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The Contemporary Information Debate

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Book cover The UN, UNESCO and the Politics of Knowledge

Abstract

Clear majorities within the UN system in favour of international regulation of communication did not emerge until the mid-1970s, discussions in full-membership arenas of the UN and UNESCO during the 1960s and early 1970s issuing,1 with a few notable exceptions,2 in stalemate.

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References

  1. See e.g debates on Art. 2 of the UN draft Convention on Freedom of Information, UN GAOR 15(1), C.3, 1028–45 and 1058 mtg (21 November–5 December and 16 December 1960) pp. 251–344 and 425–7, and UN GAOR 16(1), C.3, 1126–32 and 1134 mtg (6–12 and 14 December 1961); on Art. 19 of the ICCPR, UN GAOR 16(1), C.3,1070–77 mtg (11–26 October 1961) pp. 55–91; on the Declaration on the Promotion among Youth of the Ideals of Peace, Mutual Respect and Understanding between Peoples, adopted by UN GA Res. 2037(XX) of 7 December 1965 (UN GAOR 20, Supp.14, at 40), summarised in YUN [1965] pp. 478–81; on the Treaty on principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer Space, including the moon and other celestial bodies (Outer Space Treaty) adopted on 19 December 1966 (UN GAOR 21 Supp.16 at 13), summarised in YUN [1966] pp. 32–43; on freedom of information, UN GAOR 23, C.3, 1639–40 and 1646 mtg (13 and 17 December 1968) and Plen 1748 mtg (19 December 1968), UN Doc. A/7433 (1968) (UN GAOR 23 Annexes, Agenda item 62 at 7) and UN GA Res. 2448 (XXIII) of 19 December 1968 (UN GAOR 23 Supp.18 at 52). Also debates within UNESCO on the Declaration on the Principles of International Cultural Co-operation, adopted by UNESCO 14 C/Res. 8.1 of 4 November 1966 (UNESCO 14 C/Resolutions at 86), UNESCO 14 C/Proceedings, item 18.4. See also debates in the United Nations on a Soviet bloc proposal for regulation of direct television broadcasting by satellite, UN Doc. A/8771 (1972) (UN GAOR 27 Annexes, Agenda items 28–9 and 37 at 1), and subsequent debates and resolutions summarised in YUN [1972] pp. 43–9; [1973] pp. 55–6, 60–2 and 66; [1975] pp. 80–4; [1976] pp. 61–6; [1977] pp. 68–71; [1978] pp. 130–2; [1979] pp. 102–6; and [1980] pp. 119–22.

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  64. For DNG proposal, see UNESCO Doc. 19 C/PLEN/DR.20 (1976). For other draft resolutions and proposals, see UNESCO Docs 19 C/PRG.III/DR.2 and 3 and 19 C/INF.21 (1976).

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  66. Known as the ‘September 1977 draft’, in UNESCO C.R. File 659.3:323.1 INT.

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  67. For fuller details of this stage of drafting see September 1977 confidential Aide-Mémoire; Memo, of 29 November 1977 from G.C. Roque to ADG/CC; UNESCO Memo. CC/FCP/77/296 of 21 October 1977 from Kandil to ADG/CC and Memo. SJC/44/SF. 1 of 3 November 1977 from Ansah to ADG/CC; and letter of 5 December 1977 from Harley (USA) to ADG/CC, all in UNESCO C.R. File 659.3:323.1 INT.

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  68. For details, see UNESCO Doc. 104 EX/28 (1978); UNESCO Doc. 20 C/20 (1978), Introduction, para. 7; and correspondence cited in note 67 above.

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  70. Ibid.

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  73. Ibid.

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  75. Ibid.

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  78. See UNESCO Doc. 104 EX/Dec. 5.5.4 of 9 June 1978.

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  84. For samples of coverage identifying M’Bow with the Declaration, see e.g. ‘Unesco Head Backs Media-Control Draft’, IHT 27 October 1978, quoting UPI dispatch; AFP dispatch of 26 October 1978 in UNESCO Press Review 207; UNESCO Press Review 211; and Peter Calvocoressi, ‘Third World threat to the Truth’, ST, 22 October 1978. On this theme, too, see Righter, Whose News?, op. cit., esp. ch. 4, e.g. p. 179.

