Job: Chief of ICT in Education, Science and Culture Section

Duty station; Paris, France
Grade: P-5
Post number: CI-004
Closing date: 4 September 2008
Main responsibilities:

Under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information (ADG/CI) and the direct supervision of the Director of Information Society Division, the incumbent is responsible for the planning, implementation and evaluation of the strategy, regular program activities, and extrabudgetary projects of the Section. Working within the frameworks of UNESCO's Medium-Term Strategy (C/4s) and global developments plans, especially the Plan of Action adopted by the World Summit on the Information Society, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

1. Provide intellectual, strategic and operational leadership of the Section by: (a) driving the preparation of strategies and the biennial programs and budgets; (b) guiding the conceptualizing, designing and implementation phase of the Section’s activities; (c) providing expert advice to internal and external stakeholders; (d) driving the multistakeholder cooperation and outreach of the Section through fostering contacts and joint projects with representatives ofMember States, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental bodies and civil society; (e) establishing and managing private sector partnerships.
2. Ensure the management of the staff of the Section by: motivating staff and providing mentoring; ensuring appropriate distribution of tasks; monitoring of timely and appropriate implementation of program and projects; establishing internal guidelines and procedures; ensuring quality and timely inputs of the Section to reports; establishing information and knowledge management procedures of the Section; monitoring and evaluating the performance of staff.
3. Plan and execute regular programme and extra-budgetary activities by: providing strategic advice in the use of ICTs in education, science and culture for Member States; recording and sharing information, knowledge and best practices; planning and executing projects of strategic nature in Member States; providing backstopping support to Advisers for Communication and Information in Field Offices.

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The New Issue of SHS Views is Out

The July-September issue of SHS Views is now available online. SHSviews is a quarterly magazine providing information on the work of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the field of social and human sciences.

Read the issue (PDF format)
Go to the SHS Views archive (HTML format)

The NatCom Newsletter is Out

The U.S. National Commission for UNESCO Update, Volume 4, Issue 1 Winter/Spring 2008 has recently been published.

In This Issue:

• Comments from the Executive Director
• The U.S. World Heritage Tentative List
• International Year for the Planet Earth
• World Press Freedom Prize Awarded to Mexican Reporter
• President Bush Sends to Congress for Ratification the UNESCO Anti- Doping in Sports Convention
• Sixth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI)
• 179th UNESCO Executive Board
• U.S. National Commission for UNESCO Laura W. Bush Traveling Fellowship Initial Recipients and Next Announcement
• U.S. National Commission for UNESCO Annual Meeting
• U.S. Museums Project Symposium
• Director-General’s Consultation with European and North American National Commissions
• UNESCO Youth@the Crossroads: A Future Without Violent Radicalization Symposium
• Water Forum and Director General Matsuura DC Visit
• UNESCO Job Vacancies

Americans Still Underrepresented on UNESCO Staff

These data provided by the State Department indicate that there are still too few Americans on the staff of UNESCO. As a result, Americans have unusual opportunities to join UNESCO, and will enjoy unusual support of their government in efforts to do so.

UNESCO uses a formula to balance staffing from its member nations. According to the formula, a minimum of 46 and maximum of 76 U.S. citizens should work for UNESCO. The targeted date to meet the minimum employee level is 2010. Two important avenues to increase employment of American citizens in UNESCO are:

1. The Young Professional Program –YPP (for under represented states)
2. The Associate Expert Program - extrabudgetarily funded

2008 U.S. National Commission for UNESCO Annual Meeting

The minutes of the May meeting of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO have been published online. The summary of the meeting includes those who attended, matters discussed, and conclusions reached.

The minutes are available in PDF format. To view the PDF file, you will need to download, at no cost, the Adobe Acrobat Reader.

-- 07/03/08 Meeting Minutes

Alexander Zemek new Executive Director of the NatCom

Alex Zemek has been officially appointed Executive Director of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO.

In September 2004, Alexander Zemek began service as Deputy Executive-Director of the National Commission. Before joining the State Department, he worked for the Department of Defense 2002-2004, where he helped with cabinet affairs, with the startup and management of the Defense Business Board, an advisory council of private sector senior executives created by Secretary Rumsfeld, and
with managing and staffing the Department's 63 federal advisory boards and commissions. During his last year in Defense, he served in Iraq with the Coalition Provisional Authority as both Special Assistant to Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III and interim Director of Personnel.

He joined the government after some years in the private sector, where he worked as a securities trader for Heartland Securities Corporation. He also taught high school in his hometown of Tolland, Connecticut.

He holds an honors degree in history from Yale University, where he captained the cross country team, and a graduate certificate in national security studies from the National Defense University. As a photographer, he has held many gallery shows, for example an exhibit in Connecticut highlighting his life in a small village in Kenya in 1998. He maintains his distance running and is an avid traveler who has visited 45 of the 50 US states and 35 foreign countries. He
lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Larry Seaquist's New Website

Larry Seaquist, long time member of the Americans for UNESCO Board of Directors, has created a new website in his quest for reelection to the Washington legislature.

OneGeology

UNESCO is one of the partners sponsoring OneGeology, the world's largest geological mapping project. The image above by OneGeology is a computer generated view of the earth denuded of all its atmosphere, water, and plants.

OneGeology is an international initiative of the geological surveys of the world and a flagship project of the 'International Year of Planet Earth'. Its aim is to create dynamic geological map data of the world available via the web.

What a great image!

A huge mural painted by Brittany Dona-lyn Roginson at her school cafeteria in Canada to represent UNESCO.

New edition of the Man and the Biosphere Newsletter

The July 2008 issue of the Man and the Biosphere Newsletter has just been published.

In this issue

Sustainable Management of the Dominican Republic's Only Biosphere Reserve
Building Capacity in Dryland Biosphere Reserves in West Africa
International Cooperation between Biosphere Reserves Strengthened
Sound Tourism Development in Biosphere Reserves in Central and Eastern Europe
Education Kit on Combating Desertification
Towards Joint Transboundary Management of the Marin Lagoon
Kruger to Canyon Biosphere Reserve Celebrates the International Biodiversity Day
VIII Meeting of the East Atlantic Biosphere Reserve Network (REDBIOS)
Training Programme on Regional Ocean Governance New Publications
New Publications

'Olympic panel applauds Senate OK of doping policy"

Source: Chicago Sun Times, July 23, 2008.

Chicago's Olympic bid group Tuesday hailed a U.S. Senate ratification of the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport.

