UNESCO Highlights in 2012

Human Rights Day 2012

On the occasion of the Human Rights Day 2012, UNESCO's Director-General Irina Bokova and the Mayor of the City of Bilbao Mr Iñaki Azkuna will award the UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights to Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu from South Africa. Read more!

Take Action Now To Assure The USA Funding for UNESCO

This is an update on a recent post.

The United States Government has withheld its funding from UNESCO since last year. It is now time to take action to encourage the government to fund UNESCO again. Write your Senator and Congressman. Sign this petition.

The Problem

Two parts of U.S. law are of specific concern (US Code - Title 22: Foreign Relations and Intercourse / 22 USC 287 - Sec. 287e. Authorization of appropriations; payment of expenses) :

• Pub. L. 101-246, title IV, Sec. 414, Feb. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 70: "(a) Prohibition. - No funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or any other Act shall be available for the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof which accords the Palestine Liberation Organization the same standing as member states." (b) Transfer or Reprogramming. - Funds subject to the prohibition contained in subsection (a) which would be available for the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof (but for that prohibition) are authorized to remain available until expended and may be reprogrammed or transferred to any other account of the Department of State or the Agency for International Development to carry out the general purposes for which such funds were authorized." 
• Pub. L. 103-236, title IV, Sec. 410, Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 454: "The United States shall not make any voluntary or assessed contribution - "(1) to any affiliated organization of the United Nations which grants full membership as a state to any organization or group that does not have the internationally recognized attributes of statehood, or "(2) to the United Nations, if the United Nations grants full membership as a state in the United Nations to any organization or group that does not have the internationally recognized attributes of statehood, during any period in which such membership is effective."

The General Conference of UNESCO last year admitted Palestine to membership. The United States Government immediately began to withhold payments of assessed and voluntary contributions to the Organization. UNESCO's rules state that the voting privileges of a member state will be revoked if it does not pay its assessed contributions for two years. The General Conference next year will approve the program and budget for UNESCO for the following two years and elect the Director General for the next four years.

The Remedy

The law should be revised to permit the President to waive these provisions if he decides it is in the interests of the United States to do so.

Why the Law Should Be Changed

There are a number of reasons that the law should be changed:

1. It no longer achieves its original purpose. These provisions were included in the Foreign Relations Authorizations to prevent Palestine from being admitted to membership in United Nations organizations. Last year, in full knowledge of the law, the UNESCO General Conference admitted Palestine. Last week, also in full knowledge of the law, the United Nations General Assembly recognized Palestine as a state by admitting is to Non-Member State Observer status. Palestine has announced that it will apply for membership in other UN organizations and experts predict that the applications will be approved.
2. The provisions as they stand are outdated. They became law in 1990 and 1994. At the time the Soviet Union had broken up, and the United States was exceptionally powerful in world affairs. The world has changed. Other countries and coalitions are more influential in United Nations venues. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is two decades older and views about its possible solutions have changed. Most other nations have recognized Palestine as a state.
3. The effects of the provisions may become profoundly contrary to U.S. national interests. If for example the United States were forced to withhold funding from the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, or the World Health Organization by these provisions, especially at times of national security crisis, the national interest could suffer significant damage -- far more than would occur due to admission of Palestine as one of hundreds of members of such an organization.
4. The provisions are unclear as written. What is the difference in meaning between "the same standing as member states" and "full membership as a state". Does granting of Permanent Observer Status to a state trigger the provision? (Palestine was just granted Non-Member State Permanent Observer status to the United Nations. Indeed, Palestine has long been granted a standing invitation to participate as observer in the sessions and the work of the General Assembly and is maintaining permanent offices at Headquarters.)
5. The interpretation of "the full attributes of statehood" is also subject to uncertainty. (Belarus was admitted to membership in UNESCO in 1954 although at that time it was a constituent republic of the USSR. The United States Government at the time is reported to have argued that if the constituent republics of the USSR were to be admitted as member states, then the states of the USA ought also to be admitted individually.) And perhaps most importantly
6. The provisions may take the decision on participation in an organization out of the hands of the U.S. government. Not only is it possible for a coalition of foreign nations to elect Palestine to membership in another UN organization, but it might be possible for a single state to make that case that a current member state of an international organization has characteristics that trigger the provisions.

The waiver would of course not delete the power of the Congress to delete funding of any UN family organization from appropriations bills. It would provide the possibility of the U.S. government responding more rapidly to events within the UN system than could the Congress in revision of legislation.

Why the Law Should Be Changes Now

The Administration believes that UNESCO's programs promote U.S. values and interests, and that it is in the national interest to contribute to UNESCO. (So do I.) If the United States does not pay its assessed contributions to UNESCO before the General Conference in October 2013, then it will not be able to vote at that General Conference. Perhaps more important, the voice of the United States will be less influential in UNESCO forums. UNESCO is the main United Nations defending important American values such as Freedom of the Press, equality of educational opportunities for girls, and education that promotes peace and opposes racism. Unfortunately, not all other nations share these values and it is important that the U.S. has a strong voice at UNESCO to defend those values.

Perhaps more important, now that the provision has failed in one venue it will soon be tested in others and may also fail in them. The President should now have the power to act quickly in the national interest in such circumstances.

The Process to Change the Law

There will probably not be a specific vote of the Congress on the proposed amendment. Rather it will be included in a larger bill to appropriate funds, that will probably be approved before March, 2013. Apparently the administration informs the Congress before such bills are voted that even if approved in the Congress, the President will not sign them into law unless they include certain provisions. If the waiver authority is included in the list of required provisions, lacking strong opposition in the Congress, the waiver will probably be incorporated into the bill.

