Henry J. Reynaud, founder of the IAC, coveted a partnership with UNESCO since the Academy’s early days. After 5 years of dedicated work, in 1958, Reynaud achieved his goal and the IAC became affiliated with UNESCO, first on a consultative basis and then, since 2001, as an official partner in the cultural sector.

The IAC of today continues to respect its predecessors and the ideals they inspired, working daily for peace and freedom of expression, supporting free creation throughout the world, promoting gender equality, fighting for recognition of the status of artists, defending tangible and intangible heritage, protecting the environment. One of the most effective means of upholding and defend these values is through inter-culturality and cultural diplomacy.

The IAC’s role at UNESCO is kept under regular review. It is important for the IAC to maintain strong ties with the organisation, otherwise it risks losing its status. The Academy’s main strength is its universality, both in terms of a single medium – common to so many cultures – and in terms of its membership. Such an international dimension should enable the IAC to develop pragmatic and consensus-based projects to propose to its members as well as to the other NGO members of UNESCO.

The IAC representative to UNESCO keeps the IAC Council and members informed of the organisation’s activities, as well as maintains and advances our international networks. Through this representation, the IAC is able to implement and develop projects that meet the requirements of the IAC partnership.

The IAC strongly encourages its members to acknowledge the IAC’s partnership with UNESCO, where appropriate, in the following manner:

• “IAC, NGO in official partnership with UNESCO”

Please also note that no use or reproduction of the UNESCO logo is permitted. The IAC disclaims all responsibility for any violation of these rules by its members. It is the individual’s responsibility.

Anja Seiler, Council representative for Switzerland and member of the Steering Committee for the 2022 Geneva Congress, giving an opening address at the Palais des Nations for the exhibition “Around the World on a Plate”. ©Léandre Burkhard

UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO’s headquarters located in Paris is neutral territory. The preamble to UNESCO’s constitution states:

“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed”. [Source]

• ESTABLISHED IAC ACTIVITIES RELATED TO UNESCO

Partnership with the Fondation Culture et Diversité: Launched by former IAC representative to UNESCO, Loul Combres, the partnership aims to create opportunities and promote access to culture and the arts for young scholarship students in France, in the pottery community of St Jean de Fos and at the Argileum Museum
In parallel, through this partnership with the Fondation Culture et Diversité, and with the support if Jingdezhen Ceramic University, French scholarship students are offered a residence at JCU, China.

Hydrology training in Benin: Alongside 5 other UNESCO partner NGOs and under the banner of UNESCO’s Participation Programme, the IAC facilitates the training of water technicians in Africa. The training is financed entirely by UNESCO.

UNESCO headquarters in Paris

• UPCOMING PROJECTS:

Humanitarian efforts by IAC members: Creation of a virtual platform highlighting IAC members’ activities and efforts that specifically align with UNESCO’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ceramics & Science: Geology Mission in Lebanon and Benin: the IAC is working with local partners with the goal of improving the situation for pottery in Lebanon and Benin. Read more here.

A symposium on ecological firing thanks to the expertise of Member of Honour, Jean Girel (France).

An international symposium on crafts and indigenous or traditional knowledge with Joao dos Santos, director Politecnico de Leiria (Portugal).

Continuing the initial exchanges with the education departments and chairs on the following subjects:

• Residencies for cultural diversity, knowledge sharing and innovation (JCU, China)
• Ceramic Innovation (Arild Berg, Oslo Met, Norway)
• Ceramics as a vehicle for peace between peoples (Michael Moore, Ulster University, UNESCO Chair, Ireland)