La temo Esperanto troviĝis plurfoje en la tagordo de Unesko, la Organizaĵo de Unuiĝintaj Nacioj por Edukado, Scienco kaj Kulturo. De post la jaro 1954, la Universala Esperanto-Asocio (sidanta en Roterdamo, Nederlando) tenas oficialajn rilatojn kun Unesko, regule sendas al ĝi raportojn, kaj instigas siajn membrojn kaj aliĝintajn asociojn aktive kunlabori kun Unesko por la realigo de komunaj celoj.

En du apartaj okazoj, la Ĝenerala Konferenco de Unesko adoptis specialan rezolucion dediĉitan al Esperanto. La rezolucio de la 8a Ĝenerala Konferenco (Montevideo, 1954) rezultis el kelkjara kampanjo kunordigita de la Universala Esperanto-Asocio, precipe de ĝia estrarano Ivo LAPENNA. La rezolucio pri la Jubilea Jaro, adoptita de la 23a Ĝenerala Konferenco (Sofio, 1985), estis la frukto de tridekjara kunlaboro kaj bonaj kontaktoj de kelkaj naciaj delegacioj. Kune la du rezolucioj konsistigas la plej klaran agnoskon de la valoro de Esperanto fare de grava interŝtata organizaĵo.

Kvankam en 1993 la 27a Ĝenerala Konferenco denove diskutis pri Esperanto, la favora rezolucio proponita de Italio ne atingis voĉdonon kaj restis labordokumento.

General Conference of Unesco. Eight session. Montevideo (Uruguay), 1954.
Resolution adopted on December 10th, 1954, in the eighteenth plenary-meeting.

IV.1.4.422 - The General Conference,
Having discussed the report of the Director-General on the international petition in favour of Esperanto (8C/PRG/3),

IV.1.4.4221 - Takes note of the results attained by Esperanto in the field of international intellectual relations and the rapprochement of the peoples of the world ;

IV.1.4.4222 - Recognizes that these results correspond with the aims ans ideals of Unesco ;

IV.1.4.4223 - Takes note that several Member States have announced their readiness to introduce or expand the teaching of Esperanto in their schoolsand higher educational establishments, and requests these Member States to keep the Director-General informed of the results attained in this field ;

IV.1.4.4224 - Authorizes the Director-General to follow current developments in the use of Esperanto in education, science and culture, and, to this end, to co-operate with the Universal Esperanto Association in matters concerning both organizations.

General Conference of Unesco. Twenty-third session. Sofia (Bulgary), 1985.
Resolution adopted on November 8th, 1985, in the thirty-sixth plenary-meeting.

11.11 - Celebration of the centenary of Esperanto.

The General Conference,

Considering that the General Conference at its 1954 session in Montevideo, by its resolution IV.1.4.422-4224, took note of of the results attained by the international language Esperanto in the field of international intellectual exchange and mutual understanding among the peoples of the world, and recognized that those results corresponded with the aims and ideals of Unesco,

Recalling that Esperanto has in the meantime made considerable progress as a means for the advancement of mutual understanding among peoples and cultures of different countries, penetrating most regions of the world and most human activities,

Recognizing the great potential of Esperanto for international understanding and communication among peoples of different nationalities,

Noting the considerable contribution of the Esperanto movement, and especially of the Universal Esperanto Association, to the spreading of information about the activities of Unesco, as well as its participation in those activities,

Aware of the fact that in 1987 Esperanto celebrates its centenary of existence,

1. Congratulates the Esperanto movement on its centenary ;

2. Requests the Director-General to continue following with attention the development of Esperanto as a means for better understanding among different nations and cultures ;

3. Invites the Member States to mark the centenary of Esperanto by suitable arrangements, declarations, issuing of special postal stamps, etc., and to promote the introduction of a study programme on the language problem and Esperanto in their schools and higher educatinal institutions ;

4. Recommends that international non-governmental organizations join in celebrating the centenary of Esperanto and consider the possibility of the use of Esperanto as a means for the spreading of all kinds of information among their members, including information on the work of Unesco.

Refind Unesco on its web site : www.unesco.org