What to do now

I would suggest that you use your social media to tell your friends to support this amendment to the law.

Contact your Representative in the House of Representatives and your Senator and explain your support for this amendment. If you can, explain why UNESCO is important in your state and in your district. Is there a world heritage site there, a geopark, or a bioreserve that benefits from UNESCO networking. If you live in an area at risk of earthquakes or tsumanis, explain why UNESCO's geology and tsumami warning systems matter to your community. If you live in a place in which there are water shortages or subsidence due to depletion of aquifers, explain why UNESCO's hydrology program is important to your community.

Alternatively, if you feel deeply about girls education, explain why UNESCO's program in that field is important to you. If you feel that it is important that people around the world know about the Holocaust, explain why UNESCO's Holocaust education program is critically important. If you are concerned with the loss of biodiversity, or if you love to visit world heritage sites around the world, explain that you value these programs of UNESCO.

Finally sign the petition of the Better World Campaign telling the administration to support UNESCO. You can do so by clicking here!

Sustainable Development in Coastal Regions and Small Islands

Flooded homes in Tuckerton, N.J., on Oct. 30 after Hurricane Sandy 

Hurricane Sandy recently provided a vivid demonstration of the vulnerability of U.S. coastal regions and islands to destruction and environmental degradation, as did Hurricane Katrina a few years ago. We recall that the United States has not only long coastlines with the Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific, with many offshore islands, but also includes Hawaii and Puerto Rico. 

CSI is a global platform provided by UNESCO for environmentally sound, socially equitable, culturally respectful and economically viable development in coastal regions and small islands.


The CSI platform for intersectoral action was initiated in 1996. The following three complementary and mutually reinforcing approaches have been adopted:

1. Field-based projects which provide a framework for collaborative action on the ground
2. UNESCO Chairs and University Twinning (UNITWIN) arrangements, which support and enhance the field project activities through training, capacity building and awareness raising
3. A multi-lingual, internet-based forum on 'Wise Coastal Practices for Sustainable Human Development'

Half a dozen field projects continue to operate worldwide. Three university chairs in sustainable coastal development have been formally established. The internet-based discussion forum includes some 19,000 recipients from around the world representing a wide range of specializations and interests. The field projects, backed-up by the UNESCO chairs and twinning networks, have developed and tested wise practices applicable to sustainable development of small islands and coastal regions. These practices provide guidance as to “what can wisely be done under the prevailing circumstances”.


Via the CSI platform, wise coastal practices for sustainable human development are exchanged, the voices of small islands amplified, indigenous knowledge mobilised for equitable resource governance, and youth given a say.

A USGS and UNESCO Joint Publication

Development of a new irrigation well in west-central Florida triggered
hundreds of sinkholes over a 20-acre area. The sinkholes ranged
in size from less than 1 foot to more than 150 feet in diameter.

Land subsidence due to the depletion of groundwater is a problem in many parts of the United States. The subsidence, when it occurs, breaks water mains and sewer lines, disrupts underground telephone cables, and collapses roads. It can even endanger buildings. The problem costs many millions of dollars per year, straining the budgets of many municipalities.

The Guidebook was originally Published in 1984 by Unesco as one of the contributions to the International Hydrological Program. Although the IHP is a scientific and educational program, Unesco has been aware of the need to direct its activities toward the practical solutions of the world's water resources problems. The Guidebook was intended as one of the tools to help provide for a multidisciplinary approach to the assessment, planning, and rational management of water resources.

Written in 1984, the Guidebook provides an overview of case studies illustrating the major occurrences of land subsidence due to ground-water withdrawal throughout the world at the time of its publication. But probably it's most enduring contributions are the chapters on field measurement of deformation and the mechanics of land subsidence. These chapters provide a basic understanding of subsidence that is valuable for both resource managers and scientists.

The Guidebook has enjoyed enduring demand. It has long since been out of print, but now is available in electronic form. Click here to download Guidebook.zip, an 11 MB compressed file in Winzip format. Interested in only a part of the document? Check out the PDF files available here.

UNESCO Associated Libraries in the USA

U.S. libraries advancing programs that cut across at least three of UNESCO’s five sectors (education, natural science, social science, culture, and communication/information) may apply for recognition as a UNESCO Associated Library by the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO.

Recognition through the UNESCO Associated Library program conveys to visitors and patrons that your library has a commitment to international engagement through communication, culture, education, and science. Libraries that receive this distinction may publicize their status as a UNESCO Associated Library and are eligible to display a special certificate issued by the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO. Moreover, becoming a UNESCO Associated Library enables an institution to tap into the network of UNESCO Associated Libraries in the U.S. and around the globe.

Any U.S. Library interested in recognition as a UNESCO Associated Library should complete and submit an application, which can be found here.

For an informational brochure, click here.

Statement by U.S. Ambassador David Killion to the 190th Executive Board

From the statement as delivered on October 8, 2012:

The United States remains a full and active members of the Organization.  President Obama is committed, and I am committed, to working with the U.S. Congress to seek a solution that would resolve the U.S. funding situation at UNESCO and restore our ability to pay our dues. 

 Read the full statement.

Take Action Now To Assure The USA Funding for UNESCO

The United States Government has withheld its funding from UNESCO since last year. It is now time to take action to encourage the government to fund UNESCO again. Write your Senator and Congressman. Sign this petition.

