U.N.E.S.C.O. gets tips from Mr Palmer

Press, 14 October 1985, Page 40

U.N.E.S.C.O. gets tips from Mr Palmer

NZPA staff correspondent London New Zealand has told U.N.E.S.C.O. that it should steer clear of disarmament and peace activities. The Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Palmer, also said that the organisation had suffered a “damaging loss of confidence” because of its spending and its failure to establish links throughout the world. U.N.E.S.C.O. is the United Nations organisation charged with assisting education, science and culture. It faces a crisis because the United States has withdrawn and Britain is threatening to withdraw if changes are not made. The Paris-based organisation has been accused of becoming politicised, exceeding its mandate, and spending some of its limited resources in the wrong areas.

Addressing the organisation’s conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, Mr Palmer said that the meeting was “one of major importance” for its “credibility and effective-

Programmes had to be; rationalised,/ decentralisation from the organisation’s headquarters was vital, and staff had to be sent to field, posts, he said. Mr Palmer said that many peace and disarms-, ment activities proposed within the organisation’s' programme “are already. covered by other United ‘ Nations agencies and. bodies”. ?

U.N.E.S.C.O. is planning , publicity, seminars and ■ research which New Zea- ' land says overlap with the work done by other special- J ised agencies.

“We are not convinced of , the need for U.N.E.S.C.O. to - become involved in this area,” Mr Palmer said.

“While the subject is not~ the exclusive preserve of” other agencies and institutions, it is a highly politicised matter that is nest dealt with within the United Nations.

“We believe the organisation should stay within its constitutional role as a good disseminator and conimunicator of the best material available."