Outside UNESCO Headquarters

January 6, Al Balqa University (Jordan)
Inauguration of SESAME, Middle East Centre of Scientific and Technological Excellence.
UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura will attend the opening ceremony of the International Centre for Synchotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications for the Middle East (SESAME), near Al Balqa University, 30 km from Amman. Germany donated the decommissioned (in 1999) synchotron-light facility, which will be used for training and research in structural biology and environmental and materials science, including medical and other applications. For young scientists and doctoral students using SESAME, the Middle East has always been synonymous with conflict and war, said UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura. Through working together as scientists, they will be in the forefront of the political reconciliation the region needs so badly, he said. The Centre would also help fight against "brain drain."

January 10 - February 5, Oslo (Norway)
Illustrations from the UNESCO-BIB 2001 workshop (exhibition)
These illustrations were prepared during the UNESCO-BIB (Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava) Albin Brunovsky Workshop for children's book illustrators. The work of 20 participants from various countries will be on show.

January 13 and 14, Helsinki (Finland)
Science, technology and innovation: a parliamentary perspective
This international round-table organized by UNESCO and the Finnish parliament will gather presidents of parliamentary science committees from more than 50 countries along with scientists, ministers of science, representatives of the private sector and the media. The Finnish Prime Minister will attend the opening ceremony.

January 13-15, Tokyo (Japan)
Asian regional conference for the World Summit on the Information Society
This preparatory ministerial meeting, organized by the Japanese government and several UN agencies, will enable Asian countries to formulate proposals for the World Summit on the Information Society (Geneva 2003, Tunis 2005). On January 13 (10.30 a.m.) UNESCO will stage a panel discussion on cultural and linguistic diversity. More information:

January 15, Beijing (China)
Presentation of the 2002 UNESCO Prize for Landscape Architecture
The winners of are four Chinese architecture students, Zhang Lu, Han Pingyue, Li Zhengping and Liu Yanzhuo. The topic for the 2002 prize was the use and conservation of water. The award ceremony is organized by the UNESCO office in Beijing and the Beijing Forestry University. The US $3,500 prize was set up in 1989.
Contact: Geneviève Domenach-Chich, e-mail g.domenach-chich@unesco.org, Diane Menzies, secretary-general of IFLA, di.menzies@clear.net.nz

January 19-28, Porto Alegre (Brazil)
UNESCO participation in the World Social Forum
- From January 19-23, in Porto Alegre (Brazil) UNESCO and civil society partners are organizing the annual meeting of the Collective Consultation of NGOs on Education for All in Porto Alegre this year to coincide with the Forum. The meeting will assess civil society participation in the formulation and implementation of education policies and develop strategies for the future. One of the highlights will be a session on the theme "Alternative Discourse in Education: Towards new notions of quality to promote lifelong learning for social transformation" organized in conjunction with the World Education Forum of Porto Alegre. Well-known civil society personalities from all regions, including the writer and political activist Aminata Traore from Mali, will animate the discussion. The Meeting will also look at how to combat violence in schools and encourage lifelong learning for peace and justice.
- From January 23-28, UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Human and Social Sciences, Pierre Sané, will lead the UNESCO delegation to the 3rd World Social Forum. UNESCO's contribution will focus on education for all and cultural diversity, with the goal of meeting active members of civil society, consolidating existing partnerships and building new ones, acting as an intermediary between civil society and political decision-makers and reaffirming UNESCO's commitment to a different kind of globalisation. A round-table will also be held on cultural diversity, dialogue and sustainable development.

January 20-23, Baoding, Hebei province (China)
International symposium on rural education
About 150 formal and non-formal education experts from all over the world specializing in basic, higher and adult education in rural areas will discuss how changes in the countryside affect education there.
Contact: Beijing.ed@unesco.org or Beijing@unesco.org

January 30-31, Paris (France).
Symposium on governance
Sponsored by UNESCO, the Colegio de Mexico and the Centre for International Studies and Research (CERI) of France's National Political Science Foundation. Researchers and teachers from both sides of the Atlantic will discuss the concept of governance at this conference and another in Mexico in June 2003. Taking a historical, theoretical, semantic and comparative approach, they will try to define and categorise the word governance. Those taking part will include: Ali Kazancigil, former head of UNESCO's Management of Social Transformation (MOST) programme, Guy Hermet, Jean Leca, Richard Balme of the Institute of Political Studies in Paris, Celia Toro, Jean-François Prud'homme and Soledad Loaeza, of the Colegio de Mexico.
At CERI, 56 rue Jacob, Paris 75006, January 30 (9 a.m.-6 p.m.) and January 31 (9 a.m.-3.30 p.m.): tel. (+33) (0)1 58 71 70 00 ; fax. (+33) (0)1 58 71 70 90 ; e-mail info@ceri.sciences-po.fr

January 31-February 1, Geneva (Switzerland)
Globalisation and gender relations (conference)
Taking part will be representatives of UNESCO's MOST programme, the Institute of Advanced Latin American Studies (Paris) and Women in Development Europe (WIDE).
The conference is organized by the University Institute for Development Studies (IUED) (Geneva), with the Swiss development aid agency and the Swiss national commission for UNESCO.
Conference at Rue Rothschild 22, c.p. 136, 1211 Genève 21. Contact: At IUED, Christine Verschuur and Fenneke Reysoo, tel: (+41) (0)22 906-5904, fax: (+ 41) (0)22 906-5969, www.iued.unige.chcolloquegenre@iued.unige.ch

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Press contact

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Official visits by the UNESCO Director-General

· Jordan, January 5 and 6
· Malta, January 6 and 7
· Peru, January 15-19
· Chile, January 20-22