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Costa Rica launches implementation of UNESCO indicators to measure impact of culture on sustainable development
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UNESCO cities mobilize against COVID-19
Over 50000 doctors from public hospitals in Beijing Peoples Repof China offer since January 2020 free consultations related to coronavirus on WeDoctor a private medical care platform An outdoor digital advertisement about social distancing during the COVID19 outbreak in Chicago USA In Rome Italy the international cinema festival Alice nella città launched the Cinema da casa initiative projecting movies on buildings so people could watch from home
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Sustainability initiatives improve lives in Costa Rica and Uzbekistan
In Costa Rica an innovative recreational park has opened new horizons for people living with the dire social and environmental consequences of extreme poverty Meanwhile in Uzbekistans Aral Desert a programme is encouraging the local population around the rapidly disappearing Aral Sea to adapt and live sustainably
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Improving tsunami readiness around the South China Sea
The South China Sea region and its neighbouring basins including the Sulu and Celebes seas comprise one of the worlds most vulnerable areas to earthquakes and tsunamis owing to seismic activity in the Manila Cotabato and Negros and Sulawesi trenches
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The 2021 Special Dialogue of International Youth Forum successfully held on 17 December 2021
The UNESCO Beijing Office collaborated with the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO the Changsha Municipal Government and the Nanjing Municipal Government to organize the 2021 International Youth Forum on Creativity and Heritage along the Silk Roads Special Dialogue on Youth Leadership in Creativity Heritage and Resilience hereinafter the 2021 IYFSD online in Beijing Changsha and Nanjing simultaneously on 17 December 2021 More than 80 youth from 46 countries participated in the Special Dialogue to share and exchange their thoughts stories and actions on the topics The 2021 IYFSD consisted of a plenary session and two parallel sessions that respectively focused on Youth leadership in innovation and creativity for resilient World Heritage conservation and Youth leadership in innovation and creativity for resilient and inclusive cities At the beginning of the plenary session Ms Gabriela Ramos Assistant DirectorGeneral for the Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO encouraged youth actions and underlined the importance of youth power in her opening remarks We need youth for more critical thinking we need youth for more ambition we need youth to really consider all the elements that you have learned to build a much better resilient and inclusive world This is really important as we move into the last decade for action You are really key players
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The project ‘Young Leaders of the Diquís’ concludes with the creation of a youth association
Young people from southern Costa Rica have formed a youth association to take part in the management of the preColumbian cacique settlements with stone spheres of the Diquís inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2014 The creation of this association has been formalized during the closing ceremony of the project Young Leaders of the Diquis which has been implemented by UNESCO and the National Museum of Costa Rica and financed by the World Heritage Fund thanks to a financial contribution from Germany The formation of this association is a remarkable result of this project whose objective has been to involve young people from neighboring communities including indigenous peoples and territories in the management of the four archaeological sites inscribed on the World Heritage List Finca 6 El Silencio Grijalba and Batambal located in the canton of Osa in southern Costa Rica To this end a series of workshops have been organized focused on strengthening knowledge about cultural heritage as well as strengthening soft skills to enhance the leadership capacity of the young participants In total more than 160 young men and women from the districts of Palmar Ciudad Cortes Sierpe Bahia Ballena Drake Bay and Piedras Blancas as well as from the indigenous territories of Boruca and Rey Curré have been involved In addition to gaining knowledge and skills in heritage management through the workshops this project has allowed them to generate youth networks carry out volunteer activities and participate in various initiatives of the National Museum of Costa Rica in the area The closing ceremony of the project took place on Saturday December 18 2021 with the participation of Mr Julio Carranza Director ai of UNESCO Cluster Office in San Jose Mrs Martina NibbelingWriessnig Ambassador of Germany in Costa Rica Mrs Rocío Fernández Director of the National Museum of Costa Rica Mrs Yanina Chaverri Vice Mayor of the Canton of Osa Mr Jeison Ariel Bartels Quirós General Coordinator of the project as well as young participants of the project and members of the benefited communities
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2021 East and Southeast Asia UNEVOC Network Consolidation Workshop in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
