UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee will meet in Mexico City

UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee (IBC) will meet in Mexico City (Mexico) from 4 to 6 May. This 16th session, organized in cooperation with the Consejo Consultivo de Ciencias of the Presidency of Mexico, will be followed by a European Commission-UNESCO conference, which will bring together experts and members of national bioethics committees from all over the world from 7 to 9 May.

Three main topics will be presented at this session of the IBC: social responsibility and health, the principle of respect for human vulnerability and personal integrity and the issue of human cloning and international governance. Furthermore, there will be an overview of the situation of bioethics in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The 16th session will be opened on 4 May (9.15 a.m.) by Alonso Lujambio Irazábal*, the Mexican Minister of Education, Pierre Sané, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences and Adolfo Martínez-Palomo, Chairperson of IBC. The opening ceremony will be followed at 10.00 a.m. by a progress report on the UNESCO bioethics programme, especially the REDBIOETICA initiative, which concerns Latin America and the Caribbean. The topic Bioethics in Latin America and the Caribbean: experiences and perspectives will take up the rest of the day.

On 5 May (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) there will be a presentation of the draft IBC report about human cloning and international governance. The IBC was a pioneer in the field of cloning, creating the foundations of the Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights (1997), which condemned cloning for human reproduction as contrary to human dignity. Since then, more than 50 countries have passed laws to forbid cloning for reproduction. However, voices have been raised, especially by scientists, to demand a different treatment for therapeutic cloning. At the request of UNESCO’s Director-General, an IBC working group has started to consider this issue in order to determine whether the latest scientific, ethical, social, political and legal developments justify a new initiative at the international level. The afternoon session will be devoted to the draft IBC report about social responsibility and health.

The session on 6 May will concern the principle of respect for human vulnerability and personal integrity (morning) and the IBC’s work programme for 2010-2011 (3 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.), before the closing by Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pierre Sané, Adolfo Martinez Palomo, and the new IBC chairperson, to be elected during this session.

The European Commission-UNESCO Conference, which will follow on 7 May, aims at strengthening the capacities of bioethics committees. It will bring together experts and members of national committees at all stages of development. The conference, organized with the financial support of the European Commission, will be structured around three major themes: emerging bioethics issues, building an international network of national bioethics committees and the committees’ engagement in ethical discourse.

Basic issues in evolution. A Darwin 200 Symposia

This year sees the celebration of the bicentenary of Charles Darwin’s birth as well as the 150th anniversary of the publication of his most famous book “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection”.

Darwin revolutionised our understanding of nature and evolution and has become a household name: his life fascinates thousands of people who study his works or visit places associated with his life.

A large number of celebrations are taking place this year to celebrate Darwin’s life and work.

UNESCO and The International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) are pleased to announce the "Darwin 200" programme to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin birthday in 2009.

The aim of Darwin 200 will be to celebrate the impact of Darwin's ideas on current scientific knowledge. The programme comprises a series of scientific symposia and satellite meetings that will take place on five continents.

EFA Global Monitoring Report 2009

Education for All - Global Monitoring Report

Overcoming inequality:
why governance matters

Despite much progress since 2000, millions of children, youth and adults still lack access to good quality education and the benefits it brings. This inequality of opportunity is undermining progress towards achieving Education for All by 2015.

Who are these individuals and groups? What are the obstacles they face? How can governance policies help break the cycle of disadvantage and poverty? What policies work? Is education reform integrated into the bigger picture? Is the international community making good on its commitments?

Unless trends change, 700 million adults will still be illiterate in 2015, says UNESCO’s Director-General

• © UNESCO/Sake Rijpkema

22-04-2009
The Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura has voiced concern that literacy remains a preeminent global challenge, as well as being one of the most neglected Education for All goals.

His comments came during the 2009 Global Action Week which this year focuses on youth and adult literacy and life-long learning.

“Achieving literacy for all is a collective responsibility”, the Director-General said. “According to estimates from the 2009 EFA Global Monitoring Report, unless current trends are changed, 700 million adults will still be unable to read and write in 2015, only 10 per cent fewer than today. We simply cannot let this happen.”

A staggering 776 million young people and adults, or 16 per cent of the global adult population, are currently on the margins of society due to a lack of literacy and numeracy skills. To this end, the Director-General mentioned UNESCO’s close collaboration with Member States and EFA partners to advocate for greater strategic collaboration, innovation and policy shifts in the field of literacy, notably through its role as global coordinator for Education for All and the UN Literacy Decade (2003-2012), as well as through country-level programmes such as the Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE).