"We are pleased the U.S. Senate recognizes the importance of UNESCO's anti-doping treaty and shares in this common goal to support the integrity and spirit of the Olympic Games," Chicago 2016 chairman Pat Ryan said in a statement. "As a bid we are committed to clean competition.''

Micro CDS/ISIS Database and Related Software

Micro CDS/ISIS is an advanced non-numerical information storage and retrieval software developed by UNESCO. It is available free of charge from UNESCO itself and from a worldwide network of distributors.

CDS/ISIS is a generalised Information Storage and Retrieval system. The Windows version may run on a single computer or in a local area network. The JavaISIS client/server components allow remote database management over the Internet and are available for Windows, Linux and Macintosh. Furthermore, GenISIS allows the user to produce HTML Web forms for CDS/ISIS database searching. The ISIS_DLL provides an API for developing CDS/ISIS based applications.

There are information processing tools available as well that link to CDS/ISIS:

IDAMS is a software package for processing and analysing numerical data. It provides a great number of data manipulation and validation facilities and a wide range of classical and advanced statistical techniques. Interactive components allow for construction of multidimensional tables, graphical exploration of data and time series analysis. WinIDAMS software (IDAMS for 32-bit Windows operating system) as well as its documentation are available in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.

IDIS is a tool for direct data exchange between CDS/ISIS and IDAMS.

Knowledge and training in the use of information processing tools is as important as the tools themselves. At present, UNESCO offers a computerized tutorial "How to work with WinIDAMS", available both on stand-alone PC configurations and in virtual courses through the Internet.

Greenstone Digital Library Software is a suite of software for building and distributing digital library collections. It provides a new way of organizing information and publishing it on the Internet or on CD-ROM. Greenstone is produced by the New Zealand Digital Library Project, and developed and distributed in cooperation with UNESCO and the Human Info NGO. It is open-source, multilingual software, issued under the terms of the GNU General Public License.

These software products were developed to meet the needs for free and open software in developing nations, and may be of special interest to U.S. organizations involved in development assistance. CDS/ISIS has been used extensively by UNESCO itself in the creation of online databases. Therefore the software might also be of interest to some U.S. organizations for their domestic applications.

Check out other software available from UNESCO.

ASEAN Regoinal Meeting on Cooperation in Science

UNESCO Jakarta hosted a consultation meeting on regional cooperation in science with the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the ASEAN Foundation. The meeting was held in Jakarta on 14 July 2008.

Disaster preparedness and risk reduction, renewable energies, and water and associated ecosystems were identified as strategic areas for collaboration among the parties to the meeting.

Read more!

DG Reports on The Science Programs

On the 18th of July, Director General Koïchiro Matsuura briefed an information meeting of UNESCO's Executive Board on the status of UNESCO's programs.

This was his report on the natural science and social and human science programs:

Let me now turn to the sciences, staring with the follow-up to the overall review of major programmes II and III.

You have asked how this is progressing. The recommendations adopted by the General Conference are gradually being implemented, and I am pleased to report that significant results have already been achieved. For example, the Natural Sciences Sector has reinforced its support to Member States in the review of national science, technology and innovation policies, an area where UNESCO has longstanding expertise. We are giving special focus to Africa, with reviews currently being undertaken in 14 countries in the region.

Earlier this month, during the ECOSOC High-Level Segment, I organized a ministerial roundtable breakfast meeting to discuss how we could better harness scientific knowledge for sustainable development through effective policies. It aroused considerable interest, and many interesting proposals for action were made, which UNESCO will actively follow up.

Interdisciplinary and intersectoral activity is also being strengthened. The ADGs of SC, IOC and SHS lead four of the platforms, on Science Education, Climate Change, Small Islands and National Research Systems. One example of successful intersectoral work is in the field of science ethics. In response to the question of how UNESCO is bringing together its expertise in ethics and the natural sciences, let me mention the effective collaboration between the two sectors in addressing subjects such as biotechnology, nanoscience, and new developments in the life sciences. In this regard, I should highlight the important roles played by the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST) and the International Bioethics Committeeof UNESCO (IBC).

In addition, International and Intergovernmental scientific programmes are now cooperating in a more coherent way. For example: MAB and IOC now coordinate coastal and marine activities; and MOST and MAB work on outreach to youth and women in African biosphere reserves.

We are also improving outreach through new partnerships, as for instance, with the BBC, to disseminate science programmes in least developed countries, as well as through international years, such as the International Year of Planet Earth. Following the global launch of the Year at UNESCO Headquarters in February, regional launches were held for Latin America and the Caribbean in Brasilia in April and for Africa in Arusha in May. I had the great pleasure to attend the latter event personally, together with President Kikwete of the United Republic of Tanzania, and Chair of the African Union.

Responding to your question on UNESCO’s Strategy for Action on Climate Change, it has been revised to take into account discussions at the last Board, as well as on-going efforts to promote a UN system-wide approach to the issue. I am pleased to inform you that the CEB has accepted UNESCO’s position to create a new working group, under the joint leadership of UNESCO and WMO, in the cross-cutting areas of science, assessment, monitoring and early warning, which will coordinate system-wide action in those areas for the UN system. Their work will then serve as a basis for proposals to be made by the UN Secretary-General to the 2009 Poznan meeting of the State Parties to the UNFCCC.

Under the intersectoral platform on Climate Change, which is charged with coordinating the implementation of UNESCO’s strategy, efforts have been made to identify high-impact intersectoral projects for extrabudgetary funding and to increase UNESCO’s visibility and participation in international action to address climate change. These will be presented in a detailed plan of action at the 2009 spring session of the Executive Board.

In response to Member States’ requests, the strategy gives special focus to Africa and Small Island Developing States. Another key area of concern is the effects of climate change on indigenous peoples, who often find themselves excluded from debates on the subject. In collaboration with Professor Malaurie, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for polar issues, and with the support of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, UNESCO will organize a meeting of international experts in Monaco in Spring 2009 on the transformations of Arctic land and seascapes due to climate change and their implications for sustainable development.

IOC plays a key role in the area of climate change. I am pleased to note that IOC’s Executive Council, which met from 24 June-1 July 2008, endorsed the conclusion of the Working Group on the Future of IOC that the future of IOC should unquestionably remain, and be reinforced, within UNESCO. This is something I feel very strongly about, as do you, the Member States, who at last year’s General Conference expressed unanimous support for IOC and decided to increase its resources for the 2008-2009 biennium by US$500,000. I have already allocated this extra funding and will soon identify its sources.

