One of the 17 inter-governmental organisations of the United Nations, UNESCO was established by inter-governmental agreement in 1946. At the time of writing UNESCO has 188 member states. Its main objective is to contribute to peace and security in the world by promoting collaboration among nations through education, science, culture and communication, in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations. In the cultural field it aims to encourage governments to acknowledge the cultural dimension of development, to affirm and enrich cultural identities, to broaden participation in cultural life and to promote international co-operation.