As illiteracy continues to disproportionally affect disadvantaged populations and the gender gap remains unchanged with women still comprising two-thirds of illiterate adults, Mr Matsuura urged the international community to focus on expanding access to basic education and improving the quality of teaching and learning, beginning with an urgent scaling-up of financial resources.

This year’s Global Action Week events provide opportunities to raise the status of literacy on policy agendas and emphasize the indispensable role literacy plays in the achievement of all of the internationally agreed development goals. Under the slogan ‘Open Books, Open Doors’, coinciding with World Book and Copyright Day, a range of activities will take place at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on 23 April at UNESCO HQ.

UNESCO Executive Board meets from 14 to 30 April

UNESCO’s Executive Board, chaired by Ambassador of Benin Olabiyi Babalola Joseph Yaï, is to meet from 14 to 30 April in Paris for its 181st session. The session will be marked by the visits of the President of Benin, Boni Yayi, and the United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, former President of Portugal Jorge Sampaio. It will also feature a thematic debate on UNESCO’s role as lead agency in Education for All (EFA).

The Board’s plenary sessions will take place from 20 to 22 April, and then on 25, 29 and 30 April. President Yayi of Benin will address the Board on 20 April at 3 p.m. and the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations will speak on 23 April, also at 3 p.m. The thematic debate on UNESCO’s role as the lead agency for EFA and coordination among convening agencies, with special emphasis on progress on EFA in Africa, will be held on 25 April.

Notable items on the agenda of the 181st session include: consideration of the procedure to be followed for the nomination of the Director-General of the Organization; the global economic and financial crisis and its effects on education; the Draft Programme and Budget for 2010 2011; the establishment of institutes and centres under the auspices of UNESCO; and the report by the Director-General on a detailed plan of action for UNESCO’s strategy for action on climate change.

During its two yearly sessions, the Executive Board brings together 58 of the 193 Member states of UNESCO to oversee the execution of the programme adopted by the Organization’s General Conference. The Secretariat, under the leadership of the Director-General, is responsible for the implementation of the programme.

World Press Freedom Day 2009: Dialogue, mutual understanding and reconciliation

The way the media influences thought and action and its capacity to foster dialogue, understanding and reconciliation will be the focus of discussions at a UNESCO conference marking World Press Freedom Day 2009, to be held in Doha (Qatar) on 2 and 3 May.

In his message for World Press Freedom Day 2009, the Director-General of UNESCO Koïchiro Matsuura stressed that: “We must strengthen our efforts to build a media that is critical of inherited assumptions yet tolerant of alternative perspectives; a media that brings competing narratives into a shared story of interdependence; a media that responds to diversity through dialogue.”

Based on the premise that only a free media will innately contribute to the dialogue and understanding across divides, the two day programme will be divided into four sessions, during which media professionals from around the world will discuss:

• The capacity of the media for intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding;
• The need to establish ethical and professional standards in order to build models of accountability as well as effective self regulation for journalists;
• What specific place for media in promoting interreligious dialogue and mutual understanding?
• Media and enhancing dialogue as a tool for empowering citizens.

The conference has been organized under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al- Missned, consort of His Highness the Emir of Qatar Shiekh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani.

H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, Chairman of the Board, Doha Center for Media Freedom (Qatar) will open the event with George Anastassopoulos, President of UNESCO’s General Conference, and Abdul Waheed Khan, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information.

South-African journalist Allister Sparks, the author of several critically acclaimed books on his country’s transition from apartheid including, most recently, Beyond the Miracle: Inside the New South Africa, will present the keynote speech.

During the conference, Mr Matsuura will present the 2009 World Press Freedom Prize, awarded posthumously to murdered Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge. Mr Wickrematunge’s widow, Sonali Wickrematunge, will accept the prize, which is supported by the Ottaway and Cano foundations and JP/Politiken Newspaper LTD.

UNESCO, U.S. Library of Congress and Partners Launch World Digital Library

UNESCO and 32 partner institutions today launched the World Digital Library, a Web site that features unique cultural materials from libraries and archives from around the world. The site includes manuscripts, maps, rare books, films, sound recordings, prints and photographs. It provides unrestricted public access, free of charge, to this material.

The launch took place at UNESCO Headquarters at an event co-hosted by UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura and U.S. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. Directors of the partner institutions were on hand to present the project to ambassadors, ministers, delegates, and special guests attending the semi-annual meeting of UNESCO’s Executive Board.