In the area of freshwater, the preparations for the third edition of the World Water Development Report are well under way. The Report’s theme is “Water in a Changing World” and it will establish the links between water and climate change, the global food crisis, energy, demographics, economic development and changes in land use patterns.

The preparatory process has been inclusive, with the participation of hundreds of scientists, professionals and decision makers in a variety of consultations, which included, for the first time, an open online consultation with the broader public.

I will have the honour to launch the Report, on behalf of the UN system, on the first day of the 5th World Water Forum, on 16 March 2009 in Istanbul. This will ensure that the Report receives good visibility, and is used as a reference throughout the Forum.

With regard to the question on the global rise in food prices, let me remind you that FAO is the principal agency responsible for food security. Nevertheless, UNESCO is providing some support through scientific initiatives such as the recentlycompleted International Assessment on Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD). The report considers such major issues as biofuels, GM crops, use of traditional know-how, and the impact of climate change, and underlines the pressing need to change the rules of modern agriculture.......

In the human and social sciences, I know that UNESCO’s action to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is of great interest to Member States.

The celebration of World Press Freedom Day 2008 took place on 3rd May in Maputo, Mozambique, with major activities organized by UNESCO and numerous other events around the world. The richness of the deliberations is reflected in the “Maputo Declaration: Fostering Freedom of Expression, Access to Information and Empowerment of People”. On this occasion, I also had the pleasure of handing over the 2008 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom prize to the Mexican reporter Lydia Cacho Ribeiro, in the presence of the President of Mozambique, Mr Armando Guebuza.

Preparations are well advanced for the high-level symposium on freedom of expression, including an exhibition on the safety of journalists and press freedom, planned for the 29th of October at UNESCO Headquarters. UNESCO is also involved in organizing the regional conference on the Contribution of the Media and Education to the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights, which will be hosted by the Government of Colombia in Cartagena, in early September.

In response to the specific request of Member States, the UN Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee on Human Rights Education in the School System (UNIACC) – of which UNESCO is an active member – will organize a side-event on human rights education at the forthcoming International Conference on Education.

The ICE will be an important occasion to reaffirm education as a basic human right – and, in response to Mexico’s question, a meeting is scheduled to be held duringthe conference by the UNESCO/ECOSOC Joint Expert Group on the Monitoring of the Right to Education.

The visibility of UNESCO’s action on human rights will receive a boost when we host from 3 to 5 September the 61st annual UN Department of Public Information/NGO conference. We are fully involved in the preparation of this major event, and I will participate in the opening session.

We also foresee various events at Headquarters in December, including the award ceremony of the first UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights. We will also stage an exhibition of UNESCO human rights-related posters from the past sixty years, and another of human rights learning materials demonstrating the diverse ways that Member States are carrying out human rights education in their countries.

I take this opportunity to emphasize again that the implementation of many of these activities depends on extrabudgetary resources, and reiterate my appeal to Member States to consider making financial contributions. I count on your full support to ensure the visibility of UNESCO’s action in promoting “Dignity and Justice for All of Us”.

On a related subject, I must add that UNESCO’s role in the fight against doping in sport has become highly visible. As of today, there are 86 States Parties to the Convention from across all five regions. Our cooperation with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is also very successful, and allows us to continue focusing on the harmonization of anti-doping rules and policies worldwide, as well as antidoping education and prevention programmes.

WADA-UNESCO Cooperation on Anti-Doping

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was created under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee to promote and coordinate the fight against doping in sport internationally. However, prior to 2005 many governments could not be legally bound by a non-governmental document such as the World Anti-Doping Code, the document harmonizing regulations regarding anti-doping in all sports and all countries of the world. Governments accordingly drafted the International Convention under the auspices of UNESCO, enabling them to align their domestic legislation with the Code and thereby harmonizing the sport and public legislation in the fight against doping in sport.

Some 192 countries have signed the Copenhagen Declaration on Anti-Doping in Sport, the political document through which governments show their intention to implement the World Anti-Doping Code through ratification of the UNESCO Convention. More than 570 sports organizations have already adopted the Code.

Ethics around the World

UNESCO has conducted a series of ethics conferences in various countries in co-operation with the National Commissions for UNESCO in those countries. The conferences disseminated information about UNESCO's program on the ethics of science and technology and also helped establish contacts with experts and interested parties in the host countries.

Click here for a list of the conferences.

UNESCO and the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean of the World Health Organization (WHO/EMRO) have a joint bioethics initiative in the Arab and Eastern Mediterranean Region. The UNESCO Cairo office (UCO) is the focal point for bioethics and ethics of science and technology projects for UNESCO’s Member States in the Arab region.

Click here to transfer to the Initiative's website.

UNESCO also has a program assisting the development of independent, multidisciplinary and pluralist ethics committees at national, regional, local or institutional levels where such committees had not previously been established. That program has been assisting African nations.

Click here to transfer to the Program website.

The ICSU-TWAS-UNESCO-UNU/IAS Visiting Scientist Program

The ICSU-TWAS-UNESCO-UNU/IAS Visiting Scientist Program supports visits of internationally renowned scientists to institutions located in developing countries, especially those located in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Applications for a visit from a distinguished mathematician or physicist should be submitted by the inviting developing country institution, which will solicit a matching submission from the chosen mathematician or scientist,

Read more about the program.

Some Current Job Openings at UNESCO

# PROGRAM SPECIALIST (Natural Sciences Sector)
EU/OS/ITA/SC/0016 - (P3) Perugia, Italy Read more!

# PROGRAMME SPECIALIST, S&T STATISTICS, (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
INN/ST/CAN/UIS/0455 - (P3) Montreal, Canada Read more!

# DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR PROGRAM (Bureau of Field Coordination)
LA/RP/BRA/BFC/0010 - (D1) Brasilia, Brazil Read more!

Check out:

• The UNESCO employment website
• The State Department's site on UNESCO jobs.

Editors note: I strongly advise Americans applying for jobs at UNESCO to contact the State Department and inform employees dealing with UNESCO of your application. JAD

International Convention against Doping in Sport

With the Tour de France in operation, and the Olympic Games about to start, there should be a considerable interest in the International Convention Against Doping in Sport. The convention, drafted under the auspices of the UNESCO with significant U.S. Government involvement and support, is intended to harmonize and coordinate the activities of governments in combating doping in sport. The convention addresses a variety of areas that are essential in promoting anti-doping controls, such as scientific and medical research, prevention and education activities, and regulations involving doping substances and methods. It already has been ratified by more than 80 countries and entered into force for the signatories on February 1, 2007.

