Global News Post: UNESCO

On International Day, UN Urges Greater Focus on Scientific Development for Peace

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosbsA5IyralCgBFPYpIOoalBkkRk_bHwU4TJzLUDsWpP547K8vd6d0Tmb0TyLY6dexOb0FQi7iVx2xNF2ZlkB6Hptu0TWNm_AKRsEV4P5EcSPsSxAPOpTzJzK15yO2I3r2RyR7uVEMGA/s1600/11-09-2012scienceday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosbsA5IyralCgBFPYpIOoalBkkRk_bHwU4TJzLUDsWpP547K8vd6d0Tmb0TyLY6dexOb0FQi7iVx2xNF2ZlkB6Hptu0TWNm_AKRsEV4P5EcSPsSxAPOpTzJzK15yO2I3r2RyR7uVEMGA/s320/11-09-2012scienceday.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 8pt;">World
Science Day for Peace and Development 2012.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 8pt;">Illustration: UNESCO</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">UN
News – Marking the World Science Day for Peace and Development, the head of the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today
called for a greater global focus on scientific development, noting that only
through science would humanity find the answers to its seemingly
“insurmountable” challenges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Science
is our best asset for supporting inclusive and equitable development, and for
building global sustainability at a time of uncertainty, and faced with
biophysical limits of the planet,” said UNESCO's Director-General, Irina
Bokova, in a message to mark the Day, the theme for which this year is 'Science
for Global Sustainability Interconnectedness, Collaboration, Transformation.'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“We
must also place science at the service of all, while observing the fundamental
rights of the individual,” Ms. Bokova added. “Above all, we must open a new
chapter in scientific integration.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Established
by the UNESCO General Conference in 2001 with the purpose of renewing a global
commitment to science as a tool to benefit society, the World Day also seeks to
raise public awareness of science's importance and to bridge the gap between
science and societies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In
her message, Ms. Bokova noted that an increasingly complex and interconnected
global community required more cooperative and better integrated approaches
combining the progress made in separate scientific fields.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Innovation
and social transformation depend on our capacity to combine disciplines and
create synergies among all sciences,” she stated, adding that “sustainability
will come through multidisciplinarity.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">UNESCO
has been playing a leading role in promoting trandisciplinarity as a
cornerstone of the world body's global push on sustainability and, ten years
after the first World Science Day for Peace and Development, the UN official
emphasized that the agency remained committed to its mission.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“It
is this spirit that I call today on government, civil society, public and
private actors, well beyond scientific circles, to mobilize so as to release
the full potential of all sciences for development and peace, which are
inseparable and essential for the future that we want,” Ms. Bokova said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>

On International Day, UN Urges Greater Focus on Scientific Development for Peace

World Science Day for Peace and Development 2012. Illustration: UNESCO UN News – Marking the World Science Day for Peace and ...

India and UNESCO Sign Agreement to Establish a UNESCO Category-1 Institute in Delhi