Mr Billington first proposed the creation of a World Digital Library (WDL) to UNESCO in 2005, remarking that such a project could “have the salutary effect of bringing people together by celebrating the depth and uniqueness of different cultures in a single global undertaking.” Mr Matsuura welcomed the proposal as a “great initiative that will help to bridge the knowledge divide, promote mutual understanding and foster cultural and linguistic diversity.” In addition to promoting international understanding, the project aims to expand the volume and variety of cultural content on the Internet, provide resources for educators, scholars, and general audiences, and narrow the digital divide within and between countries by building capacity in partner countries.

The WDL functions in seven languages – Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish – and includes content in more than forty languages. Browse and search features facilitate cross-cultural and cross-temporal exploration on the site. Descriptions of each item and videos, with expert curators speaking about selected items, provide context for users and are intended to spark curiosity and encourage both students and the general public to learn more about the cultural heritage of all countries.

The WDL was developed by a team at the Library of Congress. Technical assistance was provided by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina of Alexandria, Egypt. Institutions contributing to the WDL include national libraries and cultural and educational institutions in Brazil, Egypt, China, France, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, Qatar, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Sweden, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

“UNESCO welcomes the creation of the World Digital Library which reflects the values and priorities of our Organization,” Mr Matsuura declared. “WDL offers an invaluable platform for the free flow of information, for international solidarity, for the celebration of cultural diversity and for the building of inclusive knowledge societies. With projects like the Digital Library, the cultural and societal potential of digital technologies come into their own.”

“We are honoured to be working with so many great libraries in this venture,” said Mr Billington, “and thankful for the strong support that UNESCO has given to this project. What we launched today is a first step. We look forward to seeing this project realize its ambition to bring people together, deepen our understanding of each other, and help electronically oriented young people enjoy what is best in traditional culture, using the new media.”

Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, UNESCO Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education and Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, congratulated UNESCO and the partner institutions on the launch of the WDL, and stated that “Qatar is very proud to be a founding member of this remarkable international collaboration.” Her Highness noted that “universal education is the key to international understanding,” and “this endeavour will do much to develop the appreciation of other cultures and nations.”

The National Library of China (NLC) contributed manuscripts, maps, books, and rubbings of steles and oracle bones that span the range of Chinese history from ancient to modern times. “The World Digital Library project offers a brand-new platform for showcasing the diversity of the world's civilizations,” said Dr. Furui Zhan, Chief Librarian of the NLC. “This endeavour enables cultural exchange while bringing together different countries and peoples in mutual understanding and enrichment. The spirit of equality and open understanding comes into full view with the creation of this World Digital Library. The National Library of China is ready to work in close cooperation with the World Digital Library, continuing to promote in concert the prosperity and progress of all human civilizations.”

Examples of other treasures featured include Arabic scientific manuscripts from the National Library and Archives of Egypt; early photographs of Latin America from the National Library of Brazil; the Hyakumanto darani, a publication from the year 764 from the National Diet Library of Japan; the famous 13th century “Devil’s Bible” from the National Library of Sweden; and works of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish calligraphy from the collections of the U.S. Library of Congress.

Ahead of the launch, Mr Matsuura invited UNESCO Member States to encourage their cultural institutions to participate in the development of the project. He noted that their participation would contribute to a truly universal digital library that showcases the cultural heritage and achievements of all countries. Mr Matsuura also highlighted the synergies between this initiative and UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme, noting that the WDL should help provide public access to digital versions of collections on the Memory of the World register.

One of UNESCO’s main mandates is to promote the free flow of all forms of knowledge in education, science, culture, and communication. The Organization therefore promotes education, research and exchanges through the improved and increased availability of content on the Internet. To this end, it collaborates with a number of partners on the creation of digital and other repositories.

USEUM International N°240

Underwater Cultural Heritage



Museum240-Large-eng.jpgTable of Contents

Editorial

Exploration and Preservation

* Submerged cultural sites: opening a time capsule David Nutley
* The impact of commercial exploitation on the preservation of underwater cultural heritage Tatiana Villegas Zamora
* Preservation in situ: “the preferred option” Martijn Manders
* Conservation of underwater cultural heritage: characteristics and new technologies Jean-Bernard Memet

Why Create an International Convention?