According to the State Department, the Convention was forwarded to the U.S. Congress for ratification in February. In late June the Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously advanced the treaty for a final vote on the floor of the Senate. According to cott Burns, deputy director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the U.S. is already in compliance with the convention and no new laws, policies or financial obligations would be required for its ratification.

According to the Associate Press:

Ratification is considered a boost for any country hoping to host the Olympics. The United States is the only country among the seven bidding for the 2016 Games that hasn't put the treaty into law. The host city will be chosen in October 2009.

Go to the UNESCO anti-doping in sport website.

Annual Meeting of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO

Ambassador Louise Oliver addresses
guests during the opening reception,
held at Blair House

The Permanent Delegation of the United States to UNESCO has published a brief article on the NatCom annual meeting on its website. The note suggests that 100 Commissioners attended, where by my count less than half actually showed up. The note is more informative about the side events that accompanied the meeting of the Natcom than about the substantive content of the meeting itself.

Ambassador Louise Oliver Remarks at U.S. National Commission Meeting

Laura W. Bush Traveling Fellowship

The U.S. National Commission for UNESCO Laura W. Bush Traveling Fellowship was created in 2008. The fellowship will help fund a proposal designed by the applicant to conduct brief work in a foreign country related to the mandate of UNESCO – using education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, and/or communication and information to build strong ties among nations. The fellowship is intended for American college/university students who express an interest in international collaboration but as of yet had not been afforded many opportunities to travel abroad. The length of time for the travel is expected to be between 4 and 6 weeks and should include interaction with individuals from other nations. During his/her travel, the recipient should be willing to participate in public diplomacy events arranged with the pertinent U.S. State Department Consulate, Mission, and/or Embassy. Following the travel, the recipient agrees to submit a report describing experiences and analyzing objectives achieved; share his/her experiences with others; and be available to make a presentation at the Annual Meeting of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO.

All material must be submitted electronically to the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO Executive Secretariat (DCUNESCO@state.gov) by August 5, 2008 at 5 p.m. EST.

U.S, Member of the IBC

Carter Snead has been designated a member of UNESCO's International Bioethics Committee. That Committee is a body of 36 independent experts that follows progress in the life sciences and its applications in order to ensure respect for human dignity and freedom. The IBC provides a global forum for in-depth bioethical reflection, encouraged by its secretariat to expose the issues at stake. The IBC does not pass judgment on one position or another. Instead, it is up to each country, particularly lawmakers, to reflect that nation's societal choices within the framework of national legislation and to decide between the different positions.

Professor Carter Snead is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame and a Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He previously served as General Counsel to the President's Council on Bioethics. From 2004-2005, he served as the chief negotiator and head of the United States delegation to UNESCO for the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights.

His research and scholarship explore the possibility, wisdom, and mechanisms of the governance of biomedical science, medicine, and technology according to ethical principles. He was the principal drafter of the President's Council on Bioethics' 2004 report, “Reproduction and Responsibility: The Regulation of New Biotechnologies,” a controversial assessment of the governance (both public and private) of the activities at the intersection of assisted reproduction, human embryo research, and genetics. He has also published on the implications of neuroimaging techniques in criminal legal proceedings.

Professor Snead received his B.A. from St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University. He clerked for the Hon. Paul J. Kelly, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit from 1999-2000.

Read more in his Notre Dame website.

SHS Views 20

UNESCO Social and Human Sciences Sector Magazine

April-June 2008

Globalization : To leave half of humanity living in poverty is expensive and will be more and more as time passes

Interview with Sylvie Kayitesi Zaïnabo: “Poverty is a denial of human rights”

Dossier: social and human sciences within National Commissions for UNESCO – Focus on Canada –

Go to the SHS Views 20 website.

Mobilizing Science Knowledge for Sustainable Development

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between UNESCO and Tokyo's Keio University at the end of June, for “Mobilizing Science Knowledge for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific through Information and Communication Technologies”. Under the agreement UNESCO and Keio are to work together to help strengthen national and regional higher education in Asia and to help develop human resources, particularly in Science, Technology and Engineering through the use of information and communications technology (ICT) networks.

UNESCO`s Jakarta and New Delhi offices have been working with the School on Internet Asia (SOI) Network on a distance education program since 2007. SOI currently connects 27 universities and research institutions from 13 countries in Asia via satellite and Internet networks. The MoU was developed to further expand this collaboration.

In 2007, UNESCO and SOI implemented an e-learning program on Renewable Energy. UNESCO is currently planning to broadcast several energy conferences and develop new courses in 2008 on S&T policy formulation, coastal resources management, HIV/AIDS prevention and university-industry partnership for technology transfer.

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Policy Forum in South Eastern Europe

The forum in Montenegro, which took place from 1 to 3 July 2008, brought together some 100 South Eastern European representatives from ministries, universities, academies and national parliaments in an attempt to adopt a forward-looking approach to higher education and science governance for society.

The recommendations that emerge from the forum are to contribute to the "UNESCO Forum on Higher Education in the Europe Region: Access, Values, Quality and Competitiveness" from 21 to 24 May 2009 in Romania and the "2009 World Conference on Higher Education: The New Dynamics of Higher Education" from 6 to 8 July 2009 at UNESCO headquarters, Paris.

UNESCO recruits Chief of ICT in Education, Science and Culture Section

The post of the Chief of the ICT in Education, Science and Culture Section is presently open for recruitment at the Information Society Division of UNESCO's Communication and Information Sector.

The major responsibilities of the post are the planning, implementation and evaluation of the strategy, regular program activities and extrabudgetary projects of the Section.

More particularly, the incumbent of the post will provide intellectual, strategic and operational leadership of the Section; ensure the management of its staff; advise Member States on the use of ICT in education, science and culture; plan and execute projects of strategic nature.

Applications must be made to UNESCO. It is recommended, however, that Americans applying to the post also inform the U.S. Permanent Delegation to UNESCO and/or the State Department secretariat to the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO of their application.

Apply before 4 September 2008
quoting the post number: CI-004.

Click here for more details!

UNESCO Hosts Ministerial Roundtable at UN

© UNESCO/S. Nair-bedouelle

UNESCO hosted a Ministerial Roundtable (New York, 1st July 2008) at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High Level Segment.

