Hence the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2011 (COP17) taking place in Durban, South Africa from 29 November to 9 December is mainly a negotiating forum. But it is also a technical conference and a climate change expert meeting with a range of side events and exhibits, attracting key members from governments, UN Organizations and civil society who professionally deal with climate change on a regular basis.

Side Events were established as a platform for observer organizations to highlight diverse climate change issues at UNFCCC conferences. Side Events are a vital component of the sessions, as they provide opportunities for information dissemination, capacity building, policy discussions and legitimizing global governance. The successful development of Side Events over the last decade has led to high popularity among Parties in recent years. UNESCO will be participating in a wide range of events relating to its domains of action, especially:

• Migration and the social impacts of climate change
• Ocean-related issues
• Water-related issues
• Education to climate change
• The gender dimension of climate change

Publications, multimedia products and UNESCO materials relating to the climate change knowledge base will be made available at the UNESCO booth (booth 59), where you can discuss the UNESCO Climate Change Initiative and the broad range of related actions with UNESCO staff.

UNESCO will also be participating in the Durban Green Festival with an exhibition that uses satellite imagery to explain the impacts of climate change on World Heritage sites.

Key dates for UNESCO during COP17:

29 November

• The Social Sciences in a Changing Climate: Meaningful knowledge that works (side event)

30 November – 10 December

• Satellites and World Heritage Sites, Partners to Understand Climate Change (exhibition)  

1 December

• Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS): Climate Information for Sustainable Development (side event)
• Green technology and China’s climate adaptation: toward a low carbon society (side event and launch of a handbook on climate change adaptation)
• Explaining climate change to youth: A Prerequisite for Action (side event)

2 december

• Launch of the UNESCO-SCOPE-UNEP Policy Brief 'Engineering the Climate, Research questions and policy implications'
• Multi-stakeholder Collaboration to Reinforce Adaptation Opportunities for African Pastoral Peoples (side event)
• The Social Science Contribution to Climate Change Agendas and Policies (Social Dialogue)
• Climate change, environment degradation and migrants as actors of adaptation (Social Dialogue)

3 December

• Ocean Day 
• Presentation of A blueprint for ocean and coastal sustainability, an interagency paper towards the preparation of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)  
• Agriculture and Rural Development Day: Building on traditional knowledge and climate science to contribute to sound climate change adaptation policies: the case of M’Bororo-Fulani people in Chad

5 December

• Launch of the Capacity-building Portal 
• Opening of the UNESCO exhibition 'Satellites and World Heritage Sites, Partners to Understand Climate Change'

6 December

• The Ethical dimension of Climate Change (social dialogue)
• Implementing the Cancun Adaptation Framework:  Vulnerability, changing populations and human mobility (side event)

7 December

• Investing in people: tools and country experiences integrating social dimension in climate response (side event)

8 December

• Public - Private Partnerships: Promoting inclusive, equitable, and gender-sensitive climate finance (side event)
• Ocean Acidification: The Other Half of the CO₂ Problem

Related links:

• Full calendar of UNESCO Activities (pending)
• Full list of COP 17 side events