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  85. UNESCO 20 C/Proceedings, pp. 288 and 1042.

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  90. Ibid., pp. 52–9.

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  93. For list of journalists attending 21st session of General Conference in Belgrade, see UNESCO Register of Cards Issued to Journalists, note 89 above, typed list stapled to p. 67. The list shows 59 Yugoslav and 173 foreign journalists, of whom some 92 Western. (Entries are numbered to 176, but numbers 165–8 inclusive are missing.)

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  95. Ibid., p. 10.

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  96. See e.g. Tribune de Genève, 1 November 1978.

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  97. See e.g. Paul Webster, ‘News Row Splits Delegates to Unesco’, Guardian, 23 October 1978.

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  98. AP dispatch reproduced in UNESCO Press Review 203, of 20 October 1978; also P. Chutkow, AP dispatch ‘Impending Wrangle over the Organisation’s initiatives in mass communications and international News’, UNESCO Press Review 206, of 25 October 1978;

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  115. Ibid., p. 362 para. 12.23; p. 497 para. 14.5; and p. 520 para. 45.21.

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  118. Ibid., pp. 3–4.

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  119. Ibid., p. 14.

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  120. See e.g. Colleen Roach, French Press Coverage of the Belgrade UNESCO Conference’, Journal of Communication (Fall 1981) pp. 175–87; and

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  124. See reports on this body in e.g. AFP dispatch of 6 November 1978 in UNESCO Press Review 215 of 7 November 1978; IHT, 27 October and 8 November 1978);

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  125. The Times, 24 October and 3 November 1978;

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  126. R. Smyth, ‘Bid for Unesco harmony’, Observer, 5 November 1978;

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  127. ‘Compromis possible sur le problème de l’information’, L’Action, Tunis, 4 November 1978; AFP dispatch, Paris, 3 November 1978;

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  128. I. Murray, ‘West eager to tone down Unesco stand on media’, The Times, 17 November 1978;

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  129. and R. Righter, ‘Free press talks stay backstage’, ST, 19 November 1978. See also Righter, ‘Newsflow International’, op. cit., p.311.

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  130. Ibid.

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  131. UNESCO Doc. 20 C/20 Rev. (1978) of 21 November 1978, scheduled for adoption on 22 November 1978 (see UNESCO 20 ajournai, 21 November 1978).

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  132. UNESCO 20 C/Proceedings, p. 980 paras. 7.1 to 7.4 and 9.1.

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  133. See UNESCO 20 C/Reports, pp. 153–4; and 20 C/Proceedings, p. 1060 paras. 53.46–48.

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  134. See Declaration on Fundamental Principles concerning the Contribution of the Mass Media to Strengthening Peace and International Understanding, to the Promotion of Human Rights and to Countering Racialism, Apartheid and Incitement to War, UNESCO 20 C/Res. 4/9.3/ 2 of 28 November 1978 (UNESCO 20 C/Resolutions at 100).

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  135. I am indebted to Mr Lloyd Sommerlad, former official of the Division of Free Flow of Information, and UNESCO Regional Communications Adviser for Asia at the time of the 20th session of the General Conference, for insights into the compromise reached.

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  136. See UNESCO Doc. 20 C/DR. 308 (1978) p. 2, last paragraph.

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  137. Interview with Mr V. D. Dratch, USSR Permanent Delegation to UNESCO. See also UNESCO 20 C/Proceedings, pp. 1080, 1093, 1095, 1097–9, 1100, 1102–4, 1112 and 1116–7.

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  138. Media Declaration, note 119 above, Art. II para. 3; and Art. III paras. 1 and 2.

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  139. For verbatim records of the Programme Commission debates, see UNESCO 20 C/Proceedings, pp. 1063–117.

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  140. Ibid., pp. 1078, 1087–8, 1091–2, 1096, 1101–2 and 1109–14.

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  141. Ibid., pp. 1072–3, 1079 and 1089–90 resp.

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  142. Ibid., pp. 1070 and 1092–3.

