Malcolm Adiseshiah
From 1 to 16 November 1945 a United Nations Conference was convened in London for the establishment of an educational and cultural organization (ECO/CONF). In the conference, a new organization was created to establish the “intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind” and thus prevent the outbreak of another world war. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded by thirty-seven countries. Its Constitution to promote collaboration between member states in the fields of education, science and culture was signed on 16 November 1945 and came into force on 4 November 1946. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, former President of India, was a former student of Adiseshiah’s father. He made a referral to Sir Julian Huxley, then Director-General of UNESCO, who invited Adiseshiah to the organization in 1948. He was posted as Deputy Director of the department of exchange of persons. In that capacity Adiseshiah signed the UNESCO Fellowship letter in 1949 to M. S. Swaminathan, eminent scientist and administrator, to pursue research at the Agricultural University in Wageningen, the Netherlands which was the starting point of his illustrious career.
World Science Day for Peace and Development
The feasibility study encompassed a broad consultation with stakeholders and was approved by UNESCO's Executive Board at its 162nd Session in October 2000 before being endorsed by the 31st Session of the UNESCO General Conference (Paris, October–November 2001). The General Conference brings all member states of UNESCO together every two years to adopt the programme and budget for the coming biennium. It was decided by the General Conference to proclaim 10 November of each year World Science Day for Peace and Development and to encourage Member States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, universities, research institutions, learned societies, professional associations and schools to take an active part in the event. All partners in the follow-up to the World Conference on Science were invited to participate in the preparation and celebration of the first World Science Day for Peace and Development in November 2002.