Second meeting of the Task Force on Reconstruction and Reconciliation in the Middle East

On Thursday, 29 August 2002, the Director-General of UNESCO convened the Task Force on Reconstruction and Reconciliation in the Middle East, which he set up in June. After sectoral presentations on the progress of different projects, Mr Matsuura announced the calendar for the next few months.

Dialogue and technical assistance reinforced

A mission from the External Relations and Cooperation Sector will visit the Palestinian Territories and Israel in the coming days. Prepared in close consultation with the Permanent Delegate of Israel and the Permanent Observer of Palestine to UNESCO, it should ensure an initial evaluation of needs, an exchange of views with Palestinian and Israeli representatives and reinforced cooperation with the different agencies of the United Nations system present on the ground. A detailed report of the mission will be submitted to UNESCO’s Executive Board at its165th session, in October 2002.

During the first week of October a mission from the World Heritage Centre will undertake an initial stocktaking on the ground, in accordance with the decisions taken in Budapest by the Committee last June.

In late October or early November, a UNESCO high-level intersectoral mission to the Middle East will serve to update the Organization’s programmes and supplement its global strategy documents in the light of the current situation in the region.

A number of ad hoc technical missions are also under preparation, notably in the fields of communication and culture.

Information meeting with the representatives of Member States

On 26 September 2002, the Director-General will hold an information meeting for Permanent Delegates to UNESCO with the participation of Mr Terje Roed-Larsen, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Peace Process in the Middle East.

The purpose of this meeting will be to present the main lines of UNESCO’s strategy for the region and exchange views prior to the debates on the Middle East at the 165th session of the Executive Board.

Consultation with the representatives of the Palestinian Authority

A joint UNESCO/Palestinian Authority Coordination Committee meeting is scheduled for November or, at the latest, mid-December 2002. It will be devoted to a detailed review of the plan of action for reconstruction and reconciliation, established by the Organization in accordance with the decisions adopted in May 2002 by the Executive Board.

Strengthening the UNESCO Ramallah office

The Director-General has confirmed his decision to reinforce the capacity of the UNESCO Ramallah Office and announced that, in the coming weeks, specialists in education and culture will be sent to that Office.