UNESCO REPORT 2012
The UNESCO 2012 report focused much of its energy on Education. Highlights in 2012 included the Shanghai International TVET Congress, the first Africa Forum on Science and Technology and Innovations in Nairobi, The celebration of the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention.
Search UNESCO catalogue for Previous reports:
Regional synthesis report of Component II: Entrepreneurship education in the Arab States
UNESCO in conjunction with StartReal Foundation published the regional synthesis report on Component II of the regional project on entrepreneurship education in the Arab States. StartReal is an NGO which signed a partnership agreement with UNESCO on 12 December 2008, to cooperate in the field of Entrepreneurship Education in the Arab States Region.
According to UNESCO “The regional synthesis report on Component II of the initiative highlights the results and outcomes of the project in the four participating countries, namely Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Oman”.
UNESCO further states thus: The project has demonstrated the importance of a holistic approach to the development of a strong and innovative workforce in the Arab States.
Available reports
UNESCO Handbook for Measuring Cultural Participation
This Handbook is a resource for organisations interested in measuring cultural participation, as well as a tool for raising awareness among policymakers. To this end, Measuring Cultural Participation combines theoretical and practical aspects of methodology. This is a challenging undertaking - even more so considering the wide range of data available, research undertaken and the complexity involved in defining ‘cultural participation’ for national statistics systems and policies across the world.
This Handbook is part of a series designed to facilitate the implementation of the 2009 UNESCO Framework for Cultural Statistics (FCS), which defined the standard definitions and framework for cultural statistics. By presenting current methodological and key topics related to the measurements of cultural domains, the handbooks can assist Member States to develop cultural statistics in their countries.
In particular, this publication presents current trends in the measurement of cultural participation, based on the concepts and definitions of the UNESCO Framework. The underlying concept is that comparison should not generate a reductionist vision of the phenomena but, on the contrary, lead towards a deeper understanding of cultural participation and what it involves.
The Handbook mainly emphasises quantitative approaches to link measurement with understanding. Through this series of handbooks, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) seeks to promote a better understanding of cultural practices by providing relevant rools to its Member States.
Related UN Resources:
- UNESCO Framework for Cultural Statistics 2009
- UNESCO World Report on Cultural Heritage
- UNESCO Database
- Convention on the Protection & Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions: convention text
Investigation into Water, Cultural, Diversity & Global Environmental Change
This free investigative book was published jointly but the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
The book consists of five parts.
- Part I explores water’s fundamental place in life, flowing through all organic processes, shaping all of the earth’s environments, and coursing through humanity’s traditions, values, meanings, politics, economics, art and engineering – i.e., culture in its broadest sense.
- Part II considers the “culture of water” through an explicit focus on traditional ecological knowledge and water resource management: approaches that have historically served to sustain the lifeways of indigenous groups and ethnic minorities.
- Part III examines current patterns of water resource management in various ecoregions and geopolitical contexts.
- Part IV considers the changing and possible future dynamics of intersections between water, biodiversity, and cultural diversity, with a critical focus on the lessons learned from the past several decades of hydro-development.
- Part V sketches out alternative scenarios for the future, arguing that a sustainable approach to water resource development must, first and foremost, be one that sustains the cultural and biological diversity of life.
Related UN Resources:
- 2012 Report on Difficulties in rising demand for freshwater: “Planning for an Uncertain Future”
- 2012 Report on the Threat Climate Change poses on BioDiversity: “What Future for BioDiversity?”
- The 2012 UNESCO World Report on Cultural Diversity
- UNESCO’s Statistics Database- the primary source for cross-nationally comparable statistics on education, science and technology, culture, and communication
15 November 2012 is World Philosophy Day
In 2005 the UNESCO General Conference proclaimed that World Philosophy Day would be celebrated every third Thursday of November. The day is dedicated to honoring philosophical reflection in the entire world and to encourage the peoples of the world to share their philosophical heritage and to open their minds to new ideas, as well as to inspire a public debate between intellectuals and civil society on the challenges confronting our society.
Related Official Documents:
- Proclamation of World Philosophy Day - resolution 33C/45 (adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO at its 33rd session)
- Records of the General Conference, 33rd session, Paris, 3-21 October 2005
- Proclamation of a World Philosophy Day (UNESCO Executive Board, 171 EX/Decisions)
- Preparation of a Strategy on Philosophy (169 EX/39 Rev.)