The UNESCO Round Table debate focused on “Harnessing scientific knowledge through effective science policy as a key lever for achieving sustainable development in its Member States.” The ECOSOC Ambassador from Madagascar, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research from Egypt and the Minister of Communication, Science and Technology of Tanzania were invited speakers.

Read more!

The Complex Effects of Biosphere Reserves

Source: "Accelerated Human Population Growth at Protected Area Edges" by George Wittemyer, Paul Elsen, William T. Bean, A. Coleman O. Burton and Justin S. Brashares.
Science 4 July 2008: Vol. 321. no. 5885, pp. 123 - 126

A number of researchers from U.C. Berkeley have published a report in the current issue of Science magazine with the following Abstract:

Protected areas (PAs) have long been criticized as creations of and for an elite few, where associated costs, but few benefits, are borne by marginalized rural communities. Contrary to predictions of this argument, we found that average human population growth rates on the borders of 306 PAs in 45 countries in Africa and Latin America were nearly double average rural growth, suggesting that PAs attract, rather than repel, human settlement. Higher population growth on PA edges is evident across ecoregions, countries, and continents and is correlated positively with international donor investment in national conservation programs and an index of park-related funding. These findings provide insight on the value of PAs for local people, but also highlight a looming threat to PA effectiveness and biodiversity conservation.

The article suggests the complexity of the landscape management challenge required by biosphere reserves. Without a global network of biosphere reserves that really work, mankind will lose access to huge amounts of biodiversity, with grave economic as well as cultural impacts. It is increasingly recognized that in poor countries, there has to be a development component in the management of a bioreserve to provide economic opportunities to the local population. Not only is such development ethically required, but it seems likely that local populations will otherwise over exploit what is intended to be the reserve. This paper, however, suggests that this approach may ultimately be self defeating, if the population growth around the bioreserve leads ultimately to its overexploitation anyway.

The UNESCO program on Man, Biodiversity and Ecology provides an international mechanism for research on such issues. Indeed, its World Network of Biosphere Reserves, which includes 531 sites, provides one of the most effective (and cost-effective) means to encourage African, Asian and Latin American nations to set aside bioreserves and to develop sound plans for their protection. The Network also provides a means for a global community of scientists to collaborate in developing the knowledge and understanding for the management of bioreserves.

Nova Scotia Joggins Fossil Cliffs Added to World Heritage List

The Joggins fossil cliffs in Nova Scotia have been named by UNESCO to its select list of world heritage sites. Located on the Bay of Fundy, the cliffs were studied by geologists Charles Lyell and Sir Walter Dawson and cited by Charles Darwin in his Origin of Species. The World Heritage Committee has been interested in adding more sites to the World Heritage List that are important as parts of the world's scientific heritage, and this appears to fit that bill!

Members of the World Heritage selection committee voted unanimously in favor of the designation at a meeting in Quebec City on Monday evening. The fossil cliffs are regarded as the best record of life in the Coal Age - 300 million years ago - and are home to enormous fossilized trees and what's believed to be the remains of the world's oldest reptile.

UNESCO site designation encompasses a 15-kilometer strip of sea cliffs more than 30 meters high, and a multi-million dollar interpretative center that was opened this year to showcase the area's natural and cultural history.

"There really isn't anywhere in the world that's as good as Joggins as far as we know," said Martin Gibling, a professor of earth sciences at Dalhousie University in Halifax."It's truly a marvelous place - you can see the entire ancient landscapes of the Earth laid out before you, so to speak."

According to the Windsor Star:

Local authorities hope that being added to the World Heritage sites list will give the region an economic boost by making it a tourist destination.

"This decision will have a very significant economic and social impact," said Rhonda Kelly of the Cumberland Regional Economic Development Association.

Read more!

World Heritage: Science and Technology

An Expert Workshop aimed at contributing to the development of guidelines and criteria for the review of sites of interest for the heritage of science and technology on the World Heritage List was held at The Wellcome Trust in London on 21 to 23 January 2008. The meeting was sponsored by the U.K. National Commission for UNESCO.

Key Workshop Papers and Presentations are now available.

Modern science and technology is a critically important element in the cultural heritage of mankind, Indeed, much of UNESCO's overall program is oriented to the diffusion of this common heritage to less developed nations, especially the nations of Africa. Thus it seems appropriate that UNESCO's World Heritage Center should specifically give testimony to this cultural heritage by inscribing sites making and commemorating key scientific and/or technological advances were first made.

The United States is (in the opinion of JAD) quite rich in sites of technological significance adequate to justify inclusion in the World Heritage list, and indeed in scientific sites as well.

U.S. sites that merit consideration for inclusion in the World Heritage list on the basis of their importance in the technological history of mankind include:

The American System of Manufacturing: This system which used semi-skilled labor employing machine tools with templates to manufacture standardized interchangeable parts revolutionized industry. It was developrd by the United States Department of War in the Springfield and Harpers Ferry armories.

Thomas Edison's Laboratory: Edison invented the first practical electrical lighting system as well as many electrical devices, and stands as the nation's and perhaps the world's most important inventor. His laboratory was a trailblazing institution in itself, industrializing the process of invention and technology development. The site is maintained by the National Park Service as the Edison National Historic Site.

The Henry Ford Museum: Which commemorates (among other things) the creation by Ford of the first manufacturing assembly line.

The National Air and Space Museum: Which includes key artifacts of the development of manned aviation and space flight, including the Wright Brothers plane, the first plane to make the transatlantic flight, and a number of vehicles that pioneered space flight.

Perhaps the next time that the U.S. Government revises the tentative list of World Heritage sites in this country, sites commemorating the U.S. contribution to the worlds heritage of scientific knowledge and technology might be added to the list.

UNESCO's University-Industry Partnerships (UNISPAR)

UNESCO’s University-Industry-Science Partnership (UNISPAR) program was launched in 1993 to improve the quality of universities in developing countries and encourage them to become more involved in the process of industrialization of their country.

Since 2002, UNISPAR has focused on capacity-building and technical assistance in the governance of science and technology parks. The expected results are:

1. stronger partnerships and linkages between universities and industry, including small and medium-sized enterprises, to promote innovation, engineering education, North-South cooperation, gender mainstreaming, maintenance and related areas for technological development.
2. development of human resources, including the training of engineers in the transfer of research results, maintenance of equipment and related areas.
3. stronger networking of technology for development, sponsored by industry with UNESCO support.

