UNESCO at A Glance

UNESCO

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UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization was born on 16 November 1945. UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of a culture of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.

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“UNESCO has all the qualifications to bring an intellectual and humanist response to globalization and to the economic crisis: we know that culture and art, the sciences, education, communication and knowledge are the real values that form the essence of humanity.” Irina Bokova, Director-General

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World Challenges The objectives of the international community – as set out in the Internationally Agreed Development Goals (IADGs), including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – underpin all UNESCO’s strategies and activities. The Organization focuses, in particular, on two global priorities: ● Africa; ● Gender equality. And on a number of overarching objectives: ● Attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning; ● Mobilizing science knowledge and policy for sustainable development; ● Addressing emerging social and ethical challenges; ●

Fostering cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and a culture of peace; ● Building inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication UNESCO carries out these priorities and objectives within a results-based framework ensuring aid effectiveness, accountability and transparency. www.unesco.org/en/strategic-planning

www.unesco.org/en/priority-africa

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Priorities and Themes Global priority:

Africa “Africa is one of UNESCO’s two global priorities. During my term of office at the head of this Organization, I firmly intend to give fresh impetus to our action in this direction… I am determined to find ways to respond more effectively to requests made by the African Union and African countries in particular with regard to countries which have experienced conflict or natural disaster…” Irina Bokova at the Summit of the West African Economic and Monetary Union – Bamako, Mali, 20 February 2010 ● A consolidated Plan of Action on Science & Technology implemented by the African Man Africa, as a designated global priority, is being and the Biosphere network (AfriMAB). integrated into all phases of the development, implementation and evaluation of UNESCO’s programmes. This includes a special emphasis on UNESCO’s response to post-conflict situations and reconstruction. UNESCO works in cooperation with the African Union and its NEPAD programme, with eight subregional African communities recognised by the African Union and within the framework of the UN system. UNESCO’s cooperation with the African Union has led to pan-African decisions in the fields of education, culture and natural sciences. Among these are: ●

Implementation of the Second Decade of Education for Africa (2006-2015)

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Coordinated action on African languages, the African diaspora and African arts and culture

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A joint African position and specific decisions on climate change and the creation of an Observatory for Science based in Africa.

UNESCO has been instrumental in the creation of the African World Heritage Fund and coordinating UNESCO activities with regional and sub-regional organizations in projects on African languages and the harmonization of curricula in HIV/AIDS prevention.

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www.unesco.org/genderequality

Global priority:

Gender Equality “Gender equality is one of … the pillars of my personal vision to promote a ‘new humanism’ during my mandate as the Director-General. At UNESCO, we look forward to close collaboration with UN Women when it becomes operational on 1 January 2011.“ Irina Bokova in support of UN General Assembly Resolution, July 2010 establishing the new United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women known as “UN Women” UNESCO has been at the forefront of efforts to support women’s and girls’ rights, empowerment, and gender equality through all its domains - education, the natural sciences, culture, communication and information. In 2007, UNESCO’s Member States designated “Gender Equality” as one of its two global priorities for 2008-2013. ●

Girls account for more than half of the world’s out-of-school children

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Two-thirds of 796 million adult illiterates are female

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Three-fifths of the world’s one billion poorest people are girls and women

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Women are still under-represented in political decision-making and are often trapped in insecure, low-paid positions

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Women are more vulnerable in economic and financial crises and more exposed to violence in situations of armed conflict

UNESCO is strongly committed to pursuing Priority Gender Equality through substantive programmes and concrete action, as encapsulated in an organization-wide Priority Gender Equality Action Plan through a dual approach: (i) gender-specific programming through initiatives that specifically seek to redress inequalities by targeting women and girls or men and boys; (ii) gender mainstreaming through the integration of a gender equality perspective in all its programming. In education (formal and non-formal), UNESCO strives to redress gender inequalities at all levels in terms of access, retention, completion, and quality. The Organization also works towards the promotion of women’s empowerment and gender equality through the integration of these considerations into its normative work in areas such as the ethics of science, culture and human rights. In communication and information initiatives, UNESCO aims to address issues such as the stereotyping of women and inequalities in women’s access to and participation in all communication information systems. In conflict and post-conflict areas, the Organization actively supports activities that seek to guarantee a safe working environment for all journalists.

www.unesco.org/en/climatechange

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Climate Change “Our atmosphere can’t tell the difference between emissions from an Asian factory, the exhaust from a North American SUV, or deforestation in South America or Africa.” – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, UNFCCC COP 15, Copenhagen, December 2009 Climate change is affecting our environment, our societies, and our common natural and cultural heritage. Finding solutions to mitigate its negative impacts and adapt to changing conditions requires an approach that unites sound, unbiased science with a range of environmental, economic, informational, social, attitudinal and behavioural factors. All sectors of UNESCO and its many Field Offices, Centres and Institutes are addressing climate change.

These areas, along with the ongoing work of the Intersectoral Platform for UNESCO Action on Global Climate Change, cover all of UNESCO’s sectors, and primarily address adaptation, the knowledge base and education. UNESCO provides a unique forum for addressing climate change and its impacts on the environment and human society. ●

Climate change has substantial implications for education and learning, requiring re-orientation of educational programmes to integrate new content, creation of awareness for social transformation and positive, participatory action and a solution-centred approach to education and learning.

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Its effects are evident in the potential and real deterioration of certain World Heritage Sites.

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Climate change has an effect on equality and human rights and ultimately can be the basis of conflicts.

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Climate change can be addressed through more transparent communications and education.

UNESCO has therefore adopted an organizationwide Climate Change strategy, which the DirectorGeneral has translated into a succinct Climate Change Initiative with four areas: ●

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climate science, drawing on activities by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) to mobilize climate knowledge: science, assessment, monitoring and early warning as a prime input to UN system-wide activties; Education for Sustainable Development, in particular climate change education; a focus on UNESCO’s network of biosphere reserves as field observatory and sites for education, livelihoods, sustainable tourism and climate science observation; and research into the social and human dimensions of climate change.

The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) aims to speed up the re-orientation of education towards sustainable development and to ensure that training and public awareness systems also focus on sustainability issues.

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www.unesco.org/en/youth

UNESCO and Young People Young people are great agents of peace and national development and a vital partner in the effort to mitigate the impact of the current global crises. UNESCO promotes the civic engagement of young people as means of empowerment and preventing violence. UNESCO’s cross-cutting approach focuses on building skills for successful transitions to adulthood (including advocacy, employability and leadership skills); raising awareness of crucial issues for youth development (such as HIV/AIDS); and providing youth with opportunities to engage in development and building peace. ●

Almost 85% of young people live in developing countries; by 2025 this figure will be 89.5%

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Over 200 million young people live on less that 1 US$ a day; 515 million live on less than 2 US$ a day

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300,000 children and youth under the age of 18 are currently participating in armed conflict

UNESCO encourages: ●

Participation of young women and men in UNESCO and its various networks and partner organizations

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Partnerships between UNESCO and young people’s networks and organizations

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Integration of youth concerns and issues into the policy agendas of Member States in education, the sciences, culture and communication to give recognition, visibility and credibility to young people’s contributions.

Launched on 12 August 2010, the International Year of Youth on “Dialogue and Mutual Understanding” is an opportunity to advocate for strengthened commitments and increased investments in young people. UNESCO has developed the Strategy on African Youth (2009-2013) as a means of mobilizing key stakeholders around common goals, including the 10-year Plan of Action of the African Union for Youth Development and Empowerment. The UNESCO General Conference Youth Forum, created in 1999 and held every 2 years, is unique in the UN system as it institutionalizes the participation of young people in UNESCO’s highest decisionmaking body.

www.unesco.org/en/rapprochement-of-cultures

Rapprochement of Cultures “…Given the new challenges of an increasingly interconnected world, our shared task is to build solid bridges, based on solidarity between all cultures so as to create a new universal ethics of living together.” Irina Bokova, Director-General, UNESCO, Extract from message on the occasion of the launch of 2010, International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures According to UNESCO’s Constitution “...ignorance of each other’s ways and lives has been a common cause, throughout the history of mankind, of that suspicion and mistrust between the peoples of the world through which their differences have all too often broken into war.” The power of these words, penned more than sixty years ago, still prevails as the need for mutual understanding has become ever more topical and compelling. In this context, the 2010 International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, for which UNESCO was designated the lead agency, provides a unique opportunity to achieve a two-fold objective: 1) to raise the awareness of the international community of the virtues of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, using specific examples to acknowledge the importance of the constant exchanges between cultures and the ties forged between them since the dawn of humanity; and 2) to fight for human rights and against new forms of racism and discrimination. To strengthen UNESCO’s activities pertaining to dialogue among cultures and peace, the DirectorGeneral of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova, established a High Panel of eminent personalities from different

geographical and intellectual spheres - researchers, scientists, representatives of civil society, journalists, writers, artists and creators, entrepreneurs, religious leaders, women and men alike. Four major themes were selected to build an action plan for the Year and to highlight the benefits of the fruitful diversity of cultures – and its corollary, intercultural dialogue – in the fields of UNESCO’s competence: education, the sciences, culture, communication and information: 1. promoting reciprocal knowledge of cultural, ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity 2. building a framework for commonly shared values 3. strengthening quality education and the building of intercultural competencies 4. fostering dialogue for sustainable development Our partners – National Commissions for UNESCO, UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs and UNESCO Associated Schools, Goodwill Ambassadors and UNESCO Clubs and Centres, as well as parliamentarians, locally elected officials, culture, education and media professionals and youth organizations – are called upon to participate actively in creating a culture of dialogue, which is deeply entrenched in UNESCO’s mandate.