The Problem

Two parts of U.S. law are of specific concern (US Code - Title 22: Foreign Relations and Intercourse / 22 USC 287 - Sec. 287e. Authorization of appropriations; payment of expenses) :

• Pub. L. 101-246, title IV, Sec. 414, Feb. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 70: "(a) Prohibition. - No funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or any other Act shall be available for the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof which accords the Palestine Liberation Organization the same standing as member states." (b) Transfer or Reprogramming. - Funds subject to the prohibition contained in subsection (a) which would be available for the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof (but for that prohibition) are authorized to remain available until expended and may be reprogrammed or transferred to any other account of the Department of State or the Agency for International Development to carry out the general purposes for which such funds were authorized." 
• Pub. L. 103-236, title IV, Sec. 410, Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 454: "The United States shall not make any voluntary or assessed contribution - "(1) to any affiliated organization of the United Nations which grants full membership as a state to any organization or group that does not have the internationally recognized attributes of statehood, or "(2) to the United Nations, if the United Nations grants full membership as a state in the United Nations to any organization or group that does not have the internationally recognized attributes of statehood, during any period in which such membership is effective."

The General Conference of UNESCO last year admitted Palestine to membership. The United States Government immediately began to withhold payments of assessed and voluntary contributions to the Organization. UNESCO's rules state that the voting privileges of a member state will be revoked if it does not pay its assessed contributions for two years. The General Conference next year will approve the program and budget for UNESCO for the following two years and elect the Director General for the next four years.

The Remedy

The law should be revised to permit the President to waive these provisions if he decides it is in the interests of the United States to do so.

Why the Law Should Be Changed

There are a number of reasons that the law should be changed:

1. It no longer achieves its original purpose. These provisions were included in the Foreign Relations Authorizations to prevent Palestine from being admitted to membership in United Nations organizations. Last year, in full knowledge of the law, the UNESCO General Conference admitted Palestine. Palestine has announced that it will apply for membership in other UN organizations and experts predict that the applications will be approved.
2. The provisions as they stand are outdated. They became law in 1990 and 1994. At the time the Soviet Union had broken up, and the United States was exceptionally powerful in world affairs. The world has changed. Other countries and coalitions are more influential in United Nations venues. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is two decades older and views about its possible solutions have changed.
3. The effects of the provisions may become profoundly contrary to U.S. national interests. If for example the United States were forced to withhold funding from the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, or the World Health Organization by these provisions, especially at times of national security crisis, the national interest could suffer significant damage -- far more than would occur due to admission of Palestine as one of hundreds of members of such an organization.
4. The provisions are unclear as written. What is the difference in meaning between "the same standing as member states" and "full membership as a state". Does granting of Permanent Observer Status to a state trigger the provision? (Palestine has applied for Permanent Observer status to the United Nations. Indeed, Palestine has been granted a standing invitation to participate as observer in the sessions and the work of the General Assembly and is maintaining permanent offices at Headquarters.)
5. The interpretation of "the full attributes of statehood" is also subject to uncertainty. (Belarus was admitted to membership in UNESCO in 1954 although at that time it was a constituent republic of the USSR. The United States Government at the time is reported to have argued that if the constituent republics of the USSR were to be admitted as member states, then the states of the USA ought also to be admitted individually.) And perhaps most importantly
6. The provisions may take the decision on participation in an organization out of the hands of the U.S. government. Not only is it possible for a coalition of foreign nations to elect Palestine to membership in another UN organization, but it might be possible for a single state to make that case that a current member state of an international organization has characteristics that trigger the provisions.

The waiver would of course not delete the power of the Congress to delete funding of any UN family organization from appropriations bills. It would provide the possibility of the U.S. government responding more rapidly to events within the UN system than could the Congress in revision of legislation.

Why the Law Should Be Changes Now

The Administration believes that UNESCO's programs promote U.S. values and interests, and that it is in the national interest to contribute to UNESCO. (So do I.) If the United States does not pay its assessed contributions to UNESCO before the General Conference in October 2013, then it will not be able to vote at that General Conference. Perhaps more important, the voice of the United States will be less influential in UNESCO forums. UNESCO is the main United Nations defending important American values such as Freedom of the Press, equality of educational opportunities for girls, and education that promotes peace and opposes racism. Unfortunately, not all other nations share these values and it is important that the U.S. has a strong voice at UNESCO to defend those values.

Perhaps more important, now that the provision has failed in one venue, it will soon be tested in others and may also fail in them. The President should now have the power to act quickly in the national interest in such circumstances.

The Process to Change the Law

There will probably not be a specific vote of the Congress on the proposed amendment. Rather it will be included in a larger bill to appropriate funds,that will probably be approved before March, 2013. Apparently the administration informs the Congress before such bills are voted that even if approved in the Congress, the President will not sign them into law unless they include certain provisions. If the waiver authority is included in the list of required provisions, lacking strong opposition in the Congress, the waiver will probably be incorporated into the bill.

What to do now

I would suggest that you use your social media to tell your friends to support this amendment to the law.

Contact your Representative in the House of Representatives and your Senator and explain your support for this amendment. If you can, explain why UNESCO is important in your state and in your district. Is there a world heritage site there, a geopark, or a bioreserve that benefits from UNESCO networking. If you live in an area at risk of earthquakes or tsumanis, explain why UNESCO's geology and tsumami warning systems matter to your community. If you live in a place in which there are water shortages or subsidence due to depletion of aquifers, explain why UNESCO's hydrology program is important to your community.

