Medium-Term Strateg yContributing to peace and human development

in an era of globalization through education,

the sciences, culture and communication

31C/4

APPROVED

United Nations Educational, Scientif ic and Cultural Organization

2002-2

007

Published in 2002by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SPComposed and printed in the workshops of UNESCO

© UNESCO 2002

Printed in France

In order to reinforce UNESCO’s visual identity, a new

approach to graphics has been outlined in the context

of the elaboration of the new communication and public

information strategy. The pattern of a “delta” has been

chosen as being a place of convergence and fertilization.

It symbolizes UNESCO’s role as catalyst and mobilizer

of energies as it makes its contribution to peace by

encouraging human development, cultural pluralism and

the sharing of knowledge in a spirit of respect for the

diversity of peoples. The cover of the Medium-Term

Strategy is one of the first to present this graphic concept

which, in a variety of forms, will be used for all

publications and productions by UNESCO in the course

of the next six years.

Contents

Introduction by the Director-General i

UNESCO contributing to peace and human development in an era of globalization through education, the sciences, culture and communication

I. The global setting 1II. UNESCO’S mission 5III. Providing the means 12

Education 15Strategic objective 1. Promoting education as a fundamental right in accordance

with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 17Strategic objective 2. Improving the quality of education through

the diversification of contents and methods and the promotion of universallyshared values 20

Strategic objective 3. Promoting experimentation, innovation and the diffusionand sharing of information and best practices as well as policy dialogue in education 23

Sciences 27Strategic objective 4. Promoting principles and ethical norms to guide scientific

and technological development and social transformation 28Strategic objective 5. Improving human security by better management

of the environment and social change 29Strategic objective 6. Enhancing scientific, technical and human capacities

to participate in the emerging knowledge societies 33

Culture 37Strategic objective 7. Promoting the drafting and implementation of standard

setting instruments in the cultural field 37Strategic objective 8. Safeguarding cultural diversity and encouraging

dialogue among cultures and civilizations 39Strategic objective 9. Enhancing the linkages between culture and development

through capacity-building and sharing of knowledge 42

Communication and information 45Strategic objective 10. Promoting the free flow of ideas and universal access

to information 46Strategic objective 11. Promoting the expression of pluralism and cultural

diversity in the media and world information networks 48Strategic objective 12. Access for all to information and communication

technologies, especially in the public domain 49

Strategy for cross-cutting theme:

Eradication of poverty, especially extreme poverty 51

Strategy for cross-cutting theme:

The contribution of information and communication technologies to the development of education, science and culture and the construction of a knowledge society 57

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Introduct ion by the Director-General

The Medium-Term Strategy for 2002-2007 (31 C/4 Approved), contained in the presentdocument, represents together with the Programme and Budget for 2002-2003 (31 C/5Approved) the programmatic pillar of UNESCO’s reforms as approved by UNESCO’s GeneralConference in its resolution III/1, adopted at its 31st session held in October-November 2001.The Strategy aims at projecting a new vision and a new profile for the Organization. AsDirector-General I am pleased to note that governments unanimously welcomed and endorsedthe proposals I had submitted for their consideration. Document 31 C/4 bears evidence of ourjoint determination to concentrate, focus and set priorities.

UNESCO must make strategic choices based on its mandate and a dynamic analysis of itscomparative advantage and of emerging challenges. UNESCO cannot be everything foreverybody. It must define niches. It must drop marginal endeavours. And we must recognizethat we are not alone in an increasingly competitive international environment. Partnershipswill be key to be effective and to strengthen outreach and acceptance. We will therefore seekto engage not only governments and other international and intergovernmental organizations,but also civil society and the private sector through partnerships, linkages and networking. Letme underline in particular our commitment to contribute to joint and purposeful action by theUnited Nations system, especially in pursuing the targets contained in the United NationsMillennium Declaration. In that regard, let me highlight that UNESCO joined in early 2001 theUnited Nations Development Group (UNDG), which will allow UNESCO to interact muchbetter with other sister organizations of the United Nations at large. All this will be an importantcomponent of the Organization’s roadmap for the future, not least in performing its functionsas laboratory of ideas, standard-setter, clearing house, capacity-builder in Member States andcatalyst for international cooperation.

Overall, the Medium-Term Strategy is formulated around a single unifying theme –UNESCO contributing to peace and human development in an era of globalization througheducation, the sciences, culture and communication. Thus, it seeks to create a link betweenUNESCO’s mandate and role on the one hand and globalization with a human face on theother hand. The Strategy unifies the four main programme areas with a common purpose anddefines – for the first time – a limited number of strategic objectives, a total of 12 for the entireOrganization and three for each programme. Around these strategic objectives are built twocross-cutting themes, which are and must be intrinsic to all programmes and which will staywith us for the next six years: the eradication of poverty, especially extreme poverty; and thecontribution of information and communication technologies to education, science, cultureand information and the building of knowledge societies. These themes are also an entry pointto foster much more than hitherto intersectoriality, at Headquarters and in the field. Anothersubstantive innovation built into the present Strategy is the mainstreaming of areas, previously

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designated as priority areas, namely Africa, the least developed countries, women and youth.This implies that all sectors and programmes must address their needs and requirements.Equally, there will be special focus on the excluded and most vulnerable segments of societythroughout all UNESCO’s efforts.

The Strategy outlines:– three main strategic thrusts around which UNESCO’s action will develop over the next

six years, namely:� developing and promoting universal principles and norms based on shared

values,� promoting pluralism through recognition and safeguarding of diversity, together

with the observance of human rights, and� promoting empowerment and participation in the emerging knowledge society

through equitable access, capacity-building and knowledge-sharing;– the major strategic objectives and sub-objectives for the Organization’s efforts

emphasizing its comparative advantage in relation to other institutions of the systemand its specific role as an intergovernmental organization, an entity for internationalintellectual cooperation and a provider of services to Member States;

– for each strategic objective the outcomes expected to be attained by the end of 2007,facilitating the introduction and application of results-based programming,management and monitoring – a new feature for UNESCO.

The document indicates how UNESCO will set about the task of meeting a dualrequirement, namely

– the necessary concentration of the Organization’s efforts on a limited number ofpriority areas in order to ensure that its action has lasting effect and to strengthen itsenabling role as the specialized agency of the United Nations system responsible foreducation, the sciences, culture and communication;

– the consistency of the global strategies and objectives pursued by the Organizationwith a strong emphasis on and commitment to decentralization and action integratingregional, national and local conditions, aspirations and needs.

The implementation of the medium-term objectives will be an evolving and continuousprocess and include monitoring and review. As requested by the General Conference, theStrategy will soon be complemented by regional and subregional strategies that are beingdeveloped with the contribution of all stakeholders in each region and which will relate theOrganization’s global strategy to the specifics and particular needs of the various geographicregions and subregions. And certainly, document 31 C/4 is bound to have a clear and directrelation to the Programme and Budget documents during the sexennial period, beginning withdocument 31 C/5.

The General Conference has agreed that the present Strategy be conceived as a rollingstrategy, capable of revision by the General Conference, if so required, so as to reflect

� developments in the international and regional contexts pertaining to theOrganization’s fields of competence,

� input obtained through consultations and in-country assessments undertaken by fieldoffices in the context of my decentralization reform,

� the results and outcomes of programme activities, also drawing on the findings ofevaluations and regular monitoring,

� critical factors that could put at risk the attainment of the expected outcomes.The preparation of UNESCO’s medium-term strategy documents has traditionally been an

inclusive exercise – consulting broadly with countries, all regions, national commissions and

other partners. Outreach, involvement and ownership of the strategy are important results ofthis process solidifying overall support for the Organization. To sustain and nurture thisprocess will be of high strategic and political significance for the UNESCO of the future.

Let me again emphasize that – for the translation of the Strategy into reality – resourcesare key. In defining the Medium-Term strategy Member States must be fully aware of thefinancial implications. UNESCO’s Programme and Budget for the 2002-2003 biennium is for thethird time in a row based on zero nominal growth, that is real negative growth, within a budgetenvelope of US $544 million including provisions for inflation and statutory increases. IfUNESCO shall succeed in its revitalization, governments will have to review their approach forsubsequent biennia falling within the present Strategy with a view to allowing at least zero realgrowth or, preferably, provide for some growth in the regular budget. I am encouraged by thediscussions during the recent session of the General Conference, which suggested that MemberStates will view a static budget approach not as a dogma for the future.

Let me conclude by saying that I am confident that document 31 C/4, in conjunction withdocument 31 C/5, will help UNESCO to reclaim the cutting edge in education, the sciences,culture and communication and information.

Paris, February 2002

Koïchiro Matsuura

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1] In many regions of the world, peace remainsfragile and tenuous. To help preserve peace in allits dimensions thus remains an abiding challengefor the international community in general andUNESCO in particular. It is a vision embedded inthe Organization’s Constitution. This entails build-ing trust and understanding among and betweendifferent cultures and civilizations, as well asnations, communities and individuals, especiallyin situations of acute conflict and in post-conflictconditions. The defence of peace starts in theminds of men and women who should beimbued with hope for the future, especially forsucceeding generations.

2] UNESCO’s commitment to fostering a culture ofpeace in all its fields of competence is as relevantas ever and has even acquired new relevance forinspiring action by international organizations,States, civil society and individual citizens in theface of ongoing and newly flaring conflictsamong and within States and newly emergingtypes of societal risks, which are taking a heavytoll on civilian populations and aggravating thevulnerability of many societies.

3] It is thus appropriate that by resolution 55/47 theUnited Nations General Assembly has designatedUNESCO as lead agency for the InternationalDecade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violencefor the Children of the World (2001-2010) with afocus on education. The programmatic base forthis Decade had been laid in the United NationsDeclaration and Programme of Action on aCulture of Peace (General Assembly resolution53/243) which defined eight domains of action:� Culture of peace through education;� Sustainable economic and social development;

� Respect for all human rights; � Equality between women and men; � Democratic participation; � Understanding, tolerance and solidarity; � Participatory communication and the free flow

of information and knowledge; � International peace and security.

4] Indeed, UNESCO is called upon today, as neverbefore since its creation, to contribute to the unityof humankind by upholding human dignity,equality, solidarity, the culture of peace, toler-ance, respect for human rights and democraticprinciples. Recent international developments, inparticular the terrorist acts of 11 September 2001,which the General Conference considered adenial of the United Nations Charter, the UNESCOConstitution and the UNESCO Declaration onPrinciples of Tolerance (1998) and to be an attackagainst humanity as a whole, will require a long-term response and an effort on the part of theinternational community, and that to that endUNESCO must take, in all its fields of com-petence, a proactive role. In that connection,UNESCO will contribute, based on its mandateand within its areas of competence, to the erad-ication of terrorism, drawing on the Organiza-tion’s intellectual and ethical character. TheGeneral Conference at its 31st session, by resolu-tion 39, invited the Director-General to takeappropriate action through UNESCO programmesand studies. In doing so, the General Conferencerecalled that dialogue constitutes a fundamentalchallenge based on the unity of humankind andcommonly shared values, the recognition of itscultural diversity, and the equal dignity of eachcivilization and culture. The General Conferencefurther noted that intolerance, discrimination,

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UNESCO contr ibut ing to peace and human development in an era of g lobal izat ionthrough education, the sciences, culture and communication

I . T H E G L O B A L S E T T I N G

inequality, ignorance, poverty and exclusionamong others, provide fertile ground for terrorismand affirmed that while acts of terrorism couldnever be justified whatever the motives, the worldcommunity required a global and inclusive visionof development based on the observance ofhuman rights, mutual respect, intercultural dia-logue and the alleviation of poverty, founded onjustice, equity and solidarity, to meet the needsof the most vulnerable populations and segmentsof society.

5] UNESCO together with other actors of the inter-national community is therefore called upon tohelp bring about conditions under which thepeoples of the world, communities and indeedeach individual may enjoy genuine human secu-rity. Poverty and conflict are prime causes thatput human security at risk and endanger humandignity and social justice. Human security isinconceivable without sustainable developmentincluding environmental protection. Its attainmentwill require profound changes in people’s andsocieties’ attitudes and their patterns of behaviour,

especially as regards consumption and production,as well as enhanced international cooperation.

6] Consolidating all these elements into a coherentvision for UNESCO at the beginning of thetwenty-first century is a formidable challenge, asyet other problems, which the Organization hasdealt with in the framework of its mandate in the past, persist and have become even morepronounced.

7] Over the last decade a worldwide consensus hasdeveloped on key challenges to humankind,especially on economic and social issues, from a set of global conferences – such as those heldin Jomtien and Dakar on education, in Rio on the environment, in Vienna on human rights, inBeijing on women, in Cairo on population anddevelopment, in Copenhagen on social develop-ment, in Barbados on small island developingstates, in Istanbul on human settlements (Habitat)in Budapest on science and in Stockholm oncultural policies. The United Nations MillenniumDeclaration of September 2000, which will serve

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International development goals

Reducing extreme poverty: The proportion of people living in extreme poverty in develop-ing countries should be reduced by at least one half by 2015.

Universal primary education: There should be universal primary education in all countriesby 2015.

Gender equality: Progress towards gender equality and the empowerment of women shouldbe demonstrated by eliminating gender disparity in primary and secondary education by2005.

Infant and child mortality: The death rates for infants and children under the age of fiveyears should be reduced in each developing country by two thirds the 1990 level by2015.

Maternal mortality: The rate of maternal mortality should be reduced by three fourthsbetween 1990 and 2015.

Reproductive health: Access should be available through the primary health-care system toreproductive health services for all individuals of appropriate ages, no later than the year2015.

Environment: There should be a current national strategy for sustainable development, inthe process of implementation, in every country by 2005, so as to ensure that currenttrends in the loss of environmental resources are effectively reversed at both global andnational levels by 2015.

Note: The selection does not imply a diminished commitment to other goals accepted by the interna-tional community, including those adopted at other international conferences.

as an overarching guide for UNESCO’s Strategy,consolidated the broad consensus reached andagreed on specific time-bound targets. A set ofinternational development goals (IDGs) definesselect major components of a global agenda forthe twenty-first century (see box).

8] The eradication of poverty has become the over-riding international target. Poverty is a denial ofhuman rights and the very antithesis of develop-ment. Yet, despite all efforts in past years, povertyand exclusion have deepened and become per-vasive. Almost half of humanity is trying to sur-vive on less than US $2 a day, and a quarter liveson the margins of life on less than US $1. Seventyper cent of the poor are women and two thirdsare under fifteen years of age. The income ratioof the richest one fifth to the poorest one fifth inthe world increased from 30:1 in 1960 to 75:1forty years later. But poverty is not only a scourgefor developing countries, it is an equally troublingreality in industrialized countries. UNESCO iscalled to contribute, across the range of its activi-ties, to the global campaign to halve extremepoverty by the year 2015.

9] The persistence of poverty is especially disturbingas it occurs during a phase of intensifying globali-zation encompassing and affecting all societalactivities, not only the economic and financialfields. It has created unprecedented wealth andwell-being, but predominantly for rich countriesand wealthier segments of populations, whilebypassing or even disempowering the poor,countries and individuals alike.

10] For many, globalization means marginalization.Many developing societies are experiencing enor-mous pressures as they struggle to cope andshape their destiny and to attain growth withequity. With its competences in education, thesciences, culture and communication, UNESCOcan render effective contributions to assist inthese efforts and in the quest to bring about glob-alization with a human face.

11] Today, the process of globalization coincides witha fundamental transformation to knowledge-basedsocieties – largely driven by information andcommunications technologies (ICTs) – whereknowledge and information increasingly deter-mine new patterns of growth and wealth creationand open up possibilities for more effectivepoverty reduction. Indeed, knowledge hasbecome a principal force of social transformation.The leaders of virtually all countries have

professed their desire to transform their countriesinto learning economies and knowledge societies.Knowledge-based and -led development holdsthe promise that many of the problems con-fronting human societies could be significantlyalleviated if only the requisite information andexpertise were systematically and equitably em-ployed and shared.

12] In the years to come, one major challenge for theinternational community will be to ensure the freeflow of, and equitable access to, knowledge,information, data and best practices across all sec-tors and disciplines. For the free flow to be mean-ingful, access to knowledge alone will not beenough. Other needs must also be addressed,such as building human capacities and technicalskills and developing content necessary to trans-late knowledge and information into assets ofempowerment and production.

13] In accordance with the main strategic thrusts ofits mission, UNESCO will be called to contributeto all these challenges. In particular, it must focuson the need to reinforce the right to education,to strengthen international scientific and intellec-tual cooperation, to protect cultural heritageincluding the increasingly important intangibleheritage, to promote media development and tobroaden public domain access to information andknowledge. These tasks are essential for creatingknowledge societies based on equity and socialjustice and geared to fostering empowerment.

14] Freedom of expression is the conditio sine quanon for the self-realization of and participation bycitizens in a democratic setting, for promotingdiversity, for a realization of the knowledge society, for scientific progress and for the preser-vation of peace. Indeed, the freedom of expres-sion and its corollary, the freedom of the press,represent pillars of every democratic society.Especially in the changed global environment,they must remain of prime concern to UNESCO.The new media pose new challenges and requirenew approaches to ensure freedom of expression,access for all, and the free flow of informationand knowledge.

15] UNESCO’s mission to promote education is cen-tral to all its tasks and for its international stand-ing. To provide quality education for all will bea paramount challenge for all countries.

16] The right to education is a human right andunless it can be secured, all other goals are

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bound to suffer. The right to education must betransformed from ideal to reality as today, evenafter decades of effort, over 100 million childrenstill do not attend school and 150 million dropout without learning to read, write and use num-bers. Gender inequalities constrain access andachievement. The illiteracy of 900 million adultslimits their individual growth and the socialdevelopment of their communities. While in rela-tive terms, progress has been registered, inabsolute terms the numbers have grown dramati-cally on a global scale and for many regions.Over the next half century, the world’s popula-tion will increase by half – to more than 9 bil-lion people. Half of them will be young childrenneeding an increasingly demanding education.This in itself will be a staggering task as neverbefore in human history.

17] Education will also be a key feature in the globalcampaign to fight HIV/AIDS. The impact ofHIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases in manycountries is as devastating as any war. The AIDSpandemic not only hampers development, itreverses it by destroying capacity in all societalendeavours. AIDS is wiping out decades ofinvestment in education and in human develop-ment. AIDS attacks not only human bodies, butaffects the political environment as well. UNESCOhas a clear obligation and a comparative advan-tage in areas of work regarding preventive edu-cation against HIV/AIDS, in particular culture-sensitive approaches to HIV/AIDS initiatives, inencouraging the application of scientific researchfor treatment, in highlighting the human rightsimplications and ethical challenges and inadvocacy and policy dialogue.

18] Of recent, much international attention has beenpaid to the digital divide. It accentuates dispari-ties in development, excluding entire groups andcountries from the potential benefits of digitalopportunities in networked knowledge societies.Bridging the digital divide between developingand developed countries and within countries willthus become a prime strategic challenge through-out UNESCO’s activities. This will entail activitiesto strengthen capacities and skills, to createcontent, to enlarge access, to foster scientificresearch and to share knowledge and informationthrough networking and the communicationmedia and information systems.

19] Given the enormous speed of scientific dis-coveries and advances, there is an increasingneed for international scientific and intellectual

cooperation. Indeed, effective sharing of scientificknowledge and electronic networking and inter-changes are becoming ever more critical inbolstering human security and progress, to bereflected in informed policy- and decision-makingfor sustainable development. The 1999 WorldConference on Science has charted the way for UNESCO to support and promote scientific cooperation at all levels, drawing on its uniquecomparative advantage of combining natural andhuman sciences under one roof.

20] UNESCO will also be called to play a central rolein bridging the divide between traditional know-ledge and scientific knowledge, bringing a scienceperspective to knowledge at community levels.This must be complemented by community-oriented science education, allowing the intro-duction of scientific perspectives into the dailylives and production of people.

21] Biogenetics, new technologies, medical dis-coveries and other scientific advances defineareas requiring ethical reflection and eventuallynormative action through the formulation of per-tinent policies and instruments. UNESCO willhave an opportunity to live up to its ethicalmission in this area largely unattended by othermultilateral organizations.

22] In the pursuit of its multi-pronged mission,UNESCO will also face new types of challenges:to promote cultural diversity, to preserve theworld’s heritage, including its intangible domains,and to foster dialogue among cultures and amongcivilizations. Cultural diversity has come undersiege owing to the preponderance of a limitednumber of cultural and linguistic approaches andcontent, effectively disseminated through new andold media. Indigenous people and cultures as wellas local knowledge are most affected andUNESCO has an important mission to help pre-serve their uniqueness and identity. Informationand communications technologies hold the poten-tial to foster hitherto unknown types of engage-ment, contacts and interaction among individuals,peoples, communities, nations, cultures andcivilizations that can be harnessed to build under-standing, solidarity and peace at all levels and toreduce isolation and exclusion so often associatedwith poverty. Participatory governance, thepromotion of creativity, intensified interculturaldialogue, new forms of cultural exchange anddialogue among civilizations leading to betterunderstanding and interaction, are other potentialareas of intervention for UNESCO.

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23] UNESCO can also help reinforce a growing trendtowards localization and empowerment at locallevels – seemingly paradoxical in conditions ofglobalization –, especially in the cultural, scientificand educational spheres and more generally inthe creation, preservation, dissemination and shar-ing of knowledge. This will enable people tooperate on a platform of their own when dealingwith globalization.

24] Globalization has injected new relevance andadded new dimensions to UNESCO’s longstand-ing mission to bolster respect for universal normsand values. Observing human rights and con-tributing to their enjoyment, tolerance, freedomof the press, and a commitment to the enhance-ment of quality of life and well-being remainongoing tasks for the Organization.

25] A new challenge today is to build internationalconsensus on newly required norms andprinciples to respond to emerging ethical

challenges and dilemmas as a result of globaliza-tion. The trend towards a homogenization of edu-cational, cultural, scientific and communicationactivities is disquieting and risks to bring aboutuniformity of content and perspective at theexpense of the world’s creative diversity. Thegrowing commercialization of many spherespreviously considered as public goods, such aseducation, culture and information, jeopardizesweaker, economically less powerful but neverthe-less equally important segments of the worldcommunity. Technological innovations and power-ful mechanisms of control demand new ap-proaches to the protection of the rights of the indi-vidual. Overall, there is a need to agree onuniversally accepted mechanisms to ensure equi-table participation in and management of global-ization. There are currently very few rules of thegame and unless a universally agreed frameworkcan be defined, the poor and the weak willcontinue to be denied benefits of globalization.Globalization must be made to work for all.