To this end, UNESCO’s works in close cooperation with the international professional organizations in this field. These include the World Technopolis Association (WTA) and the International Association of Science Parks (IASP).

DG in Washington

Read the address by Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO,
on the occasion of the Opening of the 2008 Water Science Forum titled
Cutting-Edge Technology for Water Services: Application in Africa. The meeting was held at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C, on 27 June 2008.

South Eastern European Higher Education, Science and Innovation Policy Forum

This week the UNESCO Office for Europe is holding a meeting of the South Eastern European Higher Education, Science and Innovation Policy Forum (1-3 July 2008, Budva, Montenegro). The meeting is intended to seek the adoption of a forward-looking approach of Higher Education, Science and Innovation governance with a view to contribute to the building of knowledge societies in South Eastern Europe.

UNESCO seeks expert for WSIS follow-up

UNESCO is currently recruiting a program specialist (P4) for the Information Society Division of its Communication and Information Sector. The major responsibility of this post will be to manage UNESCO's follow-up to the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), including the Organization’s role in the implementation of the WSIS Action Plan.

The search closes 19 August 2008.

You can apply on the UNESCO employment website. The post number is CI-006.

The incumbent in the post will be expected to:

• develop strategic approaches to the implementation of the WSIS Action Plan;
  
• monitor UNESCO's role as a facilitator of the multi-stakeholder implementation of six WSIS Action Lines; and
  
• coordinate UNESCO's contribution to the overall multi-stakeholder coordination of the Facilitators of the eleven Action Lines.

Candidates must have advanced university degree in communication, information or international relations, preferably with orientation towards knowledge societies and five to seven years of working experience in international or intergovernmental organizations active in knowledge society issues.

Read more about the post.

Donna Shalala to Receive Medal of Freedom

Donna Shalala, a member of the Advisory Council for Americans for UNESCO is to receive the Medal of Freedom.

Shalala was U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services during the Clinton Administration and currently serves as President of the University of Miami.

Congratulations to President Shalala!

Change in State Department UNESCO Leadership

Susanna Connaughton, who has been the State Department official chiefly responsible for the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO since 2006, has announced she is leaving that position this week. Alexander Zemek will assume the acting role as Executive Director of the National Commission.

U.S. Participation in the IHP Council Meeting

The looming water crisis was the focus of the biennial International Hydrological Program (IHP) Intergovernmental Council (IGC) meeting, held at UNESCO headquarters from June 9-13, 2008.

Matt Larsen of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) headed the U.S. delegation, which included Verne Schneider, USGS, Bob Pietrowsky, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Gene Stakhiv, USACE, and Ross Corotis, U.S. National Commission to UNESCO. Among the approximately 200 participants were representatives of the 36 IGC Member States, as well as many other UNESCO Member States and non-governmental organizations. Matt Larsen was elected as the chair of the meeting’s drafting committee, which is influential in shaping the summaries of the major discussions and decisions.

Read more!

The New Issue of The World of Science is Out

A World of Science (July–September 2008)

Contents

IN FOCUS

• Why modern agriculture must change

NEWS

• Concern for health of Aral Sea’s residents
• A global forum takes to the frontlines of climate change
• Better preparation for storm surges is possible
• Network gets name-change
• A fond farewell to a carbon based biped

INTERVIEW

• Andrea Mantesso explains why teeth will help to shape the future of stem cell research

HORIZONS

• A last call to arms
• A city making the switch to healthy sanitation

IN BRIEF

• Diary
• New releases

South Eastern European Higher Education, Science and Innovation Policy Forum

Support for the adoption of a forward-looking approach of Higher Education, Science and Innovation governance with a view to contributing to the building of knowledge societies in South Eastern Europe. 1-3 July 2008, Budva, Montenegro.

Policy forum organized by UNESCO’s Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe for ministers, parliamentarians, academies, universities, and research fundingbodies from Southeast Europe. The focus will be the Lisbon Strategy.

Launch of the International Science, Technology and Innovation Centre (ISTIC)

The International Centre for South-South Co-operation in Science, Technology and Innovation was inaugurated in Kuala Lumpur in May 2008. The centre functions under the auspices of UNESCO.

It facilitates the integration of a developmental approach into national science and technology and innovation policies, and provides policy advice. In parallel to organizing capacity-building and the exchange of experience and best practices, the centre conducts research and tackles specific problems in science, technology and innovation policy-making in developing countries.

International Coalition of Cities against Racism

The International Coalition of Cities against Racism was launched by UNESCO in 2004 to establish a network of cities interested in sharing experiences in order to improve their policies to fight racism, discrimination, xenophobia and exclusion. In North America, the program is represented by the Canadian Coalition of Municipalities against Racism and Discrimination (CMARD), but there apparently is no U.S. coalition participating.

UNESCO will launch an international coalition of cities against racism and discrimination at the 3rd World Forum on Human Rights in Nantes (France) which will take place from 30 June to 3 July. The international coalition will bring together the regional coalitions aleady launched by UNESCO.

Comparative Analysis of National Research Systems

UNESCO plays an important international role in enabling and encouraging the comparative analysis of national research systems. The UNESCO Institute of Statistics, for example, collects statistics from member nations on research and resources available for research. It provides advice to member nations on the collection of such data, and updates its S&T database every other year.

Periodically UNESCO issues its World Science Report which provides an overview of the global research system.

In January of this year, UNESCO held a Symposium on Comparative Analysis of National Research Systems. The website provides not only guidelines for such analysis, but also reports on the research systems of a large number of member states.

Currently UNESCO is seeking applications to present papers or attend a meeting of its Global Research Seminar at the end of November. That meeting will address the draft guidelines from the Symposium, and more generally will "discuss new and ongoing research, identify research gaps and suggest new research agendas on systems of higher education, research and knowledge."

The United States, in its effort to retain global leadership in research and development benefits from UNESCO's efforts to develop this global system of data which allows international comparisons of research systems. More importantly, the system encourages all the countries of the world to bear their fair shares of the burden of development of knowledge and technology, thereby supporting the rapid growth of the world's scientific knowledge. This knowledge is one of the more important "commons" benefiting us all.

UNESCO Catalyzes Networks

UNESCO's budget is tiny when compared to the global governmental expenditures on education, science, culture and communications. Indeed, its total budget is much less than that of my local county for education.

UNESCO exercises no sovereign control over its member states. Each member state continues to exercise full sovereign control over its own people, territory and actions. UNESCO can not tell any state what to do, nor does it have any power to enforce the decisions of its governing bodies on its member states.

