900 



14 



Measures need to be taken to plan and facilitate U.S. participation in 

 these program areas if withdrawal from UNESCO becomes effective. 



UNESCO work in engineering sciences, social sciences, and science 

 policy appear to be of lesser interest to the concerned U.S. profes- 

 sional communities with only small numbers of U.S. scientists parti- 

 cipating. Nevertheless, these are important areas, ones in which there 

 is a potentially important role for American scientists to play. 



2. Advancement of Science — Science for Development . Although 

 UNESCO science objectives include the pursuit of new knowledge, parti- 

 cularly in observational scientific fields, increasing attention is 

 being directed toward the science, science education, and advanced 

 training needs of the developing world. The juxtaposition of science 

 at the frontier and science for development highlights the multiple 

 objectives of UNESCO and of nongovernmental scientific organizations. 

 There is need to enhance understanding of the complementary and inter- 

 active nature of both these objectives. 



3. UNESCO's Intergovernmental Role . As an intergovernmental 

 organization, UNESCO is an important instrument in carrying out global 

 observational programs (e.g., the Geological Correlation Program, ocean- 

 ographic components of the World Climate Research Program, and the Man 

 in the Biosphere Program) . The authority and financial support of 

 governments is often critical to field operations which involve the 

 sovereignty of nations. On their own, nongovernmental organizations 

 cannot substitute for intergovernmental ones in these areas of respon- 

 sibility. 



UNESCO is a critical intergovernmental link to the developing world 

 for the implementation of projects involving advanced training and 

 infrastructure building. These latter projects depend very much on 

 substantive contributions from the advanced countries, primarily 

 through nongovernmental scientific organizations such as ICSU and its 

 constituent bodies. 



4. Other Intergovernmental Organizations . Other intergovernmental 

 organizations (e.g., UNDP, UNEP, WMO, FAO, and WHO) participate sub- 

 stantively and financially in many UNESCO-directed science programs. 

 Those that make financial contributions often provide funds of the Same 

 order of magnitude as UNESCO's regular program. The UNESCO staff plays 

 an important role in planning, advising, and managing many of these 

 programs. 



5. UNESCO and the Scientific Community . One cannot help but be 

 impressed with the large number of UNESCO activities involving signi- 

 ficant numbers of scientists who participate either directly or through 

 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) . NGOs play an important role in 

 many aspects of UNESCO's programs, particularly in engaging the parti- 

 cipation of scientists in advanced training projects (IBRO, ICRO, 

 MIRCENs) and in guiding/managing certain aspects of observational 

 programs (e.g., lUGS, lUGG, lUBS, SCOR, SCOPE). UNESCO's programs 

 would profit from even greater participation and association with the 



