Member states of UNESCO

As of January 2020, UNESCO members include 193 member states and 11 associate members.[1] Some members have additional National Organizing Committees (NOCs) for some of their dependent territories.[2] The associate members are non-independent states.

  UNESCO member states
  UNESCO member state dependent territory with separate NOC
  UNESCO associates
  UNESCO observers

Three UNESCO member states are not UN member states: Cook Islands, Niue, and Palestine (Palestine is a non-member observer State of the United Nations General Assembly since 29 November 2012), while three UN member states (Israel, Liechtenstein, United States) are not UNESCO members. The United States and Israel were members, but left on 31 December 2018 asserting that the organization had an anti-Israel bias.[3]

Kosovo was approved for membership by UNESCO's executive board in 2015,[4] but the proposal did not receive the required 2/3 of votes in favour at the general conference.[5]

Member States

The 193 UNESCO member states, as of January 2019, with the date on which they became members, are:[6][7][1][2]

Currently  Liechtenstein is not a member of UNESCO, but they have an NOC under Switzerland's membership.[2]

Former members

Both Israel and the United States withdrew claiming that the organization had an anti-Israel bias.[3][11]

Associate members

The 11 associate members of UNESCO and the date on which they became associate members:[1]

Observers

There are 2 Permanent Observers and 10 intergovernmental organizations with Permanent Observer Missions to UNESCO.[12]

Non-member States[13]
Entities[13]
Intergovernmental organizations[13]

In addition, there is a liaison office of the United Nations University at UNESCO.[14]

See also

Notes
  1. Some of the dependent territories of China, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, United Kingdom are associate members of UNESCO.
  2. Membership was founded as the  Republic of China to 1971.
  3. Previously as "Czech Republic"
  4. As Swaziland before 2018
  5. The former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) became a Member State on 31 March 1950. The participation of Yugoslavia in meetings of governing bodies and conferences of UNESCO was suspended following Resolution 47/1 adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 22 September 1992, which stated that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) could not continue automatically the membership of the former SFRY. Accordingly, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which became a Member State on 20 December 2000, could not automatically succeed the former SFRY as a member of the Organization. Following the adoption of the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro by the Assembly of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on 4 February 2003, the name of the State of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has been changed to "Serbia and Montenegro". Further to the Declaration of Independence adopted by the Parliament of Montenegro on 3 June 2006, UNESCO has been informed that the membership of the State Union Serbia and Montenegro in UNESCO is continued by the Republic of Serbia on the basis of Article 60 of the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro.
  6. Niue does not have a National Organizing Committee established.[2]
  7. As "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" before 2019
  8. On 31 October 2011, the UNESCO General Conference in Paris admitted Palestine as a UNESCO member state, with 107 votes in favour of admission and 14 votes against, with 52 abstentions (a two-thirds majority vote in favour by member states is required). The decision took effect on 23 November 2011 when Palestine ratified UNESCO’s constitution.[8]
  9. Previously a Member State from 11 March 1965 to 31 December 1972.
  10. Membership was founded as the  Soviet Union to 1991.
  11. Previously a Member State from 28 October 1965 to 31 December 1985.[9]
  12. Previously a Member State from 4 November 1946 (founding member) to 31 December 1956.
  13. Previously a Member State from 4 November 1946 (founding member) to 31 December 1985.
  14. The Netherlands Antilles became associate member of UNESCO on 26 October 1983. On Sunday 10 October 2010, a new status of the Netherlands Antilles came into effect within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, by which the country-status Dutch: land of the Netherlands Antilles ceased to exist. Under the new status, Curacao and Sint Maarten become countries (enjoying internal self-government within the Kingdom), joining Aruba, which gained similar status in 1986. Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba have become part of the country "the Netherlands". The Netherlands retains responsibility for e.g. defence and foreign policy.
  15. As Macau before 1999

References
  1. UNESCO official site: List of the 193 Member States (and the 11 Associate Members) of UNESCO and the date on which they became members (or Associate Members) of the Organization, as of 1 January 2019
  2. WADA. "Summary update on Government progress to become a State Party to the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport" (PDF). p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
  3. TOVAH LAZAROFF (31 December 2018). "ISRAEL, U.S. SLATED TO LEAVE UNESCO TODAY TO PROTEST ANTI-ISRAEL BIAS". JPost. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  4. "Kosovo Moves Closer To UNESCO Membership". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  5. "Kosovo's UNESCO Membership Bid Fails". 9 November 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  6. "UK Depositary Status List - Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)" (PDF). Foreign and Commonwealth Office. April 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  7. "Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation [as later amended]". Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  8. "General Conference admits Palestine as UNESCO Member". UNESCO. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  9. UNESCO. "UNESCO - Singapore - official relations". Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  10. UNESCO. "South Sudan – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization". Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  11. Nauert, Heather (12 October 2017). "The United States Withdraws From UNESCO". United States Department of State. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  12. UNESCO. "UNESCO Permanent delegations". Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  13. UNESCO. "Directory of Permanenent Delegations and Permanent Observer Missions to UNESCO". Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  14. UNESCO. "Directory of Permanent Delegations to UNESCO". Retrieved 1 November 2011.
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