Promoting policy dialogue and sharing best practices in TVET and Skills Development in Member States is a key aspect of the UNESCOs global TVET strategy  On September 9 2021 Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training KRIVET hosted the first workshop on TVET development KRIVET collaborated with the UNESCO International Centre for TVET UNEVOC in Bonn Germany to host the regional knowledge sharing consultation UNESCO Beijing was invited to participate at the consultation The second workshop was organized on October 14 with its focus on the transformation of TVET and case studies The aim of the two workshops  was to further  enhance the strategic cooperation with the TVET Institutions that are Members of the UNEVOC  network in the East and SouthEast Asia region The two separate webinars focused the discussions around TVET policies quality and relevance of TVET green skills demand Greening TVET alignment with SDGs TVET standards quality of TVET Teachers Financing of TVET reform of TVET to align with needs of labour market ICT mainstreaming in TVET good practices and TVET leadership The participants at these two workshops presented status of TVET in their countries and discussed new thematic areas such as adjusting to the new normal of TVET institutions and adapting to the impact of COVID19 and discussed alternative strategies such as online learning and distance learning iInnovation access equity inclusion issues in TVET and improving the image of TVET and aligned with the SDG4 SDG8 SDG 9 targets related to TVET and Education 2030 Agenda
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UNESCO Capacity Building of the Higher Education Sector in Mongolia -A Korea Funds in Trust (KFIT) project
UNESCOs support to the higher education sector in the Asia and the Pacific region is focused in 5 strategic areas i Policy dialogue and advocacy ii capacity development and strengthening quality assurance systems in higher education iii supporting implementation of qualifications frameworks iv ensuring fair recognition of qualifications v Knowledge sharing through knowledge networks   On 11 October 2021 UNESCO Beijing will provide the funding for the equipment provision for the higher education project in Mongolia to compliment the ongoing Regional Korea FundsinTrust KFIT higher education project in Mongolia in terms of the policy dialogue capacity development and equipment components of the project The project is aligned with the Mongolian Governments education vision 2050 and Education Sector Medium Term Development Plan 20212030 Under education sector policy review conducted by UNESCO in 2019 the higher education sector reform is fundamental to producing the quality graduates for the needs of the labour market  In addition to equipment provision UNESCO will also provide additional policy advice and technical support assistance to the Ministry of Education and Science and National Accreditation Council to reform the higher education system in Mongolia in accordance with policy coherence across qualification frameworks quality assurance and recognition of qualifications by implementing regional quality tools The project will be sustained for the next two years of implementation   The Mongolia higher education project is implemented within the framework of the regional project implemented by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Bangkok  to strengthen the AsiaPacific Network of National Information Centres APNNIC and assist Member States to develop or improve their National Information Centers NICs to promote transparent and fair information sharing in higher education among State Parties to the Tokyo Convention and relevant stakeholders It also shall contribute towards monitoring evaluation and the implementation of regional quality tools and the role of NICs in the AsiaPacific region in line with the Tokyo Convention and the 2019 UNESCO Global Convention on recognition of qualifications in higher education Mongolia is expected to ratify the 2019 Global Convention on Recognition of Qualifications in higher education very soon   
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Third National Stakeholder Forum on Media and Information Literacy held in Mongolia
The Third National Stakeholder Forum on Media and Information Literacy MIL was held on 25 November 2021 in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia under the theme Digital Literacy and Inclusion as a Booster for Infodemic Immunity The forum was jointly organized by the Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO and the Press Institute of Mongolia as part of Mongolias national celebration for UNESCO Global MIL Week 2021 Mr Tapan Mishra UN Resident Coordinator in Mongolia Prof Shahbaz Khan Director and Representative of UNESCO Beijing Cluster Office Mr Sambuu Boldsaikhan SecretaryGeneral of the Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO and Ms Munkhmandakh Executive Director of the Press Institute of Mongolia delivered opening remarks More than 60 stakeholders including representatives from the Mongolian Government nongovernmental organizations and civil society organizations attended the event and discussed how media and information literacy can contribute to addressing disinformation and hate speeches especially in and after a state of emergency and bridging the digital divide for inclusiveness especially for women youth the elderly and persons with disabilities Mongolia has identified digital literacy and inclusion of left behind groups as national priorities as outlined in its Digital Nation Strategy With support from the Swedish International Development Agency SIDA UNESCO has been supporting Mongolia in this endeavour by equipping policy makers media regulatory and selfregulatory professionals with advanced knowledge of MIL policy and best practices and improving capacities to respectively adapt and apply MIL curricula and policy in Mongolia Prof Khan in his opening remarks pointed out that the COVID19 pandemic is the first pandemic in history in which technology and social media are being used on a massive scale and on various levels to keep people safe and informed but at the same time the technology we rely on is enabling and amplifying an infodemic that continues to undermine effective responses and jeopardizes informed decisionmaking Therefore the importance of media and information literacy particularly digital literacy for all is more critical than ever Sustained and coordinated efforts are needed among all stakeholders He stressed The second edition of the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Curriculum Think critically Click Wisely Media and Information Literate Citizens which is an updated version of the first edition released in 2011 were officially introduced at the forum followed by a discussion on terms and definitions for localization to create a shared understanding and buyins at all levels The discussions during the