How then does it manage to achieve so much worldwide?

Examination of three networks of sites that have been created under UNESCO sponsorship provides one answer. They are:

• The World Heritage network of 851 natural and cultural sites of such importance as to justify the appelation;
• The World Network of 531 Biosphere Reserves which serve to develop and demonstrate landscape management systems and to serve as reservoirs of biodiversity;
  
• The Ramsar Convention network of 1755 wetland sites of international importance, totaling 161 million hectares.

In each case, individual member states nominate sites within their own territory, providing detailed discussions of the proposed sites to be included in the network. In each case, the sponsoring nation retains full sovereignty over the site, but commits to maintaining the site and to participation in the network with its own resources or those which it can generate from other sources.

In each case, UNESCO manages a review process to assure that nominees qualify for inclusion in the network and reviews the status of members of the network to assure that they still qualify. In each case, there is a subset of member states elected by the overall group of member states which is delegated oversight of the network, and a small bureau or secretariat to manage the networking functions.

In each case the member states have decided that the benefits of participation in the network more than justify the costs of participation. Decades of experience indicates that each network really works to promote cooperation among the sites included and to showcase important sites within the member nations to world attention.

The United States has been critically important in the creation of each of these networks, and Americans have provided intellectual leadership over the lifetime of each of them. Indeed, participation in each of these networks has provided a vehicle for cultural diplomacy, enabling the United States to achieve cultural and environmental objectives of its foreign policy in collaboration with other states. Through the collaborating networks these goals have not only been achieved more economically than would otherwise be possible, but indeed the goals might not have been at all possible without the collaboration of other sovereign states.

Finally, the networks provide the community of nations with an assurance of globally coordinated efforts to accomplish programs of global importance that would be beyond the capabilities of any member state alone.

The World Network of Biosphere Reserves

The United States was a major proponent for the decision by UNESCO to create the Man in the Biosphere (MAB) program in 1974. Even when the United States decided to withdraw from UNESCO, the Reagan administration chose to retain U.S. participation in the program. The flagship effort of the program is the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).

"Biosphere Reserve" is a term denoting an area that has been nominated by the locality and the country in which it is located for participation in the worldwide Biosphere Reserve Program. Biosphere Reserve recognition does not convey any control or jurisdiction over such sites to the United Nations or to any other entity. The United States and/or state and local communities where biosphere reserves are located continue to exercise the same jurisdiction as that in place before designation. The networking of the independent reserves provides scientific advantages, facilitates cross-border cooperation in the management of shared landscapes (such as between the United States and Mexico or the United States and Russia), as well as some assurance that globally important genetic resources will be conserved.

There are now 531 biosphere reserves in 105 countries, including 47 reserves in the U.S.. The following map shows those in the continental United States with red dots.

Click here to go to an interactive map of U.S. biosphere reserves,
with detailed information on the individual sites

The program provides the most important mechanism for international scientific cooperation focused on how to manage social and economic development so as to preserve the environment -- producing knowldege that will be increasingly important in meeting the pressures on the environment in the next century. It also provides an important mechanism for the preservation for future use by mankind of genetic resources that have not yet been domesticated. Moreover, it provides a valuable source of stimulus and advice to nations (especially the poor nations in Africa and Asia) on how to manage their social and economic development to ensure that it can be sustained.

The 3rd World Congress on Biosphere Reserves was held in Madrid in February. There were 105 countries in attendance, represented by 829 participants including 20 from the United States. The Madrid Action Plan (MAP) was formally approved at the Congress. According to the plan, the overall goals of the program for the next few years are to:

(a) anchor the research, training, capacity building and demonstration agendas of MAB at the interface between the interlinked issues of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, and socio-economic and cultural well-being of human communities;

(b) enable the active use of places included in the WNBR as learning sites for sustainable development, i.e. demonstrating approaches to enhance co-operation amongst epistemic (academic), political, practitioner and stakeholder communities to address and solve context specific problems to improve environmental, economic and social conditions for human and ecosystem well-being;

(c) collect, collate, synthesize and disseminate lessons learned from more than 30 years of the work of the MAB Program and the WNBR as well as their planned actions during 2008-2013 to benefit international, national and local efforts to meet global targets such as the MDGs, significantly reducing the current rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 (also referred to as the “CBD 2010 target”) and others that are part of the UNFCCC and Kyoto processes linked to mitigating and adapting to global climatic change; and

(d) contribute to the emergence of a new generation of professionals and practitioners who can serve as ambassadors and managers/coordinators for linking global environmental agendas to national and local development aspirations.

The plan further defines the vision of the program as follows:

The World Network of Biosphere Reserves of the Man and the Biosphere Program consists of a dynamic and interactive network of sites of excellence. It fosters harmonious integration of people and nature for sustainable development through participatory dialog, knowledge sharing, poverty reduction and human well-being improvements, respect for cultural values and society's ability to cope with change, thus contributing to the MDGs. Accordingly, the World Network of Biosphere Reserves is one of the main international tools to develop and implement sustainable development approaches in a wide array of contexts.

It defines the mission as follows:

To ensure environmental, economic, social (including cultural and spiritual) sustainability through:

• development and coordination of a worldwide network of places acting as demonstration areas and learning sites with the aim of maintaining and developing ecological and cultural diversity, and securing ecosystem services for human well-being;

• development and integration of knowledge including science for advancing our understanding of interactions between people and the rest of nature;

• building global capacity for the management of complex socio-ecological systems particularly through encouraging greater dialogue at the science-policy interface, environmental education and multi-media outreach to the wider community.

Read the report of the Americans who attended the Congress.

In the meeting of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO in May the members formally recommended that the State Department reinforce U.S. participation in the Man and the Biosphere program. The American participants in the Congress recommended that the

"U.S. National Commission for UNESCO should reconstitute the U.S. National Committee for MAB to allow a coordinated effort to effectively interact within the national network and internationally in areas of research, ecological monitoring, land use practices and education programs. A united front will allow U.S. agencies and organizations to develop partnerships and funding strategies for national and mission-focused activities."

The George Wright Society provides a good website on the Man and the Biosphere program and the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The GWS is a nonprofit association of researchers, managers, administrators, educators, and other professionals who work on behalf of the scientific and heritage values of protected areas. It is named in honor of George Melendez Wright, the first chief of the wildlife division of the U.S. National Park Service in the early 20th century, who died tragically at the age of 36.