* Why and how will underwater cultural heritage benefit from the 2001 Convention? Thijs Maarleveld
* The 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage: advantages and challenges Ulrike Koschtial
* Safeguarding Brazil’s underwater cultural heritage: legal protection and public archaeology Gilson Rambelli

New Frontiers, New Concepts

* Underwater archaeological trails Francisco J. S. Alves
* A resource for sustainable development: the case of Croatia Jasen Mesić
* Underwater archaeological exploration of the Mayan cenotes Luis Alberto Martos López

UNESCO presents exhibition on reconstruction of Aksum obelisk

• © UNESCO/Michael Tsegaye

An exhibition – photographs and a video installation – at UNESCO will celebrate the reinstallation of the Aksum obelisk. The show will allow visitors to learn about the history of the Ethiopian site and to view the key stages of reinstalling the monument, 24 metres high and weighing 150 tons.

Open to the public from 4 to 15 May (9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.), the exhibition will be inaugurated on 23 April by Koïchiro Matsuura, the Director-General of UNESCO, in the presence of the Ethiopian and Italian ambassadors to UNESCO, Adelech Haile Mikael and Giuseppe Moscato.

The artists in the show, who are from Ethiopia, Belgium, France and Italy, were invited by UNESCO to visit Aksum and to express their vision of the restoration of the obelisk, a symbol of Ethiopian culture.

Their works highlight the uniqueness and magnitude of the project. The monument’s history has been eventful: erected in the 4th century then vandalized in the 7th, the obelisk was hauled off to Rome at Mussolini’s orders and set up near the Circus Maximus, finally returning to Aksum in 2005.

The artists - Tito Dupret, Theo Eshetu, Michel Ravassard, Hiwot Gebre Geziabeher, Michael Tsegaye and Paola Viesi – share their interpretation of these events. The gigantic, 15-screen video installation by Theo Eshetu, Ethiopian artist living in Rome, draws on his dual perspective. Hiwot Gebre Geziabeher, a schoolgirl from Aksum who learned photography with Michael Tsegaye, takes the local inhabitants’ point of view. Included in the show are films and photos depicting the extraordinary restoration work and Aksum’s lifestyle and culture. For an even better sense of the project’s scope, a 3D projection offers visitors a simulated tour of the Aksum archaeological site with the work in progress.

With this exhibition, UNESCO is celebrating the successful reinstallation and showing how a cultural project can help reconcile two countries with conflict in their past.

Education for All (EFA) International Coordination

The Big Read: Global Action Week 2009
Puts Spotlight on Literacy

Puts Spotlight on Literacy" src="http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/files/58606/12343618651EFA-Globalaction.jpg/EFA-Globalaction.jpg" width="180">

• © GCE

Global Action Week 2009 (April 20 to 26) focuses on youth and adult literacy and life-long learning to raise awareness about the global literacy challenge.

Worldwide, some 776 million adults lack literacy skills, 75 million children are out of school and millions more leave school early without acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills. Literacy is a basic right. It is a fundamental condition for being part of today’s knowledge societies. Literacy is a key to reduce poverty, increase economic opportunities, improve child and maternal health, prevent HIV and AIDS and encourage political participation.

Global Action Week, led by the Global Campaign for Education, will send a strong signal to policy-makers and the international community on the importance of one of the most neglected Education for All goals. More political commitment, more effective literacy programs and more funding are required to make literacy a basic right for all.

The highlight of the campaign is the “Big Book”, a collection of short stories about how education changes lives. “Big Read” events will be organized, during which individuals will read from this book and sign a statement at the back of it calling for more commitment and investments to ensure that everyone is able to read and write.

The Global Action Week is an advocacy campaign organized each year by the Global Campaign for Education. UNESCO, as coordinator of the EFA movement and of the United Nations Literacy Decade (2003-2012), supports this campaign and will be organizing activities around the world related to the “Big Read.”

Check this site regularly for stories, videos, presentations and studies about literacy and Global Action Week 2009.

UNESCO, Library of Congress and partners launch World Digital Library

• © UNESCO

UNESCO and 32 partner institutions will launch the World Digital Library, a Web site that features unique cultural materials from libraries and archives from around the world, at UNESCO Headquarters on 21 April. The site will include manuscripts, maps, rare books, films, sound recordings, and prints and photographs. It will provide unrestricted public access, free of charge, to this material.

The launch will take place at a reception co-hosted by UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura and U.S. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. Directors of the partner institutions will also be on hand to present the project to ambassadors, ministers, delegates, and special guests attending the semi-annual meeting of UNESCO’s Executive Board.

Media are invited to attend a pre-launch press conference, which will take place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 21 April at 11 a.m.

