OFFICIAL NAME
International Catholic Centre for Cooperation with UNESCO
ACRONYM
CCIC (Centre Catholique International de Coopération avec l’UNESCO)
ESTABLISHED
1947
HISTORY
CCIC was established in the same year as UNESCO, to guarantee a Catholic presence in this new United Nations agency which had been instituted to help the member states to find responses, in a changing world, to the key issues arising in the fields of education, science, culture, communications and their related problems. CCIC was established at the initiative of the Archbishop of Paris and the Rector of the Institut Catholique, with the support of the Apostolic Nuncio to Paris at the time, Monsignor Angelo Roncalli, the future Pope John XXIII.
IDENTITY
Membership of CCIC is open to individuals and institutions (Catholic International Organisations, Bishops’ Conferences, dioceses, religious Congregations, foundations) interested in the work that UNESCO performs throughout the world. The Centre, whose role is mainly to provide information, documentation, and to liaise with UNESCO, alerts the Catholic world to the issues addressed by UNESCO, and seeks to ensure that the teachings of the Church are taken on board in its work; it provides assistance to enable Catholics to play an effective part in the debates taking place in UNESCO; it informs about 6000 entities worldwide (dioceses, universities, schools, embassies, national commissions, development agencies) of the opportunities created by UNESCO’s work, to which they would not otherwise have direct access. CCIC cooperates with numerous Catholic universities and Catholic cultural institutions, Apostolic Nunciatures in every continent, the national officers of the Pontifical Mission Aid Societies and the Holy Childhood Association, national Catholic education officials, the members of the Conference of ICOs, ecumenical organisations, departments of the Roman Curia, and the pontifical academies.
ORGANISATION
The members of the CCIC may be individuals or juridical persons, and are either active members, who share and support the aims of the Association, take part in promoting and developing the Centre and its activities, with a deliberative vote at the General Assembly; or, associate members who, while endorsing the objectives of the Association do not take on the responsibilities of the active members but may attend the General Assembly with a consultative vote; or sympathisers, to support the objectives of the Association by making financial donations or other forms of support. CCIC is headed by a Director, and managed by a Board of Directors comprising a President, two Vice Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer and an Ecclesiastical Assistant.
MEMBERSHIP
The CCIC has 291 members and is present in 37 countries, as follows: Africa (8), Asia (3), Europe (10), Middle East (3), North America (3), Oceania (1), and South America (9).
PUBLICATIONS
Le mois à l’UNESCO, a quarterly publication in French, English, Spanish and Arabic; Education Informations/News and CCIC Informations/Information, a quarterly in French and English.
WEB SITE
HEADQUARTERS
Centre Catholique International de Coopération avec l’UNESCO
9, rue Cler - 75007 Paris - France
Tel. [+33]1.47051759 - Fax [+33]1.45569092
Email: infos@ccic-unesco.org