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivr_OoTCwYbg1M4j9eyu-a-Phq4O-vbhGh3WwPojFwtNGfEtRuLr8_u9yTDp-yUfdJRNLp7ZdjzBlvCtmirmP4NL2gy1NlmcCTMNCbiIOKwmyDQPHaHNYFEXkPKWv7__iwhhO5wT3Fxgw/s1600/l2012071041311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivr_OoTCwYbg1M4j9eyu-a-Phq4O-vbhGh3WwPojFwtNGfEtRuLr8_u9yTDp-yUfdJRNLp7ZdjzBlvCtmirmP4NL2gy1NlmcCTMNCbiIOKwmyDQPHaHNYFEXkPKWv7__iwhhO5wT3Fxgw/s640/l2012071041311.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Union Minister for Human Resource Development and Communications and Information Technology,  Kapil Sibal and the DG, UNESCO, Ms. Irina Bokova exchanging the signed documents of an agreement for setting up Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, in Paris on July 09, 2012.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Photo © PIB<o:p></o:p></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Paris (PIB) --- INDIA and UNESCO have signed the agreement to establish the Mahatma Gandhi Institute Of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development on 9th July 2012 at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"The challenges of the 21st century are qualitatively different from the challenges of the 20th century. Global understanding and education would assist in appreciating the impact of these challenges on peace and its relation to sustainable development. The Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development comes at the right time – a time when the world is debating the contours of the century ahead." This was stated by the Union Minister of HRD, Communications and IT,  Kapil Sibal, at UNESCO following the signing of an agreement for establishing the MGIEP as a UNESCO Category-I Institute in New Delhi, the first of its kind in the Asia Pacific region.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The signing of the agreement is the culmination of a process of three years commencing with the decision by UNESCO’s 35th General Conference in 2009. The Institute to be located in India is the first of its kind in the Asia Pacific region.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ms. Irina Bokova, the Director General of UNESCO said, “The Mahatma Gandhi Institute comes at the right time - a time when the world is debating the contours of the century ahead, when UNESCO is preparing its next strategy to advance peace and promote sustainable development,”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Institute’s core activity will lie in research and capacity building. It will encourage knowledge exchange, regional networking and catalyse innovation by helping to design and test new approaches to education. The Institute would be greatly inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of peace and sustainability.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Both Sibal and the DG UNESCO paid tributes to Gandhi’s universal legacy and his vision of peace and the defense of human dignity.  Sibal paid tributes to Gandhi’s vision of education, highlighting its relevance for confronting challenges such as the overuse of natural resources and learning to live together. He said, “Gandhi said that we have enough for everyone’s need but not enough for everyone’s greed. This is the source of conflict. The crises the global community faces needs to be addressed through the inspirational wisdom of Gandhi, who said that for a person to be truly educated, you had to have a united approach, by training the mind to think, the hands to acquire skills and the heart for human values and ethics.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">An Expert Advisory Group would soon be set up by UNESCO to develop an agenda for the Institute.  Kapil Sibal also extended a formal invitation to DG UNESCO for visiting India later this year for launching the Institute.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div></div>

India and UNESCO Sign Agreement to Establish a UNESCO Category-1 Institute in Delhi

The Union Minister for Human Resource Development and Communications and Information Technology, Kapil Sibal and the DG, UNESCO, Ms. Irin...

India: Khasi Withdrawn from UNESCO'S Endangered Language List

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloO1xkZbjtqPPqvs3NR-5GQ2INDwiJ7SVtmEjcLaDrsoRcnn4G14RkZjjJ1GzDxTjaeU7NomXxJiMB_NaD_7FRa89isexu2dAsicl1JNKvLoMoX7pL4HNBCguji-l2a57hSfGa3yYBJU/s1600/6260214352_47b69d7713_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloO1xkZbjtqPPqvs3NR-5GQ2INDwiJ7SVtmEjcLaDrsoRcnn4G14RkZjjJ1GzDxTjaeU7NomXxJiMB_NaD_7FRa89isexu2dAsicl1JNKvLoMoX7pL4HNBCguji-l2a57hSfGa3yYBJU/s640/6260214352_47b69d7713_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Photo © <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fixingshadows/6260214352/sizes/z/in/photostream/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">flickr.com/fixing-shadows</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SHILLONG (NNN-Bernama) -- The Khasi language of Meghalaya has been withdrawn from UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger as it is now considered "safe".<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The language -- spoken by some 900,000 people in the state -- is no longer in danger, UNESCO declared on its website Friday, Press Trust of India reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The language, of the Mon-Khmer linguistic branch, had it status reassessed by the Atlas editorial board, which concluded that Khasi may be classified as "safe" on UNESCO's scale of language vitality.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Khasi is spoken in the Khasi and Jaintia hills and is also known as Khasia, Khassee, Cossyah or Kyi.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Recognised as the "associate official language" in Meghalaya since 2005, Khasi is widely used in several domains such as primary and secondary education, radio, television and religion, the UNESCO official website said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Admitting that "some dialects" of Khasi are "dying" as they make way for the standardised variant, the editorial board said it was pleased to acknowledge that "the future of this language seems to be assured."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The Interactive Atlas has an online version since 2009 and is regularly updated based on feedback from linguists and speakers of endangered languages.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To date, the Atlas lists 2473 languages in danger from around the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It is classified in five degrees of vitality -- vulnerable, definitely endangered, severely endangered, critically endangered, and extinct. -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">  <o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Khasi Withdrawn from UNESCO'S Endangered Language List

Photo © flickr.com/fixing-shadows SHILLONG (NNN-Bernama) -- The Khasi language of Meghalaya has been withdrawn from UNESCO's Atlas ...