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I I . UN E S CO ’ S M I S S I O N

26] Against this global context, UNESCO’s mandate, asset out in its Constitution, is more relevant thanever. Being called upon to contribute through the“relations of the peoples of the world” to the“objectives of international peace and of the com-mon welfare of mankind”, the Organization isduty bound to mobilize its resources, renew itsapproaches and build up its multilateral action inorder “to contribute to peace and security by pro-moting collaboration among the nations througheducation, science and culture”, later on comple-mented by communication.

27] In light of the ongoing and new global challenges,UNESCO’s mission during the medium-term period2002-2007 will be to contribute to peace and humandevelopment in an era of globalization througheducation, the sciences, culture and communica-tion, based on three main strategic thrusts. Thesethree distinct, yet interrelated axes are:a) developing universal principles and norms,

based on shared values, in order to meetemerging challenges in education, science,culture and communication and to protect andstrengthen the “common public good”;

b) promoting pluralism, through recognition andenhancement of diversity together with theobservance of human rights;

c) promoting empowerment and participation inthe emerging knowledge society through equi-table access, capacity-building and sharing ofknowledge.

28] In its activities, UNESCO will be guided by threefundamental principles that are inseparable: uni-versality, diversity and dignity. These are closelyrelated to the values of justice, solidarity, toler-ance, sharing and equity, respect for human rightsand democratic principles.

29] At the beginning of the twenty-first century,UNESCO’s mission can then be characterized interms of the following action items:� providing a platform for dialogue and action –

involving both the public and the private sectors– concerning the world’s intellectual commons;

� promoting the free flow and sharing of infor-mation and knowledge as well as serving as aglobal knowledge broker in all its areas ofcompetence;

� contributing to human security and the equitableand inclusive management of social change andtransformations as well as natural resources;

� serving as facilitator and coordinator for theglobal Education for All movement;

� promoting the implementation of the newcommitment to science (emanating from theWorld Conference on Science);

� providing a forum for deliberations on emerg-ing ethical issues, especially those related to sci-ence and technology;

� serving as a gateway for an enhanced under-standing of cultural diversity.

UNESCO’s functions

30] Throughout its activities and projects, UNESCOwill perform and assume a range of functions cor-responding to its role as the international leadagency for education, the sciences, culture andcommunication: a laboratory of ideas: UNESCO will play a keyrole in anticipating and defining, in the light ofthe ethical principles that it champions, the mostimportant emerging problems in its spheres ofcompetence, and in identifying appropriate strate-gies and policies to deal with them;a standard-setter: UNESCO will serve as a centralforum for articulating the ethical, normative andintellectual issues of our time, fostering multi-disciplinary exchange and mutual understanding,working – where possible and desirable –towards universal agreements on these issues,benchmarking targets and mobilizing internationalopinion;a clearing house: UNESCO has a role in gather-ing, transferring, disseminating and sharing avail-able information, knowledge and best practices inits fields of competence, identifying innovativesolutions and testing them through pilot projects;a capacity-builder in Member States: UNESCO willorganize international cooperation for servicing itsstakeholders, especially its Member States, inbuilding human and institutional capacities in allits fields of competence;a catalyst for international cooperation: UNESCOas a technical multidisciplinary agency willassume a catalytic role for development coopera-tion in its fields of competence. To that end itwill seek to ensure that the objectives, principlesand priorities it promotes are followed suit byother multi- and bilateral programmes and thatprojects are implemented, in particular at regionaland national levels, through innovation, effectiveinterventions and wise practices.

A road map for a revitalized UNESCO:principles of action and programming

31] In order to fulfil its main strategic tasks and per-form effectively the various functions, UNESCO’sactions and programming will be guided by a setof principles:

32] Concentration: The Organization’s work will beconcentrated so as to improve impact and to pro-duce synergies – in strategic, programmatic andgeographic terms. � For each of UNESCO’s four domains – educa-

tion, culture, the sciences and communication –three strategic objectives will be defined in thepresent Medium-Term Strategy.

� In each of the three biennial programme andbudgets, falling within the six-year period, oneprincipal priority, to be allocated increasedbudgetary resources, and three other prioritieswill be designated for each programme sector,complemented by clearly defined outcomes tofacilitate results-based programming.

� UNESCO’s programme activities will be targetedat the urgent needs of disadvantaged andexcluded groups or geographic regions. Theneeds of Africa, the least developed countries(LDCs), women and youth will be mainstreamedthroughout all programmes (see box). Further,to concentrate efforts on well-defined targets, asmall number of countries (such as at presentNigeria, Cambodia, Haiti, Colombia, Algeria orPalestine) or groups of countries (such as theBalkans, the Caucasus, the Great Lakes regionor the Korean peninsula) will be identified asthe target of increased, coordinated efforts bythe Organization for a specified period. They arecountries or subregions in a situation of transi-tion, in a pre- or post-conflict situation, orwhere flagship activities are likely to producetangible results. The selection of such countriescan be reconsidered, as situations evolve, dur-ing the rolling review of the Medium-TermStrategy. Likewise, efforts must also be deployedto facilitate, to the fullest extent possible, theparticipation of small island developing Statesand other small Member States in all ofUNESCO’s activities, paying special attention tothe fact that the Caribbean and Pacific sub-regions in particular, and small States moregenerally, account for a large percentage ofthose countries that have marginal representa-tion in the subsidiary organs and intergovern-mental bodies of UNESCO and therefore to seekto identify administrative mechanisms to enabletheir representation on these specialized bodies.

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Responding to the needs of Africa,

the least developed countries, women and youth

With respect to Africa, UNESCO’s action will be structured around four complementary objectives:� Promoting human capacity-building in the Member States of the region and, at subregionallevel, fostering initiatives to facilitate the coordination of programmes in the field of science andtechnology education and to make basic education accessible to all;� Helping African countries to establish a strategy for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and otherinfectious diseases by developing and implementing national education plans and acknowledgingcultural values;� Mobilizing, and acting as a catalyst for, international cooperation in support of initiatives byMember States, by fostering exchanges and cooperation, particularly with the OAU, African sub-regional organizations, the United Nations systems the World Bank and the African DevelopmentBank; this aims at devising and implementing common policies and strategies in the priority fieldsof the Organization in order to establish a sustainable culture of peace and ensure sustainabledevelopment in Africa;� Promoting the active participation of communities and representatives of civil society in the planning and implementation of development programmes, and also their involvement in decision-making at national and local levels; encouraging practices designed to strengthen theprocess of peaceful coexistence, democratization, democratic governance and tolerance.

With respect to the least developed countries (LDCs), two thirds of which are in Africa, UNESCOis committed to:� targeting the most disadvantaged groups (women and youth) and identifying specific actionsfor them;� spreading and replicating successful examples of alternatives to traditional formal education;� encouraging the use of science and technology in order to improve material living conditionsin the LDCs;� using culture as a political lever for poverty alleviation (promoting artistic creation, develop-ing cultural industries and intellectual property rights);� fostering the development of LDCs and their access to ICTs.

As regards women, a gender perspective will be integrated in policy planning, programming,implementation and evaluation activities in all areas of UNESCO’s competence with a view topromoting empowerment and achieving gender equality. Women’s priorities and vision of devel-opment goals and approaches will be addressed and promoted through greater participation ofwomen at all levels and in all areas of UNESCO’s action. Region-specific programmes and activi-ties that benefit girls and women of various ages, including the young and the elderly, will focuson networking, exchange of information, sharing of knowledge and building alliances across bor-ders and cultures in the framework of the United Nations Declaration and Programme ofAction on a Culture of Peace. Further promotion and implementation of the Convention on theElimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and all other internationalnormative instruments that promote women’s human rights will remain a top priority.

As regards UNESCO’s policy of mainstreaming youth – persons between 15 and 25 – it is aimedat ensuring that youth concerns, visions and contributions are fully taken into accountthrough a variety of approaches. The principal objective of UNESCO’s efforts is the empower-ment of young people so as to ensure and enhance their full participation as equal and valuablepartners, especially in the design and shaping of the knowledge society. UNESCO’s action is basedon the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond which was adoptedby the United Nations General Assembly in 1995. It is further inspired and guided by recom-mendations, declarations and plans of action emanating from a number of regional and interna-tional youth meetings and fora held over the last years.

� The decentralization reform launched by theDirector-General seeks to bring UNESCO’saction closer to the country level, to alignUNESCO’s programmes and activities with thegenuine needs of the beneficiaries and thus tobring about “bottom-up” programming. Thepivot for this process shall be the new networkof cluster offices, regional and country offices,which will allow close and proactive consult-ations with all parties concerned.

� Building upon ongoing regional integrationprocesses and priorities and linked to the Orga-nization’s renewal and decentralization efforts,UNESCO will develop specific regional and sub-regional strategies. These strategies will be for-mulated in close collaboration with all stake-holders and drawing on UNESCO’s fieldnetwork and in consonance with their respec-tive objectives, priorities and specific agendas,following the adoption of the global Medium-Term Strategy by the General Conference.

33] Flexibility: UNESCO will maintain sufficient flexi-bility to be able to cope in a proactive mannerwith the emergence of new issues and challengesthat might necessitate a change or shift of empha-sis in its action and also to be able to give theOrganization the capacity to adapt its globalstrategies to local features and conditions.

34] Excellence and innovation: UNESCO will be ableto claim and demonstrate its leadership in edu-cation, science, culture and communication onlyto the extent that it excels. To that end:a) UNESCO will organize itself as a focal point

for the identification, collection, processingand dissemination of the best available knowl-edge and experience in its various fields ofcompetence. UNESCO will sustain an ongoingexchange with the prime movers in the intel-lectual and scientific community, with relevantprofessional communities and with centres ofexpertise throughout the world.

b) UNESCO will mobilize available expertise andpractical support at various levels of interven-tion.

c) UNESCO will foster a culture of evidence-basedpolicy – nationally, regionally and internation-ally – through the collection and use of highquality, timely data in education, science andtechnology, communications and culture. TheUNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) is the focalpoint for UNESCO’s data collection efforts. Itwill concentrate on four main types of action:� Guardianship of cross-national data through

regular collections of key data, including

those required for monitoring progresstowards IDGs, data-sharing and dissemina-tion.

� Development of appropriate methodologyfor new indicators and improvement ofexisting indicators.

� Assistance to countries with a view toimproving their capacities for data collec-tion, use and analysis through training andother support.

� Analysis and interpretation of cross-nationaldata in order to inform policy developmentand monitoring.

d) UNESCO will aim at increasing its visibility,also by focusing on flagship programmes andinitiatives, such as the World Heritage Centre(WHC) and the Intergovernmental Oceano-graphic Commission (IOC), described in theboxes, as well as other programmes.

35] Convergence through inter- and multidisciplinaryaction: Today’s problems cut across the bound-aries of traditional disciplines and call for theapplication of comprehensive, interdisciplinaryand intersectoral strategies of action and skills.UNESCO, as a specialized organization within theUnited Nations system, is a repository of special-ized knowledge and expertise, yet it is not afunding agency. One of UNESCO’s comparativeadvantages is the linkages and complementaritiesexisting between the four in-house domains andwith other partners in the United Nations system.The Medium-Term Strategy aims at a concentra-tion of skills on well-defined themes, strategiesand projects, to be complemented by internal andexternal knowledge-sharing and exchange net-works. This is underlined by the selection of twocross-cutting themes for the sexennial period,which must be intrinsic to all UNESCO’s pro-grammes and which must play a central role forthe entirety of the Organization’s activities:

� eradication of poverty, especially extremepoverty;

� the contribution of the information and com-munication technologies to the developmentof education, science and culture and theconstruction of a knowledge society.

For each of these cross-cutting themes, an inte-grated strategy has been prepared and includedin the present document. The promotion of thetwo cross-cutting themes shall serve to:

� strengthen interdisciplinary and intersectoralapproaches and work within UNESCO;

� mobilize all the sectors of the Organizationfor a select and well-defined issue of highglobal priority;

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The oceans– a UNESCO flagship programme –

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO was established in 1960 as aspecialized mechanism of the United Nations system to coordinate ocean scientific research and oceanservices worldwide. The commitment of 129 Member States, gathered in its own Assembly, has allowed tomaintain for 40 years a high-level forum in support of a strong focus on ocean science. UNESCO through itsIOC has played and will continue to play a leadership role in the development of the knowledge necessaryto manage ocean resources.

IOC has successfully coordinated the major ocean science programmes responsible for generating theknowledge and collecting the data needed to:� Understand the role of the ocean in bio-geochemical cycling, drawing the attention to the process

of climate and global change;� Understand ocean circulation and its relationship with the atmosphere, increasing the range of

weather and climate forecasting;� Assess the role of marine ecosystems in the cycling of CO2 in the marine environment;� Establish the baseline reference and conduct regular assessments of the major ocean basins to

ascertain the impact of man-made activities and pollution.

To perform these tasks, IOC coordinates action of its Member States and develops strong partnershipswith other organizations. IOC sponsors, together with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO),the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Council of Scientific Unions(ICSU), the World Climate Research Programme, together with the International Geosphere–BiosphereProgramme (IGBP), the Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics Programme and together with SCOR astudy of the Global Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms (GEOHAB). The GlobalInvestigation of Pollution in the Marine Environment programme, conducted together with UNEP andthe International Maritime Organization (IMO), produces regular assessments of major ocean basins.

These efforts have laid the foundation for an expanded role of IOC in meeting the challenges of sustainabledevelopment of the oceans and coasts. In the follow-up to the Rio Earth Summit (1992), IOC is responsiblefor “Addressing critical uncertainties for the management of the marine environment and climate change”.Particular focus is given to the African Process as a follow-up to the Pan-African Conference on SustainableIntegrated Coastal Management (PACSICOM). Working through training, education, and mutual assistance(TEMA) to improve the capacity of developing countries, IOC has the global responsibility for helping toestablish the institutions that are called under the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS) to provide the stewardship for the largest commons of the planet.

IOC is pioneering the development of operational oceanography, the continuous monitoring of oceanconditions to provide a range of services public and private users. The predictions of El Niño/La Niña,storm-surges and tsunamis, and of ocean weather, are outcomes routinely to be made available.

IOC’s International Data and Information Exchange (IODE) programme, which comprises a network ofNational Oceanographic Data Centres in 66 countries, linked to the World Data Centres for Oceanography,advocates and applies a policy of open and unrestricted flow of ocean data to the international community.

In this context, since 1998 a major initiative is the implementation of the Global Ocean ObservingSystem (GOOS), which IOC leads in partnership with WMO, UNEP and ICSU. GOOS is part of anIntegrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) with the space agencies of the world as partners. GOOS hasan open ocean subsystem to improve weather and climate forecasting, and a coastal one to provideinformation to manage and restore healthy coastal ecosystems and living resources, to forecast andmitigate the effects of natural hazards, to enable safer and more cost-effective marine operations andto protect public health.

The growing observation network comprises remote sensing from satellites; coastal instrumentsincluding tide gauges; buoys, drifters and other platforms; ships of opportunity (including commercialferries) and long time series records of variability. Since 1998 the Initial Observing System of GOOS isoperating through the contribution of the Member States of IOC and incorporates existing operationalelements. It is growing by developing pre-operational pilot projects to demonstrate utility and cost-effectiveness; building capacity for developing countries; stimulating enabling research; and interacting withusers to determine the most useful products. Much of the application of GOOS will take place throughthe new Joint WMO/IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM).

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World heritage– a UNESCO flagship programme –

The framework of world heritage activities at a glance� Convention concerning the Protection of the World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972)� World Heritage Committee� General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention (162 States Parties as at March 2001)� World Heritage Centre (WHC), Secretariat to the Committee� Advisory bodies to the Committee – World Conservation Union (IUCN), International Coun-

cil of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and International Centre for the Study of the Preser-vation and Restauration of Cultural Property (ICCROM)

� 690 cultural and natural heritage properties on the World Heritage ListUNESCO’s World Heritage Convention is contributing to the protection of the planet’s cultural and nat-ural diversity, especially important in the context of globalization and global environmental change.Within UNESCO, the World Heritage Centre takes a multidisciplinary approach to the conservation ofboth cultural and natural heritage of outstanding universal value in the framework of decisions adoptedby the World Heritage Committee and the General Assembly of the States Parties.

Reform � A technical agenda of strategic reflection and policy development will be embarked upon beginningwith the 30th anniversary of the Convention in 2002.� The working methods of the Committee will be reformed to facilitate streamlined decision-makingin support of world heritage conservation.� The selection criteria for inscription of sites on the World Heritage List and the modalities for theinclusion of sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger will be the subject of expert and legal review.� Renewed emphasis on the conservation principles of the Convention and the management of worldheritage sites will be driven by a revision of the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation ofthe World Heritage Convention.

Global strategy for a balanced and representative World Heritage ListImplementation of the World Heritage Convention is continuing to contribute to internationalstandards for heritage conservation. New challenges have emerged with a broadened definition ofheritage. The complex of distinctive spiritual, material and technological responses of people to theirenvironment that characterize heritage emphasize the links between tangible and intangible culture andthe inseparability of nature and culture. States Parties are increasingly proposing nominations of non-monumental cultural sites, a diverse range of ecosystems, as well as sites that demonstrate theoutstanding interactions between people and the environment (cultural landscapes), places with bothcultural and natural values and sites with spiritual and other associative values. The World HeritageCommittee's Global Strategy for a balanced and representative World Heritage List thus concentratesefforts on identifying new world heritage sites in under-represented regions and categories of heritagebetter reflecting the world's cultural and natural diversity as well as sites reflecting multiple culturalidentities.

Major focusTo meet the challenges of protecting world heritage, a new system of World Heritage Partnerships willfocus on effective management.A key objective will be to integrate world heritage conservation actionsinto regional and urban planning and sustainable development strategies (including eco- and culturaltourism). All efforts will be made to respond quickly to the various threats to world heritage sites toensure biodiversity and cultural heritage conservation. Public and private sector cooperation will beconsolidated and new actions developed to address particular threats posed by resource exploitation(such as mining) at or near world heritage sites. The six-year cycle of periodic reporting approved bythe General Assembly, and strengthened processes for monitoring the state of conservation of worldheritage properties will also be continued. The outstanding value of world heritage sites and thecultural, environmental and economic benefits of world heritage conservation will be promoted usingexamples of best practice management (including traditional management regimes).

A World Heritage Membership programme will aim at strengthening the existing World Heritage Infor-mation Network (WHIN) and fostering a general ethic of conservation through capacity-building, edu-cation (through a network of universities and “World Heritage in Young Hands”), public awareness andmedia strategies. The objective will be to mobilize a vast international constituency in support of theprotection of the world’s most outstanding cultural and natural heritage sites.

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� increase the visibility of UNESCO’s contribu-tion to the achievement of objectives com-mon to all the organizations of the UnitedNations system.

36] The new decentralization strategy of UNESCO willdemand even more multidisciplinary and inter-sectoral strategies and approaches. With particu-lar support from cluster offices, Member Stateswill be assisted by multidisciplinary teams in thepreparation of various programming exercisesconducted within the framework of the UnitedNations system. In an effort to become a learn-ing organization, UNESCO will move speedily todesign, introduce and internalize knowledge man-agement and networking techniques, especiallyICT-based approaches and tools.

37] Cooperation through partnerships, alliances andother linkages: Partnerships, alliances and otherlinkages and mechanisms are powerful instru-ments for addressing global issues, supported bya growing internationalization of civil society andthe private sector, largely due to electronic net-works. Given the needs and expectations asagainst the limited means at its disposal, UNESCOwill have to select certain priority areas for actionin which it will seek to play a leadership role.For other areas, it will need to opt for participa-tion in programmes implemented in cooperationwith partners, in some cases with those partnerstaking the lead. It is therefore of crucial impor-tance to plan all action, right from the start,within the framework of a partnership systemallowing for the most effective distribution oflabour while ensuring effective monitoring ofaction and results. In future Programme andBudget documents, partnership relations shall beidentified in a context map, identifying, as appro-priate, for each programme and strategic objec-tive, the partners to be associated and theirrespective roles and contributions. � UNESCO will continue to cooperate and co-

ordinate its activities with the other membersof the United Nations system, thus contributingto the process of strengthening the UnitedNations system as a whole through morecoherent and complementary interventions. Tothat end, at the global level UNESCO will par-ticipate fully in the work of the AdministrativeCommittee on Coordination (ACC) and itssubsidiary bodies. At the country level, it willcontribute to country-level programming ofdevelopment cooperation, reinforced alsothrough UNESCO’s ongoing decentralizationreform. The main focus will be on cooperation

in the context of the Common Country Assess-ment (CCA) and United Nations DevelopmentAssistance Framework (UNDAF) instruments,and with the World Bank/IMF in the context ofthe Comprehensive Development Framework(CDF) and Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers(PRSP) instruments. In this context, and in anyother ad hoc exercise, UNESCO will worktowards an appropriate reflection of the Orga-nization’s fields of competence. UNESCO willalso support efforts that aim at involving themajor bilateral donors in the joint programmingat the country level.

� The Organization will extend its links to andseek the conclusion of cooperation agreementswith other intergovernmental, international andregional institutions, development banks, andbilateral partners.

� UNESCO will also build on its long-establishedand fruitful relationships with numerous NGOsand representatives of civil society and theirumbrella organizations, including AssociatedSchools.

� National Commissions, as constituent elementsof UNESCO under Article VII of the UNESCOConstitution, will continue to act as the centralliaison bodies between Member States and theSecretariat, concurrently enhancing publicawareness of the Organization’s ideals andactivities. Modalities may include a strengthen-ing of the human and operational capacities aswell as networking capacities of the NationalCommissions, so as to facilitate a more effec-tive participation in the execution and evalua-tion of UNESCO’s programmes. Efforts willcontinue so that National Commissions areable to fully play their role as bodies for con-sultation, liaison, information, evaluation andprogramme execution, whilst expanding theirfield of action to include the search for fund-ing and the mobilization of new partnerships.

� New impetus will be given to UNESCO Clubs,Centres and Associations which number 5,000members in 120 countries. These are well positioned to represent diverse groups withincivil society and to contribute to citizen educa-tion and intercultural as well as intergenera-tional interaction.

