FRANCE: BRITAIN OFFICIALLY REJOINS (UNESCO) UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANISATION IN PARIS
Record ID:
337786
FRANCE: BRITAIN OFFICIALLY REJOINS (UNESCO) UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANISATION IN PARIS
- Title: FRANCE: BRITAIN OFFICIALLY REJOINS (UNESCO) UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANISATION IN PARIS
- Date: 1st July 1997
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JULY 1, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV BRITISH SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CLARE SHORT AND UNESCO (UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANISATION) DIRECTOR GENERAL FEDERICO MAYOR WALKING OUTSIDE UNESCO HEADQUARTERS 0.13 2. SV SHORT AND MAYOR RAISING BRITISH FLAG; APPLAUSE 0.33 3. SV PEOPLE INCLUDING SHORT LISTENING TO MAYOR SPEECH 0.37 4. SV MAYOR SAYS TODAY WE CELEBRATE THE RETURN OF UK TO UNESCO, THANKS TO SHORT AND UK (ENGLISH) 1.04 5. SCU SHORT SAYS I THINK IT'S PARTICULARLY POIGNANT TODAY THAT ONE FLAG CAME DOWN IN ONE PLACE (REFERRING TO HONG KONG) AND THE SAME FLAG WENT UP HERE....I MUST EMPHASIZE THAT MY PRIORITY AND THE PRIORITY OF MY GOVERNMENT WILL BE FOCUSED ON THE ERADICATION OF POVERTY AND THE EDUCATION OF THE EXCLUDED (ENGLISH) 2.16 6. SV SHORT AND MAYOR IN FRONT OF UNESCO AND 2.37 BRITISH FLAGS Initials P3 S3 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 16th July 1997 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City:
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVA2RD9KHUEDNUPNX03KILR0RBI1
- Story Text: INTRO: Britain has officially rejoined UNESCO -- 12 years after the former Conservative government pulled out of the United Nations scientific and cultural agency.
Britain rejoined the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) at a ceremony in Paris on Tuesday (July 1) -- a day after the Union Jack came down in Hong Kong.
"It is good to be back," British Secretary of State for International Development Clare Short said after raising the flag alongside those of the 186 other UNESCO members.
Britain's new Labour government said in May it was rejoining the UNESCO a dozen years after the previous Conservative government slammed the door.
Former prime minister Margaret Thatcher withdrew Britain from UNESCO in 1985, a year after the United States pulled out. Between them, the two countries took away 30 percent of the budget of the organisation, which they accused of poor management and anti-Western bias under its former head Amadou Mahtar M'Bow.
Short said Britain would help UNESCO Director General Federico Mayor continue to reform the organisation in order to "maximise UNESCO's effectiveness and impact, which is in all our interests".
"We will want to work with those who want to see a more effective and influential United Nations," she said.
Short said Britain would focus its work at UNESCO on education and the eradication of poverty. Washington has indicated it is considering rejoining but is hampered by budget problems.
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