886 



In reply to a letter from the Chairman of the House Committee on 

 Foreign Affairs requesting views on the announced U.S. withdrawal from 

 UNESCO (scheduled to take place on December 31, 1984) , the President of 

 the National Academy of Sciences stated that "the Governing Board of 

 the National Research Council and the Council of the National Academy 

 of Sciences are deeply concerned about the potential impacts on science 

 of a withdrawal by the United States from UNESCO." Withdrawal will 

 have significant implications for global science programs in which U.S. 

 scientists are deeply involved, often in a leadership role. Therefore, 

 the Academy, through the Office of International Affairs (OIA) of the 

 National Research Council (NRC) , agreed to respond to an invitation to 

 provide the U.S. Department of State with an assessment of potential 

 impacts and to suggest possible alternative arrangements in order to 

 maintain essential U.S. scientific contacts with UNESCO-sponsored 

 programs in case the U.S. were no longer a member of UNESCO on 

 January 1, 1985. 



The strategic considerations that provide the basis for the study, 

 including significant caveats and limitations that pertain to the 

 findings, are discussed in Chapter 2. An important summary of general 

 preliminary findings will be found in Chapter 3. The assessments and 

 proposed interim arrangements for specific programs and subprograms 

 within the three major science program sections of the UNESCO Approved 

 Programme and Budget for 1984-85 are further detailed in Chapter 4. 



Constraints of time and money, in addition to limited analytical 

 background material, seriously influenced the scope of the study. 

 Normal NRC procedures, which typically include a specially appointed 

 study conmittee, proved impossible in this instance. We did, however, 

 avail ourselves of a well-balanced ad hoc group, and the present report 

 has been reviewed by several distinguished members of the scientific 

 community. The detailed analysis of the UNESCO program and budget was 

 conducted by a consultant. Dr. Philip Hemily, and the OIA staff. This 

 examination was augmented by interviews with U.S. scientists engaged 

 in, or familiar with, the science activities of UNESCO. 



U.S. budgetary cycles make it imperative to convey some preliminary 

 findings now since preparation of funding recommendations is under way. 

 It is clear, however, that a much more detailed and critical analysis 

 of the science programs of UNESCO and of other intergovernmental organ- 

 izations is badly needed. The present study is dedicated to the hope 

 that such a broad-gauged review will be implemented. 



Walter A. Rosenblith 



Foreign Secretary 



National Academy of Sciences 