� Cooperation with parliamentarians (includingthe UNESCO Parliamentarian Leagues) will helpbuild a pivotal constituency for UNESCO andprovide links between the executive and leg-islative branches with respect to the variousaspects of UNESCO’s mandate and activities.

� Cooperation, alliances and partnerships with theprivate sector at various levels are becoming

Marshalling the resources — regular and extrabudgetary funds

38] To respond to all ongoing and new challengescombined will demand an enormous amount ofhuman and financial resources, well beyond thereach of UNESCO or, for that matter, the interna-tional system of cooperation as a whole. At pres-ent, a mismatch exists between the financialresources required to address the complex globalproblems and the shrinking flows of officialdevelopment assistance (ODA). This circum-scribes a major dilemma for multilateral organiza-tions, as without sufficient human and financialresources programme activities and their sustain-ability will be constrained.

39] Given the financial limitations, one option will beto bring about an increase in extrabudgetary con-tributions channelled through UNESCO, which atpresent exceeds available programme fundsalready to the tune of 5:1. Extrabudgetary funds– from bilateral government donors, the fundingorganizations of the United Nations system,including the World Bank, the European Union,the regional development banks and the privatesector – have thus become part and parcel ofUNESCO’s resource base. Henceforth, they willbecome an integral part of UNESCO’s program-ming and they must be firmly targeted on thestrategic objectives of this strategy. In that regard,UNESCO will actively work towards a consistencybetween the regular programme and the objec-tives and expectations of extrabudgetary donors.

40] UNESCO will further pursue the possibility ofdefining longer-term funding strategies with themain external funding partners and to codifythem in formal cooperation agreements. In thatcontext, multi-donor and multi-year fundingarrangements will be explored. To take advantageof the catalytic effect of UNESCO’s programmes,joint or complementary thematic studies will alsobe initiated with donors.

Human resources and administrativeinnovations

41] Programme priori t ies inevitably influence staffing needs in terms of relevance of skills, competences, numbers, training and renewal ofexpertise. The Organization’s overall humanresources policy will have to be adapted accord-ingly, bearing in mind the impact of criticalparameters such as motivation, initiative, creativ-ity, gender balance, geographical distribution ofstaff, delegation of authority and accountability.Rejuvenation of staff will be a central objectiveas will be better career development and plan-ning. As an integral part of a new performancemanagement system, a competency-based frame-work will be developed including for seniormanagers. The current performance appraisal sys-tem will be redesigned, establishing a clear linkbetween individual objectives and the achieve-ment of results, and incorporating the compe-tency model. Further, a career development pol-icy and programme will be introduced, coveringlateral transfers, special assignments, an externalstudies programme and related career develop-ment training. A new policy framework will beimplemented concerning work/family agendaissues aimed at equipping staff members betterto manage their work and family responsibilities.Beyond concern for the well-being of its staff,such a policy aims also at attracting and retain-ing competent employees. To allow the best pos-sible match between organizational needs andthe legitimate aspirations of the staff, both atHeadquarters and in the field, a rotation schemehas been developed. This scheme shall ensuregreater staff mobility. UNESCO will also ensurecontinuous learning for all its staff. To this effect,a series of training programmes will be devel-oped and implemented. The introduction ofmodern working methods, techniques and docu-mentation services, based on ICTs, will allow dis-tance learning and training on a global scale,instantaneous linkages between Headquarters,

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I I I . P R O V I D I N G T H E M E A N S

increasingly important not only for the UnitedNations and its funds and programmes, butequally so for UNESCO. Opportunities for suchcollaboration will be actively pursued during the

period of the Medium-Term Strategy, bearing inmind the need for partners to observe ethicalbusiness practices and to provide appropriatesubstantive and financial contributions.

the field and other entities, as well as the oper-ation of a hub for networking, knowledge shar-ing and knowledge brokering.

42] The improvement of management processes,including greater delegation of authority togetherwith more effective oversight mechanisms andprocedures, across the entire Organization will beequally critical for its credibility, transparency,accountability, effectiveness and impact. This willnot be a one-time event but will require a sus-tained effort stretching over several biennia andstages.

43] UNESCO’s decentralization reform will increasethe direct relevance of the Organization forMember States, given the prospect of closer con-sultation, more direct involvement in the planningcycle and more effective delivery of programmes.Overall, the reform aims at a more efficient uti-lization of resources through more rational andnetworked field operations, allowing a concentra-tion of expertise and human resources throughthe modality of cluster offices.

Communicating to the world –strengthening UNESCO’s outreach capacity

44] In an increasingly competitive and results-oriented international environment, strengtheningUNESCO’s visibility, communication and outreachwill be critical.

45] There will be a new mechanism to reinforce theidentity of the Organization. It is less a questionof communicating about the institution as such,than of describing in word and image theessential missions and objectives it intends to pur-

sue over the next six years. The purpose of thecommunication action will be to spell outUNESCO’s messages and back up the executionof its programmes.

46] It will be based on a permanent system for mon-itoring public opinion, and will put programmemanagers in the front line. For this purpose, acommunication centre will be established in everyprogramme sector and there will be training toback up the new system.

47] UNESCO will have to redirect its media choicesand will need to concentrate on digital informa-tion, while ensuring access for all to the knowl-edge and information in its various fields ofaction. The existing information and dissemina-tion services, to which will be added a new func-tion of editorial coordination for the web, will begrouped together in a single entity pursuingsynergies with programme sectors, thus contribut-ing to the emergence of a new “culture of com-munication” in the Organization.

48] The subsequent sections set out the strategicobjectives and sub-objectives, strategies to bepursued and outcomes expected. They describeactivities to be undertaken in UNESCO’s areasof competence – education, the sciences, cultureand communication – and through its two cross-cutting themes, focusing on the eradication ofpoverty and the use of ICTs and their contribu-tion to knowledge societies. The following chartprovides a systematic overview of the sub-stantive themes and strategic objectives consti-tuting the Medium-Term Strategy for the period2002-2007.

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U N I F Y I N G T H E M E

UNESCO contributing to peace and human development in an era of globalization through education, the sciences, culture and communication.

T W O C R O S S - C U T T I N G T H E M E S

� Eradication of poverty, especially extreme poverty �� The contribution of information and communication technologies to the development

of education, science and culture and the construction of a knowledge society �

T H R E E M A I N S T R AT E G I C T H R U S T S

T W E LV E S T R AT E G I C O B J E C T I V E S

Developing and promotinguniver sa l pr inc ip les andnorms, based on shared val-ues, in order to meet emerg-ing challenges in education,science, culture and commu-nication and to protect andstrengthen the “commonpublic good”

Promoting pluralism, throughrecognition and safeguardingof diversity together with theobservance of human rights

Promoting empowermentand par t ic ipat ion in theemerging knowledge societythrough equitable access,capacity-building and sharingof knowledge

� Promoting educa-tion as a fundamentalright in accordancewith the UniversalDeclaration of HumanRights;� Improving the quality of educationthrough the diversifica-tion of contents andmethods and the pro-motion of universallyshared values;� Promoting experi-mentation, innovationand the diffusion andsharing of informationand best practices aswell as policy dialoguein education.

� Promoting principlesand ethical norms to guide scientific and technological development and social transformation;� Improving humansecurity by bettermanagement of theenvironment and social change;� Enhancing scientific,technical and humancapacities to participatein the emerging knowledge societies.

� Promoting the free flow of ideas and universal access to information;� Promoting theexpression of pluralismand cultural diversity inthe media and worldinformation networks;� Access for all to information and communication technologies, especiallyin the public domain.

� Promoting thedrafting and implemen-tation of standard-setting instruments inthe cultural field;� Safeguarding culturaldiversity and encouraging dialogueamong cultures andcivilizations;� Enhancing thelinkages betweenculture and develop-ment, through capacity-building andsharing of knowledge.

Education Sciences Communicationand InformationCulture

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49] In pursuit of UNESCO’s three main strategicthrusts, UNESCO will promote education as a fun-damental right, work to improve the quality ofeducation, and stimulate innovation and the shar-ing of knowledge and best practices. Equally,UNESCO’s efforts in the education field aredirected at the eradication of poverty, through bothformal and non-formal settings and education.

50] The World Education Forum (Dakar, Senegal, April2000) constituted a watershed for UNESCO. The

Forum confirmed the Organization as the coordi-nator of the Education for All (EFA) partners andcharged it with the task of maintaining theircollective momentum. Thus, UNESCO is placingthe outcomes and priorities of Dakar at the heartof its work during 2002-2007. The realization ofthe six goals of the Dakar Framework for Action(see box) will be the overriding priority forUNESCO’s education strategy. Indeed, a vigorousand effective follow-up to Dakar will shape thefuture activities of the entire Organization.

Education

Education for All � the six Dakar goals

(adopted by the World Education Forum, Dakar, Senegal, 26-28 April 2000)(Dakar Framework for Action, para.7)

We hereby collectively commit ourselves to the attainment of the following goals:

(i) expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education,especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children;

(ii) ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circum-stances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete freeand compulsory primary education of good quality;

(iii) ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met throughequitable access to appropriate learning and life-skills programmes;

(iv) achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especiallyfor women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults;

(v) eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, andachieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ fulland equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality;

(vi) improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all sothat recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially inliteracy, numeracy and essential life skills.

51] The Dakar Framework for Action reaffirmed thevision of the international community at theWorld Conference on Education for All (Jomtien,Thailand, 1990) that all children, young peopleand adults have the human right to benefit froman education that will meet their basic learningneeds. The Dakar Forum gave the Jomtien visionmore precise operational direction and paid spe-cial attention to:� the learning needs of the poor and the excluded;� the reduction of adult illiteracy;� the expansion of early childhood care and edu-

cation;� improving the quality of learning;� overcoming gender disparities; and� mobilizing the requisite resources.

52] In addition, the Dakar Forum placed the mainresponsibility for fulfilling the right to educationsquarely upon the shoulders of Member States. Itemphasized the need to pursue the EFA goals inclose cooperation between governments and civilsociety and through a transparent, democratic andparticipatory process. UNESCO’s task will be tomobilize human and financial resources to sup-port Member States in their efforts to fulfil theEFA commitments at national, regional and inter-national levels, taking fully into account the diver-sity of national situations, and to renew educationsystems and approaches with a view to respond-ing to the challenges of building knowledgesocieties.

53] The Dakar Forum constituted part of the ongoingdynamics of change affecting the world of educa-tion. Together with the report of the InternationalCommission on Education for the Twenty-firstCentury, Learning: The Treasure Within (1996), aseries of UNESCO world conferences (adult edu-cation, Hamburg, 1997; higher education, Paris,1998; technical and vocational education, Seoul,1999; science, Budapest, 1999) helped to definean ambitious international agenda unified by theglobal quest for building learning societies basedon education as a lifelong process. This coincidedwith a renewal of interest in education andeducation policies at the highest levels in manycountries, both in the North and the South. Ofparticular importance is the consensus that hasemerged that education must be central to theinternational fight against poverty and exclusion,a major international development goal set by the

Millennium Summit (see box, page 2). Of equalimportance is the growing recognition that educa-tion must play a key role in learning to livetogether in a globalizing and increasingly interde-pendent world, in particular through the promo-tion of tolerance and respect for universally sharedvalues, human rights and fundamental freedoms.

54] UNESCO will take into account the entire educa-tional continuum, going from pre-school to highereducation, including formal and non-formalapproaches, technical and vocational education,the fight against illiteracy in all its dimensions,including basic skills and functional literacy, adultand lifelong learning and the utilization of locallanguages – all are necessary to ensure the suc-cess of EFA. In this context, adequate follow-upto relevant international conferences and commit-ments will be ensured.

55] UNESCO’s work will have both “upstream” and“downstream” dimensions. Its roles as a labora-tory of educational ideas and as a setter of edu-cational standards are vital expressions of itsupstream work entailing advisory services toMember States, policy analysis, policy formula-tion, monitoring, reporting and research. Theyalso offer the chance for productive collaborationbetween UNESCO and its partners (academic,governmental and non-governmental) as well aswithin its own worldwide networks of institutesand other educational institutions.

56] UNESCO’s downstream role will focus on capacity-building, information exchange, and other modal-ities of international cooperation. Particular atten-tion will be paid to the generation of feedbackloops so that field experience and knowledgefrom capacity-building and information networkscan enrich and illuminate the upstream work. Bythe same measure, the latter will inform andupdate the downstream activities through whichUNESCO provides support to Member States.While concentrating efforts and resources on EFA,UNESCO will continue to address other educa-tional concerns and responsibilities, such as edu-cation for a culture of peace, science and tech-nology education, higher education, and technicaland vocational education. These aspects ofUNESCO’s educational work will be especiallysignificant for the renewal of education systemsand the building of knowledge societies.

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Strategic objective 1

Promoting education as a fundamental right in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

57] Advancing the right to education as enshrined inthe Universal Declaration of Human Rights iscentral to UNESCO’s mission. Free, compulsoryand universal primary education for all is amongthe most clearly defined of these rights, whichgovernments have a duty and responsibility tomake a reality. The political commitments under-taken by the international community in Dakarand the Dakar Framework for Action it adoptedare an expression of the collective political willto make substantial progress in the years to come.To that end, UNESCO will pursue the followingstrategic sub-objectives:

Building partnerships for EFA

58] UNESCO will act as the catalyst for internationalcooperation in education, mobilizing partners andresources in the pursuit of the EFA goals.

Recognizing that the key partners in all EFA-related forms of cooperation are the MemberStates, UNESCO will coordinate comprehensive,thorough and continuous policy planning at alllevels (national, regional and international), work-ing in close cooperation with the four official part-ners in the EFA movement (World Bank, UnitedNations Population Fund, United Nations Devel-opment Programme and United Nations Children’sFund – each playing important complementaryroles within their own mandates), other UnitedNations organizations and programmes as well asbilateral agencies and NGOs. To further broadenlinkages, UNESCO is associating itself with theUnited Nations Development Group (UNDG),especially on issues pertaining to education.UNESCO will continue to coordinate the globalinitiative which aims at designing the strategiesand mobilizing the resources needed for nationalEFA efforts. Based on commonly understood prin-ciples for the global initiative accepted by EFApartners, i.e. all intergovernmental organizations,multi- and bi-lateral donor agencies, regionaldevelopment banks, non-governmental organiza-tions, beneficiary countries, civil society and theprivate sector, UNESCO will undertake high-leveladvocacy in order to increase the quantity, quality

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Global initiative for Education for All

We affirm that no country seriously committed to education for all will be thwarted in theirachievement of this goal by a lack of resources. The international community made thiscollective commitment in Dakar and launched a global initiative in support of Educationfor All.

As part of its mandate, UNESCO is coordinating the global initiative aimed at mobilizingthe resources in support of national EFA efforts. The international community will applya common understanding of the six options for the initiative and adopt others as con-sidered necessary in specific country contexts. The six options are:

(i) increasing external finance for education, in particular basic education;

(ii) ensuring greater predictability in the flow of external assistance;

(iii) facilitating more effective donor coordination;

(iv) strengthening sector-wide approaches;

(v) providing earlier, more extensive and broader debt relief and/or debt cancellationfor poverty reduction, with a strong commitment to basic education; and

(vi) undertaking more effective and regular monitoring of progress towards EFA goalsand targets, including periodic assessments as part of evidence-based policy.

and range of resources provided by the interna-tional community in support of national EFAefforts. This includes combining traditional andinnovative approaches to resource mobilization,utilization and management, for example in-creased and more predictable official develop-ment assistance (ODA) and the use of sector-wideapproaches, debt relief schemes and government-led donor coordination as efficiency measures(see box). Clearly, additional resources will berequired to implement all EFA commitments.

Supporting policy reforms in favour of EFA

59] Success in achieving the Dakar goals will bedetermined at the country level. A major task forUNESCO will be to support Member States inpolicy reforms, especially the design and imple-mentation of EFA policies and action plans as wellas of legal instruments for promoting universalaccess to basic education. Member States must bethe prime movers in designing or strengtheningnational EFA action plans by 2002, which oughtto be embedded in both overall national educa-tion and poverty reduction strategies. A key forthe success of EFA policies, as firmly establishedby the 1990 Jomtien Conference, will be that basiceducation means much more than primary school-ing. Learning begins at birth and continuesthroughout life. UNESCO will therefore emphasizethe integration of early childhood care and edu-cation into education policies and systems. It willalso give particular attention to adult learning andrevitalize, within the United Nations LiteracyDecade, non-formal basic education for youth andadults. Furthermore, it will try to ensure that edu-cational policies adopt inclusive approaches thatembrace marginalized groups, people with specialneeds and ethnic minorities.

60] Cooperation and sharing of experience amongMember States and partner agencies will be pro-moted through national, regional and sub-regionalEFA forums and other cooperative mechanisms.UNESCO will focus particularly on the least devel-oped countries, Africa, South Asia, E-9 countriesand countries in transition or in crisis. In partic-ular, the needs of the E-9 countries will beaccorded high priority, keeping in view the factthat two thirds of the world’s illiterates are foundin E-9 countries.

61] To encourage the development of evidence-basedpolicies, UNESCO, including through its institutes,will help build the capacity of Member States tomap their situations, design better education sys-tems, deliver services and monitor results anddevelopments towards reaching the EFA goals.The EFA Observatory, hosted by the UNESCOInstitute for Statistics, will monitor and reportprogress towards EFA goals, in close cooperationwith national bodies, donor agencies and non-governmental organizations engaged in EFA activ-ities. The Observatory will help build capacitiesand facilitate the free flow and sharing of all per-tinent information and data. Thus, UNESCO willprovide critical and sustained input and guidanceto policy-makers at all levels, underpinning theformulation, review and eventual amendment ofnational EFA policies and action plans.

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Expected outcomes:

� Large number of national EFA plans developedby the end of 2002 and process of implementation launched;

� Increased regional/subregional cooperationthrough the organization of regional and subregional EFA fora and creation of permanent mechanisms for consultation and sharing of experience in severalregions/subregions;

� Evidence-based policy development and decision-making by many countries throughregular monitoring, assessments and reportingon progress towards EFA goals;

� Capacities for data and information collectionand analysis strengthened in several countriesand regions.

Expected outcomes:

� Sustained political commitment achieved and EFA goals and priorities placed high on the international, regional and national policy agendas;

� International support efficiently directed, utilizedand managed in support of national EFAefforts;

� Increased and more predictable external financial assistance in favour of basic educationto support national, subregional and regionalEFA strategies.

Advancing the right to education

62] The right to education is not only enshrined inArticle 26 of the Universal Declaration of HumanRights, but is also recognized in the InternationalCovenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights(Articles 13 and 14), in the Convention on theRights of the Child (Articles 28 to 30) and innumerous other normative instruments. Thus,denial of education and educational deprivationconstitute a violation of human rights. UNESCOwill intensify its advocacy for a more effectiveapplication of existing normative instruments con-cerning the right to education and to that end itwill cooperate with the relevant institutions, inparticular the United Nations Committee onEconomic, Social and Cultural Rights. Monitoringthe implementation of the Convention againstDiscrimination in Education (1960) will beanother important element of UNESCO’s work.Particular emphasis will be placed on ensuringthat education becomes truly inclusive, in parti-cular by effectively reaching the unreached –especially the poor, women and girls, ruralpopulations, minorities, refugees and countries orpopulations victims of disasters and people withspecial needs. UNESCO will further seek toengage Member States and new educationalproviders in a dialogue highlighting education asa public good and encourage all actors in thefield of education to pay due regard in theirundertakings to the need for equity, inclusion andsocial cohesion in today’s societies.

63] Strengthening girls’ right to education is a highpriority for UNESCO. In line with the MillenniumDeclaration, and with a view to eliminating gen-der disparities in primary and secondary educa-tion by 2005, UNESCO will continue to be anactive partner in the United Nations Girls’ Educa-tion Initiative (UNGEI). The need to ensure gen-der equity will also be prominent throughoutUNESCO’s entire education programme. One wayof implementing the right to education is to worktowards literacy. Faced with an increasing gapbetween literates and illiterates in terms of social,civic and economic opportunities, UNESCO willrenew its efforts towards achieving literacy for all,targeting principally girls and women. On theother hand, emphasis will be placed on an edu-cation that helps to meet the challenges ofpoverty and exclusion by promoting life skills andaccess to the world of work, in particular throughtechnical and vocational education.

Empowering the poor and reaching the unreached through education

64] Ensuring access to education for millions of chil-dren and adults living in poverty and disadvan-taged by economic status, geography, cultural orlinguistic barriers or special needs, is a core chal-lenge for UNESCO. In order to ensure that theneeds of the poor, the excluded and the margin-alized are addressed, UNESCO will help build thenecessary capacities in national governments andcivil society, gather and disseminate best prac-tices, and stimulate dialogue about inclusiveapproaches to educational strategies.

65] UNESCO will seek to expand non-formal basiceducation that provides equitable, well-tailoredaccess to information for people on their rights toparticipate in policy dialogue, to legal recourse,to work, to basic social services and to civicamenities, as well as on measures and practicesto improve quality of life in general. UNESCO willalso promote non-formal basic education thatstresses the concept of vulnerability and risk man-agement particularly in relation to HIV/AIDS anddrug abuse.

66] UNESCO is also committed to supporting educa-tional needs of countries and populations in crisis situations. This will include contributions to an inter-agency cooperation network on education in emergencies focusing on refugees,displaced populations, women and childrenaffected by conflicts. UNESCO will further gatherand disseminate information in order to mobilizeinternational public opinion and support for theplight of refugee children as well as street andworking children who are deprived of their right

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Expected outcomes:

� Intensified international public debate aboutthe right to education;

� Development of guidelines and shared norms,including the proposal of a consolidated nor-mative instrument on the right to education;

� Gender disparities in primary and secondaryeducation eliminated or greatly reduced inmost Member States by 2005;

� Preparation, launch and implementation of a ten-year United Nations Literacy Decade andPlan of Action in order to reach the target ofachieving a 50 per cent improvement in levelsof adult literacy by 2015.

to education. The Organization will contribute inparticular to support the education of refugeesand other displaced persons, especially in coun-tries suffering from conflict situations or naturaldisasters, and ensure that education remains oneof the major fields of international humanitarianaction.

