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9 countries and cities kick off the implementation of UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators

Equipments to strengthen the capacities of BIOPALT's implementing partners

On 2 July 2020 UNESCO officially handed over equipments to the Directions of the Ministry of Environment Water and Fisheries of Chad and to the Department of Biology of the University of NDjamena in the context of the BIOPALT Biosphere and Heritage of Lake Chad project The ceremony took place in the UNESCO antenna in NDjamena in the presence of Mr Adoum Abdelkerim Bahar Secretary General of the Chadian National Commission to UNESCO

Calls for applications APPLICATIONS International Training Course on Disaster Risk Management of Cultural Heritage 2022 - 18 August to 13 October 2022 [Online]

UNESCO – MONDIACULT 2022: The Asia-Pacific Regional Consultation held under the chairmanship of Indonesia

On 11 and 12 January 2022 the online AsiaPacific Regional consultation was held under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Education Culture Research and Technology of Indonesia in the run up to the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development MONDIACULT 2022 with a view to shaping a new global agenda for cultural policies

January 12, 2022

JazzWomenAfrica

UNESCO celebrates jazz women in Africa with a concert on 30 April which will be streamed online

Cutting Edge | Culture: the ultimate renewable resource to tackle climate change

Culture the ultimate renewable resource to tackle climate change The clock is ticking to halt the devastating impact of climate change According to the World Meteorological Organization 2020 will be one of the three warmest years since records began Oceans continue to heat and sea levels are rising posing a particular threat to coastal settlements and Small Island Developing States SIDS Disasters such as drought floods and cyclones are becoming more frequent and more severe leading to food and water scarcity The societal impact is great with potential conflict economic upheaval migration and the destruction of communities very way of life The year 2020 was set to be a make or break year marking 5 years since the adoption of the Paris Agreement whereby 195 countries and the European Union agreed to limit gas emissions and keep the global temperature rise to under 15° The COVID19 pandemic has led to the postponement of the 26th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCC COP 26 now scheduled for November 2021 in the United Kingdom and the UN Biodiversity Conference COP 15 scheduled for May 2021 in China Nevertheless United Nations SecretaryGeneral António Guterres called for bold climate action at the UN Climate Action Summit in September His report refers for the very first time to the effects of climate change on cultural heritage in all its forms from built to natural heritage and living heritage Crucially it entrusts UNESCO with the leadership role to drive research analysis and action to sensitize Member States and mobilize action to step up protection and conservation efforts as well as concerted measures for mitigation and adaptation Climate change is a complex issue standing at the crossroads of science ethics society education and of course culture a dimension that has for too long been undervalued Not only is climate change having a profound impact on culture from the destruction of heritage the disruption of artists livelihoods and the potential devastation to traditional ways of life culture can also bring invaluable lessons to strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change Both mitigation reducing or preventing the impacts of climate change and adaptation adjusting to its now inevitable consequences are the key pillars of global climate policy working towards Goal 13 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda as well as contributing to all 16 other goals UNESCO as the only UN agency with a mandate to span culture the sciences and education is uniquely positioned to respond to push the boundaries of cultures transformational power UNESCO has been stepping up its efforts Building on its overall Strategy for Climate Action 20182021 UNESCO has recently set up a Reflection Group on Culture and Climate Change which brings together experts from academia international organizations and civil society to explore concrete ways to enhance the role of cultural and natural heritage intangible cultural heritage and the creative economy in tackling climate change More broadly the cultural sphere is also a space for dialogue encompassing diverse worldviews and cultural values so that societal change can radiate from our museums cultural centres cities schools and traditional communities Given the urgency of the climate crisis the need for culture as a vital resource has never been greater Loading the dice the climate change threat to culture For several years we have witnessed how climate change increasingly puts culture in peril World Heritage sites from the Cordilleras Rice Terraces of the Philippines to the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador from the Neolithic monuments of the Orkney Islands in UK to the Forest of the Cedars of God Horsh Arz elRab in Lebanon are already significantly negatively affected by changing climatic conditions The International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN also reports in its recently published World Heritage Outlook 3 that climate change is the biggest threat to natural World Heritage properties highlighting that a third of the 252 natural World Heritage sites are at risk Changing weather patterns are also putting severe pressure on natural heritage In 2018 fires destroyed more than 80000 hectares of forest and grassland in the Mount Kenya National Park almost half of the area of the UNESCO World Heritage site Many marine World Heritage sites are tropical coral reefs whose exposure to bleaching events is increasing at such an alarming rate that experts warn that coral reefs are likely to disappear by 2100 unless CO2 emissions drastically reduce Increased ocean temperature and acidification also pose a threat to marine biodiversity as well as underwater cultural heritage sites Cultural World Heritage sites are also exposed to the threat as many ancient buildings and sites were designed for a specific local climate Around 130 sites such as Indias Elephanta Caves are at risk from rising sea levels and changes in the Adriatic Sea have already damaged hundreds of buildings in Venice Italy Historic buildings and monuments are vulnerable to climaterelated damage from extreme wind and rainfall whilst building foundations can be undermined and climate fluctuations inside buildings can cause mould rot and insect infestations Changes in temperature and water interactions are particularly important for earthen architecture and many such sites for example the Djenné mosque in Mali are at risk from climate change Furthermore the conditions for conservation of archaeological evidence may be degraded due to increasing soil temperature Overall since 2010 the World Heritage Committee has examined at least 170 state of conservation reports for 41 World Heritage properties in 33 countries to monitor specifically the impact of climate change on their Outstanding Universal Value as part of the statutory reactive monitoring process Climate change is also disrupting sociocultural aspects of our lives Many communities around the world have been forced to change the way they live work worship and socialize whether in small traditional villages or large megacities of over 20 million inhabitants Least developed countries LDC and Small Island Developing States SIDS are among the most vulnerable and often most directly exposed to the consequences of climate change The havoc wrought by cyclones and hurricanes in recent years in Caribbean and Pacific SIDS is particularly emblematic of extreme weather events that threaten the traditional way of life of communities It is not just the traditional knowledge of these societies developed over centuries through interaction with their natural surroundings that is under threat All aspects of their intangible cultural heritage values oral traditions performing arts social practices and festive events are in jeopardy and their disappearance would impoverish all of humanity while at the same time weakening communities ability to draw on their cultural resources to fight against climate change and adapt to its consequences In extreme cases whole communities may end up being forced to migrate abandoning their cultural heritage both built and living

January 4, 2021

Women and Girls in Ukraine

Support to cultural sectors in Benin, Ethiopia, and Mali during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Tracker Culture & Public Policy | MONDIACULT Special issue n°1

This monthly Tracker is produced by UNESCO to monitor culture in public policy with regards to the UN Sustainable Development Agenda It highlights developments within national and regional contexts as well as emerging debates on cultures contribution to sustainable development Drawing on a variety of sources it provides a broad overview of cultural policy trends worldwide at the national regional and international level and looks at ways in which countries integrate culture into other policy areas

Tracker n°18 | Cutting Edge | Re-balancing the scales: gender equality in cultural life

Interview with Hugo Soares, Playing for Change Artist

Call by UNESCO and partners concerning the risk of illicit trafficking of Ukrainian cultural property

UNESCO and ICCROM join forces with the Maidan Museum of Kyiv to support Ukraine’s museums