Palestinian flag flies at UNESCO to mark admission as new member

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="phtocaption" style="margin-bottom: 2.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 1.5pt;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZn-7-nOdpRdsh0eqjqsnTyUdrOGoBmY1IZV8Unb6Q4w-mJNFfj1Bv50Gn2Ch6lZlhL2SG45x7reMMNZEThbgI9fAHSrSyYOGHKGyBpLbaKUFnCGEyi47trd8ebBAULVso7Oupw592nc/s1600/palespreshois.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZn-7-nOdpRdsh0eqjqsnTyUdrOGoBmY1IZV8Unb6Q4w-mJNFfj1Bv50Gn2Ch6lZlhL2SG45x7reMMNZEThbgI9fAHSrSyYOGHKGyBpLbaKUFnCGEyi47trd8ebBAULVso7Oupw592nc/s400/palespreshois.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 8pt;">Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, hoists the Palestinian flag at the<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 8pt;">UNESCO headquarters in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Paris</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region></st1:place> Dec.13, 2011</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 8.5pt;"> Photo© UN News</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">The Palestinian flag was raised for the first time at the </span><st1:city style="line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;" w:st="on">Paris</st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;"> headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (</span><span style="line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">UNESCO</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">) today as the UN agency marked </span><st1:city style="line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">’s</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">admission as a full member.</span></span></div><br />
<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 16.8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Senior UNESCO officials and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the ceremony, which follows the decision of the agency’s General Conference on 31 October to admit Palestine as UNESCO 195th member.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 16.8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Membership took effect on 23 November after <st1:city w:st="on">Palestine</st1:city> signed and accepted the agency’s constitution in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">London</st1:place></st1:city>. UNESCO thus became the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>first UN agency to admit <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city> as a full member.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 16.8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #CEDFDE; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Palestinian people, as all peoples, must be able to preserve their culture and heritage. They must benefit from quality education, education for peace.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div style="line-height: 16.8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In remarks welcoming <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city> to the agency, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova noted that membership “goes beyond raising the flag” and includes critical rights and responsibilities, as well as the sharing of universal values such as tolerance and respect for others.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 16.8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 16.8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Membership allows a country to bring to the world that which it cherishes most – the wealth of its culture, the resonance of its dreams for mutual understanding,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 16.8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“The Palestinian people, as all peoples, must be able to preserve their culture and heritage. They must benefit from quality education, education for peace. A strong educational system teaches respect for human rights. A vibrant culture respects the culture of others. In this connected world, healthy societies flourish through ties with others. UNESCO stands for all of this.”</span></div><div style="line-height: 16.8pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 16.8pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Ms. Bokova stressed that “multilateralism has never been so important. This must be a chance for all to join together around shared values and renewed ambitions for peace.”</span></div><div style="line-height: 16.8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In his address to assembled delegations and guests, Mr. Abbas said the admission to UNESCO was “a tremendous source of pride to us… Palestinian writers, artists and researchers have played a vital role trying to preserve the culture and identity of our people. UNESCO has also played a fundamental role – and has been a loyal partner.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 16.8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 16.8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Today’s ceremony was also attended by Katalin Bogyay, the President of UNESCO’s General Conference, and Alissandra Cummins, the Chairperson of the agency’s Executive Board. ---UN News<o:p></o:p></span></div></span><br />
</div>

Palestinian flag flies at UNESCO to mark admission as new member

Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, hoists the Palestinian flag at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris , France Dec.13, 2011 Photo© UN...