Strategic objective 2

Improving the quality of educationthrough the diversification of contentsand methods and the promotion of universally shared values

67] UNESCO will promote new approaches toimprove the quality of education for all through-out life. The pursuit of quality education hasbecome an essential task for UNESCO and shallaim at reaching an adequate balance betweenresults and contents. It must go beyond increas-ing the material inputs for school systems orenhancing school effectiveness, important thoughthese are. Quality education must be pursued ona holistic basis and include:a) values and civic education, especially for

human rights and democracy, peace anduniversally shared values such as citizenship,tolerance, non-violence and dialogue amongcultures and civilizations;

b) the reform of curricula, taking into accountsociocultural needs and promoting regionaland subregional networks;

c) support by UNESCO of Member States’ initia-tives to carry out bilateral or multilateralrevision of textbooks, particularly textbookson history and civic education;

d) the measurement and monitoring of learnerachievements;

e) the structure, method and content of educa-tion systems;

f) the improvement of human and materialresources;

g) preventive education;h) school networking through the Associated

Schools Project;In this respect, two of the pillars identified by theDelors Commission, “learning to be” and “learn-ing to live together”, ought to receive pride ofplace in education at all levels.

68] The quest for quality education is today inextri-cably bound up with the processes and impact ofglobalization. With a focus on promoting univer-sally shared values and a culturally sensitivediversification of educational contents and meth-ods, UNESCO’s approach towards quality educa-tion will address a broad range of themes: edu-cation for a culture of peace and sustainabledevelopment; science and technology educationfor all; respect for cultural and linguistic diversity(see also strategic objectives 8 and 11); preven-tive education in response to HIV/AIDS and drugabuse; physical education and sport (particularlygiven the fact that MINEPS III re-affirmedUNESCO’s role as focal point for physical educa-tion and sport in the United Nations system andreiterated the importance of physical educationand sport as an essential element and integralpart of the process of continuing education,human and social development as well as per-sonal well-being); the encouragement of attitudes,behaviour and lifestyles conducive to well-beingand good health; environmental and populationeducation.

69] UNESCO will pursue the following strategic sub-objectives:

Promoting universally shared values through education

70] In a world that is still influenced by prejudiceand ignorance, and torn by violence, conflict andintolerance, helping people to learn to livetogether is one of education’s key missions.UNESCO will continue to advocate an educationthat promotes behaviour and values that areconducive to the development of peaceful,democratic and pluralistic societies. Nurturingunderstanding between peoples, fostering mutualrespect and the recognition of universal values

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Expected outcomes:

� Wider access to education achieved in manycountries through the development of compre-hensive and inclusive educational strategies for the poor and the excluded;

� Non-formal basic education programmes developed as a means of assisting the develop-ment of life skills thus alleviating poverty andimproving people’s quality of life;

� Strengthened inter-agency mechanisms for education in emergencies and more effectivesupport provided to Member States in post-conflict and crisis situations.

such as human rights, democracy, tolerance andnon-violence, solidarity and intercultural under-standing are essential. In close cooperation withthe Office of the United Nations High Commis-sioner for Human Rights, UNESCO will pursuethe fulfilment of the goals of the United NationsDecade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004).Activities will also be based on the Plan ofAction for a Culture of Peace adopted by theUnited Nations General Assembly and related tothe United Nations Decade for a Culture of Peaceand Non-Violence for the Children of the World(2001-2010). The role of Associated Schools inthis respect will be emphasized.

71] Neither EFA nor the goal of enhancing the qual-ity of education will be reached without adequaterecognition of the role played by teachers. In thisrespect, quality education should clearly recog-nize the key and evolving role of teachers in theeducational process. UNESCO will therefore focuson issues of teacher training and retraining andrenew its efforts to ensure the improvement ofthe status of teachers. UNESCO will emphasizethe importance of teacher training and retrainingfor all levels and forms of education, includingthe use of information and communication tech-nologies and modern methods of distance andopen learning, as a means of building anenabling environment in the context of theknowledge society.

Improving and diversifying the contentsand methods of education

72] Education must reflect the diversity of educationneeds, expectations, interests and cultural con-texts. This poses particular challenges under con-ditions of globalization given its strong tendencytowards uniformity. To this end, UNESCO willhelp to expand more learner-centred methods,materials and technologies by diversifying educa-tional contents and renewing pedagogic processesso that they are better adapted to the specificcontexts of learners. Close attention will be givento improving the quality of teaching and learningmaterials, the professional skills of teachers, theuse of appropriate language(s) of instruction andbilingual education to promote diversity. UNESCOwill develop a strategy pertaining to the use oflocal languages in education and the teaching ofother languages. Local languages are a pillar foridentity and dialogue and the teaching of addi-tional languages. Utilizing modern methods is ameans of promoting better understanding, toler-ance, diversity and peace and a vehicle forempowering individuals in the twenty-firstcentury. A true improvement of quality must alsoaffect the whole learning environment includinghealth, nutrition and other factors. Particularlyimportant will be the inclusion of new knowl-edge, competencies and behaviours in curriculathat are culture-sensitive and can be taught andlearned in a local language. Also, further effortswill be conducted to enhance science and tech-nology education and technical and vocationaleducation. In addition, continued attention will beplaced on physical education and on disciplinesand approaches contributing to the developmentof a humanistic education, such as artistic educa-tion, history and philosophy.

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� National plans for human rights education and related teaching materials and resourcesdeveloped and implemented as a result of collaborative efforts between nationalauthorities, civil society and new actors in education;

� Values of a culture of peace promoted through the revision of educational contentsand processes and reorientation of nationaleducation systems;

� Universal values and intercultural educationpromoted through school-based networkingand collaboration with teacher associations,youth organizations and the media.

Expected outcomes:

� Formulation of educational policies and strategies that promote cultural and linguisticdiversity throughout the curriculum;

� Increased capacity in the areas of curriculumrenewal, teacher training, materials develop-ment, and monitoring and evaluation of learning achievement.

Expected outcomes:

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UNESCO’s response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic:focus on preventive education

HIV/AIDS is threatening to wipe out decades of investments in education and in human development,particularly in large parts of sub-Saharan Africa and in Latin America and the Caribbean. No longer sim-ply a health problem, the HIV/AIDS pandemic is becoming a “total human problem” and a developmentdisaster. It is especially serious among young adults; everywhere, it strikes at the poor and uneducated.In many African countries, it afflicts the groups whose knowledge and skills are most vital for devel-opment. Given this context, the United Nations Millennium Assembly set as an explicit goal the reduc-tion of HIV infection rates in persons 15 to 24 years of age by 25 per cent within the most affectedcountries before the year 2005 and by 25 per cent globally before 2010.

UNESCO can best contribute to curbing the epidemic by taking a lead role in preventive educationwithin the global framework of the United Nations system, in particular UNAIDS. It can build on itsunique interdisciplinary experience by combining educational policies, approaches and practices, knowl-edge from science, sensitivity to diverse cultural and social contexts and capacity-building in commu-nication. UNESCO’s strategy will focus on addressing the needs of those who are most vulnerable toHIV/AIDS, including the poor, young girls and women, and out-of-school children and youth.

UNESCO’s response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic will seek to combat complacency, challenge stigmatiza-tion, overcome the tyranny of silence, and promote more caring attitudes. In cooperation with UNAIDSco-sponsors, Member States, civil society partners and the private sector, UNESCO’s contribution to thefight against the HIV/AIDS pandemics will concentrate on: Integrating HIV/AIDS preventive education into the global development agenda and national policies:UNESCO will engage in high-level advocacy to facilitate a better mobilization of resources and an effec-tive integration of HIV/AIDS prevention into larger development frameworks, including poverty eradi-cation strategies, comprehensive preventive and health education strategies against malaria and tuber-culosis, and the follow-up to EFA.At the national level, UNESCO will promote wider policy dialogue andgreater public information with respect to HIV/AIDS prevention. UNESCO will also attend to the insti-tutional impact of the pandemic, especially by contributing to the stabilization of education systems. Adapting preventive education to the diversity of needs and contexts: UNESCO will work on enhancing thequality and effectiveness of preventive education and on developing access to scientific information onHIV/AIDS provided by basic research. This will include new and clearly targeted preventive educationtools, informed by innovative social and cultural approaches to the pandemic. Close attention will be givento disseminating accurate information about methods of transmission, safe practices and counselling serv-ices through formal and non-formal education and networks, in order to reach students, institutions andcommunities. In addition, UNESCO will promote scientific cooperation and strengthen capacities of highereducation institutes to produce and disseminate research and information related to HIV/AIDS. Encouraging responsible behaviour and reducing vulnerability: Preventive education is a concern and a responsibility for all, including people living with HIV/AIDS. UNESCO will develop methods and materials to enable decision-makers, the educational community and youth to play an efficient andresponsible role in HIV/AIDS prevention and to prevent discrimination against those living with HIV/AIDS. It will also encourage innovative community responses that empower the most vulnerable andpromote respect for human rights in the context of HIV/AIDS. Finally, UNESCO will continue to explore the ethical dimensions of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, includ-ing access to treatment and vaccine trials.

Expected outcomes:

� Comprehensive and broad-based HIV/AIDS education and prevention campaignsconducted, particularly among the 15-24 age group in Africa and South Asia;

� Effective preventive education strategies in both formal and non-formal settingsdevised and implemented particularly in severely affected Member States, includingthe Focusing Resources for Effective School Health (FRESH) initiative;

� Development of clearly targeted and culturally sensitive preventive education methods and materials.

� Impact of HIV/AIDS pandemic on educational capacities assessed.

Promoting science and technology education for all

73] As recommended by the World Conference onScience (Budapest, 1999), UNESCO will pursue an integrated Plan of Action for Science andTechnology Education and work towards arenewal and diversification of basic science andtechnology education in both formal and non-formal settings. In addition to promoting theteaching of scientific and technological subjects itwill emphasize the ethical issues raised by scien-tific and technological progress and the implica-tions of science and technology for democracyand sustainable development. In the context ofthe strategy for environmental and science edu-cation, attention will be paid to the promotion ofscience-based disaster preparedness. Effectivescience education necessitates a sustainedapproach from the primary to the tertiary level.Another aspect is the introduction of scientificperspectives into the daily lives and production ofpeople in poor communities. In assisting MemberStates to build capacity, UNESCO will also pro-mote a greater use of ICTs in science teaching,focusing in particular on the training of teachersand on extra-curricular programmes for youth(see also strategic objective 6, para. 115).

Developing effective strategies of preventive education

74] Health promotion and preventive education arekey elements in the broad vision of EFA thattakes into account the needs of children, youngpeople and adults affected by HIV/AIDS, drugabuse, hunger and poor health. The developmentand implementation of an effective strategy tocombat the HIV/AIDS pandemic is of utmosturgency. It is now clear that education is themost important vehicle for checking the spreadof HIV/AIDS and there are examples of goodand successful practice that need to be emulatedand replicated (see box). UNESCO, a partner inthe UNAIDS Programme, will attach high priorityto education and prevention in order to stem thespread of HIV/AIDS. Comprehensive preventiveeducation will play a central role in these efforts,including educational, scientific, communication,cultural, social and human rights dimensions.Both non-formal and formal approaches will beof importance in that regard. Cooperation withthe United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) forthe promotion of adolescent and reproductivehealth, including school-based interventions, willbe part of UNESCO’s overall approach. It willalso contribute to other inter-agency flagship pro-grammes designed to combat health-relatedissues keeping people in developing countries inthe vicious circle of ill health and poverty.

Strategic objective 3

Promoting experimentation,innovation and the diffusion and sharing of information and best practices as well as policy dialogue in education

75] In the field of education, scientific and techno-logical advances are opening new avenues andenvironments for learning and teaching as well asbuilding knowledge societies, capable of trans-forming societies and serving as motor forprogress and sustainable development. UNESCO’srole and responsibility for promoting knowledge-sharing as widely and as equitably as possiblehave thus never been more important. In thiscontext, UNESCO will promote the exchange ofinformation and expertise on innovative approachesand local solutions through advocacy and net-works of learners, educational professionals and

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� Policy guidelines developed and Member States’capacities strengthened in curriculum planningregarding science and technology education,in particular the introduction of science andtechnology in basic education and the develop-ment of integrated, gender-sensitive and socio-culturally relevant teaching materials;

� Support to Member States in development of prototype non-formal modes of teaching to popularize and enhance public understandingof science and technology education.

Expected outcomes:

decision-makers. UNESCO will continue to play akey role as a laboratory of ideas, standard-setterand clearing house of best practices and innova-tive policies and approaches to education, in closecooperation with its education institutes and inpursuit of the recommendations of the DelorsReport. Through its clearing house function andappropriate technical support, UNESCO will con-tribute to building Member States’ institutionalcapacities with a view to renewing their educationsystems and to meeting rapidly changing societalneeds including science-based “disaster prepared-ness”. UNESCO will also continue to promoteregional and international cooperation, strengthen-ing networks and knowledge-sharing, facilitatingdialogue and coordination among all partners,including new actors in education such as NGOs,voluntary organizations and the private sector.

76] UNESCO will pursue the following strategic sub-objectives:

Identifying new trends of educational development and promoting policy dialogue

77] By observing and analysing trends and patterns,UNESCO will identify and anticipate future chal-lenges and advise Member States on new educa-tional issues and agendas. In particular throughits institutes, it will provide intellectual support topolicy-makers and practitioners in the identifica-tion of priorities, best practices and innovationswith a view to buttressing education strategiesand policy reforms. UNESCO’s education institutesand centres will contribute, in a coherent andcomplementary manner, to the achievement ofthe objectives and sub-objectives of the educationstrategy and, to that end, develop focused andconcentrated programmes, adopt results-orientedapproaches and enhance visibility and outreach.UNESCO will act as a laboratory of ideas, sup-porting research and undertaking comparativestudies as well as nourishing links with researchcentres, universities and professional institutions.Through these processes, and in particularthrough periodic publications and reports,UNESCO will generate and make available a rich,dynamic base of knowledge about new thinkingand innovative approaches to teaching andlearning.

78] UNESCO will promote policy dialogue betweenall actors and stakeholders in education (govern-mental, non-governmental – in particular teachers’associations –, civil society and private sector andintergovernmental organizations). Such a policydialogue, based on country ownership andempowerment, will form a key contribution toimproving the quality and relevance of education.By fostering a more open dialogue and betterpublic understanding of educational issues,UNESCO will help Member States build consen-sus and mobilize support for education, inparticular, national EFA plans. For decades,education has been acknowledged as a publicgood that promotes equity through free basiceducation and fosters social cohesion. Today,educational provision increasingly includes,alongside state insti tutions, private sectorproviders, franchised institutions, and open anddistance learning through the Internet and otherICTs that offer a variety of educational services.On these issues, UNESCO can be a platform ofdialogue and a trusted interlocutor between thepublic and private sector providers of educationalgoods and services. The Organization will alsoengage in a variety of partnerships with all actorsconcerned.

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� Education policies and strategies better formulated and developed, informed byresearch results and prospective studies andanalyses;

� Prospects for effective national education plans enhanced in many Member States asconsensus among and ownership by all stakeholders is secured through broad-baseddialogue;

� Better understanding of educational approachesand learning processes and more effective collaboration and synergies among all actors, including public and private providersof education, through national, regional andglobal workshops and seminars.

Expected outcomes:

Renewing education systems

79] UNESCO will continue to provide advice andassistance to Member States for a renewal of theireducation systems, including the promotion ofinterdisciplinary approaches. In particular, it willpromote the reform of general secondary educa-tion and the development of technical and voca-tional education. As regards the latter and in linewith recommendations of the Seoul Conference(1999), UNESCO will emphasize integratedapproaches that focus on the needs and interestsof young people and blend professional compe-tence, values and life skills. UNESCO will advo-cate technical and vocational education as a life-long process helping people to adapt theirknowledge and skills to the rapidly changingneeds of the workplace. The network of nationaland regional UNEVOC Centres will be reinforcedto become the hub of an international and inter-agency mechanism for capacity-building and spe-cialized exchange of information. Jointly with theInternational Labour Organization and other will-ing agencies, UNESCO will formulate an interna-tional long-term programme for the developmentof technical and vocational education and train-ing, including teacher training and alternativedelivery mechanisms.

80] The outcomes of the World Conference on HigherEducation (Paris, 1998) furnish the main strategicorientations of UNESCO’s action in higher educa-tion. Higher education has a pivotal role to playin the renewal of education systems and devel-opment in general, because of its role and theinfluence of its institutions and programmes on allsocietal activities. UNESCO will assist MemberStates in enhancing the quality of higher educa-tion and teacher-education systems by developinginternational and regional guidelines for policyformulation with emphasis on a sector-wideapproach. Measures will also be taken byUNESCO to facilitate the mobility of teachers andstudents and to encourage broad participation ofwomen in higher education. This implies workingin close partnership with Ministries of Education,professional associations, academic networks,inc lud ing the UNITWIN/UNESCO Cha i r sNetworks, and with society at large.

Harnessing information and communication technologies (ICTs)for education

81] ICTs offer the potential to expand the scope oflearning, breaking through traditional constraintsof space and time as well as boundaries of cur-rent education systems. The accelerating privati-zation of educational goods and services, partlydriven by the potential and impact of ICTs,poses an entirely new challenge for the interna-tional community. The challenge is to define thebest use of ICTs for improving the quality ofteaching and learning, sharing knowledge andinformation, introducing a higher degree of flex-ibility in response to societal needs, lowering thecost of education and improving internal andexternal efficiencies of the education system.ICTs will be the objects of study since computerliteracy is a basic skill for performing in theknowledge society. ICTs also provide the meansfor better management and use of educationalresources. UNESCO will promote the judicioususe of ICTs as innovative and experimental toolsto renew education. It will also explore theirpotential as new delivery mechanisms and forsystem-wide expansion of educational provisionand quality, especially through distance educa-tion and by focusing on non-formal education.By further exploiting the potential of ICTs,UNESCO will establish closer links between the

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Expected outcomes:

� Support to Member States for the reorienta-tion of secondary education and strengtheningof technical and vocational education through innovative and more effective collaboration between educational institutionsand employers;

� International and regional policy guidelinesdeveloped to enhance the quality of highereducation and teacher education systems;

� Institutional capacity strengthened in highereducation through networking and twinningarrangements and guidelines for academic freedom and institutional autonomy developedas integral aspects of quality assurance in higher education;

� Academic mobility of students and teachersfacilitated through the enhanced application ofregional and international agreements concern-ing the recognition of educational qualifications.

producers and users of educational materials inorder to promote quality and encourage partici-pation in all cultural and linguistic settings.

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Expected outcomes:

� Wide dissemination of knowledge and bestpractices related to the impact of ICTs oneducation through an online clearing house,knowledge-base and multimedia resource centre;

� Broader use by governments of ICT-baseddelivery systems in formal and non-formal education, utilizing different mixes of new and traditional media and appropriate methodologies;

� Dissemination of research results on ICT-induced changing dynamics of the teaching-learning process and its impact on content and teacher-learner interaction, in particular as regards distance education and teachertraining and development;

� International debate and reflection promoted in favour of developing internationallycompatible descriptors and standards fordistance and e-learning courseware,and for e-learning institutions.

82] The challenges emanating from globalization andfrom the trends in many areas are becoming evermore complex, often driven by scientific andtechnological insights and breakthroughs, andthey carry manifold implications. Policies toaddress these challenges increasingly demand sci-entific advice based on analysis, understanding,sharing and anticipation. More than ever, at thebeginning of the twenty-first century decision-making and the formulation of policies must befully informed as to their scientific underpinningsand consequences, drawing on input both fromthe natural sciences and the social and humansciences. UNESCO is in a unique position to assistand advise governments in that regard, as it hasat its disposal, under one roof, capacities andexpertise pertaining to major scientific disciplineswhich can be brought to bear in an integratedand consistent manner. The sciences programmesof UNESCO represent a multidisciplinary effortdesigned to enable countries to adapt to changethrough a balanced and equitable transitiontowards knowledge societies.

83] In the first place, UNESCO will respond by pro-moting scientific research, findings and knowledgeand by encouraging their transfer and sharing toensure equitable benefits for all societies. In con-sonance with UNESCO’s mission and the themefor the present strategy, the quest for people-centred sustainable development will remain acentral guiding principle of the Organization’sactivities in both the natural as well as the socialand human sciences. This will acquire particularimportance in the follow-up, in close cooperationwith other United Nations agencies and funds, tovarious world conferences and summits held overthe past decade and in the preparation of and fol-low-up to the World Summit on Sustainable Devel-opment (Rio +10) scheduled to be held in SouthAfrica in 2002. UNESCO will focus on improvements

to various dimensions of human security, particu-larly addressing the needs of the most vulnerablepopulations at global, regional, national and locallevels. In that context, UNESCO will also take intoaccount the contributions of the community of inter-national non-governmental organizations promotingsustainable development.

84] Further, UNESCO will seek to ensure that the eth-ical dimensions of the current scientific and tech-nological evolution be fully addressed. Scientificprogress opens up new avenues for a reflectionof shared values and thus allows UNESCO to ful-fil its mandate as international lead agency per-taining to ethical issues. The ethical dimension isderived from the rights of each human beingenshrined in the Universal Declaration of HumanRights and the related international covenants andinstruments which UNESCO will continue to pro-mote and protect in all its spheres of competence.

85] UNESCO will address these challenges in an inte-grated framework, which responds to the newcommitment to science for the twenty-first cen-tury, as defined by the results of the WorldConference on Science, held in Budapest,Hungary, in 1999. The practical expression of thisnew contract is the recognition that the contribu-tion of science cannot only be based upon termsof research and knowledge but must also be jus-tified by its relevance and effectiveness inaddressing the needs and aspirations of societies.The full participation of societies and all groupsof societies in decision-making on scientific mat-ters will be encouraged, as well as the need tocontribute to the definition of strategies thatenable an effective use of research findings andinnovations. Furthermore, the relationshipbetween scientific research, education, technolog-ical innovation and their practical benefits is com-plex and involves today a large variety of actors.

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In order to guarantee that the sciences are gearedtowards work for sustainable peace and develop-ment, all groups of society and all societies – withdue consideration and respect for diversity – mustbe able to participate in democratic decision-mak-ing on scientific matters. Consequently, UNESCO’sactivities will promote science as a shared assetbenefiting all peoples, based on the precept ofsolidarity.

Strategic objective 4

Promoting principles and ethical normsto guide scientific and technologicaldevelopment and social transformation

86] The World Conference on Science addressed theinterrelation between science and society andhighlighted the need for the setting of ethicalstandards to guide scientific behaviour and socialchange. Based on its ethical mandate and its pio-neering role and leadership in this field, UNESCOwill build on earlier work in this area, includingthat of organs established by the Organization,and will promote an implementation of the instru-ments and guidelines already adopted. UNESCOwill also promote enhanced international co-operation in this area and support the building ofnational capacities. The Organization will furtherinject a fresh impetus to action concerning thepromotion and protection of human rights in itsfields of competence.