Publications
Source: un.org
International Literacy Day
The International Literacy Day is observed on 8th September. The theme of International Literacy Day 2012 is Literacy and Peace. For over 40 years now, UNESCO has been celebrating International Literacy Day by reminding the international community that literacy is a human right and the foundation of all learning.
More information on the day is available from the UNESCO page.
UNESCO Rio+20: Key publications
This catalogue will give you a brief overview of UNESCO’s key publications related to sustainable development.
The catalogue provides links to some of the publications
More UNESCO resources on RIO+20 are available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/rioplus20/
World Autism Awareness Day - 2 April
World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) will be observed globally – for the fifth
time – this Monday, 2 April 2012.
UN Resources:
Managing Water under Uncertainty and Risk
United Nations World Water Development report
“Freshwater is not being used sustainably, according to needs and demands. Accurate information remains disparate, and management is fragmented. In this context, the future is increasingly uncertain and risks are set to deepen.”
Irina Bokova, Foreword
Today the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launch the 4th edition of the World Water Development report.
- Volume 1: Managing Water under Uncertainty and Risk
- Volume 2: Knowledge Base
- Volume 3: Facing the Challenges
According to the Report, people in many parts of the world enjoy improved access to safe drinking water –86 per cent of the population in developing regions will have it by 2015. But there are still nearly one billion people without such access, and in cities the numbers are growing. Sanitation infrastructure is not keeping pace with the world’s urban population, which will almost double by 2050 to 6.3 billion people. Today, more than 80 per cent of the world’s waste water is neither collected nor treated.
Related Information
UNESCO Strategy for HIV and AIDS
As part of its continual efforts to contribute and strengthen comprehensive national responses to HIV and AIDS, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has launched a major web resource for World AIDS Day—UNESCO’s Strategy for Responding to HIV and AIDS.
The Strategy describes UNESCO’s goal for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, and how its work is carried out in accordance to the goals of the “Getting to Zero” campaign.
UN Resources
The Women Philosophers’ Journal
On World Philosophy Day, 17 November, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched The Women Philosophers’ Journal, an online publication. The journal is “a global experiment, aimed at doing for women what men have enjoyed for centuries, sometimes only after a hard-fought struggle, in religious institutions and richly endowed universities: to think and write without limitations, and to be read by open minds…”
Read the first issue: Squaring the circle, Issue N° 1, November 2011
Related Resources
International Day of Tolerance
Under resolution 51/95, the General Assembly invited United Nations Member States to observe the 16th of November of every year as the International Day of Tolerance.
Today, as in every day, we called to actively practice tolerance and engage in positive dialogue that fosters a peaceful coexistence.
UN Resources
- General Assembly Resolution 51/95 (A/RES/51/95)
- Event Website
- Secretary-General’s Message
- UN News Centre
- UNESCO
Photo: Observance: International Day of Tolerance (lDT). UN Photo/Mark Garten
World Science Day for Peace and Development
Today, 10 November, is the World Science Day for Peace and Development. Proclaimed by the UNESCO General Conference ( Resolution 31C/ 20) in 2001, the World Science Day for Peace and Development is an annual event celebrated all over the world to recall the commitment made at the UNESCO-ICSU World Conference on Science (Budapest 1999).
The theme of 2011’s World Science Day for Peace and Development is “Towards Green Societies: Equity, Inclusiveness, Participation.” Green societies must be knowledge societies, which harness science to identify emerging challenges and to respond in innovative ways. For this, science must be mobilized and it must be inclusive.
Additional resources:
- World Science Day website
- Message by the UNESCO Director-General
- Programme
UNESCO Votes to Admit Palestine As Member
Today, 31 October 2011, the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted to admit Palestine as a Member State of the Organization. The vote was carried by 107 votes in favour of admission and 14 against, with 52 abstentions.
Including Palestine’s entry, UNESCO will have 195 members.
Related Entries
Related Resources
Ahead of World Teachers’ Day (5 October), celebrate the teachers that encouraged and inspired you by uploading a photo of your favourite teacher, past or present, to the UN Photo Facebook page or on Twitter using the #teachersday hashtag. Don’t forget to include your name and country and one sentence about why they mean so much to you.
Related story from UNESCO: Two million new teachers needed – mainly women!
