§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if in the light of the election of Professor Mayor, as director general, he will make a futher statement about Her Majesty's Government's policy towards membership of UNESCO.
§ Mr. EggarAs I told the House on 21 October, we welcome the election of Professor Mayor, whose appointment was confirmed by the General Conference of UNESCO on 7 November.
Professor Mayor's experience in the field of education, science and culture, and his detailed knowledge of UNESCO, equip him well for his new responsibilities. We wish him well. But we have made clear that we would need clear evidence that substantial reform had been achieved in UNESCO before we could reconsider our membership of the organisation. We will be watching developments closely and keeping an open mind.