87] In the pursuit of this strategic objective, UNESCOwill focus on the following sub-objectives:

Standard-setting, policy formulation and awareness-raising regarding ethical issues

88] Building on the work of the International Bio-ethics Committee, the Intergovernmental Commit-tee for Bioethics and the World Commission onthe Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology(COMEST), UNESCO will serve as an interdiscipli-nary, multicultural and pluralistic forum for reflec-tion on issues pertaining to the ethics of scienceand technology. It will bring together the intellec-tual and scientific communities as well as actorsfrom politics, civil society and industry in an effortto identify common ethical challenges and posi-tions and to promote cooperation in this regard.

The Organization will assist and provide advice toMember States with a view to elaborating appro-priate guidelines and policies and developing nor-mative instruments. In this connection, UNESCOwill promote the dissemination and implementa-tion of the Universal Declaration on the HumanGenome and Human Rights and of the principlesand guidelines elaborated by COMEST.

89] UNESCO will also support Member States in theirefforts to stimulate an open and well-foundedpublic debate on issues and challenges related toscientific and technical progress and technologicalapplications and act as an observatory of ongoingdevelopments. The Organization will focus on thesensitization of policy-makers in both the publicand the private spheres, the press and the publicat large. Although a broad scientific and techno-logical culture will be promoted, particularemphasis will be put on the ethical dimension ofscience. To that end, UNESCO, with enhancedcooperation between the natural and the socialand human sciences, will assist in building andsharing capacity and expertise through supportfor the establishment of national bodies entrustedwith ethical issues, the creation of an interna-tional network of institutions and specialists andthe promotion of educational activities.

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� Broader awareness of policy-makers of newchallenges regarding ethical issues of scientificand technological developments;

� The progressive translation into national legisla-tion of normative instruments elaborated byUNESCO, such as, the Universal Declarationon the Human Genome and Human Rights;

� Creation of national entities dealing with theethics of science and technology and ofregional and international networks;

� Intensified international exchange of informationon ongoing developments in scientific and technological fields, particularly those representing potential threats to human security.

Expected outcomes:

Promotion and protection of human rights

90] UNESCO’s action will focus, in close cooperationwith the United Nations High Commissioner forHuman Rights, on the protection of humanrights, democratic principles, and fundamentalfreedoms relating to its fields of competence,through the implementation of the differentstandard-setting instruments adopted by theOrganization and through the procedure estab-lished by 104 EX/Decision 3.3 of the ExecutiveBoard, which defines UNESCO’s role in dealingwith communications concerning human rightsviolations in the fields of competence of theOrganization. UNESCO will also pursue thedevelopment of institutional mechanisms fordisseminating information on violations of therights of the intellectual community. It willmonitor their application in close cooperationwith governments, intergovernmental organiza-tions and relevant professional and internationalnon-governmental organizations. Overall, it willpromote teaching, research and informationactivities.

91] The Organization will undertake advocacy,awareness-raising and knowledge-sharing withregard to human rights through education andinformation activities and placing special em-phasis on women’s rights. It will also endeavourto facilitate and disseminate research in the fieldof human rights, particularly with regard to theobstacles impeding the full implementation ofsocial, economic and cultural rights and takingfully into account human rights-based approachesto development. The global network of UNESCOChairs in human rights, democracy, peace andtolerance will play a part in these efforts.

92] UNESCO will put its expertise and knowledgealso at the service of eliminating all forms of dis-crimination, in particular in the framework of thefollow-up to the World Conference againstRacism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia andRelated Intolerance, held in Durban, South Africa,in August 2001.

Strategic objective 5

Improving human security by better management of the environment and social change

93] Preserving and enhancing human security todaydemands the formulation of integrated strategiesdealing with manifold risks and menaces withinUNESCO’s spheres of competence. Accordingly,the sciences are called upon to refocus theirapproaches on acute and major societal needs andto integrate human rights concerns. Complexissues such as climate change, food and watersecurity, poverty, HIV/AIDS and other contagiousdiseases, biological diversity and the impact ofabrupt social transformations demand innovativeand interdisciplinary approaches from both thenatural and the social and human sciences, alsotaking into account the role and importance oflocal and traditional knowledge.

94] UNESCO’s five intergovernmental and interna-tional scientific programmes are a privileged toolto address those issues from an interdisciplinarypoint of view through research, training, educa-tion, policy advice and awareness-raising. On-going efforts to realize synergies with the inter-national scientific programmes of ICSU will allowUNESCO to tackle more effectively the majorchallenges to sustainable development and to

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� Enhanced protection of human rights fallingwithin the fields of competence of the Organization, through further implemen-tation of normative instruments and design and implementation of monitoring mechanismsand procedures;

� Promotion of research and information in the field of human rights through a more efficiently connected network of UNESCOChairs, with particular emphasis on social,economic and cultural rights and human rights-based approaches to development;

� Enhanced protection of rights of womenthrough the promotion of existing normativeinstruments;

� Identification of new trends and obstacles,including changing patterns of social relations,affecting the full enjoyment of human rights.

Expected outcomes:

implement the recommendations of the WorldConference on Science.

95] The International Hydrological Programme (IHP)– UNESCO’s principal mechanism to contribute tothe priority issue of water resources and relatedecosystems (see also paras. 104 and 105) – willstrive to minimize the risks to water resourcessystems, taking fully into account social chal-lenges and interactions and developing appropri-ate approaches for sound water management.Among its main objectives will be assessing thetemporal and spatial distribution of global fresh-water resources and use, developing approachesto reduce the vulnerability of hydrosystems andtheir supporting ecosystems and improving waterresources management for vulnerable areas.Capacity-building and water education and train-ing, as well as institutional development – withemphasis on the use of ICTs for water resourcesresearch and training – will be reinforced and thesocial and ethical views of water users will beincorporated into the development of guidelinesfor conflict prevention and resolution.

96] The UNESCO Intergovernmental OceanographicCommission (IOC) coordinates ocean scientificresearch and services worldwide. Through itsactivities UNESCO is a leader in developing theknowledge needed to manage ocean resourcessustainably (see box, page 9). Together with itspartners, IOC will coordinate the major oceanscience programmes for understanding theocean’s role in climate change and the carboncycle, and will assess man’s impact on theoceans. It will continue to lead development andimplementation of the Global Ocean ObservingSystem (GOOS), as part of an Integrated GlobalObserving Strategy (IGOS) to improve forecast-ing of natural phenomena as well as manage-ment of coastal seas and their living resources.It will build the capacity of developing coun-tries, especially to manage and exchange themarine data and information needed for sustain-able development and intensify support to theAfrican Process as a follow-up to the Pan-AfricanConference on Sustainable Integrated CoastalManagement (PACSICOM), to the effect that IOCwill concentrate in Africa a significant portion ofits field activities, especially in the developmentof marine data and information networks andintegrated coastal management. Furthermore,IOC will improve ocean services to MemberStates through the new Joint WMO/IOC Tech-nical Commission for Oceanography and MarineMeteorology.

97] The International Geological Correlation Pro-gramme (IGCP) will contribute to enhancingknowledge on earth sciences with a view to apply-ing it to the management of natural resources andto serving as a catalyst for international coopera-tion in support of sustainable development andenvironmental monitoring.

98] The Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme –an integral element of UNESCO’s action in theenvironmental field – will promote approaches tolink adaptive ecosystem management and willcreate partnerships between all sectors of society.Through the World Network of BiosphereReserves it will enhance the global ability formonitoring ecological change and create aware-ness of the value of biological diversity and its links with cultural diversity. An integratedapproach, with due consideration of local andtraditional knowledge, to managing ecosystems –especially those important in the protection anddevelopment of freshwater – will be encouragedthrough novel ecological research in partnershipwith the global environment change community.MAB will continue to enhance capacities througheducation and training to deal with environmentalissues.

99] The Programme on Management of Social Trans-formations (MOST) will further develop the out-puts of its research networks aiming – throughthe dissemination of best practices and newmethodologies – at two main objectives: therenewal of social sciences curricular contents atthe university level and the elaboration of strate-gies to facilitate interaction and cooperationbetween research, public authorities and civilsociety in the formulation of policies for socialtransformation and innovation.

100] In advancing the strategic objective, UNESCO willpursue the following strategic sub-objectives:

Promoting a better understanding of natural and social systems

101] While ecological problems have reached globaldimensions, potential solutions have becomemore localized, especially through ecosystemmanagement. The one certain factor is that therate of change in societal and ecological systemswill increase, while the probability of predictingthe direction of change is set to decrease.UNESCO’s activities focused on ecosystemmanagement will continue to be science-based,

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but will also integrate local and indigenousknowledge. Ecological monitoring and evaluationactivities will increase, providing a link to the crit-ical task of mitigating effects of global climatechange.

102] In the earth sciences, there is a need for improvedunderstanding of geological, geochemical, hydro-geological, mineralogical and geophysical para-meters so as to bolster sustainable developmentthrough adequate monitoring. The modelling andforecasting of the impact of environmental andclimate change calls for the introduction of newand more sophisticated technologies and relatedcapacity-building as well as the collection ofpertinent data. The use of satellite data will beenhanced and integrated into the management ofearth sciences.

103] The role of oceans and their ecosystems inclimate change are becoming ever more impor-tant. These issues call for improved scientificunderstanding as well as communication of find-ings to decision-makers and the public, the cre-ation of observation systems and databases, andthe production of numerically based forecasts.

104] The coastal areas of the world are subject toincreasingly severe pressure due to massive demo-graphic shifts towards coastal belts, in particularcoastal cities, and to mounting strain from growthin tourism. Competition and conflict over thecoastal resources of small islands and continentalcountries are leading to the marginalization andimpoverishment of large segments of coastal pop-ulations. UNESCO will therefore continue to assistSmall Island Developing States (SIDS) and otherisland groupings in determining their own agen-das for human security and sustainable develop-ment and in providing them with access to thescience needed for sustainable development.

105] Natural hazards and risks continue to afflict coun-tries and regions worldwide. Given the devas-tation they cause and the enormous economicand social consequences – especially for poorcountries and poor people – UNESCO will pro-mote science-based disaster preparedness andprevention also through environmental and sci-ence education. An interdisciplinary programmeaimed at enhancing the scientific understandingof natural hazards will be developed, paying par-ticular attention to public information and institu-tional educational components related to naturalhazards and to the mitigation of their adverseeffects through the modelling of geo-dynamic

space-time processes of the earth. In developingstrategies for enhancing human security, UNESCOshall also address the impact of and preparednessfor technological and other man-made disasters.

106] With respect to energy, UNESCO will advocateand promote the increased use of new andrenewable energies, in particular solar energy. Inits contribution to the World Solar Programme1996-2005, UNESCO will focus on the develop-ment of the Global Renewable Energy Educationand Training Programme which will be gearedespecially towards the needs of African countriesand will further involve qualified and experiencedscientists from developing countries in the exe-cution and implementation of the Global Renew-able Energy Education and Training Programme.

107] UNESCO will continue to give priority to net–work research on social transformations, that is,different ways in which globalizing forces affectlocal communities and national societies withdiverse historical experiences, economic andsocial patterns, political institutions and cultures.Such research shall focus, in principle, on thethemes recommended by Member States for thesecond phase of the MOST Programme (2002-2009). Likewise, priority will be given to the follow-up of major United Nations conferencesrelating to environment and development, popu-lation and development, social development andhabitat and to a better articulation of the mainparameters of the rapidly evolving human secu-rity agenda.

108] Policy advice will be provided on poverty in allits dimensions and specificities, including migra-tion, drugs, urban violence and exclusion, in linewith the strategy for the cross-cutting theme oneradication of poverty, especially extremepoverty, and to provide for pertinent extensionmechanisms.

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Providing a scientific basis for environmental security

109] Water resources and supporting ecosystems willbe of the highest priority for UNESCO activitiesbetween 2002 and 2007, as the timeliness andurgency of addressing freshwater issues havebecome widely recognized as a key componentof human and environmental security. Throughenhanced inter-agency cooperation, and in closecollaboration with United Nations system part-ners, such as WMO and UNEP, special attentionwill be given – especially by IHP – to minimiz-ing the risks to vulnerable water resources sys-tems and to taking fully into account social chal-lenges and interactions and cultural diversity. This shall result for different bioclimatic regionsin the development of appropriate approachesfor integrated water resources management and

the strengthening of capacities. Particular empha-sis will be given to small islands and coastalzones pursuant to the Barbados Conference onSmall Island Developing Countries and the sub-sequent review undertaken by the GeneralAssembly in September 1999. Equally, specialattention will be given to water resources man-agement in arid and semi-arid zones. UNESCOshall also endeavour to provide an enhancedunderstanding of vulnerabilities and causes ofwater conflicts and to develop cooperativeapproaches and tools to assist in preventing orreducing them through success fu l waterresources management.

110] In response to the request of the United NationsCommission for Sustainable Development,UNESCO is taking the lead in coordinating andpreparing the United Nations system-wide WorldWater Assessment Programme (WWAP) on fresh-water resources, supported by extrabudgetaryresources. In cooperation with 23 other UnitedNations agencies and programmes, UNESCOhosts this programme. It will culminate in thepublication of the first World Water DevelopmentReport (WWDR) in early 2003 on the occasionof the third World Water Forum scheduled to beheld in Kyoto, Japan. Subsequent reports will be prepared every three years. Together withWWAP, inter-agency cooperation will be pursuedin the field of water resources management.

111] IOC and its partners will continue to develop andimplement the Global Ocean Observing Systemto improve weather and climate forecasts, and toprovide information for the safe and sustainablemanagement of coastal seas.

112] UNESCO will advance research on the differentdimensions of human security, especially with aview to identifying new risks and threats at theregional level. To that end, the networks of allscientific programmes, but especially those ofMOST, will be mobilized to contribute to formu-lating integrated approaches for an increased par-ticipation by the populations concerned.

113] UNESCO will also seek to promote and facilitatea better reflection of scientific and technologicaldevelopments in various economic and culturalcontexts. It will further address the need to pre-vent conflicts at their source and the needs of themost vulnerable populations at regional and sub-regional levels, through its global network ofpeace research and training institutions, therebyreinforcing human security and contributing to

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Expected outcomes:

� Improved research, elaboration and dissemina-tion of data in the fields covered by the five scientific programmes, geared to addressthe different dimensions of human security and to establish an enhanced knowledge base for implementing strategies aimed at sustainabledevelopment;

� Development of integrated environmental management approaches, with emphasis in critical areas such as coastal zones and of disaster mitigation plans for vulnerable groups;

� Dissemination of UNESCO guidelines aimed at disaster preparedness and mitigating the consequences of natural disasters;

� Introduction and use of modelling and forecasting tools supporting hydrological,ecological and geological policies and applica-tions in many countries and regions;

� Improved assessment of the impact of humanand technological activities on the oceans;

� Improvements in sustainable use of coastal natural resources by small island developingstates;

� Increased use and promotion of new andrenewable energies, in particular solar energy,geared especially to the needs of African countries;

� Better use and integration of social scienceresearch results, emanating from UNESCO’sactivities, in policy-making and governance,especially in countries undergoing transformation.

the implementation of the Decade for a Cultureof Peace and Non-Violence for the Children ofthe World.

Strategic objective 6

Enhancing scientific, technical and human capacities to participate in the emerging knowledge societies

114] The emergence of the knowledge societies repre-sents a paradigm shift for the future of develop-ment efforts, opening up both new opportunitiesas well as responsibilities for UNESCO. It mustbring to bear its position at the forefront of inter-national efforts for the advancement, transfer,sharing and dissemination of knowledge. In pur-suing these efforts, UNESCO will focus on humanand institutional capacity-building and networkingin the basic sciences and engineering, as well asdata collection, monitoring and policy adviceaimed at the elaboration of context-relevant sci-ence policies, attuned to the ethical challengesinvolved. In order to analyse and place in proper

perspective developments related to and theimpact of the emergence of knowledge societies,UNESCO will also contribute to the developmentof tools to improve understanding of the con-temporary world.

115] UNESCO will focus on the following sub-objectives:

Strengthening human and institutional capacities in the sciences

116] With a view to reducing disparities in the scien-tific capacities of Member States UNESCO’s effortswill focus on the development of institutionalcapacities and human resources in the differentdisciplines and the promotion of cooperationbetween the natural and the social and humansciences, particularly in the least developed coun-tries with adequate attention given to the ethicsof science and technology. To that end, UNESCOwill assist Member States in the formulation andthe development of science and technology poli-cies, and capacity-building, including in researchand science and technology management, andtheir interrelationships. The Organization will alsopay special attention to the preservation and inte-gration of scientific resources in countries afflictedby conflict, sudden economic and social transfor-mations or difficult transitions.

117] UNESCO will place emphasis on the strength-ening of university teaching and research at thenational level, assisting Member States todevelop their capacities to access data, to par-ticipate in international exchanges of scientificand technological information and to facilitatethe participation of researchers – especiallywomen and young scientists – in cooperativeand international research. UNESCO will alsoencourage the involvement of women andyouth in science and technology development.Furthermore, UNESCO will pay attention to theglobal trends concerning the demand for andmobility of science and technology profession-als, and will explore the feasibility of UNESCOplaying a more active part in intellectualresources management with a view to promot-ing higher education and advanced researchfacilities in developing countries. UNESCO willalso promote partnerships and cooperationbetween science and technology in universities,research institutes and foster the application ofresults by industry and the private sector. Everyeffort will be made to promote the culture of

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Expected outcomes:

� Strengthened regional, subregional and nationalcapacities to deal with the challenges of humansecurity in areas of UNESCO’s activities, partic-ularly in the area of water resources and theirsupporting ecosystems;

� Implementation of UNESCO’s guidelines on the use of water resources, especially regardingvulnerable water systems, in all regions;

� Elaboration of integrated approaches to humansecurity at the regional, subregional andnational levels, targeting the most vulnerablepopulations, including the preparation of methodologies for the prevention and resolution of conflicts, in particular over natural resources;

� Development of improved scientific forecastingtools for oceans, coastal zones and their impacton living resources;

� Preparation and publication of the World WaterDevelopment Report;

� Formulation of integrated approaches tostrengthen popular participation and under-standing as well as policy-making pertaining to scientific developments.

maintenance and its relevance for sustainabledevelopment, with a focus on intersectoralaspects. The Organization will sponsor andencourage cooperative long-term investmentsand activities involving international centres. It will work for networking among nationalinstitutions and will emphasize capacity-building, especially in cutting-edge technologiesand areas such as biotechnologies or emergingnano-technologies. Building such capacities is aprerequisite for creating a level playing field forall countries to compete in the global economyand to take advantage of the full potential ofscientific endeavour for societal advancementand sustainable development.

118] The Organization will also pursue its support tothe scientific community in the various disciplinesof the natural and human and social sciences, inparticular through the UNITWIN and UNESCOChairs Networks. UNESCO will also continue tosupport South-South cooperation. This will helpgive new impulses and strengthen UNESCO’scooperative links with educational and researchinstitutions in all regions. It will also reinforce itsinstitutional partnerships with major organizationsand scientific networks, ensuring an outreach toall disciplines. UNESCO will work towardsstrengthening and further developing programmesin the basic sciences, such as mathematics,physics, chemistry and biology.

119] The Organization will seek to increase the dis-semination of scientific and technological infor-mation and to facilitate access to scientificallyrelevant data as a vehicle for contributing to sci-entific and economic progress. In order to ensurebroad access to sound information, especially inthe public domain, UNESCO will assist in devel-oping guidelines for ensuring networked access toscientific information and promote training in sci-ence communication skills. It will also promotethe exchange of best practices in the populariza-tion of science so as to enhance the ability of sci-entists and journalists to communicate on scienceand technology and thus enrich information andpublic debate.

120] In the context of its activities in science andtechnology education for all (see section onEducation, strategic objective 2, page 20),UNESCO will provide assistance to faculties ofscience in developing Member States with aview to improving the quality and relevance ofteaching and research programmes in both thesocial and natural sciences, placing emphasis on

education and in-service training of scienceteachers at the secondary and university levels.The Organization will also provide advancedresearch training in all disciplines, particularlyfor least developed countries, and promote theirparticipation in collaborative research drawingon international and regional networks andnational scientific institutions.

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Expected outcomes:

� Enhanced human and institutional capacities at the national level and support for regionaland international networking in the field of sciences for research and training;

� Enhancement of capabilities of national institutions in developing countries to assessand find solutions to environmental problemsand to adapt to the exigencies of knowledgesocieties;

� Intensified exchanges between scholars andparticipation in cooperative programmes;expanded training leading to a decrease in the brain drain of graduates from all scientific disciplines;

� Improved access by developing countries toICTs for scientific data and information dissem-ination; access to online media and networksaddressing science and development issues;

� Increased and more effective use of ICTs for better transmission and sharing of scientific

� knowledge at all levels, including the establishment of virtual universities;

� Enhanced ability of scientists and journalists to communicate on science and technology,contributing to a richer and more enlightenedpublic debate on science-related issues;

� Improved quality of teaching and research programmes; broader participation of scientists,especially women scientists, from developingcountries in collaborative research;

� Improved cooperation between universities andindustry to promote innovation;

� Enhanced involvement of different social andpolitical actors, including parliamentarians,in many countries in addressing scientific developments and their impact on societies.

Adapting science policy to societal needs

121] UNESCO will foster international cooperation withrespect to the adoption of science and technol-ogy policies that put science in the service ofsocietal needs. This will entail the formulation ofguidelines, the collection and analysis of adequategender-disaggregated data for policy-making,advocacy of best practices, the conduct and dis-semination of comparative studies on policyissues and the transfer of findings to decision-makers.

122] Assistance to Member States in policy formulationwill be consistent with ethical considerations andaim at human-centred integrated approaches toscientific and technological development, foster-ing the participation of all stakeholders. UNESCOwill also promote cooperation between parlia-mentary committees on science and technology,support regional networks and encourage thedevelopment of innovative cooperative pro-grammes. Special attention will be given to gen-der mainstreaming as an essential component ofall policy processes.

