Federico Mayor

Former Minister, UNESCO, International

Session

He participated in the "Decisionmakers, over to you" session.

Biography

Federico Mayor was born in Barcelona in 1934. Holding a Doctorate in Pharmacy from the Universidad Complutense in Madrid (1958), in 1963 he became professor of biochemistry in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Granada, and in 1968 he was elected Rector of that University, a post he held until 1972. The following year he was appointed professor in biochemistry at the Universidad Autónoma in Madrid.

Co-founder in 1974 of the Severo Ochoa Centre of Molecular Biology at the Universidad Autónoma of Madrid and the High Council for Scientific Research, among other political posts Professor Mayor has held those of Undersecretary of Education and Science in the Spanish government (1974-75), Deputy in the Spanish Parliament (1977-78), Advisor to the President of the Government (1977-78), Minister of Education and Science (1981-82) and Deputy in the European Parliament (1978). En 1978 he became the Vice-Director General of UNESCO, and in 1987 he was elected Director General of that organisation, being re-elected for a second mandate in 1993. After haven decided not to present himself for a third term, in 1999 he returned to Spain to create the Foundation a Culture of Peace, serving as its President.  President of the Science & Society Committee of FEB (2003 -  ). Recently he has been the President of the European Research Council Expert Group for the promotion of basics research in the European Union (2003-2004) and Co-chair person of the High Level Group of the Alliance of Civilisations appointed by the United Nations Secretary General (2005-2006).

During his twelve years as head of UNESCO (1987-1999) Professor Mayor Zaragoza gave new life to the Organization’s mission to “build a bastion of peace in the minds of all people”, putting the institution at the service of peace, tolerance, human rights and peaceful coexistence, working within the scope of its powers and remaining faithful to its original goals. Under Professor Mayor’s guidance, UNESCO created the Culture of Peace Programme, whose objectives revolve around four principals themes: education for peace; human rights and democracy; the fight against isolation and poverty; the defence of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue; and conflict prevention and the consolidation of peace.

Within the framework of this strategy, numerous international meetings and conferences have been on subjects such as education in non-violence, the eradication of discrimination and the promotion of pluralism and international cooperation. The result of these meetings was a significant number of Declarations –some thirty in all- which express a will to promote education, science, culture, research and teaching, as well as justice and the “moral and intellectual solidarity” to which the Constitution of UNESCO refers. On 13 September 1999, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, which embodies Professor Mayor Zaragoza’s greatest aspirations from both a conceptual and practical standpoint.

Through the Foundation for a Culture of Peace, created in Madrid in March 2000, Professor Mayor continues the task commenced as Director General of UNESCO of promoting the transition from a culture of violence and force to a culture of peace and tolerance in all walks of life. He mainly attends to educational content concerning the origin of conflicts, democracy, and human rights. And in the struggle for justice, freedom and peace. At the end of the conference, the Declaration of Madrid was adopted unanimously.

In addition to numerous scientific publications, Professor Federico Mayor has published four books of poetry, A contraviento (1985), Aguafuertes (1991), El fuego y la esperanza (1996) y Terral (1997) and various collections of essays: Un mundo nuevo (in English, The World Ahead: Our Future Making) (1999), Los nudos gordianos (1999), Tomorrow is always late (1987), The new page (1994), Memory of the future (1994), La paix demain? (1995), Science and power (1995) and UNESCO: un idéal en acción (1996).