Abstract
UNESCO is the only United Nations (UN) agency to have a global network of national cooperating bodies known as National Commissions. The National Commissions are part of the overall constitutional architecture of the organization as it was conceived by its founders. Presently, National Commissions operate in all Member States of UNESCO. They constitute a truly global family which includes a vast network of stakeholders, partners and experts. They offer a comparative advantage to the organisation within the United Nations system. Article VII (1) of the UNESCO Constitution stipulates that “Each Member State shall make such arrangements as suit its particular conditions for the purpose of associating its principal bodies interested in educational, scientific and cultural matters with the work of the organisation, preferably by the formation of a National Commission broadly representative of the government and such bodies” (UNESCO 2020:15). Thus, it is the constitutional obligation of each Member State to set up a National cooperating body (National Commission) or make such institutional arrangements whose principal objective is facilitating involvement of various government Ministries, Organisations and Agencies (MOAs), institutions, universities, NGOs and individuals in the work of the Organisation. While the realisation of UNESCO’s goals is primarily entrusted in governments, the National Commissions are expected to function as an indispensable platform where national interests, ideas and cultures are represented and interact. This review describes the contribution of the Malawi National Commission for UNESCO to strengthening communication and information capacities in Malawi to fill a perceived gap in information among some stakeholders both within and outside Malawi.
Highlights
The Constitution of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) was adopted on 16 November, 1945 and has been amended by the General Conference 23 times since
UNESCO is the only United Nations (UN) agency to have a global network of national cooperating bodies known as National Commissions
National Commissions operate in all Member States of UNESCO
Summary
The Constitution of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) was adopted on 16 November, 1945 and has been amended by the General Conference 23 times since . This was one way of determining the effectiveness of processes that led to their formulation. “In post-independent Zimbabwe, the re-emergence clandestine radio provided opportunities for individuals and groups generally excluded by mainstream government controlled media to discuss various issues” (Moyo 2010:34) It is evident from the literature cited here that community radio broadcasting is mostly considered an important tool for various social, political and developmental endeavours. At a needs assessment study conducted in preparation for a training workshop in 2017, it was established that apart from Usisya Community Radio Station which did not provide any information on whether or not the community was consulted prior to the establishment of the radio, the other five indicated that the communities were consulted (Malawi National Commission for UNESCO 2017). The training covered the following topics: 1. The Role of the media in democracy and decentralisation: The essence of this topic was to draw the attention of participants to the fact that for Malawians to realise the full opportunities and benefit from the principles of a truly democratic country, there was need to strengthen structures and avenues for political participation of which the media was one
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