Developing tools to understand the contemporary world

123] In order to capture the complexity of the globaldevelopments, especially those related to theemergence of knowledge societies, UNESCO willundertake and draw on future-oriented studiesand scenarios. This effort will seek to analyse andcapture the main components and processesinherent in knowledge societies with a view toarticulating a common and shared vision and todesign strategies for developing open knowledgesocieties. UNESCO’s activities in this area willcomprise: (i) a biannual report on a major future-oriented issue, containing an analysis of the mainfactors and trends of relevance to UNESCO’sfields of competence; (ii) enhanced networkingand professional links with private and publicresearch establishments and institutions engagedin future studies and forecasting; (iii) supportingcapacity-building for policy analysis and forecast-ing in the fields of competence of the Organiza-tion. Complementary to these activities, UNESCOwill undertake, in cooperation with NGOs andfunded from extrabudgetary resources, a retro-spective reflection on its past orientations, activi-ties and accomplishments and the interactionswith Member States in that regard.

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Expected outcomes:

� Conduct of prospective studies, to be consoli-dated in a biannual UNESCO World Report,and stimulation of an international debate onaspects pertaining to the knowledge societies;

� Development of regional and national capacitiesfor prospective analysis and studies in the fieldsof competence of the Organization.

� Improved science policy analysis and formula-tion of national policies, budgets and legislation,based on guidelines developed; harmonizationof science and technology policies as part ofsubregional/regional integration processes;

� Strengthened endogenous research and opera-tional capacities for national science and technology systems, including the creation of regional centres of excellence;

� Enhanced public participation in the formulationof policies;

� Improved understanding of members of parlia-mentary science and technology committeesand senior policy-makers.

Expected outcomes:

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124] Cultures must be recognized as comprising theheritage of values, knowledge and skills uponwhich identities are based, and as embodying the creative visions and energies that empowerpeople to enrich and renew those identitiesthrough interaction with other cultures, with aview to consolidating both peace and humandevelopment. Cultural factors and assets alsofeature centrally in efforts to combat poverty andin the process of building knowledge societies –i.e. the cross-cutting themes of this Strategy. TheWorld Commission on Culture and Development,in its report Our Creative Diversity, and the con-clusions of the Intergovernmental Conference onCultural Policies for Development (Stockholm,1998) stressed that cultures in all their diversitymust play an essential role as agents of globaldevelopment and coexistence. Major subsequentachievements have been the formation of a net-work and the organization of round tables of min-isters of culture, followed by the adoption of theUNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diver-sity (31st session of the General Conference 2001),which includes a comprehensive plan of action.

125] In consonance with its mission, UNESCO willfocus over the next six years on three closelyinterrelated strategic objectives elaborated below:� the drafting and implementation of standard-

setting instruments in the cultural field in whichUNESCO has an important comparative advan-tage, particularly as regards the protection ofcultural heritage;

� the promotion of pluralism and the dialoguebetween cultures and civilizations by recogniz-ing and preserving the principle of culturaldiversity based on respect for human rights;

� enhancing the linkages between culture anddevelopment through capacity-building andsharing of knowledge with a view to strength-ening the Organization’s contribution to the

follow-up to the Stockholm Conference on Cultural Policies for Development, in particularthrough evidence-based policy advice to itsMember States in a limited number of fields.

Strategic objective 7

Promoting the drafting and implementation of standard-settinginstruments in the cultural field

126] Cultural heritage is a key component of identitiesand is rapidly becoming a key factor for eco-nomic growth, development, social cohesion andpeaceful coexistence. It plays an increasinglyimportant role in providing young people in par-ticular with a sense of who they are, where theyhave come from and what their lives mean. Her-itage buildings, locations and sites, artworks andartefacts, as well as languages, customs, commu-nal practices and traditional skills articulate iden-tity and meaning at local, national and regionallevels. The notion of cultural heritage itself hasbecome more inclusive to encompass culturallandscapes, living cultural traditions, and symbolicand spiritual values.

127] In order to protect that heritage, the Organizationwill particularly reinforce efforts to broaden theunderstanding of existing instruments so as toenhance compliance and attract new accessionsand ratifications on the road towards universality.The designation by the United Nations GeneralAssembly of the year 2002 as International Yearfor Cultural Heritage for which UNESCO has beendesignated as lead agency, and the observation ofthe thirtieth anniversary of the World HeritageConvention in the same year will be importantmilestones in this regard.

Culture

128] The 1972 Convention on the Protection of theWorld Cultural and Natural Heritage, with 690 cul-tural and natural heritage sites inscribed in theWorld Heritage List, continues to be a unique toolfor the protection of natural and cultural diversity.However, it needs to be reinforced in order tomeet new challenges associated with the global-ization process as well as the evolving definitionof heritage itself. Indeed, the complex of distinc-tive spiritual, material and technical responses ofpeople to their environment emphasize the linksbetween natural and cultural diversity, enhancingthe singular character of the Convention. Imple-mentation of the Convention by its 162 States Parties by itself will contribute to internationalstandards for heritage conservation. Efforts will bepursued towards a more balanced and represen-tative World Heritage List, through the identifica-tion of new sites in under-represented regionsand of heritage categories apt to reflect culturaland natural diversity as well as multicultural identities (see also box, page 10). In the process,closer linkages between the strategies for theworld’s tangible and intangible heritage, whichis shared by humanity as a whole, will besought.

129] A new emphasis on the conservation principlesunderlying the Convention will be facilitated byan in-depth revision of the Operational Guide-lines for its implementation, a consolidation oftechnical cooperation projects and renewed part-nership and outreach efforts. One of the keyaspects will be the integration of heritage con-servation strategies into regional and urban plan-ning as well as sustainable development strategies(including eco-cultural tourism) and the recogni-tion of traditional management regimes and alter-native (or local) forms of knowledge. In its heri-tage conservation effort, UNESCO will alsoconcentrate on regions of armed conflict and onconditions of resource exploitation, particularlythrough mining. Against this background, themodalities governing the inclusion of sites in, andthe use of, the List of World Heritage in Dangerwill be reviewed.

130] Advocacy will be central for a successful con-tinuation and further strengthening of the her-itage regime. UNESCO will launch a special cam-paign to broaden understanding of, compliancewith and accession to the 1954 Convention forthe Protection of Cultural Property in the Eventof Armed Conflict and to its Protocols. Prepara-tions will be made for the entry into force of itsSecond Protocol and the establishment of the

Intergovernmental Committee foreseen by it.UNESCO will also reinforce its action to combatillicit traffic in cultural property, strengtheningthe implementation of the Convention on theMeans of Prohibiting and Preventing the IllicitImport, Export and Transfer of Ownership ofCultural Property (1970) and the UNIDROIT 1995Conventions. In general, the Organization willpromote new accessions, encourage the draftingof national legislation and improve professionaltraining. As an entirely new initiative, a draftdeclaration against the intentional destruction ofcultural heritage will be submitted to the32nd session of the General Conference.

131] In order to respond to the increasing demand for new norms in the cultural field, in particularwith respect to the intangible and underwatercultural heritage, the Organization will undertakea major initiative to encourage participation in theConvention on the Protection of the UnderwaterCultural Heritage, adopted by the General Con-ference at its 31st session on 6 November 2001,including assistance with national implementinglegislation and supporting publications.

132] Intangible cultural heritage encompasses complex,broad and diverse forms of living heritage in con-stant evolution. In that context, UNESCO willencourage nominations for the programme of“Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage” andstimulate use of the Guidelines for the Establish-ment of a Living Human Treasures System. All ofthis will feed into the preparatory work for a newinternational standard-setting instrument which, inseeking an increasingly precise definition of theconcept of intangible heritage, is intended toimprove the Recommendation on the Safeguard-ing of Traditional Culture and Folklore and tocreate a new conceptual and legal frameworkemphasizing the importance of intangible culturalheritage.

133] UNESCO will pursue its efforts to protect andenhance contemporary creativity by striving toenhance the status, living and working conditionsof the artist in the framework of the Recommen-dation concerning the Status of the Artist and ofthe Recommendations of the World Congress onthe Status of the Artist (1997) as well as reinforc-ing its action in the field of copyright and neigh-bouring rights in close collaboration with theWorld Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

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Strategic objective 8

Safeguarding cultural diversity and encouraging dialogue among cultures and civilizations

134] With respect to this strategic objective, UNESCOwill pursue the following sub-objectives:

Safeguarding cultural diversity

135] The extension of the process of globalization,though representing a challenge for culturaldiversity, creates the conditions for renewed dia-logue among cultures and civilizations, respect-ing their equal dignity, based on human rightsand fundamental freedoms. On the basis of OurCreative Diversity, the report of the WorldCommission on Culture and Development(1996); the Action Plan adopted by the Inter-governmental Conference on Cultural Policies forDevelopment (Stockholm, 1998); and theUNESCO Universal Declaration on CulturalDiversity (2001), UNESCO will pursue its effortsto advocate the crucial role of culture in national

and international development strategies. Thethree documents recommend in particular theelaboration of cultural policies aimed at thepromotion of cultural diversity for pluralism,sustainable development and peace.

136] The idea is to channel diversity towards con-structive pluralism through the creation of stateand societal mechanisms to promote harmoniousinteraction between cultures. To achieve this goal,both the State and the civil society have animportant role to play by promoting equality andinclusiveness, not uniformity, by recognizing thesense of belonging and fostering empowerment,allowing individuals to enjoy the security of indi-vidual and plural identities within an acceptedsocial and democratic framework.

137] The protection and safeguarding of cultural her-itage is of the essence for protecting culturaldiversity. UNESCO will continue to provide pol-icy advice and technical know-how for thepreservation of sites which are not on the WorldHeritage List. This will be based on holistic andculturally diverse perceptions of heritage – intel-lectual, spiritual and material – and is bound tochallenge historically developed views of culture,in particular in international law and policy.

� Implementation of the action plan of theUNESCO Universal Declaration on CulturalDiversity and, in particular, analysis of thecultural implications of globalization in order to help Member States restructure theircultural policies, emphasizing the links betweenculture, diversity, pluralism and sustainabledevelopment;

� Sustained international debate on main messages raised in the report Our CreativeDiversity and the UNESCO UniversalDeclaration on Cultural Diversity by addressing, in particular, the implications ofglobalization on issues of identity and thecapacity of individuals and groups to interact;

� Development of programmes aimed atfostering shared values;

� Assistance to individuals and communities in reconstructing and promoting their identities where these have been disrupted by conflict, migration or urbanization.

Expected outcomes:

� An increase in the number of States Parties to each of the Conventions by 15;15 more national laws adopted or amended to reflect them;

� Greater participation in the drafting and adop-tion of texts, as well as the translation of theirprinciples into national legislation and monitor-ing by relevant intergovernmental committees;

� Greater participation of Member States in theprotection of underwater heritage throughbroad accession to the new instrument, andenhanced knowledge of civil society throughprogramming for capacity-building at theregional and international levels;

� In parallel to the drafting of a new standard-setting instrument on intangible heritage,improved citizen participation in the heritageprotection that counters cultural and economicimpoverishment and safeguards cultural diversity;

� Elaboration of guidelines on social rights of the artist and their incorporation in nationallegislation in five Member States.

Expected outcomes:

138] To that end, UNESCO will support creators andtransmitters of culture and focus on strengtheninglocal and traditional knowledge systems and theirtransmission mechanisms to the young, especiallyby old people and women. UNESCO will alsocontribute to the international discussion on therights and heritage of indigenous peoples with aview to forging a consensus on the need forstandard-setting instruments in that area.

139] The development dimension will occupy animportant place in UNESCO’s heritage conserva-tion activities. Conservation work can contributeto poverty alleviation through the creation oflivelihood opportunities and jobs as well as thegeneration of income. UNESCO will work toensure full participation by people and popula-tions living in or near heritage sites in the devel-opment and the implementation of conservationpolicies and management.

140] Parallel to the normative efforts, UNESCO willalso focus on the revitalization of intangible cul-tural heritage in all its dimensions, such as lan-guages, oral traditions, values, know-how for thecreation of material culture and performing arts,as well as traditional knowledge relating to ethi-cal, economic, socio-political and ecological life,including methods of conflict resolution, environ-mental protection and healing. New technologiesprovide fresh opportunities in that regard andUNESCO will introduce them to support therecording, archiving and dissemination of intangi-ble heritage, as well as the creation of hybrid cul-tural expressions. Activities in this area will inter-face with work done by the Organization inrelated areas such as indigenous cultural heritageand local knowledge systems.

Dialogue among cultures and civilizations

141] The protection of cultural diversity is closelylinked to the larger framework of the dialogueamong civilizations and cultures and its ability toachieve genuine mutual understanding, solidarityand cooperation. Such dialogue is designed togive a new and contemporary meaning to thenotion of cultural heritage. Indeed, it may lay thefoundation for a better understanding of thedynamic impact and cross-fertilization, if not con-fluence and convergence, of civilizations and cul-tures that has occurred throughout history untiltoday. It encompasses values, beliefs, philosophi-cal and political concepts, and cultural and sci-entific accomplishments of the different regionsand peoples.

142] Through its mankind and regional histories andthrough interregional intercultural projects (notablythe Silk Road and the Slave Route projects),UNESCO has shed light on the complex processesinvolved in cultural interaction and their relevancefor today’s life. The activities undertaken duringthe United Nations Year for Dialogue amongCivilizations 2001 have provided opportunities to reflect on these interrelationships and their

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� To promote international awareness, UNESCOwill proclaim 150 new Masterpieces of the Oraland Intangible Heritage of Humanity;

� To enhance capacity-building in Member States,UNESCO will develop user-friendly handbooks,outlining a methodology framework for theestablishment of national inventories for safeguarding local and national intangible heritage and will conduct related training;

� UNESCO will strengthen the participation of custodians and creators through protectivemechanisms and administrative and legal incentives based on the Living Human TreasuresSystem and through the implementation of theaction plans aimed at protecting and enhancingthe masterpieces of the oral and intangibleheritage of humanity, in particular with a viewto promoting recognition of the central role of women as custodians of intangible heritage;

� To highlight the central role of languages in the protection of cultural diversity, UNESCOwill ensure the revised publication and wide dissemination of the Atlas of Endangered Languages and two World Language Reports.

Expected outcomes:

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present-day implications from various angles. Inthe follow-up to this Year, UNESCO will promoteawareness about these processes and interrela-tionships and promote better mutual knowledge.It will also stimulate the conduct of research inorder to document and demonstrate in moredetail the benefits and enrichments civilizationsand cultures have drawn from each other, for thelarger good of humanity. UNESCO will supportthe creation of online networking facilities andinteraction among research institutions inter-nationally to promote synergies, collaboration andmultidisciplinary results.

143] The dialogue among civilizations transcendsdimensions of culture and heritage, affecting allareas of UNESCO’s competence. It extends to amuch larger agenda: different ways in which soci-eties relate to and protect the environment,express solidarity, harness scientific and techno-logical knowledge in innovative ways and expresstheir societal experience and life through litera-ture and the arts. UNESCO will seek to introduceaspects of the need and value of the dialogueamong civilizations into curricula for history,geography and citizenship education, based onthe results of UNESCO’s history and roads proj-ects. UNESCO will seek to ensure that their con-tents will be properly adapted for educationalpurposes at different levels and included in vari-ous curricula.

144] The dialogue among civilizations, in turn, is influ-enced if not driven by the dynamics of contem-porary creation and its inherent range of expres-sions. Creation is a forceful means to fosterdialogue and a better mutual understanding ofcultures. UNESCO will foster innovative ways ofpromoting artistic education, both formal andnon-formal, and provide related policy advice toMember States. Such educational activities shallhelp to reflect on and induce a closer linkbetween traditional and modern cultures.

Encouraging pluralism

145] Contributing to the building of multicultural soci-eties which respect the principle of pluralismwill be another challenge for UNESCO. Pluralismis at the core of a democratic and dynamicsociety and is indispensable for harmoniousinteraction between cultures and peoples thriv-ing on dialogue, debate, tolerance and mutualrespect for the other, irrespective of their origins,

gender, race or creed. The principles of demo-cracy and observance of human rights are essen-tial for upholding and promoting pluralism.Based on best-practice analysis, UNESCO willdevelop guidelines for participatory pluralismand will contribute to the recognition, promotionand application of cultural rights, as defined inexisting human rights instruments. UNESCO willseek to sensitize national authorities as to thecrucial role cultural and educational institutionsas well as NGOs can play in that regard. Moreattention will be paid to the pivotal role oflanguage in the definition of cultural identityand, in particular, to endangered languages andthe study, learning and translation thereof as a key element for the promotion of the intan-gible heritage, cultural diversity and linguisticpluralism.

146] The protection of diversity requires recognition ofthe special status of cultural goods and services.Cultural enterprises and creative industries areprivileged channels of creativity as well asincreasingly important sources of employmentand wealth creation. They bear within them thesource of social and economic dynamism toenrich human life. On the basis of the principlescontained in the UNESCO Universal Declarationon Cultural Diversity, which was adopted by theGeneral Conference at its 31st session, theOrganization will support those Member Stateswho wish to develop cultural policies aimed atpromoting the free flow and exchange of ideasand works and to promote a framework for freeand diversified cultural expressions by enablingcultural industries to be represented at the globallevel. To that end, consideration will be given tothe importance of:� enhanced political will in favour of cultural

diversity at global level, and translation of thenotion of “culture and development” into prac-tical actions based on partnership;

� demonstrating the solidarity of companies inindustrialized countries with developing coun-tries, and highlighting the concept of socialresponsibility by corporations;

� better understanding of the impact of culturalproducts of different origins on national identities;

� monitoring consumer reactions to, and thedegree of public acceptance of, national andforeign cultural products, in particular markets;

� creating new opportunities for creative peopleand artists in developing countries to have theirwork produced and marketed;

� promoting broader and more diversified culturaloffer at global level;

� expansion of North/South transfer of “know-how” and production, marketing and distribu-tion technologies for cultural products andencouragement for the formation of businesspartnerships;

� achieving a better balance between national andforeign cultural products available in markets ofdeveloping countries through the sustainabledevelopment of endogenous cultural industries;

� enhanced copyright protection for the benefit ofcreative people in both South and North and,consequently, the creation of new cultural mar-kets for all;

� global mobilization in favour of cultural diver-sity, facilitating trade negotiations in the field ofcultural goods and services.

147] UNESCO will give priority to promoting thedevelopment of small and medium-sized culturalenterprises to assist in poverty alleviation. It willsupport the creation of innovative partnerships atthe global and regional levels to foster endoge-nous cultural productions and strengthen nationalcapacities, in particular through the creation of anew international forum, the Global Alliance forCultural Diversity, which will be launched at thebeginning of the sexennial period. Conceived tofoster a flexible partnership between the private

and the public sectors and civil society, theGlobal Alliance will aim to develop the solidarityand responsibility of all partners; it will aim inparticular to promote and defend cultural diver-sity, focusing on the development and circulationof cultural goods on a global scale. It will be aninnovative modality to encourage North/Southand South/South cooperation and may become apowerful tool for the alleviation of current asym-metries in the trade flow of cultural goods. Effec-tive consultation and coordination will be soughtwith other United Nations agencies and pro-grammes concerned, in particular UNDP, ILO,UNCTAD, WIPO and the Global Compact. Themethod followed will be exploratory and will berequired to adjust its applications while preserv-ing the same principles. Companies, associationsand institutions adhering to the alliance will beinvited to support actively actions aiming at open-ing markets for cultural goods produced in devel-oping countries, investing in start-up industries indeveloping countries, transferring professionalknow-how pertinent to the cultural industry sec-tor and participating in training activities. Govern-ments of concerned countries will be asked toguarantee appropriate copyright protection andenforcement, both for conventional trade and fore-commerce purposes, and to formulate policiesconducive to the development of their culturalindustries. Lastly, UNESCO will mobilize a largespectrum of actors of civil society such as teach-ers, scientists, artists, and all the professionsinvolved in cultural goods and services and theirrespective umbrella groups and associations.

Strategic objective 9

Enhancing the linkages between culture and development through capacity-building and sharing of knowledge

148] On the basis of the Action Plan of the Inter-governmental Conference on Cultural Policies forDevelopment (Stockholm, 1998), UNESCO willpursue its efforts to advocate the crucial role ofculture in national and international developmentstrategies.

149] In the area of heritage, UNESCO will pilot proj-ects aimed at raising public awareness about theimportance of conserving the world’s most out-standing cultural and natural sites, involving the

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� Formulation of national policies and support tospecialized cultural institutions with a view tofostering cultural pluralism based on democraticprinciples and human rights;

� Improved history, geography and citizenshipeducation as a result of activities carried outduring the United Nations Year for Dialogueamong Civilizations and subsequent initiativesand events as well as through the history andintercultural projects of the Organization;

� Creation of innovative partnerships bringingtogether the public and private sectors andcivil society at the global and regional levels,such as through the vehicle of the GlobalAlliance for Cultural Diversity;

� Enlarged and diversified cultural offer, in particular from developing countries,contributing to a deceleration of asymmetriesat the global level;

� Application of modern management and marketing techniques and introduction of ICTsby cultural industries in developing countries.

Expected outcomes:

mass media, the Internet and other digital means.The preparation of an educational resource kit forteachers known as World Heritage in Young Handswill carry the message to secondary schools.

150] Promoting heritage also requires the design ofpolicies for the tourism-related development ofcultural heritage. To that end, UNESCO will helpupgrade endogenous capacities, identify and dis-seminate best practices so as to counter the neg-ative impact of unsustainable tourism develop-ment. Through UNESCO’s strategic partnershipswith the tourism industry and the World TourismOrganization, the promotion of genuine culturaltourism will be encouraged.

151] In the area of world heritage conservation, theinvolvement of local communities in large-scaleecological protection, urban conservation, inte-grated planning and tourism projects will enhancesustainability and contribute to overall effortsaimed at combating poverty. Capacity-building,training (including skills development for youngpeople) and public awareness strategies (includ-ing the use of the media, the Internet and othernew technologies) will be used to impart an ethicof conservation. The objective will be to mobilizea vast international constituency in support of thetask, in the process promoting knowledge-leddevelopment.

152] The promotion of crafts constitutes another com-ponent for enhancing the linkages between cul-ture and development. Anchored in efforts toovercome poverty and to advance sustainabledevelopment, UNESCO will assist crafts organiza-tions and craftspeople to deal with issues such asdata collection, training, promotion and societalstatus. Pilot workshops will be held on tech-niques and modalities for preparing the partici-pation in crafts fairs while Internet presencethrough websites will be promoted to improvethe outreach and networking of craftspeople.UNESCO will also contribute to pilot projects inthe training of trainers for product design andmarketing.