Alternatively, if you feel deeply about girls education, explain why UNESCO's program in that field is important to you. If you feel that it is important that people around the world know about the Holocaust, explain why UNESCO's Holocaust education program is critically important. If you are concerned with the loss of biodiversity, or if you love to visit world heritage sites around the world, explain that you value these programs of UNESCO.

Finally sign the petition of the Better World Campaign telling the administration to support UNESCO. You can do so by clicking here!

Rutgers' International Institute for Peace: a UNESCO Category II Institute

The International Institute for Peace at Rutgers University (IIP) was approved last year to become the second UNESCO Category II institute in the United States.

The IIP was co-founded in May 2011 by Forest Whitaker, Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation, and Aldo Civico, a Rutgers University anthropologist and expert in conflict resolution. The IIP’s activities are wide-ranging: it will offer graduate-level degrees in Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies, promote research on cutting-edge issues relating to peace-building, and participate in real-life mediations of communities in conflict. Further, the IIP brings a unique expertise in addressing the violent conflicts that take place in cities, particularly among youth and gangs. Harnessing the talents and experience of filmmaker Forest Whitaker, the Institute will also seek to document conflict all over the world, providing people with an outlet to share their own stories of conflict and peace. The resulting documentaries shall raise awareness and, hopefully, instigate change.

From the signing ceremony in Paris.
Forest Whitaker, Ambassador David Killion, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova and  Aldo Civico

Human Rights Day 2012

The award ceremony of the 2012 UNESCO/Bilbao Prize will be held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on Monday 10 December – Human Rights Day 2012.  The UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights carries on the UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education, which was created in 1978 to mark the 30th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Happy Birthday, UNESCO

Today, November 16, UNESCO marks its 67th birthday. In 1945, UNESCO was created in the firm belief of nations, forged by two World Wars in less than a generation, that political & economic agreements aren't enough to build lasting peace. Peace must be established on the basis of humanity’s moral & intellectual solidarity. Hence our motto: "Building peace in the minds of men & women"   http://ow.ly/fmjqr

Nov 15 is World Philosophy Day

LEARN ABOUT THE DAY: http://ow.ly/fi7ZR

DISCOVER UNESCO PHILOSOPHY PUBLICATIONS:http://ow.ly/fiENb 

The safety of journalists: Why should you care?

More than 600 journalists and media workers have been killed in the last ten years. In other words, on average every week a journalist loses his or her life for bringing news and information to the public. To end violence against journalists and to combat impunity, the United Nations Chief Executives Board approved the first ever UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and  the Issue of Impunity, in April 2012, in a process spearheaded by UNESCO.

Now, in order to advance the plan and produce concrete strategies, a second UN Inter-Agency Meeting will take place in Vienna, Austria on 22 and 23 November, convened by UNESCO and co-hosted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). 23 November is the International Day against Impunity, declared by the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), a network of 90 international, regional and local organisations worldwide.

Read more!

UNESCO Director-General congratulates US President Barack Obama on re-election

The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has sent America’s newly re-elected president a message congratulating him on his decisive victory and wishing him continued success in meeting the demands of the high office.

In her message, Ms Bokova recalls the achievements made possible by long-standing cooperation between the United States of America and UNESCO, since the Organization was founded in 1945. She also expresses her great pleasure that UNESCO shares the same values and global priorities as the United States, particularly in the areas of peace promotion, security and respect for human dignity worldwide, and her wish that the United States will remain fully engaged in the activities of the Organization.

Read full message (PDF)

U.S. National Commission Meeting

The U.S. National Commission for UNESCO will host its Annual Meeting on Monday, November 26, from 10:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. E.S.T. The meeting will convene in room 309 of the George Washington University Marvin Center at 800 21st Street NW., Washington, DC.

The meeting will have a series of speakers offering information about UNESCO and the current state of United States engagement with the Organization. The meeting will also feature a public comment session, limited to approximately 15 minutes in total, with two minutes allowed per speaker.Show citation box

For more information or to arrange to participate in this meeting (including requests for reasonable accommodation), individuals should contact Francine Randolph, Office of UNESCO Affairs, Washington, DC 20037. Telephone (202) 663-0026; Fax (202) 663-0035.

The National Commission may be contacted via email at DCUNESCO@state.gov, or via phone at (202) 663-0026. Its Web site can be accessed at: http://www.state.gov/p/io/unesco/.

The meeting will be held just before the Americans for UNESCO Forum, which is to be held in a neighboring room in the same building.

UNESCO chief says U.S. funding cuts "crippling" organization

I quote from an article in the Chicago Tribune:

UNESCO is in its "worst ever financial situation" after its biggest contributor the United States froze funding last year, the director general of the United Nations' cultural agency said on Thursday. 

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization was plunged into crisis in October 2011 when Washington, an ally of Israel, cancelled its grant in protest at the body's decision to grant the Palestinians full membership. 

The U.N. body had been forced to slash spending, freeze job hires and cut programs after losing the U.S. funding, which had made up 22 percent of its budget, UNESCO's Irina Bokova told reporters. 

The organization, which designates World Heritage sites, promotes global education and supports press freedom among other tasks, had started the year with a deficit of $150 million out of $653 million for its budget over 2012 and 2013, Bokova said.

More......