forum were centered around four major aspects including access to education during COVID19 and capacity building for the education sector in the state of emergency opportunities and challenges in transitioning to the Digital Nation and addressing the digital divide building MIL knowledge and skills to prevent and protect against disinformation and hate speeches and responsibility of media in social development and importance of ethical and professional conduct for the media sector Discussion results have been generated into recommendations including developing a comprehensive national policy and strategy for MIL education promoting the new UNESCO MIL Curriculum and organizing training for teachers improving knowledge and understanding of MIL among journalists and media workers among others The recommendations will be delivered to the Mongolian Government for further consideration towards a national MIL policy Under the theme Media and Information Literacy for the Public Good the UNESCO Global MIL Week 2021 highlights the needs and importance for each individual to be equipped with MIL competencies to understand contribute to and benefit from information and communication opportunities and at the same time advance the public good Through capacitybuilding resources such as curricula development policy guidelines and articulation and assessment framework UNESCO supports the development of MIL competencies among all people Free and open online courses are available for selfpaced learning about MIL Through media and information technologies UNESCO facilitates networking and research through the Global Alliance for Partnerships on MIL GAPMIL and MIL University Network For more resources on media and information literacy please visit httpsenunescoorgthemesmediaandinformationliteracy
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Make Persons with Disabilities Visible, Promote the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The United Nations stands for the rights of every member of our human family Today and every day we will continue to work for justice equality dignity and human rights for all António Guterres United Nations SecretaryGeneral  
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Central American Parliament examines the situation of cultural sectors in Central America
Following the invitation of the Central American Parliament PARLACEN UNESCO through its Offices in San Jose and Guatemala City participated in an ordinary meeting of the Commission on Education Culture Sport Science and Technology of this regional body which is part of the Central American Integration System SICA During the session held virtually on Wednesday December 1 Ms Caroline Munier Culture Programme Specialist at the UNESCO Cluster Office in San José addressed the important challenges faced by the regions cultural sectors in the context of the COVID19 pandemic Since the onset of the pandemic people engaged in cultural and creative work have seen many preexisting challenges exacerbated particularly related to the high rate of labour informality that prevails in these sectors UNESCO emphasized to the members of the Commission the importance of promoting measures to improve the socioeconomic conditions of these people and at the same time contribute to enhance the multiple contributions they make to the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations for Sustainable Development UNESCO has also called on PARLACEN to get involved in the preparatory process for the next World Conference on Cultural Policies Mondiacult to be held in September next year in Mexico City Mondiacult 2022 seeks to strengthen the role of cultural policies for sustainable development at the global level To gather regional perspectives for this important event a series of regional consultations will be carried out through an inclusive and participatory process involving not only national authorities but also regional intergovernmental organizations academia and civil society organizations among other stakeholders
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Conclusion of the project "Música FFWD" for the strengthening of Costa Rica's music sector
The FFWD Music project implemented together with the Ministry of Culture and Youth of Costa Rica in the framework of the UNESCOEuropean Union cooperation programme for the development of cultural and creative industries and SouthSouth cooperation has come to an end This project was developed throughout 2021 with the technical assistance of a team of international and local experts including Nicolas Madoery Eva Moraga and Roberto Montero Música FFWD focused on strengthening the Costa Rican music sector through actions to boost its professionalisation associativity and visibility as well as its transition to the formal economy   The formal closure of the project took place through a virtual event held on December 2 with the presence of the Minister of Culture Sylvie Durán Salvatierra the Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union in Costa Rica Alberto Menghini and the Culture Programme Specialist of the UNESCO Office in San José Caroline Munier as well as the international team of experts in charge of the implementation of the project and members of the Costa Rican music sector The closing event provided an opportunity to present the sector with the main results achieved in the different phases of the project Between April and July four training modules were held which were aimed at the entire sector These modules were attended by 26 international specialists from 8 countries mainly from Latin America and focused on topics such as the music ecosystem associativity digital music and new business models More than 300 people from the Costa Rican music sector were involved in these activities The second phase of the project consisted of a mentoring program in which seven selected projects were guided by four international professionals to establish their objectives and medium and longterm planning The third phase consisted of a Music Ecosystem Forum in which a limited number of representatives from the public and private sectors academia professional associations and various roles in