Mr Billington first proposed the creation of a World Digital Library (WDL) to UNESCO in 2005, remarking that such a project could “have the salutary effect of bringing people together by celebrating the depth and uniqueness of different cultures in a single global undertaking.” In addition to promoting international understanding, the project aims to expand the volume and variety of cultural content on the Internet, provide resources for educators, scholars, and general audiences, and narrow the digital divide within and between countries by building capacity in partner countries.

The WDL will function in seven languages – Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish – and include content in a great many other. Browse and search features will facilitate cross-cultural and cross-temporal exploration on the site. Descriptions of each item, and videos with expert curators speaking about selected items, will provide context for users, and are intended to spark curiosity and encourage both students and the general public to learn more about the cultural heritage of all countries.

The WDL was developed by a team at the Library of Congress. Technical assistance was provided by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina of Alexandria, Egypt. Institutions contributing content and expertise to the WDL include national libraries and cultural and educational institutions in Brazil, Egypt, China, France, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, Qatar, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Sweden, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Examples of treasures that will be featured on the WDL include oracle bones and steles contributed by the National Library of China; Arabic scientific manuscripts from the National Library and Archives of Egypt; early photographs of Latin America from the National Library of Brazil; the Hyakumanto darani, a publication from the year 764 from the National Diet Library of Japan; the famous 13th century “Devil’s Bible” from the National Library of Sweden; and works of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish calligraphy from the collections of the Library of Congress.

One of UNESCO’s main mandates is to promote the free flow of all forms of knowledge in education, science, culture, and communication. The Organization therefore supports initiatives to improve and increase content on the Internet. To this end, it collaborates with a range of partners on the creation of digital and other repositories.

Troubled water

Increased demand, waste and insufficient investment: water shortage may come sooner than we think. Although water covers three-quarters of the world’s surface, only 0.0075% of this immense volume is available for humanity’s use. Some countries have already reached the limits of their resources.

We must act now, warns the just-launched United Nations World Water Development Report, “Water in a changing world”, which assesses the global water situation. The UNESCO Courier examines some strategies for better management.

Under water cultural heritage

Chapter 1: Exploration and Preservation

* Submerged Cultural Sites: opening a time capsule David Nutley
* The Impact of Commercial Exploitation on the Preservation of Underwater Cultural Heritage Tatiana Villegas Zamora
*

In Situ Preservation: 'the preferred option' Martijn Manders
* Conservation of Underwater Cultural Heritage: characteristics and new technologies Jean-Bernard Memet

Chapter 2: Why Create an International Convention?

* How and Why will Underwater Cultural Heritage Benefit from the 2001 Convention? Thijs J. Maarleveld
* The 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage: advantages and challenges Ulrike Koschtial
* Safeguarding the Underwater Cultural Heritage of Brazil: legal protection and public archaeology Gilson Rambelli

Chapter 3: New Frontiers, New Concepts

* Underwater Archaeological Trails Francisco J. S. Alves
* A Resource for Sustainable Development: the case of Croatia Jasen Mesic
* Underwater Archaeological Exploration of the Mayan Cenotes Luis Alberto Martos Lopez

The Big Read promotes literacy during Global Action Week, 20-26 April

Global Action Week 2009 (April 20 to 26) focuses on youth and adult literacy and life-long learning to raise awareness about the global literacy challenge.

Worldwide, some 776 million adults lack literacy skills, 75 million children are out of school and millions more leave school early without acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills.

UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize 2009 to be awarded posthumously to Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge

• © Reporters sans Frontiers

The late Sri Lankan journalist and editor of the Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunge, who was assassinated on 8 January this year, has been named laureate of the 2009 UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize. The Director-General of UNESCO Koïchiro Matsuura today endorsed the choice of the Prize’s jury of 14 professional journalists from all over the world.

“Jury members were moved to an almost unanimous choice by a man who was clearly conscious of the dangers he faced but nevertheless chose to speak out, even beyond his grave,” said Joe Thloloe, President of the jury and Press Ombudsman of the Press Council of South Africa, referring to the laureate’s posthumous editorial in which he voiced his commitment for press freedom at the risk of his life. “Lasantha Wickrematunge continues to inspire journalists around the world,” added Mr Thloloe.

Mr Matsuura welcomed the choice of Mr Wickrematunge: “In awarding the 2009 World Press Freedom Prize to a committed journalist who opposed war, UNESCO, along with media professionals from all over the world, recognizes the important role that freedom of expression can play in fostering mutual understanding and reconciliation, the theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day celebration.”

