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2009-08-06 (Moscow)

 

On May 29, 2009, the Interregional Civil Organization in Support of UNESCO Information for All Programme, which misappropriated the name of UNESCO and its Information for All Programme, and has been abusing it for the preceding three years, has announced now that it “no longer finds it necessary to further associate its activities with the Programme of the same name”.

 

The Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO pointed out repeatedly to the leaders of the said organization their numerous trespasses and abusive acts. The arbitrary action of the Interregional Civil Organization in Support of UNESCO Information for All Programme in the respect of UNESCO and Information for All Programme aroused great concern of Mr Karol Jakubowicz, Chair of the Intergovernmental IFAP Council.

 

After the shocking controversy made by the Civil Organization reached the ears of top UNESCO leaders, UNESCO Assistant Director-General Abdul Waheed Khan was forced to request Russian authorities to put a stop to illegal activities of the Interregional Civil Organization in Support of UNESCO Information for All Programme under the banner of UNESCO and its Information for All Programme.

 

The culprits, however, went on misinforming their partners and the public about the status, activities and rights of the Civil Organization.

 

Only a second warning by the Board for Moscow of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation forced the leaders of the Civil Organization to re-register it under a new name and announce the long-awaited decision to stop their activities alleged to promote Information for All Programme—or the Organization would be liquidated.

 

But even backed into a corner, the Civil Organization leaders have not stopped discrediting UNESCO. They have said in their website recently: “Launched more than eight years ago, the Programme has not yet reached its basic goal—to become a platform for an international discussion on questions within its competence.” And, further on, “We do not see any grounds to expect that the continuation of our work under the motto of promoting UNESCO Information for All Programme in Russia will make this work more effective and popular.” This evaluation of their own activities is the only truthful statement that has ever come from the lips of Civil Organization leaders. Really, its contribution cannot promote UNESCO Information for All Programme in any way.

 

 

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The Russian Committee of UNESCO Information for All Programme, its official partner, is carrying on its work in close cooperation with UNESCO. The chairmen of national IFAP committees will gather in Moscow toward the year’s end for their first-ever meeting.

 

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