Education
Natural Sciences
UNESCO aims to advance and promote science in the interests of peace, sustainable development and human security and well-being, in close collaboration with its Member States and a wide variety of partners. It is the only United Nations specialized agency with a specific mandate for science. UNESCO has acted as a catalyst for the establishment of many preeminent scientific unions and bodies such as CERN; and initiatives with far-reaching implications for sustainable human security and well-being, such as the Man and the Biosphere Programme, the International Hydrological Programme, and the International Oceanographic Commission, were launched in UNESCO's first decades.
Culture
The mission of UNESCO's Culture Sector is to promote culture through the advancement of knowledge, standards and intellectual cooperation in order to protect, safeguard and manage tangible and intangible heritage. It promotes the diversity of cultural expressions and the dialogue of cultures with a view to fostering a culture of peace.
Social Sciences
The Social and Human Sciences Sector acts a think tank for the world’s nations. It aims to advance knowledge, standards and intellectual cooperation in order to facilitate social transformations conducive to the universal values of justice, freedom and human dignity.
Communication and Information
The Communication and Information Sector (CI) has three principal strategic objectives, namely the promotion of the free flow of ideas and universal access to information, the promotion of the expression of pluralism and cultural diversity in the media and world information networks, and the promotion of access for all to ICTs. The Sector consists of a section on "Freedom of Expression and Media Development" and "Knowledge Societies Division". The Sector collaborates with UN agencies, bilateral development agencies, international and regional non-governmental agencies.
Administration and Management
In order to ensure the successful delivery of the UNESCO programmes in Science, Education, Culture and Communication, the Organisation counts on specialists in the fields of management, finance, human resources, law, procurement and IT.