The International Bureau of Education is an information centre for UNESCO member-states in all matters concerning education. It was founded in Geneva in 1925 as a private organisation and became the first intergovernmental organisation in the field of education in 1929. In 1969 it became an integral part of UNESCO. IBE acts as an information-exchange centre on educational matters, covering educational policies and systems throughout the world, as well as a centre for comparative studies in the education field. Its work is divided into three main areas: research and study, publications, and documentation and information.