January 2003

Natural Sciences

January 7-10, Rooms I, III, VI, VII, VIII and IX
Conference on the future of the oceans
UNESCO and its Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) are hosting this conference for the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme and the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research. The meeting aims to help design and develop a new international research project to better understand how climate change affects marine ecosystems and bio-geochemical cycles.

January 13-15, Rooms XIII and XIV
First meeting of the Ocean Carbon Coordination Project
For the past 10 years, commercial vessels around the world have been specially equipped with devices to gather data on the world's oceans. These observations will now be used to develop a special database to better understand the critical role the oceans play in absorbing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.

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 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.

Social & Human Sciences

January 28, Room II, 6 p.m.
21st Century Talks: The Future of Water
This 23rd session of the 21st Century Talks will feature Mahmud Abu-Zeid, Egyptian Water Resources and Irrigation Minister; Claude Allègre, geophysicist and former French Education, Research and Technology Minister; Michel Camdessus, former IMF Director-General, presently head of the Panel on Financing Water Infrastructure (a financial taskforce for the forthcoming World Water Forum); and Charles Vorosmarty, of the US University of New Hampshire's Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space. The session, organized by UNESCO's Division of Foresight, Philosophy and Human Sciences, in cooperation with the Science Sector, is part of the International Fresh Water Year (2003) and will be attended by Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura.

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 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

Press contacts: