The Organization has 195 Members and 10 Associate Members.

Membership of UNESCO is governed by Articles II and XV of the Constitution and by rules 98 to 101 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Conference (see Basic Texts). Membership of the United Nations carries with it the right to membership of UNESCO. States that are not members of United Nations may be admitted to UNESCO, upon recommendation of the Executive Board, by a two-thirds majority vote of the General Conference. 

Territories or groups of territories that are not responsible for the conduct of their international relations may be admitted as Associate Members. Their admission and their rights and obligations are determined by the General Conference.

Most Member States have established Permanent Delegations to UNESCO which, headed by Ambassadors, undertake liaison between the Organization and their governments.

All Member States have established a National Commission for UNESCO. The UNESCO National Commissions are national cooperating bodies set up by the Member States for the purpose of associating their governmental and non-governmental bodies with the work of the Organization.

Member States and Associate Members designate one or several Ministries responsible for relations with UNESCO and/or Ministries in UNESCO's fields of competence.

UNESCO emphasizes its efforts to involve nationally (Parliamentarians) and locally elected representatives (Cities and Local Authorities) in its action.

The Sector for External Relations and Public Information (ERI) and the Africa Department (AFR) ensure liaison with Member States. While AFR covers the Member States from the Africa region, ERI is responsible for relations with the Member States from the four other regions and with Associate Members.

Relations with Member States are also ensured by the Directors and Heads of the UNESCO Regional, Cluster and National Offices.

Member states:

Afghanistan - 4 May 1948 

Albania - 16 October 1958 

Algeria - 15 October 1962 

Andorra - 20 October 1993 

Angola - 11 March 1977 

Antigua and Barbuda - 15 July 1982 

Argentina - 15 September 1948 

Armenia - 9 June 1992 

Australia - 4 November 1946 

Austria - 13 August 1948 

Azerbaijan - 3 June 1992 

Bahamas - 23 April 1981 

Bahrain - 18 January 1972 

Bangladesh - 27 October 1972 

Barbados - 24 October 1968 

Belarus - 12 May 1954 

Belgium - 29 November 1946 

Belize - 10 May 1982 

Benin - 18 October 1960 

Bhutan - 13 April 1982 

Bolivia (Plurinational State of) - 13 November 1946 

Bosnia and Herzegovina - 2 June 1993 

Botswana - 16 January 1980 

Brazil - 4 November 1946 

Brunei Darussalam - 17 March 2005 

Bulgaria - 17 May 1956 

Burkina Faso - 14 November 1960 

Burundi - 16 November 1962 

Cabo Verde - 15 February 1978 

Cambodia - 3 July 1951 

Cameroon - 11 November 1960 

Canada - 4 November 1946 

Central African Republic - 11 November 1960 

Chad - 19 December 1960 

Chile - 7 July 1953 

China - 4 November 1946 

Colombia - 31 October 1947 

Comoros - 22 March 1977 

Congo - 24 October 1960 

Cook Islands - 25 October 1989 

Costa Rica - 19 May 1950 

Côte d’Ivoire - 27 October 1960 

Croatia - 1 June 1992 

Cuba - 29 August 1947 

Cyprus - 6 February 1961 

Czech Republic - 22 February 1993 

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea - 18 October 1974 

Democratic Republic of the Congo - 25 November 1960 

Denmark - 4 November 1946 

Djibouti - 31 August 1989 

Dominica - 9 January 1979 

Dominican Republic - 4 November 1946 

Ecuador - 22 January 1947 

Egypt - 4 November 1946 

El Salvador - 28 April 1948 

Equatorial Guinea - 29 November 1979 

Eritrea - 2 September 1993 

Estonia - 14 October 1991 

Ethiopia - 1 July 1955 

Fiji - 14 July 1983 

Finland - 10 October 1956 

France - 4 November 1946 

Gabon - 16 November 1960 

Gambia - 1 August 1973 

Georgia - 7 October 1992 

Germany - 11 July 1951 

Ghana - 11 April 1958 

Greece - 4 November 1946 

Grenada - 17 February 1975 

Guatemala - 2 January 1950 

Guinea - 2 February 1960 

Guinea-Bissau - 1 November 1974 

Guyana - 21 March 1967 

Haiti - 18 November 1946 

Honduras - 16 December 1947 

Hungary 14 September 1948 

Iceland - 8 June 1964 

India - 4 November 1946 

Indonesia - 27 May 1950 

Iran (Islamic Republic of) - 6 September 1948 

Iraq - 21 October 1948 

Ireland - 3 October 1961 

Israel - 16 September 1949 

Italy - 27 January 1948 

Jamaica - 7 November 1962 

Japan - 2 July 1951 

Jordan - 14 June 1950 

Kazakhstan - 22 May 1992 

Kenya - 7 April 1964 

Kiribati - 24 October 1989 

Kuwait - 18 November 1960 

Kyrgyzstan - 2 June 1992 

Lao People’s Democratic Republic - 9 July 1951 

Latvia - 14 October 1991 

Lebanon - 4 November 1946 

Lesotho - 29 September 1967 

Liberia - 6 March 1947 

Libya - 27 June 1953 

Lithuania - 7 October 1991 

Luxembourg - 27 October 1947 

Madagascar - 10 November 1960 

Malawi - 27 October 1964 

Malaysia - 16 June 1958 

Maldives - 18 July 1980 

Mali - 7 November 1960 

Malta - 10 February 1965 

Marshall Islands - 30 June 1995 

Mauritania - 10 January 1962 

Mauritius - 25 October 1968 

Mexico - 4 November 1946 

Micronesia (Federated States of) - 19 October 1999 

Monaco - 6 July 1949 

Mongolia - 1 November 1962 

Montenegro - 1 March 2007 

Morocco - 7 November 1956 

Mozambique - 11 October 1976 

Myanmar - 27 June 1949 

Namibia - 2 November 1978 

Nauru - 17 October 1996 

Nepal - 1 May 1953 

Netherlands - 1 January 1947 

New Zealand - 4 November 1946 

Nicaragua - 22 February 1952 

Niger - 10 November 1960 

Nigeria - 14 November 1960 

Niue - 26 October 1993 

Norway - 4 November 1946 

Oman - 10 February 1972 

Pakistan - 14 September 1949 

Palau - 20 September 1999 

Palestine - 23 November 2011 

Panama - 10 January 1950 

Papua New Guinea - 4 October 1976 

Paraguay - 20 June 1955 

Peru - 21 November 1946 

Philippines - 21 November 1946 

Poland - 6 November 1946 

Portugal - 12 March 1965 

Qatar - 27 January 1972 

Republic of Korea - 14 June 1950 

Republic of Moldova - 27 May 1992 

Romania - 27 July 1956 

Russian Federation - 21 April 1954 

Rwanda - 7 November 1962 

Saint Kitts and Nevis - 26 October 1983 

Saint Lucia - 6 March 1980 

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - 15 February 1983 

Samoa - 3 April 1981 

San Marino - 12 November 1974 

Sao Tome and Principe - 22 January 1980 

Saudi Arabia - 4 November 1946 

Senegal - 10 November 1960 

Serbia - 20 December 2000 

Seychelles - 18 October 1976 

Sierra Leone - 28 March 1962 

Singapore - 8 October 2007 

Slovakia - 9 February 1993 

Slovenia - 27 May 1992 

Solomon Islands - 7 September 1993 

Somalia - 15 November 1960 

South Africa - 12 December 1994 

South Sudan - 27 October 2011 

Spain - 30 January 1953 

Sri Lanka - 14 November 1949 

Sudan - 26 November 1956 

Suriname - 16 July 1976 

Swaziland - 25 January 1978 

Sweden - 23 January 1950 

Switzerland - 28 January 1949 

Syrian Arab Republic - 16 November 1946 

Tajikistan - 6 April 1993 

Thailand - 1 January 1949 

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - 28 June 1993 

Timor-Leste - 5 June 2003 

Togo - 17 November 1960 

Tonga - 29 September 1980 

Trinidad and Tobago - 2 November 1962 

Tunisia - 8 November 1956 

Turkey - 4 November 1946 

Turkmenistan - 17 August 1993 

Tuvalu - 21 October 1991 

Uganda - 9 November 1962 

Ukraine - 12 May 1954 

United Arab Emirates - 20 April 1972 

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - 1 July 1997 

United Republic of Tanzania - 6 March 1962 

United States of America - 1 October 2003 

Uruguay - 8 November 1947 

Uzbekistan - 26 October 1993 

Vanuatu - 10 February 1994 

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) - 25 November 1946 

Viet Nam - 1 July 1951 

Yemen - 2 April 1962 

Zambia - 9 November 1964 

Zimbabwe - 22 September 1980 

Associate Members 

Anguilla - 5 November 2013 

Aruba - 20 October 1987 

British Virgin Islands - 24 November 1983 

Cayman Islands - 30 October 1999 

Curaçao - 25 October 2011 

Faroes - 12 October 2009 

Macau (China) - 25 October 1995 

Montserrat - 13 November 2015 

Sint Maarten - 25 October 2011 

Tokelau - 15 October 2001