UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe http://www.unesco.org/venice

UNESCO’s contributions to global challenges

UNESCO’s Constitution (16 November 1945)

That since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of

men that the defences of peace must be constructed…

© UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the

building of peace, the eradication of

poverty, sustainable development and

intercultural dialogue through education,

the sciences, culture, communication and

information

The Organization focuses on 2 global priorities:

Africa and Gender equality

Its overarching objectives:

• Attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning

• Mobilizing science knowledge and policy for sustainable

development

• Addressing emerging social and ethical challenges

• Fostering cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and a culture of

peace

• Building inclusive knowledge societies through information and

communication

Priorities and Objectives

In fulfilling its mission, UNESCO carries out for the international

community five established functions:

i) laboratory of ideas, including foresight

ii) standard-setter

iii) clearing house

iv) capacity-builder in Member States in UNESCO’s fields of

competence

v) catalyst for international cooperation

UNESCO Venice Office – Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe (Palazzo Zorzi – Venice, Italy)

After the devastating AQUA ALTA of 1966, UNESCO launched its international Campaign.

In 1973, UNESCO establishes its Liaison Office in Venice. In 1987, the City of Venice and its Lagoon are inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Foster cooperation, contribute to capacity building and to provide specialized expertise in science and culture

with special emphasis to SEE (South East European) and the Mediterranean Region

UNESCO Venice Office - Mandate

Culture and heritage: our past, our future

UNESCO works to preserve

humanity’s irreplaceable

riches: cultural diversity and

shared heritage

(safeguarding tangible and

intangible heritage)

Activities:

• Cultural heritage in the

service of mutual

understanding and

development

• Cultural diversity and

intercultural dialogue

• Promotion of the

diversity of cultural

expressions

• Related to the UNESCO

Conventions

South Eastern European Cultural Heritage – A Bridge

towards a shared future

Inter-cultural dialogue: A New Vision of South East Europe

A shared cultural heritage is a necessary

step in furthering both mutual

understanding among South-East

European peoples, and the sustainable

socio-economic development of the

region.

The first Ministerial Conference was

held in Mostar on 2004 and followed

by Venice (2005), Ohrid (2006),

Zadar (2007), Bucharest (2008),

Cetinje (2010), Belgrade (2011)

UNESCO’s Culture Conventions

• The Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (2009)

• The Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005) - translated into Albania

• The International Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003)

• The Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001)

• The Convention concerning the Protection of the World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972)

• The Convention on the means of prohibiting and preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Cultural Property (1970)

Science: UNESCO and sustainable development

UNESCO began sounding the alarm for the need of sustainable development back in 1968. Science provides knowledge, tools and critical skills to tackle key global challenges. Sustainable development is a moral as well as a scientific concept closely linked to peace, human rights and equity.

UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage Sites

© Archives Kozjansko Park, Trebce - Kozjansko & Obsotelje, Slovenia New MAB site in 2010

Biosphere Reserves are sites of

excellence where new and optimal

practices to manage nature and

human activities such as:

• sustainable tourism development

and quality economy development

• contributions to UN-DESD

• natural risk preparedness

• territorial governance of specific

sites

• energy efficiency

are tested and demonstrated.

The Venice Office also provides

specific coaching and institutional

capacity-building activities.

Transboundary (Shared) Water Issues in SEE

• Regional cooperation of the Danube

countries (Water and Sediment Balances)

• Ecohydrology (deltas and estuaries)

• Internationally shared water systems –

Focus on Karst (TRANSKARSTBA with

INWEB; DiKTAS)

• Water Governance (building up of policy

options) / Shared Water Diplomacy

• River corridors (Sava, Drin, Drava-Mura)

and Lakes (Ohrid-Prespa, Skadar) as

Transboundary Systems for cooperation

in the promotion of Sustainable

Development model regions (Biosphere

Reserves).

© Adiel lo Lake Bled, Slovenia

The Venice Process: Reconstructing the Science Systems in

Southeast Europe

Since March 2001, the Venice Office has been

contributing to the rebuilding of Southeastern

European scientific cooperation between the sub-

region and with the rest of Europe through the

‘Venice Process’.

The Venice Office has provided science policy

advice and expertise to Southeast European

countries so to raise public and private awareness of

investing in S&T for national and regional

development of both Bosnia and Herzegovina and

Albania.

Other Science Activites:

• Basic Sciences: Scientific networks in SEE: Seismology, astronomy, Mathematics & Physics

• Risk preparedness in World Heritage Sites (Albania)

• Gender and youth in science

© UNESCO - Tzigounaki, Anastasia

The world needs science...

Science needs women

Since 1998, this conviction has united L’Oréal and UNESCO to promote

women in scientific research by creating the For Women in Science

partnership.

H2Ooooh! Initiative

UNESCO’s Future Role - Developing a Global

Consciousness: Thinking and Learning for the

21st Century

Developing a “global consciousness”

for a culture of peace is based on

recognizing the multiplicity of world

views and cultural identities.

UNESCO’s actions are focused on:

• raising consciousness in various

settings, particularly in teaching

and decision making

• developing tools that are suitable

to anchor the way for women and

men to think, relate and approach

problems

© UNESCO/Suleyman Karaca, Turkey

Irina Bokova, Director-General

“UNESCO has a leading

role to play in building a

global human community.

The stakes of peace today

lie precisely in education,

science, culture and

communication as the

foundations for sustainable

development…these are

the pillars of the

Organization’s new

humanism approach.”

©UNESCO http://portal.unesco.org/education

THANK YOU

Rosanna Santesso

tel. + 39 041 2601511 fax: + 39 041 5289995

Email: veniceoffice@unesco.org

http://www.unesco.org/venice