open for
signature in the archives of the Government
of the United Kingdom. Signature may take
place either before or after the deposit of the
instrument of acceptance. No acceptance
shall be valid unless preceded or followed by
signature. However, a state that has withdrawn
from the Organization shall simply deposit
a new instrument of acceptance in order to
resume membership.36
34. See Rules 108 to 111 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Conference.
35. See Rule 36 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Conference.
36. Paragraph amended by the General Conference at its 24th session (1987)
(24 C/Resolutions, p. 167).
28
 3. This Constitution shall come into force when
it has been accepted by twenty of its signato-
ries. Subsequent acceptances shall take effect
immediately.
4. The Government of the United Kingdom will
inform all Members of the United Nations
and the Director-General of the receipt of all
instruments of acceptance and of the date on
which the Constitution comes into force in
accordance with the preceding paragraph.37
In faith whereof, the undersigned, duly authorized
to that effect, have signed this Constitution in the
English and French languages, both texts being
equally authentic.
Done in London the sixteenth day of November,
one thousand nine hundred and forty-five, in a
single copy, in the English and French languages,
of which certified copies will be communicated
by the Government of the United Kingdom to the
Governments of all the Members of the United
Nations.

37. Paragraph amended by the General Conference at its 24th session (1987)
(24 C/Resolutions, p. 167).

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