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www.unesco.org/education

Education Today, 796 million adults are illiterate, two-thirds of them women. Despite significant progress since 2000, 69 million children remain out of primary school; 54% of them are girls. Millions of children leave school without acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills.

Leading Education for All (EFA) by ensuring global coordination and providing assistance to Member States to achieve the EFA goals and education-related Millennium Development Goals. Promoting literacy and quality education for all throughout life, with a particular emphasis on gender equality, youth and reaching society’s most vulnerable and marginalized groups, including indigenous peoples. Special attention is placed on Africa, the least developed countries and small island developing states, with education for sustainable development as a crosscutting concern. The international community has pledged to achieve Education for All by 2015. The World Education Forum (Dakar, 2000) agreed to reach six goals by 2015: ●

Expand early childhood care and education

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Ensure that all children are able to access and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality

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Increase access to learning and life skills programmes for youth and adults

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Improve adult literacy rates by 50%

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Eliminate gender disparities in education

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Improve all aspects of education quality.

UNESCO is leading global efforts to achieve these goals by mobilizing political will and coordinating the efforts of all stakeholders in education including development partners, governments, NGOs and civil society. UNESCO works at all levels of education to promote access, equity, quality and innovation by: ●

Assisting countries in formulating and implementing educational policies;

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Directing special attention to Africa, the least developed countries and the 9 high population countries – Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan – that are home to more than two thirds of the world’s adult illiterates and 40% of out-of-school children;

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Promoting a comprehensive response to HIV and AIDS in the education sector;

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Developing and disseminating best practices, manuals and teacher training packages designed to cover a wide range of issues, from sustainable development to human rights education;

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Encouraging special measures to provide education in situations of conflict and emergency;

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Supporting the development of technical and vocational education and training programmes linked to the world of work;

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Setting quality standards on the recognition of qualifications in higher education;

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Brokering partnerships between public, private and non-governmental actors

www.unesco.org/education

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Building networks in education

Every year, UNESCO publishes the EFA Global Monitoring Report, assessing where the world stands on its commitment to provide a basic education to all children, youth and adults by 2015. UNESCO is the lead agency for the UN Literacy Decade (2003–2012), which aims to raise awareness and create new impetus for literacy, catalyse stronger political commitment, improve the quality and scale of programmes for youth and adults, and mobilize additional funding so that a significant reduction in the number of illiterates is achieved. UNESCO is also leading the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005– 2014) to highlight the central role of education in the pursuit of sustainable development.

In higher education, over 650 UNESCO chairs and more than 60 networks have been established in some 127 countries to promote research, training and international cooperation.

To accelerate action towards EFA goals,UNESCO is focusing on 3 core initiatives in key areas: ●

The Literacy Initiative for Empowerment, aimed at 35 countries most in need;

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The Teacher Training Initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa, addressing the region’s large teacher shortage;

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The Global Initiative on Education and HIV/AIDS, to promote and scale up HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in education.

The Associated Schools Project Network, launched in 1953, links more than 8,500 schools and other educational institutions in 180 countries. A laboratory for innovation, it develops programmes to promote quality education and tackles issues such as environmental protection and intercultural learning. In higher education, over 650 UNESCO chairs and more than 60 networks have been established in some 127 countries to promote research, training and international cooperation.

UNESCO Institutes and Centres for Education Today, six Institutes and two Centres specialized in education work as part of UNESCO’s Education Sector to assist countries in tracking education problems of particular concern: ●

International Bureau of Education (Geneva) www.ibe.unesco.org/en.html

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UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (Moscow) www.iite.ru

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International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (Addis Ababa) www.unesco-iicba.org

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UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (Hamburg) www.unesco.org/education/uil/

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International Institute for Educational Planning (Paris) www.iiep.unesco.org

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European Centre for Higher Education (Bucharest) www.cepes.ro

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International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (Caracas) www.iesalc.unesco.org.ve

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International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Bonn) www.unevoc.unesco.org

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www.unesco.org/science

Natural Sciences UNESCO began sounding the alarm over the need for sustainable development in 1968 by organizing a groundbreaking conference questioning the unbridled exploitation of nature. Since its inception, the Organization has developed several international programmes to assess and manage the Earth’s resources better. UNESCO helps reinforce the capacities of developing countries in the sciences, engineering and technology. In partnership with diverse funding agencies, UNESCO provides data, advice and technical assistance to help governments formulate and implement effective science and technology. ●

Promote research and technical capacity-building for the sound management of natural resources and for disaster preparedness and mitigation.

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Strengthen national and regional research and innovation systems, capacitybuilding, the use of technologies, and scientific networking.

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Encourage the development and implementation of science, technology and innovation policies for sustainable development and poverty eradication.

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Science Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy: UNESCO helps Member States, particularly in Africa, to formulate national policies for investment in science and technology by offering policy and methodology options, and technical advice on formulation, implementation, monitoring, and review of policies and plans. It promotes university-industry partnerships and encourages countries to develop sound science governance. The International Hydrological Programme aims to provide the scientific knowledge, technical training and policy advice required to manage water efficiently, fairly and environmentally. IHP is increasingly involved in developing tools and strategies to prevent water conflicts from erupting between and within states over this precious resource.

The UNESCO Institute for Water Education in Delft is the hub of a global network of partners in water education and capacity building. The UN World Water Development Report, published every three years, provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the state of fresh water. Every UN agency and commission dealing with water contributes to monitoring progress towards water-related targets for health, food, ecosystems, cities, industry, energy, risk management and governance. UNESCO hosts the secretariat of the 26 UN partners that constitute the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), the pilot programme of UN-Water founded in 2000.

In the field of science and technology, UNESCO develops ethical guidelines, standards and legal instruments, especially in the domain of bioethics.

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www.unesco.org/science

Biodiversity conservation, on which every aspect of human well-being and the achievement of the international development goals depends, can only be tackled by taking into account the multidisciplinary dimension of the challenge it represents. This is where UNESCO can effectively contribute by promoting international biodiversity and ecosystem governance, by building and filling the gaps in the scientific knowledge base on biodiversity, by taking into account the cultural dimensions of biodiversity use and by raising awareness, educating and communicating on the vital importance of its sustainable use. Through its worldwide networks and as a key partner of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, UNESCO has carried out a large variety of initiatives to celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity 2010.

enhance forecasts, reduce uncertainty about climate change, improve the management of marine ecosystems and resources, and provide early warnings of tsunamis and other oceanrelated disasters. The IOC is leading the initiative to establish a Global Tsunami Warning System and is working to improve national development and management plans for the oceans and coasts.

The Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB), a network of more than 553 biosphere reserves, covers a majority of the world’s land ecosystems. Each of these special places for people and nature functions like a living laboratory that tests ways of managing natural resources while fostering economic development.

Disaster Prevention and Preparedness: UNESCO contributes to the assessment and mitigation of natural hazards – earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, floods and landslides – through various programmes that are part of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. UNESCO has been promoting new undertakings such as an international flood initiative, a coalition on education to integrate disaster resilience into school educational programmes, and an alliance to develop city disaster management plans in megacities.

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and its partners coordinate national research and ocean observation programmes (within the Global Ocean Observing System) and continuously monitor ocean conditions to

The International Geoscience Programme, in collaboration with the International Union of Geological Sciences, helps scientists in more than 150 countries improve techniques to assess energy and mineral resources while expanding the knowledge base of the Earth’s geological processes and reducing the risks of natural disasters in developing countries.

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Sustainable Development in Small Island Developing States (SIDS): The Intersectoral Platform on the Implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for the Sustainable Development of SIDS builds synergies among all UNESCO programme sectors to plan and implement joint activities in SIDS regions. This includes strengthening the capacity of SIDS to address pressing sustainable development concerns such as climate change adaptation, reinforcing community voices in global debates, and tailoring science policy approaches to small island needs. The International Basic Sciences Programme is an intergovernmental initiative to strengthen national capacities through a network of centres of excellence in the basic sciences. The IBSP deals with projects in mathematics, physics, chemistry,

the life sciences and their interdisciplinary areas that serve national needs. Renewable Energy: UNESCO helps developing countries define priorities and implement programmes for solar and other forms of renewable energy, while raising awareness of their importance and efficiency. The Global Renewable Energy Education Training Programme supports an annual summer school on Solar Electricity for Rural Areas and backs pilot projects. Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS) places rural communities at the heart of sustainable development by rooting resource management in indigenous knowledge and skills, and by recognizing the synergies between cultural and biological diversities.

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www.unesco.org/shs

Social and Human Sciences UNESCO places ethics and human rights at the centre of its action. ●

Promote principles, practices and ethical standards pertaining to scientific, technological and social development.

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Promote the advancement of knowledge on emerging social and ethical global challenges.

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Contribute to dialogue among civilizations and to a culture of peace through philosophy, the human sciences, good governance, the promotion of human rights and the fight against racism.

