The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heraldo Muñoz, held an audience today with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, who completes her mandate in November.
During the encounter, Borkova acknowledged the strong commitment our country has had with said institution. Additionally, she expressed the support of the organization in the process of the Educational Reform, she endorsed the management of the Chilean sites that are listed as World Heritage and she vouched for the process of cultural institutionalism that our country is undergoing.
Later, after offering a lunch in honour of UNESCO's Director-General in the premises of the Chancellery, the Secretary of State joined President Michelle Bachelet in Palacio La Moneda at an audience she held with Borkova, where they had the occasion to discuss Chile's relationship with the international organism.
As a specialised organism of the United Nations, UNESCO has the objective of contributing to intercultural exchange through education, sciences, culture, communication and information.
Chile is strongly involved in different UNESCO agencies. At the end of June, it was reappointed to take part in the Executive Council of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and it is a candidate to be a member of the Intergovernmental Council of the International Hydrological Programme. Furthermore, it has a National Cooperation Commission with UNESCO, which has the power to present candidacies to the tenders, prizes, cultural cities, chairs, amongst others, and it sponsors activities that contribute to UNESCO's goals in the country.