UNESCO: Between Sectoral Fragmentation and Budget Crisis

Chapter 7 examines the case of UNESCO and the effects of the sectoral and vertical fragmentation of the organization. The case is particularly pertinent since the US stopped its contributions after Palestine was admitted as a member in 2011, resulting in a major financial crisis for the organization. Despite the need for rigorous cutback management, budgeting procedures and budgeting administration have remained highly routinized. While this highlights the important procedural role of international bureaucrats and their ability to ensure the continued functioning of IOs, these solutions also show the limits to the substantive influence of international bureaucracies in budgeting. In essence, UNESCO remains an organization that is highly fragmented along policy lines, horizontally and vertically, and both among member states as well as inside its own bureaucracy. This results in budgetary segmentation and increased proceduralization well beyond the core budgeting stages regulated by formal rules.