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In the field of ethics of science and technology, UNESCO focuses on emerging ethical challenges: nanotechnologies, converging technologies, biometrics and biosecurity.

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The Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights is the latest standard-setting instrument on bioethics. Adopted by UNESCO’s General Conference in 2005, it follows the Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights, developed by UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee and adopted in 1997. This Declaration serves as a legal reference and a basis for reflection on such critical issues as human cloning. The International Declaration on Human Genetic Data, added in 2003, sets out the ethical principles that should govern the collection, processing, storage and use of data (extracted from biological samples: blood, tissue, saliva, sperm, etc.) that are playing an increasingly important role in our lives.

In the field of ethics, science and technology, UNESCO focuses on emerging ethical challenges: nanotechnologies, converging technologies, biometrics and biosecurity.

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www.unesco.org/shs

UNESCO tackles interlinked issues such as gender, youth empowerment, migration and urbanization.

Created in 1998 to meet the growing challenge presented by scientific and technological advances, the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology brings together leading intellectuals and scientists. After developing ethical guidelines for fresh water, energy, the information society, outer space and nanotechnologies, COMEST is currently focusing on two main areas: environmental ethics, with particular reference to the social and human implications of global climate change, and science ethics, with particular reference to the status of scientific researchers and the regulation of scientific conduct.

GEOBS is a system of databases, freely accessible online in the six official languages of UNESCO with worldwide coverage in bioethics and other areas of applied ethics in science and technology. It helps identify experts in ethics, ethics committees, ethics institutes and centres, ethics teaching programs, legislation in the area of bioethics, codes of conduct for scientists and resources in ethics UNESCO puts social and human sciences at the service of peace and development providing policy-oriented data on emerging social and ethical global challenges. The compounded impact of the globalization processes induces a complex dynamic of transformations involving all social actors.

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Through its Management of Social Transformations programme (MOST), UNESCO tackles interlinked issues such as gender, youth empowerment, migration and urbanization. UNESCO encourages the teaching of philosophy, which stimulates critical and independent thought, develops understanding of the world and fosters tolerance and peace. In 2005, the Organization established World Philosophy Day. As an intellectual forum, UNESCO promotes international philosophical dialogues on contemporary issues relating to the promotion of a more equitable world.

In cooperation with public authorities, sport federations and the private sector, UNESCO promotes research on the social, economic, educational and cultural dimensions of sport with a view to contributing to governmental policies and efforts to make sport a tool for development and peace. The International Convention Against Doping in Sport was adopted unanimously at UNESCO’s General Conference in October 2005 to harmonize anti-doping efforts worldwide. Through the Coalition of Cities against Racism, UNESCO strives to make human rights and the struggle against discrimination and intolerance essential components of research and policy-making.

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www.unesco.org/culture

Culture UNESCO is in the vanguard of international efforts to safeguard tangible and intangible heritage. ●

Promote cultural diversity by safeguarding heritage in its various dimensions and enhancing cultural expressions. ●

Promote social cohesion by fostering pluralism, intercultural dialogue, and a culture of peace, as well as securing the central role of culture in sustainable development.

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UNESCO works to preserve humanity’s irreplaceable riches: its diversity and shared heritage .

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A set of conventions has been established to ensure the protection and safeguarding of humanity’s shared heritage in both its tangible and intangible forms.

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The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted in 1972, led to the establishment of the World Heritage List, which as of April 2010 includes 890 outstanding cultural and natural sites. The World Heritage Centre is the permanent secretariat of this convention. The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, adopted in 2003, creates an international platform to safeguard intangible cultural heritage, ensure mutual respect for the living heritage of communities worldwide, and raise awareness of its importance. The Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, adopted in 2001, entered into force in January 2009. It ensures protection for submerged cultural property against looting and destruction. The 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions reaffirms the right of States to draw up cultural policies, recognizes the

specific nature of cultural goods and services as vehicles of identity, values and meaning, and strengthens international cooperation to favour the cultural expressions of all countries.

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www.unesco.org/culture

The 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, and its Second Protocol of 1999, help rebuild broken communities, re-establish their identities, and link their past with their present and future. Since 1970, the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property has provided a solid international platform for combating illicit trafficking in cultural property. It encourages heritage policies that uphold respect for cultural diversity.

Under the umbrella of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, UNESCO has created the Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity, which supports local cultural industries, including crafts, music, publishing and film in developing countries, through public-private and North-South partnerships. UNESCO maintains longstanding programmes that foster links between peoples, such as the Slave Route project, the Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, and the History of Humanity book series devoted to Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central Asia.

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Other key UNESCO legal instruments for culture: 1950: Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials (Florence Agreement) with its Protocol (Nairobi) to improve the circulation of knowledge.

1952: Universal Copyright Convention, revised in 1971, protects intellectual property – from scientific and literary texts to film and sculpture – with the familiar ©.

1980: Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist recognizes the special labour conditions of artists and their unique role in society.

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www.unesco.org/webworld

Communication and information Communication, information and knowledge are driving forces of sustainable development. UNESCO believes they must also become the basic tools for disadvantaged people to improve their own lives. To build inclusive knowledge societies, the Organization focuses on the human dimensions of the digital divide – cultural and linguistic diversity of contents, access and empowerment of civil society. ●

Promoting freedom of expression and information.

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Building capacities in order to ensure universal access to information and knowledge.

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A key part of UNESCO’s strategy consists of promoting access to information and knowledge, notably by creating ICT training opportunities, with special focus on women and young people; developing and distributing free software; and collaborating with private software companies for the benefit of all. In the developing world, UNESCO’s Community Multimedia Centres promote community empowerment and open a gateway to active membership in the global knowledge society. CMCs combine low-cost, easy-to-operate community radio with public access to the Internet and related technologies. They inform, educate and entertain, but also give a strong public voice to the voiceless and encourage greater accountability in public affairs. UNESCO promotes freedom of expression and press freedom as basic human rights. By providing policy advice and developing networks, it encourages governments to develop standards and legislative instruments to defend this principle. UNESCO also provides direct support to independent and pluralistic media, especially in countries in transition and in conflict and postconflict areas. In Afghanistan, for example, UNESCO helped re-launch the independent Kabul Weekly and the national news agency. It has also been working with the government and local media to develop new legislation mindful of press freedom and supportive of public service broadcasting.

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www.unesco.org/webworld

UNESCO serves as a watchdog for press freedom by publicly denouncing serious abuses, including the assassination and detention of media professionals. It works to protect threatened individuals through diplomatic channels. In addition, the annual UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize is awarded to individuals and organizations defending freedom of expression at great risk. The International Programme for the Development of Communication works to improve the resources of independent and pluralistic media in developing countries and those in transition. The IPDC helps to fund projects from training courses to the modernization of news agencies and broadcasting organizations. UNESCO promotes linguistic diversity on the Internet. In 2009, it signed an agreement with ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), the body that assigns online addresses to Internet users, to help put into operation Internationalized Domain Names.

Through the Information for All Programme, UNESCO fosters debate on the political, ethical and societal challenges of the emerging global knowledge society and develops guidelines and projects to promote equitable access to information. UNESCO helps libraries and archives make the transition to the digital age, for example, by digitizing parchments of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences or extraordinary Arab and Islamic scientific manuscripts. In 2007, UNESCO and the United States Library of Congress joined forces to develop a World Digital Library that digitizes rare and unique documents in libraries and cultural institutions all over the

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world and makes them available online without charge. The documents include manuscripts, maps, books, sheet music, recordings, films, prints and photographs. UNESCO played a key role in the creation of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina the largest library in the Middle East and Africa, inspired by the legendary institution founded over 2000 years ago by Ptolemy I. Through UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme, an international advisory committee maintains a registry to protect and digitize documentary heritage of universal value. Treasures include the oldest version of the Koran, known as the Mushaf of Othman; the most comprehensive

collection of Chinese traditional music; Fritz Lang’s ‘Metropolis’ and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; Mexican codices, the only existing original sources of pre-Hispanic culture; and works from the Ethiopian National Archives and Library organizations. UNESCO has been a key participant in the World Summit on the Information Society, promoting the concept of ‘knowledge societies’ and its four principles: freedom of expression, universal access to information and knowledge, equal access to education and cultural diversity. In addition to projects furthering the WSIS Plan of Action, UNESCO organizes events to highlight development opportunities offered by ICT in education, the sciences, culture and communication.

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How does it work? The General Conference is UNESCO’s primary decision-making body, comprising representatives of all Member States. It meets every 2 years to determine the policies and main lines of work of the Organization. Following the principle of 1 vote per country, it approves UNESCO’s biennial programme and budget. Every 4 years, it appoints the Director-General of UNESCO based on the recommendation of the Executive Board. www.unesco.org/en/general-conference

The Executive Board, composed of 58 Member States, is responsible for the execution of the programme adopted by the General Conference. It meets twice a year to examine the Organization’s programme and budget. www.unesco.org/new/en/executive-board

J UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and the flags of the 35th General Conference.

I Opening of the 184th session of the Executive Board.

L UNESCO Headquarters in Paris – The Garden of Peace (or Japanese Garden) in Spring. Donated by the Government of Japan, this Garden was designed by American-Japanese sculptor artist Isamu Noguchi in 1958 and installed by Japanese gardener Toemon Sano.

The Secretariat consists of the Director-General and staff. The Director- General is the executive head of the Organization. She formulates proposals for appropriate action by the General Conference and Executive Board and prepares a draft biennial programme and budget. The staff implements the approved programme. UNESCO numbers more than 2,000 staff members from 170 countries. Under the current decentralization policy, 870 staff members work in UNESCO’s 65 field offices and institutes around the world.

How is it financed? UNESCO’s regular two-year budget is financed by Member States through assessed contributions. The regular budget for 2010 and 2011 is US$ 653 million. UNESCO also benefits from substantial extra-budgetary funding to strengthen its programmes, especially in the field, and to increase its outreach activities.

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The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (Montreal) was established in July 1999 to meet the growing needs of UNESCO Member States and the international community for a wide range of policyrelevant and reliable statistics in the fields of education, science and technology, culture and communication. It is the official data source for the education-related targets of the Millennium Development Goals and Education for All. Its data are featured in many leading international reports such as the EFA Global Monitoring Report, the World Development Indicators and the Human Development Indicators. The UIS also provides training and technical assistance to national statisticians to improve data quality and to develop new methodologies and indicators that better reflect emerging policy issues. In short, the UIS seeks to provide the ‘data to make a difference’. www.uis.unesco.org

UNESCO is part of the the UN system and works closely with a wide range of regional and national organizations. Some 350 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) maintain official relations with UNESCO and hundreds more work with the Organization on specific projects. UNESCO’s National Commissions constitute a unique network within the UN system. The Commissions in 196 Member and Associate States form a vital link between civil society and the Organization. They provide valuable insight for the Organization’s programmes and help implement many initiatives including training programmes, studies, public awareness campaigns and media outreach. The Commissions also develop partnerships with the private sector, which can provide valuable technical expertise and financial resources. www.unesco.org/en/national-commissions

K Walking Man, by Alberto Giacometti (Switzerland, 19011966). Work of the artist and surrealist sculptor known for his thin and rigid statues that seem to be in movement. The sculpture stands 1.83 m tall and signifies the will to discover the world.

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www.unesco.org

UNESCO Prizes UNESCO awards 23 international prizes in its fields of competence, such as the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize, the L’Oréal – UNESCO Prize for Women in Science and several international literacy awards. www.unesco.org/en/prizes

I UNESCO Headquarters in Paris – Fontenoy Building, Room I – Some Permanent Delegates attend the 35th General Conference of UNESCO.

Get involved… ● Join one of the 3,500 UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associations in some 100

countries: www.unesco.org/en/clubs ● Contact one of the Associated Schools: www.unesco.org/education/asp ● UNESCO accepts a limited number of national officials, researchers and

university students as interns to work in the Organization’s fields of interest for one to three months. Several fellowships and student grants are also available. www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/join-us

Since 1946, UNESCO has been led by: Julian Huxley, United Kingdom (1946–1948) Jaime Torres Bodet, Mexico (1948–1952) John W. Taylor, United States (1952–1953) Luther Evans, United States (1953–1958) Vittorino Veronese, Italy (1958–1961) René Maheu, France (1961–1974) Amadou-Mahtar M’Bow, Senegal (1974–1987) Federico Mayor, Spain (1987–1999) Koïchiro Matsuura, Japan (1999-2009) J Irina Bokova,

Bulgaria (2009– )

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www.unesco.org

Milestones War, the Convention served to extend copyright protection to numerous states not then party to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (1886).

1940-1950 16 November 1945: Representatives of 37 countries meet in London to sign UNESCO’s Constitution which comes into force on 4 November 1946 after ratification by 20 signatories (photo above). 1948: UNESCO recommends that Member States make free primary education compulsory and universal.

1950-1960 1952: An intergovernmental conference convened by UNESCO adopts the Universal Copyright Convention. In the decades following the Second World

1956: The Republic of South Africa withdraws from UNESCO claiming that some of the Organization’s publications amount to ‘interference’ in the country’s ‘racial problems’. The state rejoins the Organization in 1994 under the leadership of Nelson Mandela. 1958: Inauguration of UNESCO’s permanent Headquarters in Paris designed by Marcel Breuer (United States), Pier- Luigi Nervi (Italy) and Bernard Zehrfuss (France).

1960-1970 1960: Launch of the Nubia Campaign in Egypt to move the Great Temple of Abu Simbel to keep it from being swamped by the Nile after construction of the Aswan Dam (photo below). During the 20-year campaign, 22 monuments and architectural complexes are relocated. This is the first and largest in a series of campaigns including Moenjodaro (Pakistan), Fez (Morocco), Kathmandu (Nepal), Borobudur (Indonesia) and the Acropolis (Greece). 1968: UNESCO organizes the first intergovernmental conference aimed at reconciling the environment and development, now known as ‘sustainable development’. This leads to the creation of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere programme.

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1970-1980

1990-2000

1972: The Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage is adopted. The World Heritage Committee is established in 1976 and the first sites are inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978.

1990: The World Conference on Education for All, in Jomtien (Thailand) launches a global movement to provide basic education for all children, youths and adults. Ten years later in Dakar (Senegal), the World Education Forum commits governments to achieving basic education for all by 2015.

1974: Pope Paul VI awards the John XXIII Peace Prize to UNESCO. 1975: The United Nations University is established in Tokyo under the auspices of the UN and UNESCO. 1978: UNESCO adopts the Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice. Subsequent reports on the issue by the DirectorGeneral serve to discredit and dismiss the pseudo-scientific foundations of racism. 1980: The first two volumes of UNESCO’s General History of Africa are published. Similar series focus on other regions, notably Central Asia and the Caribbean.

1992: Creation of the Memory of the World Programme to protect irreplaceable library and archive collections. It now also includes sound, film and television archives. 1997: The United Kingdom returns to UNESCO, which it left in 1985. 1998: The Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights, developed and adopted by UNESCO in 1997, is endorsed by the UN.

21st century 2001: The General Conference adopts the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity. 2003: The United States returns to UNESCO, which it left in 1984. The General Conference adopts the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. 2005: UNESCO and its Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission develop and launch an interim tsunami early warning system in the Indian Ocean. 2008: The 1,700-year-old Aksum Obelisk, transported to Rome by Mussolini’s troops in 1937, is reinstalled in its original setting in northern Ethiopia. 2009: The General Conference elects Irina Bokova (Bulgaria) as UNESCO’s tenth Director-General. She is the first woman and the first Eastern European to head the Organization since its creation.

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CREDITS: Photography © UNESCO: Michel Ravassard Niamh Burke Patrick Lagès Björn Otte Nenadovic A. Janquières Dominique Roger Sergio Santimano Mukunda Bogati Georges Malempré Daniça Bijeljac Wu Zhijian Elsja Lewin Wenqin Zhang D. Riffet G.M.R. Akash Roni Amelan M. Becka Ariane Bailey J. Curo Gardiner Esther Mooren Gary Masters CSI/LINKS, Bangkok Shoa/Valparaiso, Chile Francisco Gattoni Fernando Brugman Guido Villani Olav A. Saltbones Justin Mott Katy Anis Abdelhak Senna Marc Hofer Vladimir Gudac Arvind Mudgil P. Waeles Alison Clayson B. Bisson Felipe Alcoceba David Stehl Alexis N. Vorentzoff R. Taurines D. Roger G. Malempré B. Bisson A. Bailey Guido Villani Gary Masters

ERI/2010/WS/2

Esther Mooren Darryl Evans Zhanat Kulenov Sake Rijpkema Page 33: ‘Walking Man’ by A. Giacometti © Succession Giacometti / ADAGP, Paris, (2009) © UNHCR/A. Kirchhof © Micheline Pelletier © Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism © UN/Marco Dormino © UN Photo/Sophie Paris © Yanbian Culture and Art Research Centre, China © Shaanxi Art Research Institute, China © Ministry of Culture, Croatia Ministere de la Culture du Mali © IGNCA Ministry of Culture, India © Sendai City Board of Education, Japan © Cultural Heritage Administration, Rep of Korea © Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Turkey © Batik Museum Institute, Indonesia © Tunde Minorics © Jupiterimages.com © Fotolia.com © iStockphoto.com

Division of Public Information The Division of Public Information within the Sector for External Relations and Public Information (DPI) provides the media worldwide with information on the Organization’s actions and priorities, including film footage, photographs and sound recordings of UNESCO events and activities. It also organizes press conferences and produces films and television shows. DPI schedules, manages and promotes major UNESCO events including concerts, exhibitions and shows and promotes interactive communication through the UNESCO web portal. Its publishing house yearly produces and distributes over 100 titles worldwide in English, French and Spanish on a variety of subjects reflecting the Organization’s expertise.

Design and layout: Baseline Arts Ltd, Oxford

Printed by UNESCO The printer is certified Imprim’Vert®, the French printing industry’s environmental initiative.

