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Welcome!
Welcome to the second edition of the UK National Commission for UNESCO (UKNC) Network Link. If you missed last month's edition don't forget that you can download a copy from our website.
June has been another busy month for the UK UNESCO Network and the team here at the UK National Commission. Since the last edition of Network Link we've had the biennial governing meetings of some important UNESCO programmes including the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. On top of that, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee is currently in session and we're less than two weeks away from the Man and the Biosphere programme coordinating council.
The UK is fortunate to be represented at all these meetings by experts in relevant fields thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of UK UNESCO Network members. A strong UK presence and coordinated voice across UNESCO's programmes is central to building momentum for change and effectiveness.
As always, we would welcome your feedback on this update and other communications from us. Please get in touch with Ian White (iwhite@unesco.org.uk) with any comments. Finally, if you don't wish to receive this update, please use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email.
Yours faithfully,
James Bridge
Chief Executive, UK National Commission for UNESCO
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News from the Network
News and events from the UK UNESCO Network
Have news or an event you would like included in the next UKNC update? Email iwhite@unesco.org.uk
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UNESCO Events
Key forthcoming UNESCO events
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UNESCO Publications
Selection of recent UNESCO publications
Education
Culture
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 Updates on our work
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Next generation of female scientists honoured
 | 2012 Fellows from L to R: Dr Silvia Giordani, Dr Geetha Srinivasan, Dr Katrina Lythgoe and Dr Claire Spottiswoode
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The winners of the four 2012 L'Oreal-UNESCO UK and Ireland Fellowships For Women In Science were announced on 28 June at an awards ceremony held at the Royal Society in London. The fellowships, now in their sixth year in the UK, promote the importance of ensuring greater participation of women in science by offering awards to outstanding female postdoctoral researchers. The Fellowships are awarded annually by L'Oréal UK & Ireland and the UK and Irish National Commissions for UNESCO. The judging panel included Dr Beth Taylor of the Institute of Physics (IOP) and Director for sciences of the UK National Commission for UNESCO.
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 Two new sites have been recommended to go forward as the UK's next World Heritage nominations. The Forth Bridge near Edinburgh has been invited to prepare a nomination for 2014 and Gorham's Cave Complex in Gibraltar will go forward in 2015. Technical Evaluations from four sites on the UK's World Heritage Tentative List were assessed by an independent Expert Group convened by the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The Expert Group was chaired by Sue Davies OBE in her role as Deputy Chair of the UK National Commission for UNESCO. |
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© Amanda Milne- Lawtorn Primary School, Aryshire, Scotland
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To raise the visibility of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the lead up to the Rio+20 conference this month UNESCO published a series of ESD success stories from around the globe. With the help of the UKNC, t he WWF project "School's Global Footprint" in Scotland was covered as an excellent example of ESD in practice.
Schools across Scotland have access to the School's Global Footprint resource - a handbook for teachers - and an interactive footprint calculator, which, through a series of questions relating to buildings, energy, food, transport, water and waste, gives an indication of carbon footprint and ecological footprint.
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Dozens of youth delegates from UK World Heritage Sites attended the opening of the 2012 UNESCO Youth Summit on 27 June. The three day event kicked off in the Painted Hall at Maritime Greenwich with remarks from John Penrose MP, Minister for Tourism and Heritage. Speaking for the UK National Commission, Professor Peter Stone of Newcastle University addressed how UNESCO and World Heritage Sites relate to the summit's main theme of heritage and identity. The UNESCO Youth Summit is being hosted by Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site from 27-29 June. The summit will see 16 of Britain's World Heritage Sites represented by young people aged between 13 and 17 who have won a place at this prestigious event following a nationwide competition. This event is being held under the patronage of UNESCO.
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A delegation from the UK National Commission (UKNC) travelled to UNESCO headquarters this month to discuss education issues. The delegation included Professor W John Morgan, Chairman of the UKNC, Gary Brace, lead UKNC director for education, Professor Colin McInnes, UNESCO Chairholder in HIV/AIDS, Education and Health Security in Africa, Aberystwyth University and Ian White from the UKNC Secretariat. The group held productive meetings with Dr Qian Tang, Assistant Director-General for Education as well as departments covering Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), the EFA Global Monitoring Report (GMR), the UNESCO Chairs programme and HIV/AIDS education. The trip collected input for subsequent analysis and use in UKNC policy briefs on teacher quality and UNESCO Chairs' programme and helped advance UKNC reform and effectiveness recommendations.