UNESCO sets up fund to cover budget shortfall

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7TlcHY_DHlzkfwTADHS-t557u0xN6SdQvMv1pu_3uGbcMRCUYk0juZTgoYyHoPgVB3uBJPrIQHzGKuE0N3obEQb-1v6sp2ojcqxNTiNv97h6KZIjSutHDT-tl3xrfExSU6WQ8TbXXNk/s1600/unescodg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7TlcHY_DHlzkfwTADHS-t557u0xN6SdQvMv1pu_3uGbcMRCUYk0juZTgoYyHoPgVB3uBJPrIQHzGKuE0N3obEQb-1v6sp2ojcqxNTiNv97h6KZIjSutHDT-tl3xrfExSU6WQ8TbXXNk/s320/unescodg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 8pt;">UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova</span></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said that the agency will temporarily halt some activities owing to the $65 million budget shortfall resulting from the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place>’ decision to withhold its dues, and launched a new online tool to enable donors to help offset the loss.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The new fund is one of several measures announced by Director-General Irina Bokova in an address to the 36th session of UNESCO’s General Conference that ended today in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Paris</st1:city></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“UNESCO is facing a difficult situation,” she told the agency’s highest ruling body. “It’s a test for our organization.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:state w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Washington</span></st1:state><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> – which contributes 22 per cent of UNESCO’s budget – suspended its dues after the agency admitted <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city> as a full member on 31 October. Ms. Bokova had warned that reduced funding will affect the agency’s ability to carry out crucial programmes in education, support for emerging democracies and the fight against religious extremism.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">She said UNESCO now faces a budget shortfall of $65 million – the amount remaining to be paid by the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United   States</st1:place></st1:country-region> for 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">To cover the funding gap to the end of 2011, the Director-General said UNESCO has already begun a thorough review of all of its planned activities for November and December. “I have temporarily interrupted certain activities to revise their costs,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In addition, the agency announced several measures to try and deal with the budget shortfall, including the new fund that is open to Member States, public institutions, foundations and individuals, all of whom can make their donations online. <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gabon</st1:place></st1:country-region> immediately announced it would make a $2 million donation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“This is not simply another extra-budgetary fund,” said Ms. Bokova. “It will be directed to supporting our core activities, so that they are not affected by a difficult financial situation.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">She also urged Member States to support an immediate increase in the agency’s Working Capital Fund for 2012-2013 from $30 million to $65 million; appealed to all governments to provide their assessed contributions as early as possible in 2012; and proposed deferring the system by which those Member States that pay their dues on time benefit from a reduction.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“These are not decisions of choice. They are decisions of urgency,” she stated. “Unfortunately, I do not believe we have time to wait, or that these are decisions we can postpone.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Ms. Bokova also noted that the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> decision has stimulated an “unprecedented” outpouring of support for UNESCO from individuals, associations and private corporations worldwide.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“I see these expressions of support as clear recognition of the good that UNESCO does in the world. These are very concrete indicators of success,” she said. ---UN News<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

UNESCO sets up fund to cover budget shortfall

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said tha...

UNESCO Grants Palestinians Full Membership

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">By Scott Bobb from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city></span></b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The Israeli government said Monday's vote by the United Nations cultural agency to accept the Palestinians' bid as a full member would harm efforts to revive Arab-Israeli peace talks.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">A foreign ministry statement called UNESCO's action in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Paris</st1:place></st1:city> a "unilateral Palestinian maneuver" that further removed the possibility for a peace agreement.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Palestinian leaders welcomed the vote, calling it a historic moment that returns to Palestinians some of their rights.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">"This is very good news for history, for culture, for heritage, for identity, for self-dignity," said Mahdi Abdul Hadi, head of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:city></st1:place>'s Palestinian Academic Society. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">"This is very good news for those who believe in the Palestinian cause, that it is time, overdue, to recognize the Palestinian rights."<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">107 UNESCO delegates voted in favor of the Palestinian bid. Fourteen voted against while 52 abstained.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Some analysts said the vote will boost the Palestinian move for U.N. state membership launched at the General Assembly last month.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">However, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Hebrew</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place> professor Abraham Diskin said the vote, from a practical point of view, does not help the Palestinian cause.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">"What the Palestinians really have to look for is the establishment of a Palestinian state and this is not going to be implemented by the decision of an international organization -- of course not UNESCO, but (not) even the General Assembly," he said.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Palestinians said they will call on UNESCO to recognize key monuments in the Palestinian territories as world heritage sites, such as the Church of the Nativity in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bethlehem</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Several Western governments said neither Palestinian membership in UNESCO nor proposed membership in the United Nations will help end the conflict. They say only direct negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis can do this. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In addition, the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place> government, which provides 22 percent of UNESCO's budget, will be required by a 21-year-old Congressional law to cut off funding for UNESCO.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Political observers say UNESCO admission is likely to boost the popularity of the head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. It was dealt a blow two weeks ago by a deal between rival Hamas and the Israeli government to release more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for a Hamas-held Israeli soldier. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></div></div>

UNESCO Grants Palestinians Full Membership

By Scott Bobb from Jerusalem The Israeli government said Monday's vote by the United Nations cultural agency to accept the Palestinia...

UNESCO Accepts Palestinians, Loses US Funding

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The U.N. cultural agency granted Palestinians full membership Monday, in a move that cost the organization nearly a quarter of its funding and drew criticism from <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> and Israeli officials saying the vote will hurt <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place> peace chances.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The U.S. State Department said <st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state> will not make a $60 million November payment to UNESCO because of a longstanding <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> law that prohibits American support for any U.N.-affiliated body that accepts Palestinian membership.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said after the vote she is concerned about the financial stability of the agency.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state></st1:place> is UNESCO's biggest funding source, supplying 22 percent of the agency's budget. The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place> has withdrawn from the agency before, leaving in the 1980s under then-president Ronald Reagan and returning in 2003.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The White House called the UNESCO decision “premature,” saying it undermines the international community's goal of a comprehensive <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place> peace plan. Spokesman Jay Carney said the vote is a distraction from efforts to restarting direct negotiations between <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region></st1:place> and the Palestinians, which the Obama administration says is the only way to achieve peace.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s Foreign Ministry described the move as a “unilateral Palestinian maneuver” that would further harm efforts to secure a peace agreement.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The ministry thanked countries that opposed the measure and said it was “disappointing” that the European Union could not reach a unified position to prevent the decision.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki hailed the admission as a “historic moment,” saying it is “not an alternative, not a substitute for something else.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">UNESCO is the first U.N. agency the Palestinians have sought to join since President Mahmoud Abbas applied in September for full recognition of Palestinian statehood by the U.N. General Assembly.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Palestinian officials say they will call on UNESCO to recognize key monuments in the occupied Palestinian territories as world heritage sites. These include the Church of the Nativity in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Bethlehem</st1:city></st1:place>, built over the place where many Christians say Jesus is believed to have been born.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The Paris-based UNESCO voted to approve the Palestinian membership bid by a vote of 107 to 14, with 52 abstentions.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region> voted for the motion, along with almost all Arab, African, Latin American and Asian nations, including <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place>. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>, the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region> voted against it. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region> abstained. A two-thirds vote was required by the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's 193 members.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Also Monday, Bosnian officials said the country's tripartite presidency could not agree on whether to support the Palestinian bid for full U.N. membership, forcing its likely abstention from a key Security Council vote on Palestinian statehood.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Palestinian officials have said they already have eight of the required nine votes for a majority on the council and were counting heavily on Bosnia-Herzegovina to give them the ninth. ---VOA News</div></div>

UNESCO Accepts Palestinians, Loses US Funding

The U.N. cultural agency granted Palestinians full membership Monday, in a move that cost the organization nearly a quarter of its funding...

Palestine joins UNESCO

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwz8u2hphojJL1mlkLc44kc__4W30Vad-09nr-s1ddxz4_3y_3txJfh-e34GiKZ6oSJCbTmpfdTPdVckdgd0rXknNaqaErC94rquGI5kS9fJMIYf5zfHCjYQoWthk_FdBzYkQdXBsHnc/s1600/palestineflagcc-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwz8u2hphojJL1mlkLc44kc__4W30Vad-09nr-s1ddxz4_3y_3txJfh-e34GiKZ6oSJCbTmpfdTPdVckdgd0rXknNaqaErC94rquGI5kS9fJMIYf5zfHCjYQoWthk_FdBzYkQdXBsHnc/s1600/palestineflagcc-.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/3399044905/"><span style="text-decoration: none;">©flickr.com/joi</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">PARIS (RIA Novosti) - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted in favor of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Palestine</st1:city></st1:place>'s accession bid on Monday with 107 members in favor and 14 against.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The UNESCO delegates met the decision with a standing ovation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Russia</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> has repeatedly said it would support Palestinian membership of UNESCO.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Palestine joins UNESCO

©flickr.com/joi PARIS (RIA Novosti) - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted in favor of Pal...