PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL CONCERNING THE DRAFT MEDIUM TERM STRATEGY (37 C/4) AND DRAFT PROGRAMME AND BUDGET (37 C/5) PART I

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1 Executive Board Hundred and ninetieth session 190 EX/19 Part I PARIS, 7 September 2012 Original: English/French Item 19 of the provisional agenda PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL CONCERNING THE DRAFT MEDIUM TERM STRATEGY (37 C/4) AND DRAFT PROGRAMME AND BUDGET (37 C/5) PART I

2 190 EX/19 Part I Preliminary proposals by the Director-General concerning the Draft Medium-Term Strategy for (37 C/4) and the Draft Programme and Budget for I. Introduction: The process of preparing the Medium-Term Strategy for and the Programme and Budget for (37 C/4 and 37 C/5) 1. The General Conference recommended that an inclusive and transparent procedure be adopted in drafting document 37 C/4. Accordingly, the preliminary proposals by the Director- General rest on a set of guidelines, contributions and numerous consultations of all UNESCO stakeholders. (a) (b) The 36th session of the General Conference, in particular the Leaders Forum the proceedings of which are published separately ( and the final report of the Youth Forum, which was submitted for the first time as an official document of the General Conference (36 C/47) Thematic debates held with Member States in 2011 and 2012, on the initiative of the Director-General: thematic debate on Global Priority Africa; thematic debate on Global Priority Gender Equality; thematic debate on Small Island Developing States (SIDS); thematic debate on the Culture of Peace; thematic debate on Sustainable Development. (c) (d) Regional consultations of Member States, Associate Member States and National Commissions for UNESCO. The preliminary proposals published in this document already take into account the outcomes of the regional consultations for Africa and Asia and the Pacific, which are published in separate documents. The reports on the regional consultations for the Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Arab States regions, to be held during September 2012, will be published separately. The replies of Member States, Associate Member States and non-governmental organizations (IGOs/NGOs) to a questionnaire on the C/4 and C/5 documents in a new format, which incorporates qualitative and quantitative elements in an endeavor to organize priorities more effectively and to genuinely refocus UNESCO s action, thereby meeting Member States expressed expectations. Those replies have been synthesized in a document which is accessible, together with the individual replies received, at 2. The number of replies to the questionnaire have reached a historic high, underlining the strong engagement by UNESCO stakeholders, with responses from: 113 Member States and Associate Member States nearly twice the usual number (66 replies were received during the previous consultation) and from an unprecedented large number of non-governmental organizations (93). 3. The preparation of the preliminary proposals took also account of the discussions under way within the United Nations system as part of the preparation of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review to be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly in autumn 2012 and discussions on the post-2015 development agenda.

3 190 EX/19 Part I page 2 4. In line with the decision of the General Conference (36 C/Resolution 105), the new Medium- Term Strategy (37 C/4) will follow a programming cycle extended from six to eight years, with an appropriate mechanism for adjusting to the most recent quadrennial comprehensive policy review. 5. In 36 C/Resolution 1, the General Conference specified all the principles that should guide the preparation of draft document 37 C/4 by requesting the Director-General, in particular, to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) clarify UNESCO s strategic role and contributions to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals before and after 2015; include in draft document 37 C/4 enhanced and more focused strategies for Priority Africa and Priority Gender Equality on the basis of the results of the ongoing evaluations, with a view to ensuring effective implementation and real impact; ensure that, within the mandate of UNESCO, a development-, peace- and human rights-based approach is applied to give strategic direction to draft document 37 C/4; consider carefully the possibility of reducing the number of overarching objectives with a view to sharpening the strategic focus and enhancing intersectorality; ensure that UNESCO s five functions are duly debated and reconsidered, with a view to strengthening UNESCO s ability to deliver on its mandate; take into consideration the need for a better reflected differentiation and focus of UNESCO s role and functions at the global, regional and national levels, including specific interventions in relation to youth, the least developed countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the most marginalized social groups. 6. The General Conference also emphasized the importance of reflecting in the next mediumterm strategy the findings of the Independent External Evaluation of UNESCO (185 EX/18 and Add.), the Director-General s report on the follow-up to the Independent External Evaluation of UNESCO (186 EX/17 Part II and 187 EX/17 Part I) and the recommendations of the Executive Board s Ad Hoc Working Group on the Independent External Evaluation of UNESCO (186 EX/17 Part I). 7. The preliminary proposals for documents 37 C/4 and 37 C/5 set out in this document are submitted by the Director-General to the Executive Board for consideration at its 190th session. The purpose of the preliminary proposals is to give an outline of the future Medium-Term Strategy and its structural implications. This document does not yet constitute a full-fledged draft of the C/4 and C/5 documents. The full versions of draft documents 37 C/4 and 37 C/5, reflecting the decisions and guidance formulated by the Executive Board at its 190th session, will be submitted to Member States in the spring of II. Changes in the international environment and the development landscape 8. UNESCO s new Medium-Term Strategy is being drafted in an international environment marked by rapid change and new challenges. (i) The world population has almost tripled since 1945 and now stands at seven billion inhabitants. This demographic change is accompanied by complex phenomena such as rampant urbanization, over-exploitation of some natural resources, accelerating pollution and environmental degradation and the relative ageing of some population groups. The world has never been so young: half of the world s population is under 25 years old. These young people will have to cope with the consequences of the unsustainable use of the Earth and its resources. This situation, which was clearly highlighted at the UNESCO Youth Forum, calls for new approaches and firm commitments for a sustainable future. These young people also represent an

