GLOBAL: Unesco pulls plug on Philosophy Day in Iran

14 November 2010

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation decided last week to pull the plug on another embarrassment to its reputation, dissociating itself from this year's celebration of philosophy, to be held in Iran in less than two weeks, writes Steven Erlanger for The New York Times.

Unesco has been celebrating World Philosophy Day since 2002, but an agreement made quietly in 2008 for Iran to host this year's event became extremely controversial, given Iran's record of repression and censorship after disputed elections in 2009.

Academics vowed to boycott this year's event, scheduled for 21-23 November, and European nations, joined by the United States, urged the organisation's new director general, Irina Bokova, to cancel the event.
Full report on The New York Times site

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