This year, Albania proudly remembers the 60th anniversary of its admission to UNESCO. The process of Albania's membership in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) due to the circumstances created in its disadvantage lasted over 12 years, if we refer to the documentation of the time, which has its origin from the date of the official expression of our government's request in November 1946.
It is known that UNESCO is a specialized organization of the UN, in the field of education, culture and science, founded just a few months after the end of the Second World War, on November 16, 1945. To ensure membership in this important international organization of the time, our country needed a continuous diplomatic work, since 1946, when it submitted the first request and only after the acceptance as a member of the UN, in December 1955, then the procedure of acceptance of Albania to UNESCO seems to have been done simpler.
Applications submitted by States not members of the United Nations for admission to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, based on Article 2, paragraph II of the Statute of UNESCO, would be transmitted immediately by the Secretariat of General of this organization to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, which was the competent body that recommended the acceptance or rejection of the request. The process of Albania's membership in this organization was not easy for our country, since the United Kingdom was against the Albanian application, since Albania, according to it, was the only country that had flagrantly ignored the decision of the International Court of Justice. Justice (Case of the Corfu Channel).
Referring to the archival sources we have, despite the fact that our country Albania approved the Foundation Convention of the organization, paving the way for the signing of the Convention, which was done by the representative of Albania in Paris. The Government of the People's Republic of Albania, based on its policies of peace and international cooperation, has decided to seek the admission of the People's Republic of Albania as a member of UNESCO.
Submitting this application, from Paris on October 6, 1954, in accordance with Article 92 of the procedural rules of the General Conference, the Government of the People's Republic of Albania requested the Director General to carry out the appropriate actions, in order to be placed on the agenda of the next section of the General Conference, which was to be held in Montevideo on November 12, 1954. On the same day, the instrument of approval of the Convention of November 16, 1945 was submitted to the Director General of UNESCO, and thus, Albania was became its member on October 16, 1958. Of course, in these efforts, Albania also found friends and well-wishers, who helped it to pave the way for its progress and progress. One of them was Mr. Luther H. Evans, director general of UNESCO, who strongly supported our country's request before the United Nations bodies.
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Our country's membership in the largest organization of the United Nations on October 16, 1958, seems to have helped the then-Albania to fight the illiteracy inherited during centuries of slavery in an effort to get the country out of a marked economic and social backwardness.
This is how our already 60-year cooperation of Albania with this organization began, with its own ups and downs, and today we have become a party to all the conventions and transformative policies of UNESCO.
Below we present to the reader for the possibility of judgment the correspondence of the time about this issue in four documents, which are published for the first time.
United Nations
Economic and Social Council
Application from the People's Republic of Albania
for membership in UNESCO
In accordance with Article II of the Agreement between the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Secretary-General of the United Nations has received from the Director-General of UNESCO a letter informing him that the People's Republic of Albania has submitted a request to become a member of the Organization.
Attached is the letter of the General Director and the application of the People's Republic of Albania that accompanies it.
The emergency declaration mentioned in the letter contains the following information:
"Article II of the Agreement between the United Nations and UNESCO, follows as follows:
'Admission of non-member states of the United Nations
Applications submitted by States not members of the United Nations for admission to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization shall be transmitted forthwith by the Secretariat of the Organization to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations... The Council may recommend rejection of such requests and any such recommendations shall be accepted by the Organization. If, within six months of receipt of a request by the Council, no such recommendation has been made, the request shall be dealt with in accordance with Article II, paragraph 2 of the Statute of the Organization'.
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Telegram
From the Municipal Relations Office
November 11, 1954
CONFIDENTIAL
Addressed to: High Commissioners of UK in Canberra No. 1019 and Karachi No. 1536, for the Delegation of the UK in New York, the Delegation in Geneva, Washington and Montevideo.
Albania's application for admission to the Scientific Educational Organization and
United Nations Cultural
This request will be considered by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations on November 19.
2. A similar application from Bulgaria was approved by the Council on 5 November by ten votes to six with two abstentions, including the United Kingdom and the United States. Representatives of Australia and Pakistan supported and also spoke in favor, although with little enthusiasm, basing their support on the principle of universal membership in the United Nations and other organizations. specialized.
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3. The United Kingdom is against the Albanian application, as Albania is the only country that has flagrantly ignored the decision of the International Court of Justice. Justice? (The case of the Corfu Channel).
4. The United Kingdom delegation explained the United Kingdom's objection to the representatives of Australia and Pakistan, who expressed regret and said they would tolerate their governments asking them to reject the applications. The views represent the views of the United Kingdom as set out in paragraph 2, urgent to the Australian/Pakistani authorities and express the hope that their representatives should be instructed to oppose the Albanian application.
Article II, paragraph 2 of the statute of UNESCO
Based on the terms of the Agreement between this Organization and the Organization of the United Nations, they can be accepted for membership in the Organization, with the recommendation of the Executive Board, with two-thirds of the votes of the General Conference.
The General Conference of UNESCO will hold its eighth session from 12 November to 11 December 1954. It will not meet again until 1956. The Executive Board of UNESCO will meet a few days before the session of eight of the General Conference.
Therefore, consideration by the Economic and Social Council at its first session of the application of the People's Republic of Albania is necessary to enable the UNESCO General Conference to consider this matter at its next session.
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Letter from the Legation in France of the People's Republic of Albania, addressed to the Director General of UNESCO
Paris October 6, 1954
I have the honor to inform you that I am authorized by my government to communicate the following:
The Government of the People's Republic of Albania, based on its policies of peace and international cooperation, has decided to seek the admission of the People's Republic of Albania as a member of UNESCO.
The Government of the People's Republic of Albania declares its readiness to act in accordance with the Statute of the Organization, to accept the obligations that this entails, as well as to participate in the expenses of the Organization.
Submitting this application, in accordance with rule (article) 92 of the procedural rules of the General Conference, the Government of the People's Republic of Albania requests the General Director to carry out the appropriate actions, in order to be placed on the agenda of the next section of General Conference, to be held in Montevideo on November 12, 1954.
Shemsi Totozani
Minister
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LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION TO THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
Paris, October 12, 1954
I have the honor to inform you that I received a request on October 6, 1954 from the People's Republic of Albania for membership in UNESCO.
I am enclosing a copy of this request and I would be grateful if you could arrange for it to be placed before the Economic and Social Council at its resumed 17th session for urgent consideration. Attached I am sending you a statement in support of my request.
I would therefore greatly appreciate it if the Economic and Social Council, acting according to Article 17 of its Rules of Procedure, would consider the possibility of adding this item to its agenda and taking it up during the resumption of its session.
Luther H. Evans
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Director General
The documents that are published on this occasion were obtained from: "The National Archives", London, UK/ Bejtullah Destani & Kastriot Frashëri