To find out more, please contact: Division of Public Information Sector for External Relations and Public Information UNESCO . 7 place de Fontenoy . 75352 Paris 07SP . France www.unesco.org/en/about . [email protected]

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“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.” UNESCO Constitution

unesco.org

United Nations Educational, Scientic and Cultural Organization

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD

Published in December 2010 by the Sector for External Relations and Public Information of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07SP, France © UNESCO 2010 All rights reserved Printed by UNESCO The printer is certified Imprim’Vert®, the French printing industry’s environmental initiative. ERI-2010/WS/3

CREDITS Photography © UNESCO G.M.B Akash N. Axelrod S. Boukhari I. Dobromirov European Athletic Association B. Glowczewski G. Malempré Nenadovic J.O’Sullivan B. Otte B. Petit M. Ravassard F. Tack M.Tesfaye © ASPnet/A.Paul © Berchtesgarden Land BR © Flickr/Wiki Commons © J. Hardy/Zen Shui/Corbis © L’Oréal © Ministerio de Cultura Ciudad de Buenos Aires © Ministery of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia © Ministery of Information and Culture of Laos © NOAA/Commander E. B. Christman, NOAA Corps © Simon Aurel Schwarz © Thundafunda © UN/M. Perret © UNAIDS/G. Pirozzi © UNEP © UN Photo/E. Debebe © F. Wahidy/AINA photo

Foreword United Nations Educational, Scientic and Cultural Organization

UNESCO proudly turns 65 this year. I see this as an opportunity to pause for a moment to consider where we stand. The world has changed beyond recognition since the UNESCO Constitution was adopted in London in 1945. The family of states has grown, even as new actors have risen to prominence on the international stage. Current challenges are complex and transnational. New times raise hard questions. Are we delivering on a mandate that continues to be relevant and that responds effectively to a world marked by global crises? Are we making the most of the extraordinary opportunities that are also among the dening features of today’s world, such as new information and communication technologies? Like many other international organisations also mandated to address the most pressing needs of humanity and of our planet, UNESCO has constantly to reconcile different objectives. We must respond to the demands of new situations, while remaining true to our long-term commitments. We must maintain a sharp focus on a few well-dened priorities, without neglecting any area of our broad mandate. There is one question that underlies all of the others. How does UNESCO make a difference? This anniversary brochure answers this question. Under eight headings that reect the most important areas of our work, we have listed here sixty ve ways by which UNESCO makes a difference – today and every day, in countries all over the world. The result, I hope readers will nd, provides insight to the unique and farreaching impact of our organisation. UNESCO does not work alone in these sixty ve areas. We collaborate with a family of partners, including stakeholders and organizations across the globe, with the private and the public sectors. It is a pleasure for me to take this opportunity to thank all those, all over the world, who work with UNESCO. This brochure celebrates your efforts and our shared achievements.

Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD in alphabetical or der

1

Associated Schools Project

2

Biosphere Reserves

3

Cities against Racism

4

Cities for Sustainable Development and Dialogue

p. 21

22

Education for All Global Monitoring Report

p. 8

Education for Sustainable Development

p. 6

46

p. 11 24

Education in Emergency Settings

25

Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems

p. 9 p. 5

p. 12

Combating Illicit Art Trafcking

p. 4

6

Community Learning Centres

p. 12

26

Endangered Languages

7

Community Multimedia Centres

p. 13

27

Fellowships

p. 17

8

Convention against Discrimination in Education p. 14

28

Female Education Planners

p. 17

29

Freedom of Information

p. 11

30

Freshwater

31

Gender Equality in Textbooks

p. 17

32

Gender Equality in the Media

p. 16

33

General and Regional Histories

p. 13

34

Geoparks

35

Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity

p. 14

36

Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005) p. 14

11

12

13

Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972) p. 14 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) p. 14 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970) p. 14 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001)

14

Creative Cities Network

15

Cultural Development Indicators

16

Cultural Heritage in Emergency Situations

p. 6

p. 18

48

Media Standards

p. 15

49

National Commissions for UNESCO

p. 20

50

Natural Disaster Reduction

p. 19

51

Network of Young TV Producers on HIV and AIDS

p. 13

Portal on Higher Education Institutions

p. 8

53

Sandwatch

p. 6

54

Teacher Training Initiative for Sub-Saharan Africa

p. 9

55

Tsunami Early Warning Systems

p. 6

56

UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks

p. 8

52

p. 6 57

UNESCO Clubs

Global Ethics Observatory

p. 8

58

UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights p. 10

37

Global Ocean Observing System

p. 7

Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conict (1954) p. 14

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38

UNESCO-L’Oréal For Women in Science Award

39

Index Translationum

40

Indigenous Knowledge

p. 18

Intangible Heritage

42

Intercultural Dialogue

p. 12

18

Declarations on Bioethics

p. 15

43

International Convention against Doping in Sport

p. 15

19

Digital Inclusion

p. 18

20

Documentary Heritage

21

E-9 Initiative

44

p. 4 p. 18

45

International Geosciences Programme Literacy Initiative for Empowerment

p. 5

p. 7 p. 16

p. 16

Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights p. 10

61

Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001)

p. 19 41

p. 21

60

p. 5

Database of National Cultural Heritage Laws p. 9

17

Media in Emergency Settings

p. 12

p. 12 p. 9

47

p. 19

5

10

p. 8

p. 7 23

9

Management of Social Transformations

p. 14

62

World Digital Library

p. 5

63

World Heritage

p. 4

64

World Press Freedom

65

World Water Development Report

p. 11 p. 9

20 Documentary Heritage The Memory of the World programme plays a lead role in protecting p t the memory emory off humanity by providing access to and encouraging the preservation serva ervation of price priceless heritage in the he e form m of audio, dio, visual and anecdotal memoryy from f all over o the world. Its s register currently comprises 193 items in 84 countries. 1

World Heritage

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD

Combating Illicit licit Ar A Art Trafcking The ght against illicit trafcking of cultural property involves collaboration with museums, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, s, and lawenforcement bodies bodi including police ce forces, forces es customs services cess and INTERPOL. The he main framework for o cooperation coo c op pe n iss th tthe e 1970 Convention nvv and the th Intergovernmental ove ve Committee ommi mt for Promoting Prr the R Return of Cultural Culltu C tura u Property to its C Pro P Countries ou un u untr ntr t of Origin or its ts Restitution R Resttitutio in case c cas ase of Illicitt Appropriation. A priiat p

63

Currently, 911 natural atur and cultural propertiess of outstanding tandin universal value in 151 countries untrie are inscribed on the World Heritage List. International cooperation to protect heritage cooperatio encourages community-based policies and conservation practices that foster local development while preserving p sites. The List of World Heritage in Danger provides special attention to 34 sites in 27 countries.

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5

SAFEGUARDING AND SHARING OUR CULTURE 26 Endangered ange er d Languages Langua nguages The World Digital D igital Librar Library

62

Launched hed in cooperation cooperat with the Lib Library of Congress of the United States, the World Digital al Library b a y ha h has as o over ver ve 100 partner institutions and offers publications from libraries and archives around the world. It can be freely accessed in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish and pr provides r content in over 40 languages.

The Atl Atlas tlas of tthe eW World’s Langu Languages in Danger monitors monito t rs some e 2,500 2 2,500 endangered d languages langu and has h as becom become e o ome m the th he foremost e ost refe reference ere ence in this eld. The e Atlas is available in print p prin riin (2010 010 edition) and via an interactive e online n ne version. versio s on UNESCO’s UNE UNESCO’s SC effort e to safeguard humanity’s umanity’s linguistic t diversityy links nk communities, experts perts and governments ve e and an pro pro ovides them with state-of-the o e-of-the art services, tools, and a nd nd policy advice.

Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger

Editor-in-chief: Christopher Moseley

Intangible Heritage Index Translationum Thiss unique international bibliography i of translations lists some o four million works in a wide range of disciplines, d e translated d in in over 1,000 languages. First begun egu in n 1932, 193 19 9 2 this t remarkable em reference ce tool has been developed oped through ongoing i international cooperation p with 100 UNESCO Member States. The online version provides national and international data and statistics on works published since 1979.

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41

Raising awareness of their value helps to safeguard oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, alss, festive events, traditional craft skills and other expressions handed down over generations. Currently, 213 practices and expressions of living heritage in over 80 countries are inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. n The Urgent Safeguarding List comprises 16 elements in nine countries.

W AY S UNESCO S SC BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER

5

THE WORLD

30

Freshwater The Institute for Water Education in Delft in the Netherlands, the largest international postgraduate water education institute instit utte in the world, has as trained t around 14,000 00 professionals from 162, mostly developing, countries. ries. The International Internat al Hydrological Programm Programme facilitates and fosters ters a actions worldwide for the sound management of surface and groundwater. manage n

34

Geoparks

55 Tsunami Early Warning Systems

The Global Network of National Geoparks ks currently counts 77 Geoparks in 24 countries. Sites are selected for their outstanding geological interest. Joining the e Geopark network helps national and local authorities support sustainable local economic econo onomic c development, ment, en mainly m through tourism. tourism to The sites also provide e signicant educ educational value e in illustrating ng and n a explaining explaining the history toryy of the Earth and its ts natural ts ttu ural u a resources. resourc r

These warning systems in the Pacic and Indian Oceans, the Caribbean, the NorthEast Atlantic and the Mediterranean have already greatly improved tsunami risk a assessment and a alerts. These systems will continue to be reinforced orced d and an ongoing global coordination effort involving in national governments, other UN agencies and NGOs is helping communities at risk to be better prepared for tsunamis.

