§ Mrs. Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley)The petition is from members and supporters of the United Nations Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It addresses the present Government's position on UNESCO—the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. The petition, which has 6,135 signatures, reads as follows:
To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament AssembledThe Humble Petition of the People of the United Kingdom sheweth:that we wish to register our deep concern at the Government's prolonged delay in resuming membership of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), thereby denying many UK individual citizens and professional and intellectual organisations essential participation in vital multilateral and bilateral cooperation in education, science, culture and communications at international level;that the strengthening of the UN and its Specialised Agencies, through universality of membership, is fundamental for collective security; and while the UK (a permanent member of the Security Council) ignores its international obligations by continuing to stay out of UNESCO, the spirit of the UN Charter and the closely related UNESCO Constitution remain seriously weakened.Wherefore your petitioners pray That your honourable House proceed and urge the Government to announce its decision to rejoin UNESCO and to start negotiations on all relevant details.And your petitioners, as in duty bound will ever pray, &c.To lie upon the Table.