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| From L to R: Ian White, Senior Research and Communications Officer, UKNC, Melanie Border, Chair, UK Geoparks Forum, James Bridge, Chief Executive, UKNC |
The UK Geoparks Forum, which helps co-ordinate activity and share expertise among UK Geoparks and their partners, held its second annual meeting this month. Forum membership includes UK Geoparks, Natural England, the Countryside Council for Wales, the British Geological Survey, the Geological Society and the UK National Commission. Meeting highlights included the election of Melanie Border from English Riviera Geopark as Chair, presentations on UK Geopark outcomes, challenges and objectives and a discussion on the future relationship between UNESCO and Geoparks. UNESCO is currently reviewing its relationship with Geoparks with a view of formalising current 'ad hoc' arrangements. The UK National Commission is producing a policy brief to help inform UNESCO's and Member States' decision making on this issue.
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Updated UN Matters Teaching Pack published
A new, fully updated version of the UN Matters Teaching Pack has been published. 'The United Nations Matters' uses an interactive approach to develop students' awareness and understanding of the United Nations (UN) system and the global issues it tackles. The new pack, funded by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, is an updated version of a 2010 teaching resource produced by the United Nations Association of the UK (UNA-UK) and UNESCO Associated Schools in the UK. Copies of the pack were sent to every secondary school in the UK.
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UNESCO News for the UK
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The Olympic flame was briefly hidden from the light of day on 5 June as it was carried through a labyrinth of natural caves in Northern Ireland. John Collins carried the Olympic Flame through Marble Arch Caves Geopark on a boat, navigating the underground river on its way to the London Olympics.
As it makes its tour around the UK the Olympic torch has also visited several UK World Heritage Sites, including St. Kilda, Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, Ironbridge Gorge, and Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast, among others.
Read on...
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Water, water everywhere
The Council of the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) of UNESCO met this month to consider the Programme's current progress and future plans.
The UK Delegation to the council was headed by Professor Alan Jenkins (CEH), as Chair of the UK National Committee for the IHP, supported by Dr Harry Dixon (Committee Secretary) and Ian Ball (University of Dundee). Ahead of the Council Session the UK provided a National Report on IHP related activities over the 2010-2012 period, drawing on contributions from a range of UK based hydrologists.
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You can now take a virtual walk around some of the world's most remarkable natural and cultural landmarks without leaving your home, thanks to a partnership between Google, UNESCO and the World Monuments Fund. The Google World Wonders Project is a platform which brings world heritage sites of the modern and ancient world online. It allows users to virtually explore and navigate a neighbourhood through panoramic street-level images.
Fourteen of the UK's 28 World Heritage Sites are already included in the project.
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Collaborating on water resources management
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From L to R: W. Ian Ball, University of Dundee; Gretchen Kalonji, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Natural Sciences; Abdin Mohamed Ali Salih, Director, UNESCO Division of Water Resources; Bob Pietrowsky, Director, ICIWaRM
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The UK's only UNESCO Category 2 Centre, based at the University of Dundee, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration on water resources issues with their American counterparts at the International Centre for Integrated Water Resources Management (ICIWaRM). Representing the UK was W. Ian Ball, Dean of the Graduate School of Natural Resources Law, Policy & Management, University of Dundee.
The centres envision cooperating in areas such as water policy and integrated water resources management. The two centres are both active in UNESCO's Hydrology for the Environment, Life and Policy (HELP) programme.
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© Nomination fileLiverpool - Maritime Mercantile City
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At the opening of its annual meeting this month, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee placed Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City on the List of World Heritage in Danger. This is due to the proposed construction of Liverpool Waters, a redevelopment of the historic docklands north of the city centre. The move comes following a UNESCO World Heritage Centre mission to the city late last year which examined the proposed development and the overall state of conservation of the World Heritage property.
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Announcements
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Henri La Fontaine International Prize
 Nominations are open for the Henri LA FONTAINE International Prize for Humanism to honour living persons, institutions or active organisations which have made a significant contribution to defending, disseminating and embodying values such as humanism, social justices, feminism and freedom of inquiry. Nominations close 31 July 2012. The prize is run with the support of the Belgian French speaking and German speaking Commission for UNESCO.
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