IOC Executive Council to Meet

The IOC Executive Council elected in 2007 will meet at the IOC Headquarters in Paris on 24 June – 1 July 2008. The forty Member States that will convene for the 41st session of the Executive Council will have in front of them a rich and challenging agenda. They will consider the results of the first session of the Working Group on the Future of IOC, tasked with identifying options for enhancing the role of IOC in terms of institutional arrangements, financial resources, and relations with other intergovernmental and international organizations. The Executive Council will also discuss and adopt a programme of activities for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of IOC in 2010 that will take stock of the achievements of the Commission as well as current and future needs in terms of ocean science, observations and capacity-building.

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UNESCO candidate from Egypt says ready to visit Israel

The election for the next Director General of UNESCO will take place next year. The position of Director General is always important for an organization in the United Nations system, but the Director General of UNESCO was given especially great authority (at the behest of the United States) when the organization was created. The next Director General will, it is hoped, continue the reforms initiated by D.G. Matsuura, but will also provide a charismatic and informed leadership as the organization moves to confront new challenges in international education, science, culture and communications.

The change in administration in the United States in 2009 will mean that new U.S. leadership wil be asked to act quickly to seek to assure that the new Director General is acceptable to United States interests.

Since there is an informal consensus among member nations that the position should rotate from region to region it seems likely that the next Director General will be elected from an Islamic nation, and the Egyptian Minister of Culture, Faruq Hosni, has been seen as a strong candidate. Minister Faruq is walking a fine line to satisfy the more radical constituents in his own and other Arab nations but also to demonstrate he is sufficiently moderate to suit the rest of the world.

He recently stated in an interview with an Israeli reporter that he would be willing to visit Israel:

"If you invite me, if you send me an invitation, I will come," he told Israel's mass-circulation newspaper Yediot Aharonot.

But Hosni warned that such a visit should be "carefully prepared, up to the last detail," because of the outcry it would create in Egypt.

UNESCO Bookmarks

Social bookmarking allows one share links to resources with the public. I have posted several hundred links to resources related to UNESCO on this website. They are tagged so that, for example, clicking on the word "history" you will see listed only resources related to UNESCO's history. Use the resources with my good wishes. JAD

Click here to go to the UNESCO Bibliography social bookmarks!

UNESCO Issues Call for Research Summaries for the Global Research Seminar

Global Research Seminar:
Sharing Research Agendas on Knowledge Systems

UNESCO, Paris, Room II, 28 – 30 November 2008

The objective of the Seminar is to provide an arena for researchers to discuss new and ongoing research, identify research gaps and suggest new research agendas on systems of higher education, research and knowledge; with a view to forging closer links between the research communities and UNESCO in these fields.

What is the Aim of the Seminar?

The objective is to provide an arena for researchers to discuss new and ongoing research, identify research gaps and suggest new research agendas on systems of higher education, research and knowledge; with a view to forging closer links between the research communities and UNESCO in these fields.

Another objective of the seminar is to give feedback on the methodology suggested by the Draft Country Review Template for Mapping National Research Systems (see annex of the Terms of Reference), which was developed by the UNESCO Forum's Special Initiative in January 2008.

Submission of Research Summaries

Research organisations and researchers actively involved in studying research and knowledge systems in key fields such as higher education, science and technology, innovation, social sciences, health and agriculture are invited to submit a summary on their new and ongoing research, which should include a short presentation of the research area(s), the research methodology, research partners, central findings to date and future perspectives.

The steering committee will select a number of summaries and the authors will be invited to present their research at the Seminar.

Click here for more information.

The African Network of Scientific and Technological Institutions

ANSTI, the African Network of Scientific and Technological Institutions, is an organ of cooperation that embraces African institutions engaged in University level training and research in the fields of science and technology.

Founded in January 1980, through the financial support of United Nations Development Program (UNDP), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Germany, the network has grown over the years to become an effective institution for the development of human resource capacity in the fields of Basic and Engineering Sciences.

In addition to UNESCO, which accommodates the ANSTI secretariat, several other international agencies involved in the support of higher education in science and engineering have been supporting ANSTI program activities or using ANSTI network to implement their own programs.

To-date ANSTI has 109 member institutions in thirty five (35) countries in sub-Saharan Africa. This puts ANSTI in a powerful position to advertise, coordinate and implement various programme activities for various international agencies.

ANSTI publishes the AFRICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. In pursuance of UNESCO’s objective to facilitate the dissemination of research results and within the framework of the organization’s support for the African Network of Scientific and Technological Institutions (ANSTI), UNESCO has provided a grant to continue the publication of the Journal. An archive of issues from 2001 is available online.

UNESCO and Global Climate Change

Climate change is affecting our environment, our societies, and our cultures. Finding solutions to mitigate the negative impacts and adapt to changing conditions requires and approach that unites sound, unbiased science with social and cultural considerations. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, with over 40 activities in all program sectors, provides a unique forum for addressing climate change and its impacts on the environment and human society.

Read the UNESCO Draft Strategy to Address the Challenges of Climate Change (PDF, 12 pages)

American Spokesman for IOC on Polar Year

The International Polar Year has posted interviews with leading scientists on YouTube. Keith Alverson is an American working in the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Secretariat in Paris. His video can be seen here:

International Water Forum

On June 27, 2008, an international water forum is to be held at the Department of State. Supported by the National Science foundation (NSF), UNESCO and a number of agencies and international organizations will be joining to confront some of the most pressing global water needs.

Contact the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO for more information.

IFAP Draft Strategic Plan

UNESCO's Information for All Program (IFAP) has made its draft strategic plan available online.

Download the draft plan (PDF, 72 pages)

The New Issue of The UNESCO Courier is Online

The UNESCO Courier 2008 - number 5

Claude Lévi-Strauss: The View from Afar

This month's Courier, published in his 100th year, pays special tribute to Claude Levi-Strauss, the trail breaking social scientist whose views have influenced people all over the world. It offers a selection of articles written by him and published in the magazine since the early 1950s. It also includes unpublished documents, along with his photographs and sketches from the 1930s.

Listen to "Race and Culture" read by Claude Lévi-Strauss in French at UNESCO in 1971.

Watch the video coverage of his last public speech, made on the same podium in 2005.

Laurent LEVI-STRAUSS, Claude's son and UNESCO's Chief of Museums and Cultural Objects Section was recently in Washington, representing UNESCO at the annual meeting of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO.