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Network Link - OCTOBER 2012
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Welcome!
When the 190th UNESCO Executive Board concluded this month it was clear that the UK with the UK National Commission (UKNC) had had an impact. UK priorities were strongly reflected in many of the Board's decisions while UKNC policy advice had been taken up by the UK and many other member states. Our growing Network of volunteer experts has made this possible, allowing for timely, high-quality, independent policy advice in the fields of UNESCO's competence.
Later in the month, our Chairman Professor W John Morgan and I had the privilege of meeting the UNESCO Director-General in London in advance of her meetings with UK Ministers, where she reiterated her commitment to UNESCO reform and the important role the UK and its National Commission plays in UNESCO.
As always, we welcome your feedback on this update and other communications from us. If you missed one of the previous editions of Network Link, don't forget that they're available from our website. If you have been sent Network Link by a colleague, you can sign-up to the distribution list. 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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 Updates on our work
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This month's UNESCO Executive Board resulted in 21 key decisions, with UK priorities strongly reflected in many of them. Advance preparation and a strong 'Team UK' presence during the two week meeting, including the UKNC and FCO and the UK Chairing the Board's Finance and Administrative Commission, made this possible.
In the lead-up to the meeting the UKNC worked with Network members to produce six briefings on key issues on the Board's agenda for use by the UK Permanent Delegation and government departments. Three UKNC Directors, Professor W John Morgan, Professor Tariq Durrani and Mr Tim Williams, attended the meeting as well as four members of staff. The team made over 20 interventions and worked with partners to develop support for UK proposals. During the debates, UKNC policy briefs featured prominently and helped formulate the agreed UK position on several items, including Category 2 Centre reform, Geoparks and UNESCO's partnership strategy, among others.
In the UK's remarks at the opening of the meeting Ambassador Sudders highlighted the need for UNESCO to make better use of its partners. "All around the world there are partner institutions and committed individuals who are enthused and energised by the mission of UNESCO," he said. "In the UK we brought many of our UNESCO stakeholders together. They had overwhelmingly the same message. We are here, ready, willing and able but you never call."
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The latest phase of UNESCO's review of its cooperation with National Commissions began this month with the first meeting of an 'Open-ended tripartite working group' of National Commissions, member states and the UNESCO Secretariat. This group will meet several times over the next five months to develop concrete, time-bound recommendations on improving cooperation between UNESCO and National Commissions.
In addition to taking part in the first meeting on 19 October, the UKNC has been working with a diverse group of National Commissions to develop proposals on the focus of the working group's discussions and how a productive outcome can be achieved. As part of its focus on supporting UNESCO reform, the UKNC will take part in subsequent meetings of the group and will continue working with UNESCO, other National Commissions and UK Government on this review. As National Commissions are UNESCO's longest-standing partner network and one of its most robust, these changes are an essential element of UNESCO's larger reform efforts.
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2012 EFA Global Monitoring Report Colloquium
Youth and Skills:
Putting education to work. Challenges and Opportunities for the UK
Thursday 15 November 2012 (10:00-16:00), The University of Nottingham
This year's UNESCO 2012 Education for All Global Monitoring Report (GMR) focuses on young people around the world, particularly those from marginalised groups, who are leaving school without the skills they need for the lives they wish to lead.
This UK Colloquium on 15 November will examine the challenges and opportunities the Report presents for the UK's diverse actors in international skills development. Speakers include Professor Kenneth King (University of Edinburgh), François Leclercq (GMR Team, Paris), Anfal Saqib & Martin Johnston (Education Advisers, DFID), Leon Clarke (City & Guilds Centre for Skills Development) and Professor Simon McGrath (UKFIET and University of Nottingham). There will be limited number of places, free of charge, for postgraduate students with a particular interest in the topic of this year's GMR.
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 | UNESCO Director General Mrs Irina Bokova with H.E. Mr Alexander Yakovenko, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to London © Embassy of the Russian Federation
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UNESCO Director General Mrs Irina Bokova delivered the keynote address at a UN Day celebration in London, organised by UNA-UK and the Russian Embassy. The evening, which was hosted by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to London, H.E. Mr Alexander Yakovenko, brought together Ambassadors and High Commissioners, Parliamentarians and civil society. In her remarks Mrs Bokova explored the challenges facing multilateralism today, referring to the need to address "societies that are more connected than ever but also increasingly diverse and fragile."
During her visit the Director-General met with the new Secretary of State for International Development, Rt Hon Ms Justine Greening MP, Minister of State for International Development, Mr Alan Duncan MP and senior DFID staff, where she discussed the progress of UNESCO's reform agenda, the refocusing of the Organisation on its core priorities and developments in its the Transparency Initiative.
She also met with UKNC Chairman Professor W John Morgan and Chief Executive James Bridge to discuss common priorities and how the UKNC can continue to contribute to UNESCO's reform agenda.
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On 17th October a meeting was held in Cardiff between the First Minister, Rt Hon Mr Carwyn Jones AM, and the National Commission's Chairman, Professor W John Morgan, together with Mr Gary Brace, the Commission's Board member for Education. Several ways in which the National Commission could contribute to Welsh government priorities in culture, education and science were identified, including to the draft Heritage Bill, to Welsh policy on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and to the Wales for Africa programme. It was also agreed that a Welsh Government representative would be invited to attend the UKNC's colloquium on 'Wales and International Development' to be held at Aberystwyth University in early 2013.
The meeting was part of the UKNC's work to develop its network in Wales and draw upon and contribute to Welsh expertise in UNESCO's areas of competence.
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UK Scientist Professor Pratibha Gai has been named the 2013 European Laureate in the 15th annual L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards.
Professor of Chemistry and Physics at the University of York, Pratibha follows in the footsteps of Professor Frances Ashcroft who won the award for Europe in 2012. Pratibha joins five exceptional women scientists from around the world, one from each continent, who will be recognised for their contribution to science at an awards ceremony, held at UNESCO in March 2013. The $100,000 award celebrates the outstanding achievements of women in science and is recognised as one of the premier international science awards.
Professor Gai was chosen for modifying her electron microscope so that she was able to observe chemical reactions occurring at surface atoms of catalysts.
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UNESCO News for the UK
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EU signs new partnership with UNESCO
 | | EU Development Commissioner Mr Andris Piebalgs and UNESCO Director General Mrs Irina Bokova © UNESCO/Landry Rukingamubiri |
A new deal that will boost cooperation, dialogue and help to share information and best practice between the European Union (EU) and UNESCO was signed this month.
The Memorandum of Understanding sets out clear, strategic priorities and encourages increased policy dialogue on areas of mutual interest between the two organisations, such as education, culture, science and technology, maritime policy and freedom of expression.
Read on...
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New project to support collection of environmental data
A new citizens "observatory framework" will make it easier for people to collect environmental information for use in policy formation and governance. The Citizen Observatory Web (COBWEB) is a four year project being led by the University of Edinburgh with thirteen partners from five European countries. Concentrating initially on the Welsh Dyfi Biosphere Reserve, the project aims to leverage the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves and the enthusiasm of local Biosphere Reserve communities for improved environmental decision making to help develop technology that will eventually be more widely applicable. This UK-led EU Framework project will provide over EUR 4.2 million to UK partners.
Read on...
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2012 Education for All Global Monitoring Report launched
 | 2012 GMR launch, Paris © UNESCO
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Every $1 invested in education and youth skills in developing countries generates $10-$15 in economic growth, according to the 2012 Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report (GMR) released on 16 Oct. The report calls on donors to sustain support to education to ensure that it prepares young people adequately for work.
The global launch of the event was held at UNESCO headquarters, Paris. Speakers included United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education Mr Gordon Brown and UNESCO Director-General Mrs Irina Bokova.
Read on...
Visit the official GMR website here...
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 In celebration of the tenth year of the Education for All Global Monitoring Report, the GMR team has launched a series on its World Education Blog recapping the findings of previous reports on conflict, early childhood, gender and other key education topics.
Features include a piece by Professor Alan Smith, UNESCO Chair in Education for Pluralism, Human Rights and Democracy, University of Ulster, on the effects of conflict on education.
Read on...
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UNESCO'S Director of the Division of Freedom of Expression and Media Development Guy Berger delivered the keynote address at the "Media Responses to Matters of Life and Death" symposium this month at the BBC Broadcasting House in London.
The meeting, organised by the BBC College of Journalism and the University of Sheffield's Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM), brought together editors from media groups around the world, together with frontline journalists, to focus on how media houses can best engage with the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. The symposium ended with a 'London Statement' on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity, signed by members of the global media community.
The UKNC, which advised on the development of the UN Plan of Action, is currently working with UNESCO and UK Government on UNESCO's strategy for implementing its part of the UN Action Plan.
Read on...
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© UNESCO/L. Rukingamubiri - Ms Bokova welcomed the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, to UNESCO in the presence of Alissandra Cummins, Chairperson to its Executive Board
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During his visit to UNESCO earlier this month the UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, presented the Organisation with a natural science textbook printed by UNESCO in 1956. Copies of this book were distributed to school children, Mr Ban among them, in post-war Korea.
In her welcome the Director-General thanked the Secretary-General for promoting education on the international agenda through his Education First initiative.
Mr Ban also addressed the Executive Board where he called on UNESCO to bring together experts from all disciplines and regions to advise the UN. "UNESCO must continue to be the UN system's clear scientific voice, helping to ground our decisions in facts and knowledge, not ideology," he said.
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Sarah Brightman, the UNESCO Artist for Peace and famous soprano, announced this month that she will travel to the International Space Station after her next world tour. At a news conference in Moscow, Brightman said she would use the occasion to promote the work of UNESCO, especially girls' education and the use of science for sustainable development. The mission will be scheduled for some time in 2014.
Read on...
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