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  143. Righter, ‘Newsflow International’, op. cit., p. 310; Righter, ‘Unesco’s close shave for Press Freedom’, ST, 26 November 1978;

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  144. ‘Pious Promises’ , The Economist, 25 November 1978;

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  145. AP dispatch in UNESCO Press Review 229 of 27 November 1978; Reuter dispatch of 22 November 1978; ‘UNESCO relief over achievement’, New Scotsman, 29 November 1978;

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  146. etc. See also C. Roach, The Reaction of the French Press to the Mass Media Declaration (University of Paris, unpublished manuscript, March 1979).

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  147. On this point see Chapter 2 above; and Righter, Whose News?, op. cit., ch. 4, pp. 112, 166 and 172.

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  148. See UNESCO 19 C/Res. 100 of 29 November 1976 (UNESCO 19 C/Resolutions at 17) Part B paras. 22–3; and UNESCO Doc. 19C/4 (1976) Annex II, Guidance Notes on Objective 9.1.

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  149. For Commission mandate and membership, see UNESCO Doc. 20 C/94 (1978) pp. 2–3.

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  150. UNESCO Doc. 20 C/94 (1978).

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  151. Ibid., Section D, pp.63–73.

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  152. Ibid., Section E, pp. 74–9.

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  153. UNESCO 20 C/Proceedings, p. 649 para. 8.9.

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  154. UNESCO Doc. 20 C/DR.305 (1978).

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  155. UNESCO Doc. 20 C/DR.307 (1978).

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  156. UNESCO 20 C/Res. 4/9.1/3 of 28 November 1978 (UNESCO 20 C/Resolutions at 99).

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  157. See Many Voices, One World (Paris: UNESCO, 1980); and letter of 30 November 1979 from Sean MacBride to Director-General, quoted in UNESCO Doc. 21 C/85 (1980) p. 11 para. 70.

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  158. R. Righter, ‘Press Freedom row goes on’, ST, 2 December 1979.

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  159. Many Voices, One World, op. cit., pp.253–72.

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  160. On this point, Ibid., Part V para. 5, quoted in UNESCO Doc. 21 C/85 (1980) p. 11 paras. 64–5.

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  161. Many Voices, One World, op. cit., Recommendations 31–3.

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  162. Ibid., Recommendation 27.

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  163. Ibid., Recommendations 30 and 58.

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  164. Ibid., e.g. Recommendation 42.

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  165. Ibid., e.g. Recommendations 47, 52–3, 79–80 and 82.

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  166. Ibid., Recommendation 77.

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  167. Ibid., pp. 273–4.

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  168. See UNESCO Doc. 21 C/PRG.IV/DR.1 (1980).

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  169. Many Voices, One World, op. cit., pp.279–80.

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  170. Ibid., pp.280–1.

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  171. UNESCO Doc. 21 C/85 (1980). See also statement by representative of the Director-General, UNESCO 21 C/Reports, p. 181 paras. 493 and 495.

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  172. See notes 108–11 above; also R. Righter, ‘Third World aim is to shackle the Fourth Estate’, ST, 19 October 1980; ‘News by order’, ST editorial, 26 October 1980;

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  175. Ibid.

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  183. For Final Report of the conference see UNESCO Doc. CC/MD/45 (1980) and for Director-General’s report to the General Conference see UNESCO Doc. 21 C/86 (1980).

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  186. Ibid.

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  191. Ibid.; and Rules of Procedure of Intergovernmental Council of the IPDC, UNESCO Doc. CC-81/WS/34 (1981), pp. 9–15.

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  192. On financial arrangements, see UNESCO Docs. CC/MD 47 (1981) esp. pp. 9–11 and Res. I; COM/MD/1 (1982) esp. pp. 6–8 and Annex III; also UNESCO 21 C/Res. 4/21 of 27 October 1980 (UNESCO 21 C/Resolutions at 72) esp. para. 4 (c) (e) and (f); and Statutes of the Intergovernmental Council of the IPDC, UNESCO Doc. CC-81/WS/34 (1981), pp. 6–7, Art. 5(f) and (g).

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  193. On this point see e.g. R. Righter, ‘Third World press pact hits snag’, ST, 20 April 1980;

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  198. See House of Lords, Parliamentary Debates, v. 426, 1 February 1982;

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  205. Ibid., e.g. paras. 4343, 4346, 4349–50, 4357, 4359 and 4370–1.