23 E c t Education fforr Sustainable Development en n

53

Sandwatch andwatch ch

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD

Sandwatch, started ed in the h Caribbean Ca in 1999, is a volunteer network of schools schoo c o working together to monitor mo onit o and enhance local beach ch environments. e It is just one on initiative to assist small island developing states ates te in their efforts to address their specic sustainable developmentt challenges, such as climate change, environmental e conservation, the education of youth, cultural preservation and information and knowledge management.

6

Over 85 5 ccountries have established national a Education for Sustainable Development op coordination bodies to integrate the principles, values, and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning. The International Network of Teacher Education Institutions brings together 75 institutions from 60 countries to offer teacher-training and exchange of best practice in sustainable development education.

SAFEGUARDING OUR PLANET 44

The Th he h e IInte International ernational na io onal Geos Geo Geosciences o ces Program Programme Around round nd 400 40 00 0 international internatio rnational cooperation projects on sub-surface sub-su ub u b Earth processes r esses and the Earth’ Earth’s E geology ology olo lo og have contributed co d to the t knowledge of mineral and nd groundwater groundw ndwat d resources and to geological gical i factors inuencing human health h and a d safety. a ety ty The e programme iss also improving im m our understanding tanding of the evolution of biodiversity biodive and climate change processes essential sential to understanding de e today’ss global gl environmental challenges.

2 Biosphere Reserves er The global network off 564 4 biosphere reserves covers v 109 9 countries. Sites that are representative t t e of o major ecosystems are designated d by b UNESCO Member States, through ug the Man and the Biosphere programme,, as a biosphere reserves in order to support initiatives it a to improve the ways humans interact er ct with nature in a given environment. t.. The T network helps to increase knowledge of ecosystems co and biodiversity and also exchange best est practice on ways to foster sustainable development.

37 Global Ocean n Observing e Sy System This permanent nt global system monitors monit in real time the he state of the oceans, inclu including sea level, sea temperature, ture, and living resources. re It provides essential information ormation enabling enabl a climate services worldwide to o help forecast forec future sea conditions and regional al climatic projections such as drought al and El Niño. o

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER

7

THE WORLD

22 Education for All Global Monitoring Report The annual EFA Global Monitoring Report remains the leading international al reference for all partners partn working to achieve the goalss of Education Ed for All, to which hich over 160 countries committed themselves in 2000. 000. The The report re ep t tracks ac progress pro p rog g gress ss world-wide, w identi enti ntties effective policy reforms and best practice, draws draw aws attention at att a tttent tttent en ntion iio on to o emerg emerging eme em errg erg rgin ing ng n g challenges ch chal eng ges and seeks seek to promote international ational cooperation in favour of Education Educatio atti n ffor orr A Alll. l.

36 Global ba Ethics bal Observatory y

UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks Today, 675 university chairs and 68 UNITWIN Networks in 127 countries provide multiple channels n for international academic cooperation, o particularly North-South and North-South-South S cooperation. They act as think-tanks and bridge builders between research e and a d policy-making, ak a k and between academia, civil society, local communities m iitt es es and d the e productive sector. o

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD

56

The world’s onlyy global system s of databases ess in bioethics b and other areas ass of applied ethics in science ce c e and technology is freel freely accessible online. It provides rovv an invaluable source ce e off reference, r enabling collaborative, ollaborat a ora ve e consultative, c and comparative pa tive e use u of o resources o ethics activities around on n the worrld. l

52 Man anagement of Social Tran nsformations The Man anagement of Social Tran ransformations (MOST) Progr gramme transfers relevvant social sciences rese earch ndings and data to decision-makkers and other er stakeh holders. It promotess a culture of evidence ce-based policy-maki ak king – nationally, y, regionally y regiona and internationally, rn rn nationally and focuses on on building build uild efcient bridges id dges d ges e es between research, policy and practice.

8

46

Portal on Higher Education Institutions Users ers can access online e information on nh higher education in nstitutions recognized or otherwise sanctioned o by the authorities b h of 38 participating countries. Students, employers and other interested parties can obtain accurate and up-to-date information on quality assurance and the status of institutions.

SHARING KNOWLEDGE 25

65

Encyc Encyclopedia nc c of Life Support S Systems

World or Water a r Develo D evelopment ve e Report

The T Th h E he Encyclopedia o of Life Support po Systems ems is an integrated d knowl knowledge online n database dedicated dedica to the health, maintenance a t and future of life on planet Earth. E a arth. It focuses on all aspects of sustainable development from ecological sust issues to human security. This Internetbased archive is regularly updated, with contributionss from f thousands tho of scholars in over 100 countries, and an edited by nearly 300 0 subject ubje j experts.

The most authoritative view of the state of the world’s freshwater resources is provided by the World Water Development Report, published every three years. UNESCO leads 26 UN agencies in producing and publishing this report. Each report addresses specic issues that are of critical importance and provides data to support policy responses.

17 Database of National C Cultural Cultu u Heritage Laws s

54

Launched unched u c in 2005, 20 this free e and a user user-friendly d online ne n e database d contains an over 2,000 2,00 laws a from over er 170 70 0 countri c untries in 42 languages.It an nguag ge es t aims to protect ect cu cultural c t heritage by sharing h knowledge and best practice in the ght against illicit trafcking of cultural property and and other threats to cult ltural heritage.

The Teacher Training Initiative for Sub-Saharan Africa This initiative supports the region in addressing teacher-related challenges, e in particular i to improve the quantity and quality of the teaching force. It is currently operating in 17 pilot countries, and is open to all 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

15 Cultural Development e t Indicators Cultural statistics, data and nd ind indicators a o s are ar vital advocacy and a d policy po y tools.. Countries u around a nd d the w world a are supported supp portt in implement implementing m standardized ndardized a datacollection metho thodology. o This effort to devel velop el data, map out countr tries’ cultural and creative sectors and build secto s indicators, dicators, i informs public polices and p demonstrates d tes how h culture contributes c ib b to d development.

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER

9

THE WORLD

60 Universal Declaration eclarattion on o Bioethics and Hum Human R Rights Some 190 countries have committed themselves and the e internation ntternational e community to respect spect and app apply fundamental tal ethical e principle principles p related att to medicine, medicine, the life l e science sciences and associated ated e technologies. t no o By enshrining enshr e g bioethics b tth h c in inte international human m n rig rights and by ensuring respect ffor or the t life of human beings, the Declaration claration sets standards a to protect people e everywhere. wh

58 UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights Awarded every two years, this prize rewards exceptional and innovative initiatives. The award helps to raise awareness of the importance of fostering oster a culture of human rights within thin h societies. This Thi year’s winner, Asma Jahangir, ngir, won the award a for her excellent record as a human hum rights defender, ender, a renowned lawyer and advocate of the Supreme Court o of Pakistan, as Chairperson n of the Human H Rig ights Commission of Pakistan a and an n founding member of the Women’s fo W Action Forum, as well as for f services to the United Nations system.

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD

10

FIGHTING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS 64 World Press Freedom reedo do om Freedom eedom of Inform Information n Freedom om of information n is currently ently facilitated in over 40 countries, facilit through support for the e enactment and implementation of freedom om off information laws l and policies. Activities include country-level technical assistance, workshops, awarenessraising and standard setting through the dissemination of comparative legal surveys. This strengthening of freedom of information contributes to empowerment, transparency and accountability, governance and development. e

29

World Press Freedom dom Day, celebrated on n May M y3 since 1997, promotes freedom dom o of of expression e as a basic human right, and honours outstanding commitment to press freedom with the UNESCO CO/ Guillerm illermo erm Cano World Press Freedom Prize. Underlining ing ing ng the contribution of freedom of expression n to od democracy, UNESCO seeks to ensure the safety ety ety ty o of journalists. The killing of media professionals als and other attacks against the press are publicly y condemned by the DirectorGeneral.

3 Cities against Racism C Sixx regional Coalitions of Cities against S Racism, Discrimination, Xenophobia and Intolerance mobilize close to 5,000 , 0 cities all over the world. This initiative helps municipalities to develop and strengthen policies for greater social inclusion. As places where people from a great diversity of backgrounds live and work together, cities can play a major role in building inclusive societies. By networking through these coalitions, cities share best practice in strategies to overcome racism, discrimination and intolerance.

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER

11

THE WORLD

14 Creative Cities Cit ities Network Netw This hiss international nte partnership promote promotes prrom creativity reat e t as an an essential esse s component co of socio-economic development. eve It cultivates urban spaces as creative hubs, b stimulating economic m growth through creative industries and contemporary approaches to urban regeneration. ation There The are currently over 25 Creative Cities in the elds of literature, lm, design, music, crafts, media ia and gastronomy.

4 Cities for Sustainable Development and Dialogue

42

This programme addresses the challenge of accommodating modernization and transformation in historic cities tiess without compromising their identity dentity and n that of local ca a communities, mmunities, or their role as drivers d v of cultural creativity att y and urban a regeneration. The T programme p ra me provides ovv technical nii assistance assista a ss and advice on innovative nnovative urban b governance approaches a es aches es to t local loca and national governments ntts s with h a view v to enhancing the quality of o the th human and urban environment.