4 190 EX/19 Part I page 3 enormous potential for change, and UNESCO must mobilize their potential to the full by providing the educational, scientific and cultural resources that young people need for their personal development, access to decent jobs, civic participation and mutual understanding. (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) The speed at which economic, social, food, energy and climate crises have spread since 2007 has shown the extent of interconnections between States and societies, and the vulnerability of some countries and groups, in particular women and young people. No single country, however powerful, can cope on its own with the challenges that have arisen. The current mode of development, achieved at the price of an unprecedented exploitation of our natural resources, runs counter to the world s biophysical limits. The quest for sustainable development in economic, social and environmental terms is now of global importance. The world has never been so prosperous, yet inequalities are growing within and among countries. The narrowing of inequality gaps is a major strategic challenge. Even though the percentage of the population living on less than $1.25 a day has halved between 1981 and 2008, falling from 52% to 22%, or 1.9 to 1.3 billion, socio-economic inequalities have risen on average. Absolute poverty has increased in sub-saharan Africa. Gender inequality continues to give cause for concern everywhere. In setting future directions for operational development activities, primary emphasis must be given to accelerating the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals (IADGs), including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) due by The MDGs must yield concrete and measurable results, to be complemented at a later date by a set of new sustainable development goals. Countries needs are increasingly diverse. New centres of economic dynamism are emerging, including in Africa, with differing challenges and needs. At the same time, the least developed countries and the Small Island Developing States remain particularly vulnerable to crises, to the effects of climate change and to environmental degradation. The booming middle-income countries constitute a major new development that challenges traditional cooperation models. In 1990, 90% of the poorest people lived in low-income countries. Today, 75% of them live in middleincome countries. (VII) The growing number of countries in transition, including those undergoing democratic change, also requires renewed means of support. Such situations cannot be tackled with conventional crisis, or even post-conflict, tools. The number of countries in postconflict situations, in the strict sense of the term, has fallen, but one fifth of humanity lives in conditions of permanent tension, characterized by myriad stress factors such as struggles for access to resources, socio-economic inequalities and various forms of violence. Acknowledgement of these precarious situations and support for transition and/or fragile countries require comprehensive, coordinated long-term approaches, with major emphasis being given to education, culture and science. UNESCO s role in building capacities to foresee and cope with the unexpected through education, science and culture needs to be accordingly enhanced. The Organization must stress the specific nature of its action in order to consolidate the factors of sustainability, continuity and resilience that are central to its mandate. In this endeavour, the Organization may draw, in particular, on the experience that it has gained from implementing the culture of peace programme and from its operations in supporting post-conflict and post-disaster countries by adapting it to the new problems of fragile and transition countries.

