Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations : The United Nations was founded in 1942 as an association of Second World War allies focused on maintaining the post war peace. This international institution formally came into being on 24 October 1945. Canada was one of its founding members. Canada has accredited representatives at the ambassadorial level at both New York and Geneva. The post in Geneva opened on 28 November 1948 with Dana Wilgress as its first Permanent Delegate. The Permanent Mission of Canada to the Office of the United Nations at Geneva is accredited to all of the specialized Agencies of the United Nations with headquarters in Geneva. These include the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). This post is also accredited to the secretariat of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
The Permanent Mission of Canada to the Office of the United Nations at New York began in 1948. Its first Permanent Delegate, General Andrew McNaughton, took up his position on 9 January 1948. McNaughton was also Canada's first representative on the Security Council of the United Nations.
The work of the UN offices in Geneva and New York includes representing Canada's interests, both domestically and internationally, at the United Nations negotiating treaties, facilitating the work of the UN as a whole and its specialized agencies and participating in peacekeeping operations. Additionally the offices are Canada's main line of communication and information to the UN. The United Division at headquarters in Ottawa coordinates the UN work done in both New York and Geneva. It deals with matters relating to international conferences and organizations and coordinates all other Department of External Affairs and other government departments' work with the United Nations.
The United Nations Conference for the Establishment of an Educational and Cultural Organization was convened in London, England in November 1945. It led to the establishment of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO). Although Canada became a member of UNESCO on 6 September 1946, it was not until 14 June 1957 that the Canadian National Commission on UNESCO came into existence as an agency of the Canada Council. It held its inaugural meeting on 5-6 February 1958. In 1960, Canada named her first permanent delegate to UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. In the period from 1946 to 1958 most of UNESCO'S operations were handled by the Department of External Affairs. Since the establishment of the Commission the work has been shared by both departments. RG25 General Inventory