the value chain of the Costa Rican music industry participated to address strategic issues and to establish a roadmap for the development of the sector in the future Within the framework of Música FFWD a pilot project was also carried out with the music sector to promote the transition to formality of the creative sectors in Costa Rica The project sought to identify barriers or obstacles to the transition to the formal economy through research and analysis thanks to an inclusive consultation process involving multiple public institutions as well as organizations and individuals from civil society The results of this study provide an overview of a diversity of perspectives on the social and economic conditions of the music sector and set forth the basis for future research and dialogue to improve the living conditions of those working in the arts and culture and to highlight the important role they play in the development of society Costa Rica is one of the twelve countries selected worldwide to benefit from technical assistance provided by the UNESCOEuropean Union Cooperation Programme for the Development of Cultural and Creative Industries and SouthSouth Cooperation This programme seeks to position the creative and cultural industries as important sectors for the fulfilment of the objectives of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development     For more information httpsmusicaffwdculturacr httpsenunescoorgnewsstrengtheningitscompetitivenessmusicsectorcostarica httpsenunescoorgnewscostaricasmusicsectorstrength httpsenunescoorgnewscostaricasmusicsectorreceivesdigitalcontenttraining httpsenunescoorgnewscostaricanmusicsectorendsroundtrainingmodulestrainingnewbusinessmodels httpsenunescoorgnewscostaricastrengthensitsmusicecosystemthroughvirtualforum      
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UNESCO calls for photos demonstrating leadership and participation of persons with disabilities
How often do you see persons with disabilities featured in visual content from the social media What do they usually look like   Photographs can be one of the most effective and powerful ways to communicate Good photographs have the power to shape ideas alter perceptions evoke empathy and build community As persons with disabilities are discriminated against in many spheres of society they are often represented in pitiful and extremely undignified ways thus reinforcing stereotypes and increasing societal barriers Positive images have the potential to change societal perceptions of disability and support people with disabilities to achieve full and equal participation in society   In celebrating this years International Day of Persons with Disabilities UNESCO and the UN Theme Group on Disability in China are calling for photos which celebrate the leadership and participation of persons with disabilities Selected photos will be compiled into a DisabilityInclusive Photo Collection   Launched in 1992 the annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities IDPD on 3 December aims to promote the rights and wellbeing of persons with disabilities and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political social economic and cultural life   The theme of IDPD 2021 is Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive accessible and sustainable postCOVID19 world An integrated approach is required to ensure that persons with disabilities can lead and participate in all spheres of society and development   Disability inclusion is an essential condition to upholding human rights sustainable development and peace and security It is also central to the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to leave no one behind The commitment to realizing the rights of persons with disabilities is not only a matter of justice it is an investment in a common future   The global crisis of COVID19 is deepening preexisting inequalities exposing the extent of exclusion and highlighting that work on disability inclusion is imperative People with disabilitiesone billion people are one of the most excluded groups in our society and are among the hardest hit in this crisis in terms of fatalities   Who can participate Everyone Participants do not need to be professional photographers   When 310 December 2021   How to participate Post one or multiple photos on Sina Weibo that authentically depicts individuals with disabilities in various spheres of society showcasing their leadership and participation with the hashtag 看见残障人 Make Persons with Disability Visible and 2021国际残障人日 2021International Day of Persons with Disabilities Each post should include a caption that describe the featured individualsorganization location date and the message it conveys Photo credit should be duly indicated when necessary   We are looking for photos that Tell an enabling and positive story focusing on abilities of persons with disability and portraying their inclusion in society Convey persons with disabilities as active actors focusing on the individuals and not on their particular functional or physical limitations Include positive images and representations that show persons with and without disabilities interacting on equal terms Portray people with disabilities as integral members of the community and not as set apart and segregated by their apparent difference Include persons with disabilities as those providing services not just as receivers or users of services Avoid gender stereotypes and reflect diversity in the images such as sexgender identity type of disability age group ethnicity ruralurban location occupation   Important To participate in the contest the photographer must own the rights of the content shehe is posting and have the permission of the person featured in the photo for posting By participating in the contest the photographer holds the copyright to the photos posted but UNESCO retains the right to use the photos for public information purposes such as in a DisabilityInclusive Photo Collection UNESCO will only use photos for noncommercial purposes which include education and advocacy materials website brochures reports flyers at no cost Photo credits and copyrights will be duly indicated while using the photos