5 190 EX/19 Part I page 4 (viii) The development landscape has changed. New partners and new forms of cooperation are emerging. Regional integration is stronger and developing countries maintain economic cooperation relations with each another to an unprecedented extent. (ix) Even though traditional funding (official development assistance) is still the bedrock of operational activities for development in the United Nations system, new funding sources must be sought in a context in which growing expectations are to be balanced against the financial realities and constraints of many countries and organizations. 9. There are numerous opportunities for action in response to these challenges. (i) (ii) (iii) Many countries are engaged in a process of democratic opening or are rallying to ensure respect for human rights, dignity and freedom. It is a call to achieve the universal promise of human emancipation and to forge a new humanism. UNESCO s forums attest to the desire from all age groups to engage in peaceful dialogue and mutual understanding. The natural and social sciences are key drivers to attain sustainability. Particular attention must be paid to the crucial role of the oceans, freshwater and biodiversity in this respect, as reaffirmed by the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). Education for sustainable development is bound to play a particularly important role in changing habits, values and modes of consumption in order to support the path towards sustainable development. New technologies, creative industries and innovative financing are among the inventive solutions that exist to extend and strengthen the basis of scientific knowledge, ensure universal access to information, raise public awareness of its implications and intensify scientific cooperation for sustainable development in order to ensure that needs are met better with fewer resources, while human rights are fully respected. (iv) The percentage of young people in developing countries is set to rise to 89.5% in These young people represent a potential for change if access to education can be ensured and if young people s involvement in the decision-making process can be strengthened. (v) (vi) In general, greater demand for international cooperation attests to recognition of the importance of multilateralism. United Nations reform and the aid effectiveness agenda provide opportunities to raise the level of partnerships in the United Nations and beyond. The United Nations Secretary-General has just entrusted UNESCO with major leadership responsibilities in three key initiatives: Education First, the scientific advisory board on sustainable development and the United Nations Secretary-General s Oceans Compact. It is the first time in decades that UNESCO has been called upon in this way by the Secretary-General to take on such a level of responsibilities. UNESCO has also been tasked with drafting the global report on the creative economy together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This positioning shows that the Organization is well integrated into the United Nations system and UNESCO s role as a lead agency in several programme areas is recognized. 10. In this new environment, new approaches are required. (i) More differentiated approaches, better adapted to each local setting and to development needs and priorities that may vary from one country to another.

6 190 EX/19 Part I page 5 (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) Better integrated approaches, capable of cutting across disciplines and tools in order to address as a whole the social, economic and environmental aspects of development that are mutually reinforcing and cannot be dealt with in isolation. Increased and better targeted attention should be paid to young people, in both the design and the implementation of programmes in order to empower them as agents for change. Young people represent a potential for mobilization, renewal and progress. They are, moreover, a natural priority target for UNESCO s activities, and the Organization can rely on them in involving them more closely in decision-making. Partnerships that will be increasingly essential for the effectiveness of United Nations action. The capacity of the United Nations development system to enter into innovative partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders (including civil society, the private sector, media and foundations) and to work more closely with the international financial institutions must be boosted. Policies that address the question of inequality more directly, lay greater emphasis on inclusion and equity and highlight the sustainability of results and long-term transformations in an unstable context, in accordance with the conclusions of the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, held in Busan. Policies that rely on each country s specific capacities, on greater national and local ownership and on greater community participation in development efforts. More effective and inclusive multilateralism. The United Nations system including UNESCO must strengthen the coherence and interoperability of its components in its quest to take up more highly complex challenges with finite resources. (viii) An indispensable results culture, focusing on more regular and more rigorous evaluations and based on quantitative and qualitative indicators as well as on impact assessments of the various programmes. (ix) (x) Sunset clauses, which will be introduced as already decided by UNESCO s governing bodies. Under these clauses, programmes will be terminated after a four-year period, in line with the new C/5 document programming cycle, unless the General Conference explicitly decides to either extend them acknowledging the need to run certain programmes for a longer time or end them early. In response to the sensitive and unstable situations in many countries, post-conflict intervention models must be replaced by a model that supports fragile countries or countries in transition, which would improve the coordination of prevention, early warning and risk reduction programmes on the one hand, and emergency response, reconstruction and reconciliation programmes on the other. 11. UNESCO must demonstrate its capacity to contribute to peace in a world of diversity, to contribute to sustainable development in world of finite resources and to strengthen societies inclusion and resilience in a fragile world. The aspiration to a new humanism may be regarded as human beings need to establish new relations with the environment (taking account of its fragility and its limitations), new relations among cultures (taking account of their diversity and interrelationship through education for mutual respect) and new relations with future generations (whose first representatives yearn to take part in society) on the basis of gender equality. 12. The Organization must be reform thoroughly in order to provide for Member States a structure and approach adapted to the new world. This does not mean marginal rearrangements of a few mechanisms, but reassessing all of the Organization s programmes and its mission. UNESCO must lay better emphasis on its specific contribution to lasting peace and sustainable