153] In the framework of the International Decade ofthe World’s Indigenous Peoples (1995-2004),UNESCO will apply an interdisciplinary approachtowards ensuring the full participation of minori-ties and marginalized and vulnerable groups indevising, implementing and monitoring policiesand actions which directly affect them. In thatregard, UNESCO will concentrate its efforts ontangible and intangible heritage, the promotion of

multilingual and multicultural education – formaland informal –, the promotion of cultural rights,the definition of mediation mechanisms to facili-tate the participation of indigenous peoples indecision-making processes, the enhancement oflocal and indigenous knowledge systems andintergenerational transmission; the empowermentof indigenous peoples through equitable partner-ships with non-indigenous partners, and supportto the creation of national consultative bodies andnetworks by and of indigenous peoples.

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� Creation of an Internet-based observatory on "culture and sustainable development" to collect, analyse, validate and disseminate innovative cultural approaches and initiativesbased on best practices;

� Enhanced cooperation among all partners witha view to better responding to the needs for cultural planning, information, education,management and financing;

� Formulation of cultural indicators in order to assess changes to policies, strategies andprogrammes at local and national levels;

� Broad-based partnerships with tourism industryin support of world heritage sites and observance of guidelines for responsible andsustainable tourism;

� Data bank on cultural policies, operationalactivities and best practices, such as innovativeapproaches to natural and cultural heritage and intercultural dialogue;

� Equipping craftspeople with enhanced design,marketing and management techniques, includ-ing microcredit facilities;

� Improvement of crafts statistics;� Use of ICTs for exhibition and marketing

purposes.

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154] Regarding communication and information,UNESCO’s action will be in line with the objec-tives set out in the resolution of the UnitedNations Economic and Social Council (July 2000)on “the role of information technology in the con-text of a knowledge-based global economy” andin the United Nations Millennium Declaration(September 2000). These texts call for the creationof an international strategic partnership to bridgethe digital divide and establish a knowledgesociety that is open and non-exclusive.

155] For UNESCO, the main objective in this perspec-tive must be to build a knowledge society basedon the sharing of knowledge and incorporatingall the sociocultural and ethical dimensions ofsustainable development. Beyond the technologi-cal aspects, the real challenge is to take accountof the human dimension of the digital divide. Inthis respect, education constitutes a priority objec-tive because there can be no information for allwithout education for all. ICTs affect every fieldof action of the Organization, as reflected in thecross-cutting strategy for this theme, (seepages 51-55) which deals with the contribution –including in its societal aspects – of these tech-nologies to the development of education, sci-ence and culture and the construction of a know-ledge society.

156] The World Summit on the Information Society(WSIS), scheduled to be held in Geneva in 2003and in Tunis in 2005, under the auspices of theInternational Telecommunication Union (ITU),will allow to take stock of all the issues at stake,to draw up a balance sheet of achievements andto define strategies for future action. In this con-nection, the horizon of the Medium-Term Strategyseems relatively distant when one considers thedynamics of the information revolution and therapid pace of technological innovation: only

eight years ago there were 50 sites on the Web;now there are several million. Furthermore, it isestimated that the number of Internet users, whowere around 407 million at the end of 2000, willexceed 1 billion by 2005.

157] It is UNESCO’s mission to promote the free flowof information, knowledge and data, to encour-age the creation of diversified contents and tofacilitate equitable access to information and to the means of sharing knowledge while at the same time giving attention to institutionalcapacity-building. Access to information and themanagement of knowledge and “contents” shallbe a major focus for action in the years to come.

158] The Organization will pursue its action at threedistinct but interdependent levels: (i) the ethical,standard-setting and legal fields; (ii) the contentsand applications of ICTs within its fields ofcompetence, including development and demo-cratic governance; (iii) methodological tools andaccessibility to information and knowledge.

159] Since 1980 the International Programme for theDevelopment of Communication (IPDC) assisteddeveloping countries to enhance their communi-cation capacities and improve training in thisarea. The new intergovernmental programme“Information for All” (IFAP), established inJanuary 2001 as a platform for reflection andaction to help reduce the digital divide, will be acomplementary instrument for this purpose: it isexpected to provide a frame of reference and tohelp define the main lines of action in this field.Cooperation between IPDC and IFAP will bestrengthened to ensure an optimal use of avail-able resources and know-how.

160] UNESCO will draw on a wide range of partners:the organizations of the United Nations (in

Communicat ion andinformation

particular UNDP, ITU, WIPO and the World Bank),other international and regional intergovern-mental organizations (such as the EuropeanUnion), non-governmental organizations andprofessional communities active in UNESCO’sfields of competence and, of course, the privatesector. The Organization will make a specialeffort to strengthen its relations with civil societyorganizations.

161] The Organization will seek to encourage inter-national debate and reflection regarding the impactof globalization on access to information servicesand communication processes. It will also help toexplore existing or future mechanisms to fosteruniversal access to information and communicationand the expression of cultural diversity in theknowledge society. To that end, it will endeavourto combine traditional and new media, especiallythrough community-based development.

Strategic objective 10

Promoting the free flow of ideas and universal access to information

162] Globalization and the ICTs affect the free flow ofideas and universal access to information in twoways. For one, there are new dangers and threatsarising from the use of the new media, such asincitement to violence, intolerance and hatred ora rise in cybercrime. Beyond, the increasing con-centration and growing number of mega-mergersbetween major media companies may well leadto restrictions on the freedom of expression andthought, and to limits in the free flow of ideas andaccess to information. On the other hand, by multi-plying the opportunities for linking individualsand communities and by facilitating access toinformation, ideas and knowledge, ICTs canenable these groups to overcome exclusion andescape from their isolation. By the same token,ICTs increase and broaden possibilities for citizens’participation in governance and decision-makingprocesses.

163] UNESCO’s role will be to foster internationalintellectual cooperation and to mobilize worldpublic opinion and all its partners for the pro-motion and defence of the freedom of expressionand the right to information – which is closelylinked to the right to education. To this end,UNESCO will foster the formulation of universally

recognized principles and common ethical stan-dards related to the use of ICTs. This work willbe part of the Organization’s contribution to thepreparation of WSIS. An effective strategy for thepromotion of the public domain will be a keyelement of its action, based on the principle offree access to information.

164] In this context, the Organization will focus on thefollowing sub-objectives:

Promoting freedom of expression,freedom of the press, pluralism and independence of the media

165] UNESCO will continue to promote and upholdthe freedom of information, by encouraging thework of professional and non-governmentalorganizations active in this field. Major advocacyefforts in that regard will be aimed at the gen-era l publ ic wor ldwide, dec is ion-makers ,parliamentarians, civil society organizations andinstitutions for the training of journalists. Globalawareness-raising will seek to strengthen thefreedom of expression and of the press, espe-cially in countries in transition and in conflict orpost-conflict zones. Particular support will begiven to independent media in view of theimportant role they are able to play in conflictprevention and resolution as well as in promot-ing the values of peace, tolerance and mutualunderstanding. Similarly, a fresh impulse will begiven to initiatives aimed at creating in MemberStates conditions for the functioning of the mediain a democratic setting, in accordance with thedeclarations and plans of action of the fiveregional seminars (organized between 1991 and1997 at Windhoek, Almaty, Santiago, Sana’a andSofia) on the promotion of independent and plu-ralistic media. The Organization will continue tosupport and promote the traditional media whichplay a fundamental role in developing countries,especially as regards the consolidation of free-dom of expression and of pluralism. It will alsocontribute to the establishment or strengtheningof alert networks for the protection of freedomof expression and of the press so as to providegreater security for journalists and intellectuals.

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Fostering the application of human rightsand fundamental freedoms in cyberspace

166] With its long experience in defending freedom ofexpression and democracy in the traditional media,UNESCO will also promote in cyberspace respectfor the principles enshrined in the Universal Dec-laration of Human Rights: freedom of expression,respect for privacy, security of the person, therights to information and education, protection ofthe moral and material interests inherent in intel-lectual work, fair use of works, respect for legal-ity, universal principles of law and ethics, socialresponsibility of the providers of information anduse of the Internet to advance democracy. Givenits functions as a discussion forum and an intel-lectual clearing house, the Organization will furtherpromote reflection on the ethical and societalimplications of the information society. It willanalyse the main trends in this area as well aspositions and documents by governmental author-ities and international governmental and non-governmental organizations. This may lead to theformulation of draft standard-setting texts or instru-ments on which international agreement can beattained. UNESCO is the only organization in aposition to bring together creators, artists, publish-ers and the users of knowledge, such as librarians,teachers and researchers. It is therefore particularlywell placed to take part, in close consultation withthe World Intellectual Property Organization(WIPO), in the ongoing debate on intellectualproperty and the fair use of works, legal excep-tions to copyright for purposes of teaching andresearch, and the promotion of works in the pub-lic domain. This debate, involving all actors con-cerned, may culminate in joint recommendations

on the subject to be taken into account in the con-text of the preparation of WSIS. At the same time,various actions will be undertaken to sensitize thegeneral public as well as specific target audiences.

Promoting and extending the public domain of information

167] Without a market value, the public domain ofinformation offers a priceless though poorlyexploited reservoir of data, information, knowl-edge and documents of all kinds resulting fromresearch financed by public funds or made avail-able in the public domain. ICTs radically trans-form the conditions for exploiting this “commonpublic good”, which can now be made accessibleto the public at large, exchanged and shared. Asan organization for international intellectual coop-eration with a worldwide mission, UNESCO willchampion the promotion of the public domain ofinformation by encouraging the formulation andadoption of policies and legislation aimed atenlarging universal access to this “public good” infields essential to the knowledge society. Further-more, it will foster the preservation, digitization,accessibility and wider dissemination of works inthis category, including works in the Memory ofthe World programme. At the same time, it willseek to improve national and international prac-tices relating to the public domain by seeking toestablish common standards for registration, stor-age and exchange and by formulating pertinentpolicies, guidelines and legislative texts.

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� Broadening of public debate on intellectualproperty and the fair use of works for educational, scientific and cultural purposes;

� Progress towards an international consensus onthese matters and in the formulation of recommendations for all the parties concerned.

Expected outcomes:

� Greater awareness by Member States of thevalue of the documentary heritage;

� Preparation of guidelines for access to informa-tion in the public domain;

� Formation of an international partnership forthe collection, preservation and disseminationof the documentary heritage.

Expected outcomes:

� Progress in the application of human rights andfundamental freedoms in the media;

� Introduction of provisions relating to freedomof expression, freedom of the press and independence of the media into the domesticlegislation of about 15 countries;

� Increase in the number of independent newspapers and radio or television stations,both public and private, in countries in transition and in conflict or post-conflict zones;

� Extension of the geographical coverage of networks in order to fight more effectivelyagainst threats to the security of journalists andintellectuals.

Expected outcomes:

Setting up a UNESCO knowledge portal

168] A public, Internet-based portal serves many pur-poses. It may be an objective, a means of actionand an outcome. Through it, the Organization candemonstrate how access to a content-rich publicdomain may be an important asset in the con-struction of the knowledge society. Its purpose willbe to prove the feasibility and usefulness of aglobal site which can host a vast range of infor-mation and documents available in the publicdomain and which attests to the diversity of theforms, the national, cultural and linguistic originsand, of course, the contents of the materials madeavailable. The information and items presented(policies, statistics and data, methodologies, etc.) areprimarily aimed at users in the developing coun-tries. In this connection, the various experiments inelectronic democracy and online governance andthe opportunities for improving public administra-tion and citizen participation through the use ofICTs, especially in the developing countries, will becollected with a view to disseminating best prac-tices. In view of its high cost, the portal project willbe carried out in cooperation with other partners.

Strategic objective 11

Promoting the expression of pluralismand cultural diversity in the media and world information networks

169] In pursuit of this objective, which is closely linkedto strategic objective 8, UNESCO will continue toencourage cultural and linguistic pluralism and thevitality of the various forms of cultural expressionby giving support to the production and dissemi-nation of media and information products at the

local, national and regional levels. In the case ofthe media, as indeed for all communication andinformation techniques, the promotion of pluralismis a supreme challenge. The production and dis-semination at the local, national and subregionallevels of educational, recreational and culturalproducts that meet the expectations of particularsocial groups constitute an important means ofensuring authentic cultural diversity and promotinggenuine pluralism. In helping to produce and dis-seminate programmes geared to different socialcontexts, public radio and television services canalso reduce the risks of cultural uniformity. To thatend, UNESCO will articulate principles; assist withpolicy formulation; raise awareness of govern-mental authorities and professional circles; promotepartnerships among the public and private sectorsand civil society for the development and dissemi-nation of cultural products; and, lastly, undertakevigorous and effective action at the country level toconduct pilot projects.

170] UNESCO will focus on the following sub-objectives:

Encouraging the production and dissemination of audiovisual programmes

171] In partnership with specialized international non-governmental organizations, the aim will be toelaborate policies and strategies for the productionand dissemination of audiovisual programmes thattake account of the needs of target audiences –women and youth – and reflect the concerns ofspecific groups such as ethnic or linguistic minori-ties and disadvantaged rural or urban communities.By virtue of its specific mission and at least partlyof being independent of commercial interests, apublic radio and television service which respectscriteria of diversity and quality of content canmake a significant contribution to meeting popularconcerns and expectations regarding communica-tion and information. Efforts will therefore be pur-sued to strengthen public radio and television serv-ices through respect for editorial independence.Stress will be laid on improving the quality ofproducts and programmes and on broadening dis-tribution channels. Media education is of particularimportance for UNESCO and it will also be givenpriority in this context. Action will firstly deal withraising the awareness of and mobilizing decision-makers and media professionals pertaining to thethemes mentioned above. Emphasis will be placedon the need to foster the expression of cultural andlinguistic pluralism in media content. While

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� Better access to information and data in thepublic domain in education, science, culture,communication and information through anInternet-based UNESCO knowledge portal;

� Increase in the number of users of the site from different regions; and global links to groups,institutions and other information providers;

� Better knowledge of current practicesconcerning electronic governance and citizenparticipation.

Expected outcomes:

supporting initiatives aimed at reducing “violenceon the screen”, UNESCO will promote the conceptof “the educational and cultural dimension of themedia”. Other action, within the framework ofregional and interregional strategies and in partner-ship with specialized organizations, will encourageproductions and co-productions of developingcountries, foster exchanges of programmes, experi-ence and expertise and facilitate the access of endo-genous productions to world markets. These actionswill be supplemented by pilot projects designed tosupport the training of professional staff and thedevelopment of installations and facilities.

Promoting the diversity of content in information networks

172] Cyberspace constitutes a highly promising area forexchanges, creativity and the expression of abroad range of cultural values and identities. It willbe UNESCO’s task to devise policies and strategiesdesigned to encourage the production, safeguard-ing and dissemination of educational, scientific andcultural contents through world networks. Basedon studies and research carried out in MemberStates and on the results of experiments, practicesand policies, the Organization will prepare a setof recommendations for the promotion of linguis-tic and cultural diversity in cyberspace. Initiativessuch as the Babel programme aimed at develop-ing multilingualism on the Internet will be encour-aged. Under the Memory of the World programme,whose purpose is to preserve and make knownthe rare and endangered documentary heritage ofuniversal value, methodologies and principlesdefined in recent years will be applied, as will beefforts to preserve and disseminate. Thesemeasures will be extended to other countries,other linguistic sources, and other means.

173] Lastly, efforts will be made to launch a globalstrategy for the safeguarding of the digitalmemory, together with all partners concerned.The task will involve analysing the problem andidentifying possible solutions and recommenda-tions, to be formulated at the international level,both for gathering and preserving in digital formthe existing documentary heritage and for pre-serving digital products which are themselvesthreatened with destruction.

Strategic objective 12

Access for all to information and communication technologies,especially in the public domain

174] UNESCO will respond to the challenge of the digi-tal divide by supporting institutional and humancapacity-building in developing countries, the leastdeveloped countries and countries in transition, inparticular through a regional and decentralizedapproach. Access to knowledge and to the mediaand genuine participation in the knowledge societyis impeded for the greater part of humanity by avariety of obstacles: inappropriate infrastructure,both with respect to energy and hardware avail-ability, telecommunications and mass disseminationfacilities; insufficient financial resources; persistentilliteracy; the absence of a scientific environmentconducive to the use of such technologies; lack oftraining in the use of ICTs; unreliable maintenanceor assistance; contents which are unsuitable oreven impossible to use for linguistic or cultural rea-sons. UNESCO’s contribution to bridging the digitaland media divides will compromise the formulationof policies to strengthen institutional capacities andcreating the conditions for equitable access for allto information, knowledge and the underlying tech-nologies. For this purpose, all partners involved ininternational cooperation will be mobilized.

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� Increase in the number of productionssupported by UNESCO, in the volume offinancial resources mobilized and in thenumber of works and producers given accessto international distribution channels;

� Increase in the number of persons trained and in the number of media organizationsaddressing different target groups, particularly in developing countries;

� Adoption of national legislation concerningpublic service radio and television.

Expected outcomes:

� Improved cultural and linguistic diversitythrough a more diverse offer on the Internetand other digital products;

� Formulation of comprehensive recommenda-tions on cultural diversity on the Web and for digital products and their wide application;

� Arrangements in place for gathering andpreserving in digital form the existingdocumentary heritage and digital products.

Expected outcomes:

175] In this context, UNESCO will focus on the fol-lowing sub-objectives:

Formulating integrated regional and national policies and strategies for communication, information and informatics

176] Efforts will mainly focus on the development oflocal contents, human resources and infrastructure.The cooperation with regional organizations will bea key element of these strategies, which will givepriority to fostering or strengthening local capaci-ties in terms of equipment, human resources andmethodology. In this context, strong emphasis willbe placed on training in information and commu-nication technologies through formal and informalmeans, at local, national and regional levels, witha view to facilitating access to learning, to boostcapacity-building, to help eradicate poverty, to sup-port economic development and to reduce the dig-ital divide. The objective will be to create and dis-seminate media products for local, national,subregional and regional communities. At the sametime, encouragement will be given to the formationor strengthening of existing networks of archives,libraries and other documentation services throughinstitutional support. Priority will be given to thepotential offered by cyberspace for regional coop-eration and access to local information. In this con-text, encouragement will be given to set up a worldnetwork of developers and users of digital infor-mation management and processing tools. Withinall these strategies, training for women and youngpeople will be assigned priority so as to facilitatetheir participation in communication processes.

Promoting access to information and means of communication

177] Within the framework of inter-institutional cooperation and a broader partnership with multi-lateral institutions such as UNDP, ITU, the WorldBank, regional intergovernmental organizationsand other actors, UNESCO will seek to promoteinitiatives aimed at fostering the use of ICTs foreducational, scientific, cultural and communica-tion purposes. A greater effort will be made tomobilize international technical cooperation forthe purpose of capacity-building in the fields ofcommunication and information, in particularthrough IPDC and the Information for All Pro-gramme. More particularly, the experiment ofmultipurpose community telecentres set up toencourage the assimilation of ICTs in disadvan-taged urban or rural areas will be pursued andextended by way of support for developmentprogrammes. Pilot projects will demonstrate thecombination of traditional means of communica-tion (especially radio) and new information tech-nologies (especially the Internet) through telecen-tres at community level. This will make itpossible to test the conditions necessary for theirsuccess for a range of applications, including edu-cation, health, daily life, poverty alleviation, par-ticipatory management and local decision-making.

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� Preparation of strategies and action plans at regional and subregional levels;

� Greater participation and capacity for self-development on the part of specific target groups;

� Broader participation in world networks as a result of training and institutional support;

� Formation of a world network of developersand users of digital and documentary information management and processing tools;

� Greater participation in regional networks andimprovement of their technical quality.

Expected outcomes:

� Increase in the number of development projects focused on the “infostructure”,communication capacities and the volume of resources mobilized;

� More diversified applications of ICTs for training purposes, especially for distance education and scientific and cultural cooperation;

� Increase in the number of pilot projects aimed at establishing a number of communitytelecentres linked to the Internet (“radiobrowsing”); increase in the size of the populations reached through these facilities;

� A number of websites established and CDsproduced at community level offering localcontents.

Expected outcomes:

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178] Poverty is a denial of basic human rights and istoday of concern to all societies. The injustices,exclusions, deprivations and inequalities thatpoverty, and especially extreme poverty, engen-ders and, above all their causes, must effectivelybe dealt with, if social justice and cohesion, eco-nomic and social progress, democracy and ulti-mately peace are to be further strengthened.Indeed, there is an inescapable relationshipbetween poverty and durable peace as well asstability of the entire global community. Extremepoverty today affects 1.2 billion persons, of whichthree quarters live and work in rural areas.

179] Governments and international organizations alikehave placed poverty eradication at the centre ofthe global efforts to advance economic and socialdevelopment. In a series of international confer-ences and most recently at the United NationsMillennium Summit, they have committed them-selves to the international development goal ofhalving the proportion of people living inextreme poverty by the year 2015. The mid-pointof the United Nations Decade for Poverty Eradi-cation (1996-2005) has just been passed. Manyinitiatives have been taken both within and out-side the United Nations system, with a view tocreating synergies to overcome poverty. In gen-eral, their principal objectives are to create a pro-poor policy environment; to increase resourceflows to the poor; to generate social capital andinstitutions enhancing access for the poor toknowledge, information and opportunities and toempower the poor and their communities.

180] Long-term poverty eradication strategies must beharmonized with other human developmentstrategies and place them in the overall contextof human security, focusing on the needs of the

individual and their communities. A number of recent reports from international institutions,development cooperation agencies as well aspoverty research networks linked to field actionhave underlined the importance of ensuring theselinks for poverty reduction strategies to becomeeffective and sustainable. This is particularly necessary since there are indications that in someregions progress in reducing rural poverty hasstalled over the last few years (see IFAD RuralPoverty Report 2001 The Challenge of EndingRural Poverty).

181] UNESCO is well placed, as the United Nationssystem's intellectual and ethical organization, toadvocate the moral as well as the political imper-ative of poverty eradication. Poverty eradication isa significant condition for world peace and secu-rity – and a question of human dignity. Promot-ing the right to development and education willtherefore be one of UNESCO’s tasks, comple-mented by advocacy in favour of right to devel-opment, and through supporting understandingand solidarity among humankind – both betweencountries and between populations divided bygrowing disparities.