The Director-General will present the World Press Freedom Prize in a ceremony on May 3, World Press Freedom Day, which UNESCO will celebrate this year in Doha, capital of Qatar.

Born in 1958, Lasantha Wickrematunge trained as a lawyer and was a member of the Sri Lankan Bar Association. While working as an attorney-at-law, he began working as an investigative reporter for the Sun/Davasa newspaper.

In 1994, Mr Wickrematunge started the Sunday Leader with his brother and used the publication to campaign vigorously against the war between Sri Lanka’s army and Tamil rebels.

In 2000, Mr Wickrematunge secured a court victory which led to the abolition of the law that allowed the government to curb the media. In November 2007, the Sunday Leader was damaged in an arson attack that Mr Wickrematunge said resembled a “commando action.”

Mr Wickrematunge expected to be assassinated and went so far as to write an editorial for publication after his death. It appeared in the Sunday Leader on 11 January 2009, three days after he had been murdered. In his editorial, Mr Wickrematunge voiced his commitment and readiness to die for press freedom: “[…] there is a calling that is yet above high office, fame, lucre and security. It is the call of conscience.”

Created in 1997 by UNESCO’s Executive Board, the Press Freedom Prize is awarded annually to honour the work of an individual or an organization defending or promoting freedom of expression anywhere in the world, especially if this action puts the individual’s life at risk. Candidates are proposed by UNESCO Member States, and regional or international organizations that defend and promote freedom of expression.

Since its creation, the US $25,000 prize - financed by the Cano and Ottaway family foundations, and by JP/Politiken Newspaper LTD - has been awarded to the following laureates: Lydia Cacho (Mexico, 2008), Anna Politkovskaya (Russian Federation, 2007), May Chidiac (Lebanon, 2006), Cheng Yizhong, (China, 2005), Raúl Rivero (Cuba, 2004), Amira Hass (Israel, 2003), Geoffrey Nyarota (Zimbabwe, 2002), U Win Tin (Myanmar, 2001), Nizar Nayyouf (Syria, 2000), Jesus Blancornelas (Mexico, 1999), Christina Anyanwu (Nigeria, 1998), Gao Yu (China, 1997).

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Paris for CEB meeting hosted by UNESCO

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon came to Paris to attend the annual meeting of the CEB (UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination), hosted by UNESCO on 4-5 April, following his participation in the G-20 Summit in London.

On his first visit to UNESCO since his election to the head of the UN, the Secretary-General addressed delegations and staff at an information meeting at Headquarters on 3 April. The session was webcast to all UNESCO Field Offices.

On 6-7 April, Ban Ki-Moon will be in Istanbul (Turkey) for the second Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, aimed at advancing intercultural understanding.

UNESCO Director-General to G-20: “Invest in education”

Koïchiro Matsuura, the Director-General of UNESCO, has written to the leaders of the Group of 20 nations, meeting in London this week, to plead the cause of education.

Mr Matsuura said world leaders must tackle systemic and financial problems at the same time as the fundamental issues that determine long-term economic development, such as education. The Director-General stressed that “Expenditure for education is one of the most productive investments that a country can make. […] Research shows that by extending the average period spent at school by one year, per capita GDP is increased by 4 to 6 %. By injecting resources into education now, not only would we stimulate economic recovery, but we would also contribute to stronger growth in the future and guarantee global stability in the long term. This is why UNESCO proposes including education on the agendas of all international meetings aimed at resolving the current crisis.”

The Director-General added, “Investing in science, innovation and new technologies, including green technologies, is also fundamental for stimulating economic growth while contributing to a sustainable environment. UNESCO is already working with many countries, especially in Africa, to develop scientific policies and build human and institutional capacities in order to promote innovation.”

“Responding to the global crisis, which is of unprecedented magnitude and complexity, will require unfailing cooperation and international solidarity. The organizations in the United Nations System, including UNESCO, of which all the G20 countries are members, have the ability to undertake coordinated and strategic action,” said Mr Matsuura, stressing that “multilateralism will be vital for finding common solutions to the current challenges.”

The Director-General continued, “The crisis risks wiping out the gains of recent years - attained after major efforts - especially in developing countries, and compromising progress towards the development goals set by everyone, including the Millennium Development Goals. With the population of Africa expected to double in the next 35 years, cutting investments allocated to the reduction of poverty now is the best way to cause social disaster. […] I exhort the G20 to urge aid donors to reverse the current trend of decreasing aid commitments and disbursements.”