Press
Release No.2002-15
UNESCO cities for peace prizes 2000-2001 to be
presented in Marrakesh on March 18
Paris, March 15 - Half of the world's population
lives in cities and the numbers will continue to rise, further
increasing the problems of the cities, from infrastructure to
social cohesion. There is therefore a great interest in studying
original solutions and the best practices developed by municipal
authorities. This is the aim of the UNESCO Cities for Peace prizes
which every two years reward the authorities who have made their
cities testing grounds for the societies of tomorrow.
UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro
Matsuura will present the UNESCO Cities for Peace prizes for 2000-2001
on March 18 in Marrakesh (Morocco) to Bukhara (Uzbekistan), Sharm
el Sheikh (Egypt), Cotacachi (Ecuador), Lubumbashi (Democratic
Republic of Congo) and Vilnius (Lithuania). Five other cities,
one from each region of the world, will receive an honourable
mention.
The ten cities were chosen from
76 entries by the UNESCO Director-General and on the recommendation
of five regional juries, made up of figures from the worlds of
research, administration and politics. The selection took into
account factors ranging from urbanism, the environment, civic
education, the creation of cultural infrastructure and the reinforcement
of links binding society together. The juries and the Director-General
also wanted to recognize the efforts of cities that are emerging
from difficult situations and are proving their ability to handle
problems that they have never faced before.
The 325 urban development projects
considered will be added to the good practices database entitled
"The City: Network of Cultures", which already includes
714 examples, providing a wide range of information for the "Network
of Cities for Peace".
In Africa, Lubumbashi was awarded
the prize for working to rebuild peace in a city shattered by
civil war. Displaced children have been brought back into the
school system and literacy courses have been established for adults.
Other projects are aimed at young people and include work with
the media to produce programmes in local languages, and highlighting
the importance of the fight against AIDS. Bahir Dar in Ethiopia
receives an honourable mention for its efforts to provide its
citizens with a healthier and more pleasant city by tackling issues
such as the lack of housing and the stagnation of the economy.
Cotacachi, which for the past
five years has undertaken a policy of integrating the native Indians
into the running of the city, received the prize for Latin America
and the Caribbean. Since the election of the first indigenous
mayor in 1996, the city has put in place a decentralised system
of management- integrating researchers, NGOs, religious
groups etc. - to develop basic
services, such as access to drinking water, alongside policies
of integration designed to revive social links. An honourable
mention goes to Havana (Cuba) in recognition of the exemplary
renovation of its historical centre - inscribed on the World Heritage
List - which has sparked a real renaissance of the city.
Bukhara, the winning city in Asia
and the Pacific, was singled out for its efforts in developing
its cultural heritage, a heritage which retains a great symbolic
significance for the numerous local cultures. This "living
museum" has encouraged the renaissance of the local craft
industry and thedevelopment of cultural tourism on the legendary
Silk Roads. Jaipur in India was awarded an honourable mention
for its work to improve living conditions in its slum areas.
In the Arab states, Sharm el Sheikh
was rewarded for its commitment to battle against environmental
damage linked to mass tourism - the city is the chosen destination
for 25% of tourists visiting Egypt. After encouraging the modernisation
of this former Bedouin village, the city authorities created protected
zones, a centre to fight against marine pollution and a laboratory
to monitor biodiversity and the coral reefs in close cooperation
with local universities and with the technical and financial support
of the public and private sectors, as well as with international
aid. Sousse (Tunisia) receives an honourable mention in this category
for its novel approach in involving the local population in a
process of urban development which respects a particularly rich
local culture and the environment.
Vilnius, the prize winner for Europe
and North America, has placed great emphasis on protecting the
environment and creating green spaces, the integration of vulnerable
sectors of the population and the development of minority cultures,
and the opening of reception centres for the homeless and handicapped.
The city has also led the way for dialogue between its inhabitants
by promoting the Jewish, Polish and Russian cultures and restoring
the city's historic quarter, inscribed on the World Heritage List
in 1994. The judges decided the city of Kazan (the Republic of
Tatarstan, the Russian Federation) deserved an honourable mention
for its exemplary commitment to social peace by encouraging the
harmonious coexistence of around 100 nationalities.
The prizes and the honourable mentions will be presented to the
mayors of the winning cities in Marrakesh on March 18. The location
and the occasion of the ceremony are highly symbolic. Marrakesh's
Jemaa-el-Fna Square is one of 19 cultural spaces designated by
UNESCO in 2001 as Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage
of Humanity. The Moroccan city will also be hosting the 107th
Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which brings
together a large number of members of parliament, who are called
upon to play a key role alongside the local representatives.
The UNESCO Cities for Peace Prizes
was created at the Summit of Cities HABITAT II in Istanbul in
June 1996, to establish closer links between cities and local
authorities, who are urged to nurture their diversity in harmony
and with respect for the values and rights promoted by UNESCO.
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Site web du Prix:
http://www.unesco.org/culture/citiesforpeace/html_fr/index_fr.shtml
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