Americans for UNESCO Forum

Challenges Facing our Global Society

Why the United States & UNESCO

Must Work Together to Address Them

George Papagiannis

Keynote Speaker: George Papagiannis: UNESCO Liaison in the United States

Respondents: 

• Esther Brimmer, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of State
• Peter Yeo, United Nations Foundation

Moderator: Dr. Mary Futrell, President, Americans for UNESCO & Professor, The George Washington University, Graduate School of Education and Human Development

Date: November 26. 2012

Time: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Place: The Marvin Center, Room 308, 

            The George Washington University

             800 21st Street N.W., Washington, D.C.

             (Map)

Please extend invite to others. For information & RSVP, contact: Dr. Hartenstein, email: draahart@aol.com            Please provide attendee name(s), organization(s) & email(s).

           

Upcoming Conferences: The Information Society

7th Annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF 2012), Baku, Azerbaijan, 6-9 November 2012

The proposed main theme for the meeting is: ‘Internet Governance for Sustainable Human, Economic and Social Development’.

3rd WORLD CONFERENCE on INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (WCIT-2012), Barcelona - Spain , 14-16 November 2012

The conference aims to bring together academicians, researchers, engineers, system analysts, software developers, graduate and undergraduate students with government and non-government organizations to share and discuss both theoretical and practical knowledge about information technology in the scientific environment. So, we invite all colleagues, researchers, academicians, engineers and project leaders around the world to submit their outstanding and valuable original research articles and review papers to this leading international conference. 

World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12), Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 3-14 December 2012. 

This landmark conference will review the current International Telecommunications Regulations (ITRs), which serve as the binding global treaty outlining the principles which govern the way international voice, data and video traffic is handled, and which lay the foundation for ongoing innovation and market growth. The ITRs were last negotiated in Melbourne, Australia in 1988, and there is broad consensus that the text now needs to be updated to reflect the dramatically different information and communication technology (ICT) landscape of the 21st century.

The Democrat-led Senate Foreign Relations Committee has passed a resolution in support of a multistakeholder modal of Internet governance. The full Senate it expected to follow suit. Read more....

UNESCO has provided its comments on the future of telecommunications regulations.

The U.S. and UNESCO

This message from the Director General of UNESCO was posted in August 2011, just before the United States began to withhold its funding from the Organization.

About the future of Americans for UNESCO (AU)

This post is intended to bring you up-to-date on the history of US-UNESCO relations since the departure of the USA from UNESCO in December 1983. So, relax and bear with me because this is a long story.

The Past

During the two decades that the United States was out of UNESCO, the organization survived the financial crisis that the withdrawals had caused, and reformed many of the bureaucratic processes that had been noted in the decision to withdraw. The State Department continued a small effort to monitor the organization. The number of U.S. citizens on the UNESCO staff was reduced. U.S. educators, scientists, and cultural leaders continued involvement in the Organization, but at a lower level than in the Organization's early years.

As is explained in a background paper on AU, the organization is an outgrowth of Americans for the Universality of UNESCO (AUU) - a not for profit powerhouse organization headed up by the late and former Deputy Director General of UNESCO (John E. Fobes). AAU was the only domestic source of information about UNESCO during the 19 years of U.S. absence from the Organization at a time when the US National Commission for UNESCO existed only on paper, having been forced into deep hibernation, and there were only a smattering of individuals at the State Department and the US Mission in Paris in charge of UNESCO affairs.

To assess the centrality of AUU's involvement in UNESCO's activities and to gain an appreciation of what it sought to accomplish, one need only go to the library of the State Department to read the bound production of AUU's numerous and voluminous newsletters. Not only did they serve to keep the executive and legislative branches of the US Government and the American public informed about UNESCO's activities, but, more importantly, they kept the spirit of UNESCO alive in the United States/


The Present Crisis

Last year the UNESCO General Conference, on the recommendation of the UNESCO Executive Board, voted to admit Palestine as a member state of the Organization. The admission was strongly opposed by the U.S. Delegation to the General Conference (as the recommendation had been in the Executive Board). Two decades before that vote, the U.S. Congress had enacted legislation requiring that the U.S. Government withhold funding from the United Nations or any of its affiliated organizations that admitted Palestine to membership, legislation that does not provide the executive branch with waiver authority. Thus the United States is withholding its contributions -- some 22 percent of the UNESCO regular budget. UNESCO as a result is dealing with a financial crisis. UNESCO programs of importance to the United States are being threatened.

The upper graph shows the frequency that UNESCO was used as a search term on Google in 2011. It suggests a tripling of searches at the time of the meeting of the General Conference. The lower graph shows the frequency of news stories indexed by Google during the same year that dealt with UNESCO. It too showed a very large spike at the time of the General Conference. While Google generally shows a long term decrease in relative interest in UNESCO, the experience in October 2011 was quite different.

There are groups in the United States that oppose the United Nations family of organizations, and UNESCO has been a favorite target of these groups. There are also many people in the United States that support UNESCO, but they are generally not vocal in that support. Nor are they organized collectively to create wider public support for UNESCO. Supporters and opponents of U.S. involvement in UNESCO have published articles expressing their views during the past year.

Governmental Effort with Respect to UNESCO

In the years since the United States rejoined UNESCO in September 2003, the Department of State appointed competent civil and foreign service staff at the Office of UNESCO Policy, the US National Commission for UNESCO, and the US Permanent Mission to UNESCO. All told, there are now 15 full time professionals.These staffs include three education officers (two Washington-based,one Paris-based) ; three science officers (two Washington-based, one Paris based); and three culture/communications officers (two Washington-based, one Paris- based). The UNESCO Policy Office has a director and a deputy director. The US National Commission has a full time Executive Director. The US Mission to UNESCO has, in addition to the aforementioned officers, a highly active Ambassador, a Deputy Chief of Mission, as well  as a secretarial staff and an experienced  local hire available for general duty.

Our unofficial estimate of the cost to the Department of State for this staff is somewhere between $ 2.5 and 3.5 million taking into account salaries, travel, office rentals, and leased telephone and internet lines. That is probably on the low side. This figure does not take into account the part-time contributions of personnel from the legal and environmental science bureaus of the State Department ,USAID, the Department of Education, NASA, NOAA, and the National Science Foundation to name only a few. $ 4.0 milliion plus strikes us as a more accurate figure.

In addition, it should be noted that the Washington-based staff travels frequently to Paris, has instant on-line contact with members of the UNESCO Secretariat staff and U.S. Mission, and is thus well informed on UNESCO matters. Moreover, the Secretary of State for International Organizations and her deputies are favorably disposed towards UNESCO and also travel to Paris on occasion. The Secretary of State visited UNESCO in May 2011, the first such visit ever by an occupant of this position.  The Deputy Secretary of State for Management visited UNESCO in December 2011, and the Secretary of Education addressed UNESCO staff earlier in the year.

Americans for UNESCO

AU is not a membership organization but it has a mailing list of more than 2,500 people interested in UNESCO -- many of whom have contributed funds to AU. The AU Board of Directors, with a nominal 21 Directors, is currently recruiting ten new members, signifying an opportunity for a considerable rethinking of AU's purposes and activities. The new President of AU is a distinguished educator and educational administrator with long experience with UNESCO. Each of the Board's current members has decades experience with UNESCO and broad knowledge of the history of U.S.-UNESCO relationships.

One consequence of the stepped-up governmental backstopping of UNESCO is that AU's once perceived core mission -- of advising the State Department on UNESCO -- is no longer much needed. Indeed, AU can bring little, if any, information or expertise to the UNESCO policy debate that cannot be provided by the State Department's professional staff. With, on the one hand, AU having a limited budget, no staff,  and an ageing Board of Directors and, on the other hand, with the US Government supporting full time staff officers in Washington and Paris as well as the recent establishment of a Washington-based UNESCO liaison office in the quarters of AU, new members are being sought for the Board. It will be up to them to redefine the raison d'etre for AU -- what more should it do beyond continuing its useful role of safeguarding the ideal of constructive U.S. engagement with UNESCO.

The Future

Despite this changed situation, we believe that AU can play a useful role in helping intellectual communities and civil society become more involved in UNESCO's activities. It can do so in two ways by :

• building new American institutional ties with UNESCO (e.g. on-going exploration of establishing a UNESCO Chair at George Washington University to advance inter-university research, training, and program development in certain fields of UNESCO competence through the transfer of knowledge across borders) ; and 
• serving as a ready source of information (e.g. hosting a symposium to inform the American public about the status of congressional funding to UNESCO and strategies to restore them - now in progress). 

Indeed, one of the historical oddities about US-UNESCO cooperation is that over the years so much energy has gone into the formulation and planning of UNESCO programs and so little (with few exceptions) into the implementation of them in the United States, even though the U.S. Government has been the major contributor to UNESCO's regular budget.

Upon the return of the USA to UNESCO, AU has been seeking to change the focus of US-UNESCO relations from that of benefactor to beneficiary ( a change welcomed by many program officers of UNESCO) as has the U.S. National Commission under the direction of Eric Woodard (who left his post September 11 to assume his new duties as Director of the Smithsonian's Internship and Fellowship Programs) by encouraging private sector involvement in such UNESCO programs as World Cultural and Natural Heritage, Associated Schools, Creative Cities, and UNESCO Clubs. Under the present circumstances, this is the way to go and the key to success for AU in this regard is to be selective, do things that are important and that are not being done elsewhere, and stick with it until there is no longer a useful role to play.

All of which brings us back to the question about AU's central mission for the immediate future. Recent experience would seem to suggest there is a greater public appreciation among the American people for the many useful and complex tasks that UNESCO performs often under trying and dangerous conditions. AU might work in that context, as described above, to enhance the linkages between UNESCO's programs and supporters in other nations and their counterparts in the USA.

However, there is a real risk that the Congress will insist that the United States will continue to withhold funds from UNESCO; if it does so, UNESCO by its laws will no longer allow the United States to vote in UNESCO's governing bodies. If worse comes to worse, AU might well consider returning to a role more like that of AAU in the past.

Richard Nobbe (Vice President and Treasurer of Americans for UNESCO)
and John Daly (former member of the Board of Directors of Americans for UNESCO)

This article represents the opinions of the authors and does not necessarily represent that of Americans for UNESCO.

Learning to protect biodiversity

A video showing how to address biodiversity through Education for Sustainable Development and mobilise teachers, students, researchers and decision-makers to reflect on biodiversity issues and their interdependence with global sustainable development issues. It shows how education can help us better understand the value of biodiversity and the causes of biodiversity loss. It also gives examples of how educators and students can get active and help conserve biodiversity. It aims to increase public awareness of biodiversity issues by inspiring stakeholders, including young people, teachers and media professionals.

Thanks to Eric Woodard

Eric Woodard left the job of Executive Director of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO to become Director for Fellowships and Internships at the Smithsonian. He has done a great job improving the information coming from the State Department on UNESCO and repopulating and reviving the National Commission. He will be missed!