Intercultural Dialogue Intercultural dialogue, which encompasses omp mp interreligious dialogue, challenges established opinions and provides a lens through which a global environment conducive to mutual understanding can be created. In collaboration with a wide range of partners, namely the Alliance c of Civilizations, UNESCO O leads the conceptual debate a and fosters s awareness arre e of the benets of dialogue. g Ongoing initiatives n tiat ves s and and tools include de the Slave Route R te Project, the Summits m ts of Heads off State Stta of South-East Europe, and the Intercultural Vademecum.

6 Community m Learning Centres

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD

Over 25 5 developing countries now have Community ommunity Learning g Centres, Ce set up outside utside the formal education educa duc system and managed by local people to provide lifelong learning opportunities, especially for the marginalized and the poor. These centres support empowerment and social transformation and generate grassroots-based interest and participation in literacy and continuing education.

35 Global o obal Alliance for Cultural Diversity Launched n in 2002 to foster partnerships between private, public and civil society, this initiative seeks to strengthen local cultural industries in developing countries. The Global Alliance has so far provided support to 50 project p o partnerships in over 30 countries.

12

CREATIVITY, DIALOGUE AND THE COMMUNITY 33 General and d Regional Re Histories i T iss un This unique collection lection of 51 5 volumes has has a iinvolved some 1,600 00 eminent e scholars ho h olars o over the last 50 years and presents entts t culturally a relevant ally accounts of the histories ies e of Africa, Central ntr Asia, Latin America, a, the the Caribbean Carib ean a and Islamic Isl culture from the perspective ective tiv of the populations concerned. Innovative educational du u tools for use in formal and non-formal on-formal education tio o are re e being elaborated a on n the basis of of the e regional r histories, starting tin with ith h the General G History H o oryy of o Africa, by mobilizing o g scientic and political t stakeholders..

51 Network w of Young n TV P Producers on HIV a and d AIDS D Thiss network ne work has ha a signicantly sig tly increased inc d the h number ber of quality TV programmes T amm on HIV and AIDS in developing countries. More than 300 young TV producers from 50 countries belong to this network, which supports them in giving well-informed coverage of the complex and multifaceted problems of HIV and AIDS.

7 Community C o unity Multimedia Centres Community unity Multimedia m Centres provide an innovative tive combination ti combin of community radio and walk-in wa alk-in a k telecentre tele facilities offering internet ett access to local communities e in developing ve eloping countries. e ttri ries During the last two oy years, ye ear ars, a total of 57 community media/multimedia centre projects were launched in Africa, Asia, the South Pacic, Latin America and the Caribbean.

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER

13

THE WORLD

Culture Conventions and Declarations These ese e in international standard-setting setting instruments me in tthe eld ld of culture inform orm national natio policy design and d reinforce inforce the crucial cr c link nk between culture c and development. d evelop eve pment. e Conv Convention on n for f the Protection Prote of 38 Hague 38 Culturral Property Cultural Pro P rty in the Event of o Armed d Conict (1954) 9 4)

11 Convention on n the Means of Prohibiting Pro ro and Preventing eventing the Illicit Import, Export Expo and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Pro Property o (1970)

9 Convention concerning ng the Protection P e of the World Cultural ral and and Natural Heritage (1972), widely known kno o as the ‘World Heritage Convention’ C nv v t on the Protection of the o 12 2 Convention Underwater e Cultural er C Cu ult Heritage (2001) niver al Declaration Declara D la tio ion on Cultural Diversity 61 Universal (2001) (2001 2 ) Conventio for the Safeguarding g of the 10 Convention Intangible gible b Cultural Heritage t ge (2003) (20 ( 00 Pro 13 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversityy of o Cultural Expressions (2005) 20

Convention ntio against Discrimination in Education o The right to education ducation is at the heart off numerous nu standard-setting instruments – conventions, declarations, declaratt recommendations, charters and programmes mmes of action. The most mo important of these is the 1960 Convention n e against Discrimination Discriminatio in Education, ratied by 96 Member States. UNESCO ESCO monitors its implementation and that of all its standard-setting etting instruments instrumen u for education, in order to bring them into broader use, se, se e with support sup of governments, international organizations, decision-makers, makers, m a teachers, te the intellectual community and all civil society stakeholders. ta ta akeholde

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD

14

8

PROMOTING INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS 43 International Convention ion agains against Doping in n Sport port There are areas where governments g gover have to lead the ght against doping ing in sport. Rati ied by over 150 Member States, State the Convention provides dess the legal framework for governments governmen to take action. A fund helps governments to implement preventative education programs, to he develop anti-doping de t legislation and to build the anti-doping capacity of least developed or low income countries. To date, 36 national projects have received nancial assistance.

18 Declarations Declar a tions o on Bioethics I the e In eld l of the ethics e of life, the Organization establishes sh s h standards, a d creates legal instruments, advises a dv dv governments g n and coordinates d intergovernmental organizations. It created the Universal Declaration on U n the Human Genome m and Human Rights in 1997, a 9 and the International Declaration De D ec on Human Genetic Data in 2003. The Universal U Un nv niv Declaration r on Bioethics and Human ma Rights was adopted Right R a on o 19 1 October Oc O c e 2005. 2

48 Media Standards M Media Development Indicators have been applied by 12 countries in the past 18 months to identify national media development gaps and to support evidence-based solutions. Standards in journalism education are set through the adaptation of the Model Journalism Education Curricula by journalism education institutions in 45 countries. Other initiatives include media self-regulation tools and guidelines for quality broadcasting practices, developed and deployed in collaboration with regional broadcasting associations.

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER

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THE WORLD

UNESCO-L’Oréal For Women men en in i Sc Science Award

32

59

Gender ender Equality y in th the h Media Journalist training and other activities encourage gender-balanced media content, gender-sensitive reporting and the development of gender-sensitive media dia development indicators. Guidelines ness on gender equality in media organizations tions have been disseminated in collaboratiion on with the International Federation of Journalists. A global report on the status atus of women in the news medi media covering g 60 countries has as been prod produced p u in n collaboration with h the Intern International n er erna ational on n Women's Media Fo Foundation. o n.

The p prestigious r For o Women or W in Scie Science c Award distinguishes e outstanding standing women e scientist scientists s and, by highlighting ig ghting h their achievements, hievements, i v n help helps to promote the e role of o women wo n in n scientic re research. The Award, an ann annua annual distinction, goes to ve leading internationa tional women researchers, one for each region on of the world. So far, 59 5 women have been awarded arded the Prize. Two Tw w award d winners have gone on to win Nobel e Prizes es – both bot molecula molecular o cu a biologists, Ada E.. Yonath o was awarded ed the 2009 009 Nobel N Prize ze for Chemistry for her work on the molecul molecular structure tructure of the ribosome, and Elizabeth Blackburn Blackb b was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology ogy or Medicine for her work on cellular aging.

45 Literacy it Initiative for Em Empowerment

W AY S UNESCO

Tw wo thirdss of the e planet’s illiterate people are women and girls. The p Literacy Initiative for Empowerment offers a global strategic framework to focus in particular on adult literacy and out-of-school children. It is designed to accelerate literacy e in 35 countries that have a literacy rate below 50% or a population of more o e than 10 million people who cannot read nor write. 85% of the world’s non-literate population a resides in these countries.

BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD

16

Gender Equality in Textbooks

31

PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY Fellowships ips

Textbooks not only help children learn, but also transmit models off social behaviors, norms and values. alues. Som Some 150 0 practi practitioners have be been trained d in six countriess in Africa to p produce gender-sensitive textbooks. books. o A guide, used widelyy in Africa, Afri Afric Asia As A a and and the th Arab States, helps countries analyse how gender stereotypes are constructed in textbooks, and offers tools to revise textbooks or use existing texts more critically.

27

The UNE UNESCO ESCO Fellowships Fello ellow ips Programme, Prog amme, through the e award of fellowships, ellowships e owsh s sstudy tudy and travel grants, benets hundreds of women across all disciplines. In science, the L’Oréal-UNESCO International and National Fellowships for young Fe women scientists directly wo help hundreds of young women scientists and also serv erve to encourage girls to consi nsider a scientic career. The 15 5 ann annual n International Fellowships w ipss e encourage international al coo cooperation c o among young docto doctorate and post-doctorate o women scientists, while e the National Fellowships focus on national scientic research priorities.

28 Female Education Planners Training courses support and strengthen the participation of women in decision-making positions within ministries of education, where the glass ceiling, stereotyping and the difcult balance between work/home duties still play against females. Since 2007, 1,036 female planners from 142 countries have been trained in educational planning and strategic management, decision making and leadership.

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER

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THE WORLD

19 Digital Inclusion Efforts to bridge the digital divide t k many take m y forms. Linguistic diversity rsity on n the e In Internet et is i promoted by encouraging g content creation in local languages and multilingual access to digital resources. UNESCO works with ICANN, the body which coordinates the domain name system of the internet, to strengthen multilingualism in cyberspace. International standards and guidelines to make digital information accessible for persons with disabilities l i are promoted to provide ide an ena enabling na a ling environment at educ ducational, c l community and work rkplace k levels. e

47 Media in Emergency e ge Settings

21

The E-9 Initiative Nine high-population countries work together within the E-9 Initiative on strategies for improving education provision. Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan account for some 54% of the world’s population, over two thirds of the he world’s o illiterate adultss and over 40% 40% of the world’s out-of-school children. n The network has also become a powerful o lobby b ffor fo o Education for All and d SouthS South S u cooperation. ut o

40 Indigenous Knowledge In

W AY S UNESCO

The Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems programme acts to conserve biological diversity, essential to preserving cultural diversity. s At the 10th Conference n of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nagoya, goya, o Japan, in i October 2010, a jointt CBDC UNESCO plan of action was as adopted ado adop to advance this work. k. Guided Gu by the 2007 UN Declaration on n the th h Rights of Indigenous us Peoples, Pe UNESCO also engages with indigenous communities es on issues e such as the enhancement of their knowledge systems m and cultural expressions and greater participation in media.

BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD

18

Local and community media in postcon nict a and post-disaster settings have been ee e supported most os recently in Haiti and Pakistan for the e diss dis d dissemination is is of life-saving information. o . Tr T Training r on conict-sensitive and trauma-se ma-s a-sensitive s reporting has been given to journ urnalists, not only to counter the risk of violence and breakdown of law and orde er, but also to ensure that local medi edia support the psychological recovery ry y of populations. The Power of Peace Network links 15,000 mainly young people in peace and dialogue activities through the innovative use of media and ICTs. a

REACHING THE MARGINALIZED 16 Cultural Heritage Herri in Emergency ncy Situations S uat UNESCO SCO O le leads international campaigns to safeguard g cultural her heritage in emergency situations io onss such a as armed con onict, post conict and natural atural disaster disaster. Over the past ast ve ve decades,, large-scale rg projec projects j have helped save irreplaceable e able cultural heritage e itta and build local capacities acities notably in ac n museum m m renov renovation, conservation, n inventorying n, inve entory and and managemen management, n as illustrated byy the th revival val of the national museums of Iraq and Afghanistan. stan. a Most recently, an emergency response to protect cultural heritage h has been mobilized in Haiti and Pakistan. Pak .

24 Education in Emergency Settings

50 Natural Disa Disaster D Reduction Initiatives in the earth scie ences, e hydrology, engineering adapted ada to seismically active regions, and the development of ood forecasting systems are helping countries such as Pakistan and Haiti to prevent future disastters. Introducing disaster risk ed ducation into school curricula cula in countries vulnerable vulnera to natural atural hazards and the ssafe construction struction and retrotting ttin of school ool buildings is contributing con to reducing the imp impact of dissasters.

UNESCO helps Ministries of Education to adapt to conditions created by conict or natural disasters, with strong components on n capacity building ffor educational planners and manage a ers. This work is currently being carrried out in Haiti and Pakistan and d has also been undertaken in Chin na, Cuba, Iraq, Lebanon, Myanmar, r, Nepal, Occupied Palestinian Ter erritories, Sudan, n Syria and Zimba abwe.

W AY S U UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER

19

THE WORLD

National Commissions for U UNESCO N

49

The National Commissions for UNESCO, E C CO, O now operating in i 193 Member States and 3 Associate Members, mber constitute mbers, constitutt a unique network within the UN System. Although though u they are a different from one another in terms of theirr status, us, membership, membership i structure and management capacities, they all work for the same purpose – to associate their governmental and non-governmental bodies in education, sciences, n culture and communication with the work of the Organization. As a constituent element of UNESCO, the National Commissions act in advisory and liaison capacities and participate in programme e elaboration, delivery and evaluation. They contribute to the increase of UNESCO’s visibility and facilitate its outreach to multiple partnerships ne at the country level.

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD

20

FOSTERING UNESCO COMMUNITIES

1 Associated Schools Project This global network of more than 8,500 educational educat al institutions in 180 countries supports upports UNESCO’s UN work in promoting international onal understanding, underst e a , peace, intercultural i dialogue,, sustainable sustainab ab e development and quality education. cat a Founded oun unde in 1953, the Associated Schoolss Project P Network N (ASPnet), commonly referred d to t as Associated As c Schools, S c chools, includes pre-schoo pre-schools, s primary, secondary s, and nd d vocational schools scho choo as well as a teacher training institutions. tutions. o (58)

57

UNESCO Clubs

Today, some 3,800 Clubs, Centres and Associations for UNESCO N in almost 100 countries actively reect and help to disseminate UNESCO’s ideals at the local level. Grouped for the most part into national, regional and international networks, these volunteer-based Clubs address global issues that have a local impact, thereby contributing to thinking and discussion on economic, e social, political and cultural issues within their own community as well as within the international community by means of the networks.

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER

21

THE WORLD

1940-1950

1956: The Republic of South

1968: UNESCO organizes the

Africa withdraws from UNESCO

rst intergovernmental conference

16 November 1945: Representatives of 37 countries meet in London to sign UNESCO’s Constitution which comes into force on 4 November 1946 after ratication by 20 signatories (photo above).

claiming that some of the

aimed at reconciling the

Organization’s publications

environment and development,

amount to ‘interference’ in the

now known as ‘sustainable

country’s ‘racial problems’. The

development’. This leads to the

state rejoins the Organization

creation of UNESCO’s Man and

in 1994 under the leadership of

the Biosphere programme.

1948: UNESCO recommends that Member States make free primary education compulsory and universal.

Nelson Mandela. 1958: Inauguration of UNESCO’s permanent

1970-1980

Headquarters in Paris designed

1972: The Convention

by Marcel Breuer (United States),

concerning the Protection of

Pier- Luigi Nervi (Italy) and Bernard Zehrfuss (France).

the World Cultural and Natural Heritage is adopted. The World Heritage Committee is established in 1976 and the rst sites are

1960-1970 1960: Launch of the Nubia Campaign in Egypt to move the

1950-1960

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD

Great Temple of Abu Simbel to keep it from being swamped

inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978. 1974: Pope Paul VI awards the John XXIII Peace Prize to UNESCO.

1952: An intergovernmental

by the Nile after construction of

1975: The United Nations

conference convened by

the Aswan Dam (photo below).

University is established in Tokyo

UNESCO adopts the Universal

During the 20-year campaign,

under the auspices of the UN and

Copyright Convention. In the

22 monuments and architectural

UNESCO.

decades following the Second

complexes are relocated. This is

1978: UNESCO adopts the

World War, the Convention served

the rst and largest in a series of

Declaration on Race and Racial

to extend copyright protection to

campaigns including Moenjodaro

Prejudice. Subsequent reports on

numerous states not then party

(Pakistan), Fez (Morocco),

the issue by the Director-General

to the Berne Convention for the

Kathmandu (Nepal), Borobudur

serve to discredit and dismiss the

Protection of Literary and Artistic

(Indonesia) and the Acropolis

pseudo-scientic foundations of

Works (1886).

(Greece).

racism.

22

MILESTONES 1980: The rst two volumes of UNESCO’s General History

21st century

of Africa are published. Similar

2001: The General Conference

series focus on other regions,

adopts the UNESCO Universal

notably Central Asia and the

Declaration on Cultural Diversity.

Caribbean. 2003: The United States returns

1990-2000

to UNESCO, which it left in

1990: The World Conference

adopts the Convention for the

on Education for All, in Jomtien (Thailand) launches a global movement to provide basic education for all children, youths

1984. The General Conference Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

and adults. Ten years later in

2005: UNESCO and its

Dakar (Senegal), the World

Intergovernmental Oceanographic

Education Forum commits

Commission develop and launch

governments to achieving basic

an interim tsunami early warning

education for all by 2015.

system in the Indian Ocean.

1992: Creation of the Memory of the World Programme to

2008: The 1,700-year-old Aksum

protect irreplaceable library and

Obelisk, transported to Rome

archive collections. It now also

by Mussolini’s troops in 1937, is

includes sound, lm and television

reinstalled in its original setting in

archives.

northern Ethiopia.

1997: The United Kingdom returns to UNESCO, which it left

2009: The General Conference

in 1985.

elects Irina Bokova (Bulgaria)

1998: The Universal Declaration

as UNESCO’s tenth Director-

on the Human Genome and

General. She is the rst woman

Human Rights, developed and

and the rst Eastern European to

adopted by UNESCO in 1997, is

head the Organization since its

endorsed by the UN.

creation.

23

W AY S UNESCO BENEFITS COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD

Published in December 2010 by the Sector for External Relations and Public Information of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07SP, France © UNESCO 2010 All rights reserved Printed by UNESCO The printer is certified Imprim’Vert®, the French printing industry’s environmental initiative. ERI-2010/WS/3

CREDITS Photography © UNESCO G.M.B Akash N. Axelrod S. Boukhari I. Dobromirov European Athletic Association B. Glowczewski G. Malempré Nenadovic J.O’Sullivan B. Otte B. Petit M. Ravassard F. Tack M.Tesfaye © ASPnet/A.Paul © Berchtesgarden Land BR © Flickr/Wiki Commons © J. Hardy/Zen Shui/Corbis © L’Oréal © Ministerio de Cultura Ciudad de Buenos Aires © Ministery of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia © Ministery of Information and Culture of Laos © NOAA/Commander E. B. Christman, NOAA Corps © Simon Aurel Schwarz © Thundafunda © UN/M. Perret © UNAIDS/G. Pirozzi © UNEP © UN Photo/E. Debebe © F. Wahidy/AINA photo

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