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  207. As note 178 above.

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  210. As note 177 above; also J. Friendly, ‘Unesco Shifts Approach on Press in Third World’, NYT, 30 November 1981;

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  220. See e.g. UN Doc. A/SPC/33/L.5 Annex (1978) esp. ch. II p. 12 para. 4; pp. 13–14 para. 42 esp. indents 2, 4, 5, 7 and 9; p. 17 para. 47; p. 19 para. 49; and ch. III p. 24 last para., and p. 25, first two paragraphs and para. 59.

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  228. UN Doc. A/SPC/33/SR.48 (1978) p. 12 paras. 124 and 127.

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  229. Ibid., p. 13 para. 127.

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  230. Ibid., p. 23 para. 123.

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  240. Ibid., Section II para. 4.

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  241. Ibid., Section II para. 8.

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  242. Ibid., Section II para. 9.

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  243. Ibid., Section II para. 12.

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  249. Ibid., p. 2.

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  250. See UN Doc. A/34/21 (1979) p. 15, and statement by UN Secretariat, UN Doc. A/SPC/34/SR.25 (1979) p. 3.

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  256. For alternative Western proposal, see UNESCO Doc. 21 C/PRG.IV/DR.7 (1980). For debates, see UNESCO 21 C/Reports, pp. 188–9, and 21 C/Proceedings, p. 1351 para. 25.12, and p. 1366 paras. 106.2 to 106.3. For decision, see UNESCO 21 C/Res. 4/20 of 27 October 1980 (UNESCO 21 C/Resolutions at 71).

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  257. See e.g. UNESCO Doc. 20 C/77 (1978).

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  258. See UNESCO Docs. 99 EX/SR.4 (27 April 1976), statements by Messrs Smirnov, p. 24; Betancur Mejía, p. 26; and El-Wakil, p. 27; and 100 EX/SR.8 (30 September 1976) statements by Messrs Ki-Zerbo, p.65; Messadi, p.67; Koutakov, pp. 68–9; Maser, p. 69; and Le Riverend, p. 70. See also UNESCO 19 C/Proceedings Part 1, p. 395 para. 16.16, p. 376 paras. 10.5 to 10.6, and pp. 404 and 475; and ibid., Part 2, pp. 442-3.

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  259. See Chapter 1 above, and note 58.

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  271. See Philip Webster, ‘Unesco pull-out attacked by MPs’, The Times, 6 December 1985.

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  272. See e.g. ‘Le Japon menace de quitter l’Unesco’, Le Soir, 15 February 1985.

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  275. and J. P. Péroncel-Hugoz, ‘Les Etats-Unis ont pris la décision de se retirer de l’UNESCO’, Le Monde, 30 December 1983.

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  276. Details taken from report by Mr R. Beix, The Activities of UNESCO and Co-operation with the Council of Europe, Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Doc. AS/INF (84)4, pp. 8–11.

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  277. See René Lefort, ‘La Crise? Quelle Crise?’, Le Matin, 1 December 1984.

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  278. For the public debate in the UK, see ibid. and, for example, Nigel Hawkes, ‘Our unloved brainchild’, Observer, 1 December 1985;

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  279. Robert Mauthner, ‘Reforms may not pass the Thatcher test’, FT, 4 December 1985; ‘Getting out for no good reason’, Guardian editorial, 6 December 1985;

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  280. James Naughtie and Hella Pick, ‘Britain dismays EEC by leaving Unesco’ and John Cunningham, ‘Why it’s goodbye to all that at Unesco’, Guardian, 6 December 1985;

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  281. and ‘Bonn will not follow UK lead’, The Times, 7 December 1985.

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  282. Ibid., and as note 237 above.

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  283. As note 237 above.

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  286. See e.g. letter from Gilles de Leiris, UNESCO Comptroller, ‘UNESCO’s $10 million’, IHT, 26 February 1985; also as note 242 above.

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  287. I am grateful to Mr Hargrove for information on the report, supplied during interview on 25 March 1983.

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  1. Clare Wells
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© 1987 Clare Wells

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Wells, C. (1987). The Contemporary Information Debate. In: The UN, UNESCO and the Politics of Knowledge. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-08409-8_5

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