182] The educational, cultural and science-relateddimensions of poverty and anti-poverty policiesare often neglected. Although the poverty para-digm has evolved from merely financial and mon-etary measures and definitions (“less than US $1a day”) towards more human-centred concepts,such as deficiencies in “human capabilities”, lackof social capital, vulnerability, lack of dignity,such broadened definition and understanding israrely reflected in policies, strategies and policydocuments.

183] For example, the Highly Indebted Poor CountriesInitiative (HIPC), launched by the World Bank

Strategy for cross-cutt ing theme:

Eradicat ion of pover ty,especial ly extreme pover ty

and the International Monetary Fund in 1996, hasfocused on the need for countries to elaboratepoverty reduction strategies in order to qualify fordebt relief. Yet, too often they do not fully take intoaccount the central role of education, the culturaldimension of development, gender equity, water andother natural resources, environmental considera-tions and governance arrangements – all of whichcan be addressed through contributions byUNESCO. The ultimate goal must be the formula-tion of comprehensive country-owned strategiesdeveloped in a participatory and inclusive manner,together with other multi- and bilateral partners.

184] Much remains to be done to develop effective con-cepts and approaches for such integration to beeffective and to translate these strategies into prac-tical measures, which are aimed at giving the poorboth options and a voice. Despite formal recogni-tion of the importance of “participation” and “own-ership” by developing countries, the developmentand poverty eradication agenda still risks beinglargely set by donors. The success of policies andnational plans aimed at poverty reduction is notonly dependent upon strong political commitmentbut also on genuine country ownership as well asauthentic participation of all actors in society.Building on its strong position as a partner to civilsociety UNESCO can work towards ensuring civilsociety representation in the policy design, formu-lation and implementation processes.

UNESCO’s strategy

185] UNESCO has been called upon by its MemberStates, through various General Conference reso-lutions and Executive Board decisions, to make itsspecific contribution to poverty reduction throughthe design of an appropriate long-term strategy.The Executive Board concurred with the Director-General’s subsequent proposal that poverty eradi-cation be selected as a cross-cutting theme for theactivities of the Organization as a whole. The fol-lowing strategy defines the main parameters of adistinct UNESCO contribution to poverty eradica-tion, in particular extreme poverty, which will beintegrated and followed by all programmes. Itshall enable UNESCO to contribute constructivelyin its areas of competence to the implementationof the United Nations Millennium Declaration andespecially its central goal of halving extremepoverty by the year 2015.

186] This strategy is based on an analysis of UNESCO’scomparative potential for contributing to poverty

eradication in all its fields of competence andtaking into account the overall challenge. Specificentry points will be identified bearing in mindvarious plans and frameworks for action, such asthe Dakar Framework for Action, the StockholmConference on Cultural Policies for Development,the Budapest World Conference on Science, andthe Plan of Action for a Culture of Peace. Like-wise the collaboration with various partnersinside and outside the United Nations system willbe a key feature for all activities, involving espe-cially the World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA,FAO, IFAD and ILO.

Strategic objectives for UNESCO’s action

187] UNESCO will focus on three major, interrelatedstrategic objectives, which in turn have directlinkages also to the second cross-cutting theme:

188] The formulation of national poverty reductionstrategies requires short-, medium- and long-termcontributions from UNESCO:

189] Short-term: the integration of education for allstrategies (i.e. covering formal and non-formaleducation as well as vocational and science edu-cation), as requested in Article 9 of the DakarFramework for Action, of human resource dimen-sions and of other dimensions pertaining to theOrganization’s fields of competence into nationaland international poverty reduction strategies andinitiatives. This will necessitate sensitization ofboth decision-makers and civil society.

190] Medium-term: proposing the adoption of EFAplans aimed at reinforcing formal and non-formal education approaches and alternative deliv-ery systems adapted to the specific needs of thepoor and the marginalized; the adoption of plansto ensure broader access to safe water; and thesystematic introduction of local knowledge andcultural heritage components into all strategies.

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Strategic objective 1To contribute to a broadening of thefocus of international and nationalpoverty reduction strategies through themainstreaming of education, culture,the sciences and communication.

191] Long term: assessment of progress made, identifi-cation of obstacles and ways to overcome them;mobilization of resources for comprehensivepoverty reduction strategies, integrating educa-tion, culture and the sciences.

192] Action at the regional level will build on theOrganization’s decentralization process and itsfield presence. Priority will be given to theexchange of best experiences in establishing alter-native education delivery systems targeting in par-ticular rural populations and women. Efforts willalso be made to assess progress made in strategylinkage and implementation, including contribu-tions to design meaningful indicators as well asfostering capacity-building in the collection of sta-tistics (in close cooperation with other UnitedNations competent bodies, national institutions,and in the framework of the PARIS 21 initiative).

193] At the field level, UNESCO’s action will draw oninput from all programme sectors and from itsinstitutes. The policy guidance component shallintegrate elements of education and humanresources development planning at the sectorallevel.

194] Many countries severely affected by poverty arechallenged to establish effective links betweenpoverty reduction strategies and national strategiesaimed at sustainable development. Such linkagesshall ensure that the loss of natural resources (inparticular water resources, land, forests, and bio-diversity) and pollution be checked. This shallcreate the basis for social capital formation and theformation of institutions for the poor to make useof their natural environment and create livelihoods.Overall, it will help to bolster human security. Thisshall be pursued through the following action:

195] Short-term: to provide policy guidance relating tothe integration of poverty reduction and sustain-able development strategies, focusing onUNESCO’s fields of competence, and to buildingsocial capital and institutions targeting the mostvulnerable populations, in particular in rural areasand periurban settings.

196] Medium-term: to contribute to a convergence ofpoverty eradication policies and plans of actionfor sustainable development through subregionaland national interdisciplinary pilot projects,training and institution-building; enhancingknowledge-sharing and networking at thenational and subregional levels and to improvelinkages to global observance and early-warningsystems concerning natural resources and naturaldisasters; special attention will be given tofostering interaction and linkages between localknowledge and globally available knowledge.

197] Long-term: to contribute to institutional capacity-building in order to ensure the free flow andsharing of scientific information at the inter-national, regional and subregional levels concern-ing aspects of human security. Building on itsscientific programmes with their global scope,UNESCO will seek to initiate action at regionaland subregional levels.

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Strategic objective 2To support the establishment of effec-tive linkages between national povertyreduction strategies and sustainabledevelopment frameworks, focusing onUNESCO’s areas of competence. Fur-thermore, to help mobilize social capitalby building capacities and institutions,especially in the public domain, with aview to enabling the poor to enjoy theirrights.

� Integration of the education for all (EFA)approach and human resources development,particularly in cultural development and scienceand technology, into long-term poverty reduction strategies and plans of action in a number of countries, particularly LDCs andacceptance of this approach by the other international and bilateral organizations involvedin poverty reduction;

� Regional, subregional and national capacitiesand networking in human resources develop-ment and capacity-building, in particular asregards project design and implementation, witha view to strengthening country-ownership andgender mainstreaming.

Expected outcomes:

198] Reclaiming the community as a dynamic actor forsocial transformations has become in the last fewyears a major priority for pro-poor developmentstrategies, and in particular, for poverty alleviationand reduction frameworks. The cultural, localgovernance, and advocacy dimensions – in par-ticular as they relate to women’s and young girls’participation – must be fully taken into account ifsuch an endeavour is to lead to effective empow-erment of the poor. Effective participatory decen-tralization processes for natural resource use aswell as for providing access to financial andcredit facilities will be essential in that context.Emphasis will also be placed on the need forestablishing pro-poor coalitions involving thepublic sector, NGOs, and the private sector, andeffective participative decentralization processesfor natural resources and financial services inorder to ensure devolution.

199] UNESCO has already acquired experience inworking at community levels, be it through non-formal education activities aimed at reaching theunreached, the involvement of communities inthe management of cultural and natural heritageconservation, the implementation of micro-credit

schemes, education pertaining to population andreproductive health ( in cooperat ion withUNFPA); and the creation of multimedia com-munity centres, combining traditional and newmedia to enhance access to information andknowledge and to foster non-formal education.Building capacities at the community level willalso be of significance for preventive educationcampaigns aimed at tackling HIV/AIDS. To thatend, UNESCO will design and implement a num-ber of intersectoral and interdisciplinary projects– especially in the framework of the two cross-cutting themes – in the least developed coun-tries, particularly in Africa and South and SouthEast-Asia.

200] For field projects to be successful it will be nec-essary to identify key components and relaymechanisms within communities, promoting theempowerment of the population in communitieswith specific attention to the needs of women,youth and the elderly. UNESCO action in thisregard will require inputs from all programmesectors and from its institutes.

201] In sum, UNESCO will undertake the followingactivities:a) policy formulation and implementation,

including assisting in the design of country-owned, integrated pro-poor national policiesand frameworks, involving all stakeholders,and building the capacities of governments toput in place participatory and inclusive pro-cesses at national and local levels;

b) advocacy and information, emphasizing thatfreedom from poverty is a human right, aglobal ethical imperative, and a top priority forgovernments and the international community;

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Strategic objective 3To contribute to an enabling nationalpolicy framework and environment forempowerment, participatory approachesand livelihood generation.

� Mobilization of social capital through education,training, micro-credit and schemes for the useof natural resources based on communityneeds assessments, especially in rural areas, inseveral developing countries;

� Implementation of participatory decentralizationprocesses and empowerment of local commu-nities through various means, such as the man-agement of cultural and natural heritage, micro-credit schemes, multimedia community centres,and non-formal education activities.

Expected outcomes:

� Convergence of objectives of poverty reduction strategies and sustainable develop-ment plans, leading to the creation of liveli-hoods for the poor related to their natural environment and resources;

� Establishment of linkages between nationalpoverty reduction strategies with sustainabledevelopment and human security frameworks,particularly in LDCs;

� Strengthening of institution-building, knowledge-sharing arrangements, training and networkingcapacities in a number of countries, in partic-ular LDCs, so as to enhance the managementof risks and threats to human security inUNESCO’s fields of competence.

Expected outcomes:

c) policy-oriented research contributing to theanalysis of extreme poverty – and monitoringprogress toward its eradication;

d) capacity-building, particularly in countriesimmersed in or emerging from conflict or natural disasters and at local levels;

e) innovative field projects, especially throughprojects under its cross-cutting themes, todemonstrate feasibility and potential results asa basis for translating them into policies andmainstreaming them nationally or in othercountries.

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202] Information and communication technologies(ICTs) play a significant role in developmentefforts, in poverty alleviation – underlining thelinkage between both cross-cutting themes – andin all the fields of competence of UNESCO. ICTsopen up new horizons for progress and theexchange of knowledge, education and training,and for the promotion of creativity and intercul-tural dialogue. The opportunities to accomplishthe Organization’s core missions – to promote“the free exchange of ideas and knowledge” andto “maintain, increase and diffuse knowledge” –have possibly never been greater. These tech-nologies could also help to strengthen socialcohesion and reinforce the capacity for self-development of individuals and groups withineach society. Nevertheless, the growing digitaldivide is actually leading to greater inequalities indevelopment. This is giving rise to paradoxicalsituations where those who have the greatestneed of them – disadvantaged groups, rural com-munities, illiterate populations, or even entirecountries – do not have access to the tools whichwould enable them to become fully fledged mem-bers of the knowledge society.

203] Education, science and culture are at the heart ofthe trend towards a knowledge society as are themedia and information; thus this theme will be fully addressed by and integrated into allUNESCO programmes. Indeed, all sectors have arole to play in this process. The goal of this cross-cutting strategy is to show how the Organizationintends to provide a coordinated response, basedon an interdisciplinary approach.

Strategic objectives

204] UNESCO will not be acting alone. It will be join-ing forces with many institutions – intergovern-mental organizations of the United Nations systemor the Bretton Woods system, regional developmentbanks, private and public sector partners, non-gov-ernmental organizations – which are competent toact in these fields. But UNESCO must apply itselfprecisely where the impact of ICTs is most stronglyfelt: in the activities and products of the humanmind. Its approach must unfailingly incorporate allthe sociocultural and ethical dimensions and helpto bridge the digital divide by placing the individ-ual at the centre of development objectives. Theseissues will be further developed and form the basisfor UNESCO’s contribution to the preparation ofWSIS and for other international initiatives.

205] Within this framework four strategic objectiveswill be pursued:� agreeing on common principles for the con-

struction of knowledge societies;� enhancing learning opportunities through access

to diversified contents and delivery systems;� strengthening capacities for scientific research,

information-sharing and cultural exchanges;� promoting the use of ICTs for capacity-building,

empowerment, governance and social participation.

Strategy for cross-cutt ing theme:

The contr ibut ion of information andcommunicat ion technologies to the development of educat ion, sc ienceand culture and the construct ion of a knowledge society

206] UNESCO plans to study the issues arising from thetransition to a knowledge society and to examineits effects on the organization, forms and contentof knowledge and knowledge-sharing with a viewto elucidating the choices in this domain. ICTs rep-resent a strong lever for economic growth and fordevelopment. Technological progress does not,however, necessarily provide everyone with equalaccess to knowledge and skills and it gives rise toa series of “info-ethics” issues at the internationallevel: the quality and reliability of information,respect for the diversity of languages and cultures,effects on the organization of knowledge andthinking, universal access to information andknowledge, in particular in the public domain, andbalanced reinforcement of capacities at the inter-national level. UNESCO will endeavour to bringabout a common and consensual vision of the ulti-mate goals of the knowledge society by encour-aging the broadest possible participation bydecision-makers, professional communities,representatives of civil society, bilateral and multi-lateral partners and the private sector in a debateon the conditions for the development of a know-ledge society open to the greatest number.

207] During the period under consideration, the Organi-zation will strive to encourage, in its principalfields of competence, the use of intellectual worksfor non-profit and educational purposes and topromote the principle of universal access to thesources of knowledge. UNESCO, which numbersamong its partners communities of experts whoproduce, disseminate, gather and conserve infor-mation and knowledge, proposes to take part inthe ongoing debate concerning the future of intel-lectual property in close consultation and coordi-nation with WIPO. Thus, the promotion of fair usewith regard to intellectual works falling within allits fields of competence will be one of UNESCO’stasks in the years to come.

208] Moves towards “learning societies and organiza-tions” are based on the need to acquire newknowledge throughout life. More and moreopportunities for learning are offered outside theformal education system, many of them sup-ported by ICT development and tools. But aseducational demand increases and supply diversi-fies, increasing disparities can be observed inrespect of access, affordability and quality.

209] ICTs are only a part of a continuum of technolo-gies, all of which can support and enrich learn-ing. Ethical and legal issues concerning wide-spread use of ICTs in education (e.g. ownershipof knowledge; legal and tariff frameworks; learn-ing opportunities and educational materials; newchallenges related to education as a commodity;the impact of education on cultural diversity) willneed to be addressed in this context.

210] A programme for which extrabudgetary fundingwill be sought will be carried out starting withthe setting up of an active and dynamic clearinghouse to document, generate, share and dissem-inate information and knowledge on all aspectsof ICTs and education. The clearing house willassist Member States, especially developing coun-tries, in policy development and capacity-building for policy analysis and decision-making.This will include the development and manage-ment of an Internet-based gateway on education

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� Production of studies and research on theimpact of the development of the informationsociety, in particular on education, science andculture;

� Definition of universally recognized principlesfor the construction of a more just and more equitable knowledge society;

� Formulation of recommendations on access to information and fair use with regard to intellectual works;

� Broader public domain access to informationand knowledge.

Expected outcomes:

Strategic objective 2Enhancing learn ing oppor tunit ies through access to diversified contents and delivery systems

Strategic objective 1Agreeing on common principles for theconstruction of knowledge societies

and development as part of a UNESCO portal (incooperation with partners) and research on alter-native delivery systems and their impact on con-tent, quality and the teaching/learning process.

211] Furthermore, through pilot projects, UNESCO willencourage using ICTs as levers for educationalchange. In the context of formulation of EFAnational plans, advice will be provided to Mem-ber States on the increased use of ICTs with aview to reaching out to the excluded; to improv-ing quality of content and teaching; and to creat-ing centres of innovation and experimentation incommunities. The introduction of education man-agement information systems or improvement ofexisting ones will be supported as a tool to fur-ther the EFA goals.

212] UNESCO will also foster new forms of network-ing of teacher-training institutions and of teachers,the creation of electronic libraries and the pro-duction of electronic educational materials. Thedevelopment of internationally compatible descrip-tors for distance and e-learning courseware, andfor e-learning institutions will be encouragedthrough networks of experts and inter-countrycooperation.

213] UNESCO will endeavour to encourage access toand participation in all forms of intellectual acti-vity for educational, scientific, cultural and com-munication purposes. To that end it will promotethe establishment of a public forum for creationand exchanges at all levels. The production anddissemination of educational, scientific and cul-tural materials and the preservation of the digitalheritage will constitute an important aspect of itswork. The Organization also plans to emphasizehow ICTs can, in particular through the formationof networks of specialists or of virtual interestgroups, increase exchanges and cooperation in itsfields of competence.

214] Electronic information carriers offer a range of tech-nological options for the processing, managementand transfer of digital information. The creation, inpartnership with other interested organizations, of aglobal UNESCO portal with several sub-portalsoffering access to a pool of information and datain the public domain in the Organization’s fields ofcompetence (education, science, culture, communi-cation and information) will provide a key tool forits action. This global portal of knowledge, whichwill be put in place gradually, should constitute theequivalent of “world public libraries” in the era ofthe knowledge society. The information providedwill, as a priority, be geared to users in develop-ing countries.

215] An international campaign will be launched tosafeguard endangered digital memory. The goalwill be both to encourage the collection and con-servation of the digital heritage of recordedknowledge and to formulate a set of concrete recommendations aimed at preservation.

216] The Organization will also encourage the use ofnew methods of access to education and to sci-entific information – virtual universities, virtuallaboratories and research groups. The develop-ment of such methods may contribute partially tobridging the scientific divide, notably by enablingresearchers in developing countries to participatein research at international level and to share its results. Pilot projects will be used to test thespecific circumstances under which these toolscan be best deployed.

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� Building of a clearing house/knowledge base of materials, research and best practices relatedto the use of ICTs in education and learningprocesses, including the creation of an Internet-based gateway as part of a UNESCO portal;

� Policy advice to Member States for ICT use in education;

� Progress towards achieving EFA targets atcountry level through the strategic use of ICTsfor expanding access to education and learning;

� Demonstration of the impact of ICT-basedalternative delivery systems through pilot projects;

� Networking of teacher-training institutions andof teachers.

Expected outcomes:

Strategic objective 3Strengthening capacities for scientificresearch, information sharing andcultural exchanges

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217] The use of ICTs is potentially beneficial to devel-opment as it encourages the sharing of informa-tion and the exercise of power by social groupsat various levels, offering in particular the possi-bility of networking individuals and systems. Theparticipatory aspect of community life is thusstrengthened, as are relations with authorities, atall levels. The Organization will also promote thedevelopment of appropriate information and com-munication tools to support decision-making andencourage dialogue between citizens and publicauthorities, thereby reinforcing democratic gover-nance and citizen participation.

218] UNESCO will encourage initiatives to promote theuse of ICTs, in particular community radio linkedwith the Internet or with multi-purpose tele-centres, for educational, scientific or cultural pur-poses or in support of development programmes.The strategy will focus on the production, adap-tation, translation and sharing of contents; the set-ting up of pilot projects corresponding to differ-ent cultural contexts and stages of development;the inventorization, evaluation and exchange ofexperience at the national and internationallevels; the formulation and implementation ofnational policies to encourage community actionand cooperation.

219] In line with recommendations of the World Con-ference on Science, the Organization will supportinitiatives aimed at developing local and indige-nous knowledge systems (LINKS) as a means ofempowering local communities and a tool tocombat marginalization and deepening impover-ishment. LINKS are a system of understanding,interpretation and meaning that are embedded in

communities and that provide the basis for locallevel decision-making about fundamental aspectsof day-to-day life. Action will focus on three inter-connected areas: to build linkages and synergiesbetween science and local and indigenous knowl-edge so as to transform environmental manage-ment practices; to enhance the protection of thesesystems from improper appropriation and exploita-tion; and to revitalize the intergenerational trans-mission of local knowledge, in tandem with con-ventional education. These activities haverelevance not only for building knowledgesocieties, but are also closely linked with effortsto reduce poverty, the other cross-cutting themeof the Medium-Term Strategy.

Principles of action

220] UNESCO shall concentrate its resources on real-istic objectives and focus its efforts on the kindsof activities where it has a comparative advantage.A balance between reflection and action will besought in formulating the objectives, which will beimplemented in four areas: studies and research,formulation of principles or standards, pilot proj-ects and, lastly, awareness-raising, disseminationand training activities:

a) Studies and research will focus on gatheringessential data at the international level, exam-ining trends, and stimulating interdisciplinaryand multicultural reflection on the potentialfor action at the international, regional andnational levels.

b) The rate at which principles and standardsare formulated will vary widely in the envis-aged areas of priority since the obstacles tobe overcome may vary considerably. Fair useraises essentially legal issues whereas thepreservation of the heritage involves thesolving of material problems. Finally, theprovision of assistance for policy-making at

� Creation in several countries of local mediaand telecentre networks and study of theirimpact;

� Increased participation of citizens in civic lifeand in decision-making by means of ICTs;

� Capacity-building for ICT use by citizens;� Strengthening of local and indigenous

knowledge systems.

Expected outcomes:

Strategic objective 4Promoting the use of ICTs for empower-ment, governance and social participation

� Creation of a multidisciplinary UNESCO portalwith several sub-portals;

� Operation of various digital networks of specialists in various domains of UNESCO;

� Guidelines for preservation of digital heritageand of preserving materials in digital form.

Expected outcomes:

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national level will always remain an essentialtask.

c) Pilot projects will aim at exploring the pos-sibility of multisectoral action in the field.They will make it possible to analyse real dif-ficulties and the most pressing problems andto explore potential solutions taking intoconsideration different sociocultural contexts.

d) UNESCO’s efforts would be to no avail if theydid not bring about genuine change. For thatto be possible the outcome of activities must

be made known to and applied by the inter-national community. This calls for two com-plementary operations: diffusion and advo-cacy, which may take various forms: raisingthe awareness of government authorities,professional associations and the publicthrough the media or specialized documen-tation, publications, and initial or advancedtraining within education systems, formal or informal, in the classroom or throughdistance education.