You asked me on the 2nd instant for some information about UNESCO. I attach hereto a note setting out the aims and functions of this Organisation as well as the programme of activities approved by the first conference of UNESCO held in Paris recently.¹

As regards the question of Ireland's membership, the position is that, as in the case of most of the so-called 'specialised agencies', States which are members of UNO may become members of UNESCO more or less auto-matically. States which are not members of UNO may be admitted to UNESCO on the recommendation of the Executive Board and a two-thirds majority vote of the General Conference, subject, however, by virtue of the special agreement made between UNO and UNESCO, to the right of the Economic and Social Council of UNO to reject an application for membership of UNESCO from a non-member of UNO. The Economic and Social Council of UNO (which is, of course, quite different from the Security Council) consists of 18 members and takes its decisions by majority vote. It is to be assumed that once the principle of admitting to membership of UNESCO States which are non-members of UNO is accepted, Ireland would have a good prospect, if so desired, of joining UNESCO. The fact that we did not gain admission to UNO last August would not in itself, in any event, involve our being unable to gain admission to a 'specialised agency': we became a member of FAO at Copenhagen in September last² and are free to enter 'The World Health Organisation' which is being set up as a result of a conference held in New York during the summer: it must be admitted, however, that in the case of FAO we received very positive encouragement to apply for membership and in the case of the 'World Health Organisation' were invited to send an observer to the New York Conference.

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