From 2010: The UNESCO Senior Staff

Senior management team appointed by Irina Bokova. From left to right:

• Jānis Kārkliņš, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information;
• Lalla Aïcha Ben Barka, Assistant Director-General, Africa Department;
• Gretchen Kalonji, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences;
• Qian Tang, Assistant Director-General for Education;
• Getachew Engida, Deputy Director-General;
• Irina Bokova, Director-General;
• Hans d’Orville, Assistant Director-General for Strategic Planning;
• Francesco Bandarin, Assistant Director-General for Culture;
• María del Pilar Álvarez-Laso, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences;
• Khadija Ribes Zammouri, Assistant Director-General for Administration;
• Eric Falt, Assistant Director-General for External Relations and Public Information.
• Absent from photo: Wendy Watson-Wright, Assistant Director-General and Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)

Read Director-General Bokova's introduction of the senior staff.

Officers of Americans for UNESCO

Americans for UNESCO has recently elected a new slate of officers. The full slate of AU officers consists of:

President                                            Mary Futrell

Senior Vice-President                   Ray Wanner

Vice-President                                 Susie Rauch

Vice-President                                 Emily Vargas-Baron

Vice President/Treasurer            Richard Nobbe

Secretary                                             Laura Engel

New UNESCO-Pepsi Partnership

UNESCO recently announced their intention to sign an agreement with Pepsi that will create a partnership designed to promote vocational training for young people in Burma.

 

Our Ambassador to UNESCO David Killion released a statement praising this vitally important partnership between UNESCO and a major U.S. Corporation, which you can see here.

  

Fall 2012 Laura Bush Travelling Fellowship Deadline Approaching

Do you know any U.S. students who are planning to do a short-term research project overseas relating to education, natural science, social science, communications, or culture?

If so, please let them know about the Laura W. Bush Travelling Fellowship. This program named in honor of our former First Lady is designed to help young Americans conduct short term research projects abroad relating to the sectors of UNESCO's mandate.

The next application deadline is Monday 9/24/12. Find out more here.

Meeting of the National Commission scheduled.

2011 U.S. National Commission for UNESCO Annual Meeting

The 2012 U.S. National Commission for UNESCO Annual meeting has been tentatively set for Monday 11/26/12 in Washington, DC.

The Commission will again be accepting the hospitality of George Washington University, as it did last year.

A World of science Vol 10 n°3

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so too is utility. As Iain Stewart from Plymouth University

(UK) observed last February at the 40th anniversary of the International Geoscience Programme

(IGCP) at UNESCO in Paris, show a piece of coal to an industrialist and they will see a source of

fuel; show it to an ecologist and they will see a source of carbon emissions; show it to a geologist

and they will see a climate which existed more than 300 million years ago (Ma).

Geoscientists help us to travel through time. The IGCP was founded in 1972 to confirm the

existence of Gondwana, one of two megacontinents with Laurasia which formed about 145 Ma,

by correlating the geology of modern continents. As time went by and supporting evidence for

Gondwana became overwhelming, IGCP research teams turned to questions of special societal

relevance. New disciplines emerged like archaeoseismology, which draws on both the geological

and archaeological record to identify past earthquakes. One IGCP project in 2000 was even at

the origin of a new field: medical geology, the science dealing with the impact of our natural

environment on human and animal health. Arsenic, for example, is a natural chemical which poisons

millions of people worldwide who absorb it unwittingly through groundwater.

Given the concern over climate change and the looming shortage of fossil fuels and uranium

which overshadows our industrial future, geoscientists are focusing more on renewable energy these

days. Kenyan geoscientists, for instance, are currently employed on a government project to develop

geothermal energy in the Great Rift Valley.

Read more (pdf)

A Call to Action: Forest Whitaker encourages youth to speak out

http://www.planwithyouth.org

Forest Whitaker, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation and a co-founder of the International Institute for Peace, sends an inspirational message to youth everywhere, encouraging their participation in the online discussions for the upcoming Policy Forum on 'Engaging Youth in Planning Education for Social Transformation'. This virtual, pre-forum dialogue is important becauseit will shape the discussions at the event in Paris, ensuring that voices of youth are included in the Policy Forum's Agenda for Action.

Task Team Report: Realizing The Future We Want For All

In this report, the UN System Task Team lays out a vision for transformative change towards the future we want. The report was prepared to inform the open and inclusive consultations that are taking place in preparation for an ambitious development agenda beyond 2015..

Overview


Enormous progress has been made towards achieving the MDGs. Global poverty continues to decline, more children than ever are attending primary school, child deaths have dropped dramatically, access to safe drinking water has been greatly expanded, and targeted investments in fighting malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis have saved millions.

The MDGs are making a real difference in people’s lives and, with strong leadership and accountability, this progress can be expanded in most of the world’s countries by the target date of 2015.

After 2015, efforts to achieve a world of prosperity, equity, freedom, dignity and peace will continue unabated.

The UN is working with governments, civil society and other partners to build on the momentum generated by the MDGs and carry on with an ambitious post-2015 development agenda.

At the September 2010 MDG Summit, UN Member States initiated steps towards advancing the development agenda beyond 2015 and are now leading a process of open, inclusive consultations on the post-2015 agenda. Civil society organizations from all over the world have also begun to engage in the post-2015 process, while academia and other research institutions, including think tanks, are particularly active.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has established a UN System Task Team to coordinate preparations for beyond 2015 and to support the work of a High-level Panel that the Secretary-General will appoint to advise him on the post-2015 agenda. President Yudoyono of Indonesia, President Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Prime Minister Cameron of the United Kingdom have accepted the Secertary-General's invitation to co-chair the High-level Panel.

