Australia was one of the earliest participants in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). UNESCO is devoted to encouraging international intellectual co-operation, to giving operational assistance to Member States, and to promoting peace, human rights and mutual understanding among peoples. The Commonwealth Parliament passed an act approving the constitution of the organisation, and Australia was formally admitted to membership in June 1946.

In April 1974, Cabinet approved the establishment of a national advisory body for UNESCO matters. The body consisted of eleven National Co-operating Bodies and a National Co-ordinating Committee. The National Co-operating Bodies, which were national (non-government) bodies, were established to provide the Government with specialist advice on all aspects of the UNESCO program. They were Education; National Sciences; Social Sciences; Drama; Theatre and Literature; Music; Visual Arts; Museums; Press; Radio; Film; and Libraries.

The functions of the National Co-operating Bodies and the Co-ordinating Committee were:

a)   to give advice on the Australian approach to UNESCO policy  
b)   to discuss and advise on -
     i)   UNESCO Program
     ii)  UNESCO Activities
     iii) UNESCO Staffing
c)   to give expert advice and technical assistance in carrying out
     UNESCO projects which involve national action
d)   to disseminate information about UNESCO activities in such
     a way as to build up informed public opinion and support
     of UNESCO.

The Chairman of each of the Co-operating Bodies met as the National Co-ordinating Committee under the Chairmanship of a departmental official. A representative of the Department of External Affairs was a member of the Committee and was responsible for Australia's formal membership of UNESCO providing for Australia's membership contribution from its departmental appropriation. The secretariat was provided by the Commonwealth Office of Education which acted as host department providing facilities and staff to meet the needs of the Commission and which administered the financial affairs of the Commission.

Since its establishment the National Advisory Committee has undergone a number of changes. Some of the changes have been occasioned by alterations in the scope or content of UNESCO's international program, others have brought about by ministerial or Prime Ministerial request.

In 1972 the Committee membership underwent a fundamental change from representative membership to membership in an individual capacity and therefore the formal ties with the national non-governmental organisations were broken. Although many members of the various committees were prominent in national and international organisations their membership was now in a personal capacity. They were usually appointed for a two year term.

In addition, in the 1977 review of membership, provision was made for formal membership of the Commission by representatives from Federal Government Departments with a special interest in major parts of the UNESCO international program. Officers of the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Education attend all commission meetings.

Since its establishment the National Advisory Body has always operated at two levels - committees and a small co-ordinating group. Until the 1977 change it was this co-ordinating group which in formal terms provided the advice on the program to the government.

The names of the bodies at each level have changed since 1947 on three occasions:

 1947- National Co-operating Bodies [II]
       National Co-ordinating Committee (Committee Chairman of each
       of the above bodies)
 
1951-  National Co-operating Bodies renamed Australian UNESCO
       Committees
       National Co-ordinating Bodies renamed Australian National
       Advisory Committee of UNESCO
 
1973-  National Advisory Committee renamed Australian National
       Commission for UNESCO
 
1977-  All committee members became members of the National
       Commission. In addition an Executive of the National
       Commission was established.

Through these changes the membership of the Co-ordinating Committee, Advisory Committee (1951) National Commission (1977) and Executive (1977) has always been made up of the Chairman of each of the various subsidiary committees together with a representative of the Departments of Education and Foreign Affairs.

In its most recent form the Executive had undertaken a role different to that of its predecessors in that the National Commission as a whole gives formal advice on the UNESCO program.

Since its establishment there have been variations in the persons involved with the advisory body. In 1977 there were 53 plus the Education and Foreign Affairs representatives on the Commission. From 1977 membership also included representatives of three other Departments - Science, Attorney-General's and Administrative Services (Home Affairs).

Until 1973 the Chairman of the National Advisory Committee was held ex-officio by the Director of the Commonwealth Office of Education or by a senior Officer of the Department of Education and Science. In 1973 the first independent chairman was appointed by the Minister for Education with the concurrence of the Prime Minister. The person appointed on each occasion has been prominent and long-standing member of one of the Committees.

Since the appointment of an independent chairman, the consultative role of the Chairman has been evolving. The Chairman's periodic discussions with and reporting to the Minister have been formalised with the presentation by the Chairman of the National Commission's Biennial Report. The Reports for 1975-1976 and 1977-1978 were tabled in Parliament by the Minister.  The position of Vice-chairman was first established in 1979 from within the Executive. The Minister made appointment in recognition of the expanding workload of the Commission and the need to provide a deputy for the Chairman.

The relationship between the National Commission and the Department of Foreign Affairs is a co-operative one. The Commission communicates its views on policy issues to the Department of Foreign Affairs, while the Department places before the Commission the foreign policy context and environment within which their program comments will be viewed.  
The Foreign Affairs Department is responsible for the activities in Paris of the Australian Permanent Delegation to UNESCO. The National Commission channels all its correspondence with the Paris secretariat through the Permanent Delegation.

References:

Australian National Commission for UNESCO - A paper prepared by the Department of Education, November 1979.

Biennial Report 1973-74, Australia National Commission for UNESCO, AGPS, Canberra, 1977.

Historical agency address
1947-1969: Sydney NSW 
1969-1973: c/ Department of Education and Science, Albemarle
           Building, Phillip ACT
1973-1983: c/ Department of Education, MLC Tower, Keltie Street,
           Phillip ACT