Joseph Needham was appointed Director of the Natural Sciences Section of UNESCO at the first session of the UNESCO General Conference in Paris in November 1946. He served until April 1948.

He gave an account of the work of UNESCO in his Robert Boyle lecture on Science and International Relations, 1 June 1948, and his archives relating to his time at UNESCO can be found in Cambridge University Library (Needham Papers, Section D).

On his departure, a party was held and he was given as a gift a large table that he had used in his office. This table had formerly belonged to the German Naval High Command, which had occupied the same building during World War II, as evinced by the anchors in the four corners of the table. The signatures of the members of the Natural Sciences Section were engraved on a brass plaque, now fixed on the table, which sits in the main reading room at the Needham Research Institute.

During the years Joseph Needham worked at UNESCO, the building address was The Hotel Majestic, 9 avenue Kléber, Paris 75016.

The metal film canister labeled 'UNESCO' was found in a Macy's New York Hand Rolled Tampa Blunts cigar box with the label on the outside 'Mexico France 47-57'.

The metal film canister labeled 'TN' (Hoang Thi Na) was found in a Macy's New York Hand Rolled Tampa Blunts cigar box with the label on the outside 'Mexico France 47-57'.