The post-2015 agenda will reflect new development challenges and is linked to the outcome of “Rio+20” -- the UN Conference on Sustainable Development -- that took place in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

UNESCO contributed to the report. Check the UN website providing a number of resources related to the task force report.

UNESCO: Building Equitable, Inclusive Green Societies

“Achieving genuine sustainable development calls for more than green investment and low carbon technologies. Besides its economic and ecological dimensions, the social and human dimensions are central factors for success. Ultimately, we must focus our efforts on building green societies.” 
Irina Bokova, Director-General, UNESCO.


Click here for more on UNESCO's support for sustainable development and Rio + 20, The Earth Summit.

Learning to address climate change

The newly released UNESCO video "Learning to address climate change" shows in four minutes why climate change education is important to shape sustainable development and how it works in practice.

It shows how education can help us understand the causes of climate change. It also gives examples of how teachers and students can get active and address the challenges of climate change.

The War On Doping - Trailer

In the run up to the opening of the 30th Olympic Games of modern times, in London, the United Kingdom, from July 27 to August 12, UNESCO will host, on June 7, 2012, a first-ever pre-release screening of the documentary film "The War on Doping." The film presents the first decades in the campaign against doping in sport.

This is a trailer of the one hour documentary about the fight on doping in sports. It shows some of the faces involved and touches some of the issues that has been going on for more than 40 years. In this film, and for the first time, the world's most respected authority in the subject, the renown doping hunter, Professor Arne Ljungqvist, will guide us through all of them. The big scandals. The big names. The inside story. A mirror of society.

More information: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/anti-doping/sv15/news/one_month_before_the_launch_of_the_london_olympics_unesco_hosts_the_pre_release_screening_of_the_film_the_war_on_doping/

UNESCO-IHE Fieldwork Coastal Engineering

In June 2011 UNESCO-IHE Coastal Engineering students participated in a five-day fieldwork exercise at the coast of the Netherlands. The fieldwork is funded by the Building with Nature programme and focuses on swimmer safety around the mega sand nourishment that is currently being completed between Hoek van Holland and Kijkduin.

See also:

Coastal Zone and Port Development specialization page: http://www.unesco-ihe.org/hecepd
Website Building with Nature Programme: http://www.ecoshape.nl

Rio + 20 / UNESCO - The Future we want

Future water scenarios

William J. Cosgrove is Senior Adviser to the UN World Water Assessment Program for the 4th edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report and the Manager of the World Water Scenarios Project. Mr. Cosgrove is a former vice president of the World Bank, past-president of the World Water Council, and served as chairman of the International Steering Committee of the Cooperative Program on Water and Climate. He was one of the panelists in the UNESCO Future Forum on Global Water Futures 2050+ held on 12 April 2012.

Water Expert Appointed to National Commission

Commission member Rich Meganck on the Upper Deschutes River in Central Oregon 

Newly appointed to the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO is Richard Meganck.

 

After a 34 year career in international development, including a 6.5 year stint as Rector for the UNESCO Institute for Water Education in Delft, the Netherland, Rich has resettled in Oregon with his spouse Janet and their three Pacific Northwest based daughters.

 

Besides his new appointment to the Commission, Rich serves as a member of the U.S. Committee for the International Hydrological Program and is a part-time Fellow at the Institute for Wather and Watersheds at Oregon State University with the support of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers institute for Water Resources (IWR) in association with its International Center for Integrated Water Resource Management UNESCO Category II Center (ICIWaRM). Rich is also consulting with the Brazilian Government to develop a new UNESCO Category II Center in the State of Minas Gerais.

Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME)

Next week our Ambassador to UNESCO David Killion will be attending a meeting about SESAME, the Middle East's first major multi-country scientific research center, which is being developed under the auspices of UNESCO. You can read more here. 

UNESCO Engineering Fellows Visit the USA

Left to right: Mike Sanio (ASCE), Jamil Khalid, Hadi Rakin, Eric Woodard,
Dalia Akbarmir and from the State Dept: Eric Bone, Doug Walker, and Andy Reynolds

Two highly respected professionals from Afghanistan's Engineering community, Jamil Khalid and Dalia Akbarmir, are currenty visiting the U.S.A. through a UNESCO Fellowship program launched several years ago due to the efforts of many associated with our UNESCO Commission.

 

Jamil Khalid and Dalia Akbarmir had a chance to visit our Commission office last week and met with State Department officials to discuss their efforts to organize Engineering Civil Society in Afghanistan. Thanks for visiting Jamil and Dalia!

Petition Asking Congress to Fund UNESCO

There are several petitions available on Change.org asking the Congress to restore U.S. funding for UNESCO. The one with the most signatures reads:

Reinstate funding for UNESCO 

The US has stopped all funding for UNESCO as of Oct. 31, 2011. This is due to an outdated law mandating a cutoff of American financial support to any UN agency that accepts Palestine as a full member. Loss of funding for UNESCO hurts the philanthropic endeavors advance literacy, science, provide clean water and education, including sex education and promoting equal treatment for girls and young women. The loss of US funding for these programs is not only devastating for those in dire straits who benefit directly from them but to the US itself. This action has jeopardized economic benefits provided by UNESCO and has gone counter to our core security interests. Right this injustice immediately!

You can add your name to this petition here....