7 190 EX/19 Part I page 6 development and must do so more effectively and more efficiently. The Director-General s preliminary proposals for document 37 C/4 are intended to be a decisive stage in effecting such change. 13. UNESCO has already introduced some major reforms, in particular on the basis of the recommendations of the Independent External Evaluation. The Organization has come significantly closer to other United Nations agencies and has formed new partnerships, such as in the follow-up to the recommendations of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and with the Broadband Commission for Digital Development co-chaired by UNESCO and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). 14. As the 2015 deadline looms large, the Organization must both increase its efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in particular Goal 2, achieving universal primary education, for which it is responsible and position itself in the post-2015 development agenda by proposing its ideas and indicators to feed into the discussion on the sustainable development goals, which are yet to be defined. The new Medium-Term Strategy could be the main driver of this effort. III. Guiding principles for the drafting of the Medium-Term Strategy for and the Programme and Budget for (documents 37 C/4 and 37 C/5) 15. All consultations have shown that UNESCO s Member States, Associate Members and partners are at one on several lines of action in preparing the Medium-Term Strategy. Based thereon, the Director-General stresses in particular the importance of a set of fundamental principles for the elaboration of the Medium-Term Strategy for :. (i) (ii) (iii) Refocus UNESCO on its basic priorities and ensure the overall consistency of its action: the consultations confirm the commitment to UNESCO s Constitution and recognition of its abiding relevance. They also highlight the desire to focus UNESCO s work on a smaller number of priority areas, to confirm UNESCO s lead role and to strengthen partnerships in those areas. The overall consistency of UNESCO s action should be strengthened by rigorously reviewing its activities and mechanisms in order to reduce counterproductive fragmentation, eliminate overlaps, limit the dispersion of resources, build synergy at every level and avoid silos of isolated activities. The preliminary proposals meet these concerns through a drastic effort to refocus the programmes by reducing the number of overarching objectives (from five to two) and strategic objectives (from 14 to six), three Major Programmes instead of five, maintenance of two global priorities and abolition of the intersectoral platforms (as against 12 in document 35 C/5 and six in document 36 C/5). Define the Organization s basic functions better at its various levels. The consultations confirm the importance of UNESCO s functions, in particular its role in regional and international cooperation, its standard-setting action and its assistance in developing related policies and capacities, especially in the institutional field. In accordance with the wishes of the General Conference, it is proposed that the Organization s functions be adapted and differentiated more clearly by a tier of action international, regional or national. This distinction should permit greater clarity in the distribution of tasks, a more straightforward delegation of authority and greater accountability in the various tiers of action. Accelerate and increase field network reform, by combining decentralization and flexibility. All partners encourage UNESCO to respond appropriately to their needs and priorities in distinctly different ways, reaffirming the principle of differentiated action ( one size does not fit all ), necessitated by the global socio-economic changes. UNESCO has also been encouraged to discontinue the over-centralization of its activities and to develop a network of credible, autonomous and responsible field offices and antennas that are judged on their results. It is therefore proposed to

8 190 EX/19 Part I page 7 strengthen the functional autonomy and delegation of authority for field offices, founded on results-based accountability. These principles should enable the formulation of approaches that are better adapted to local conditions and the development of better integrated country-level programmes that are better tailored to local circumstances. This approach already partly implemented should moreover foster coordination with all development partners in line with the expectations of the United Nations quadrennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development (QCPR). (iv) (v) Encourage innovation and creativity. The consultations show the importance of the Organization s contribution to innovation, creativity and dialogue in its various fields of competence, and the commitment of all partners to UNESCO as a forum for the exchange and design of new approaches, new tools and new policies based on independent analysis, discussion and consensus. It is therefore proposed that UNESCO envisage at this very stage, mechanisms that can boost innovation, examine regularly programmes and review mandates and statutory obligations in order to ensure their relevance and coherence, and to minimize their costs as well as strengthen the Organization s governance. Strengthen resolutely UNESCO s cooperation and partnerships, in particular with United Nations system organizations and new partners. The consultations confirm the importance accorded by all UNESCO partners to its role as a United Nations specialized agency, characterized especially by its attachment to a set of universal values and principles that form a common basis and are part of the distinctive aspects of UNESCO s work in the community of development stakeholders. The Director- General therefore wishes to include in the Medium-Term Strategy the need to respect the fundamental values of the United Nations systems and, in particular, human rights, equity, sustainability and inclusion as basic principles of all of UNESCO s action. 16. These action principles are likely to ensure, in the definition of the content of the Medium- Term Strategy, an adequate response to the expectations of UNESCO s Member States and a greater consistency with the objectives and activities of other United Nations bodies, in accordance with the expectations expressed in the QCPR. IV. Mission statement 17. In the spirit of the principles listed above, the Director-General proposes the following mission statement: Current mission statement (34 C/4) As a specialized agency of the United Nations, UNESCO contributes to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. Proposed mission statement (37 C/4) As a specialized agency of the United Nations, UNESCO contributes to peace and sustainable development, building inclusive knowledge societies through education, the sciences and culture 18. This mission statement, short and understandable, should facilitate a focusing of UNESCO s priorities, while stressing the importance of the concept of inclusive knowledge societies as a key feature of UNESCO s action and leitmotiv for its fields of action, in accordance with the expectations expressed throughout the consultations.

9 190 EX/19 Part I page 8 V. UNESCO s functions 19. In the light of the consultations, a new scheme is proposed for UNESCO s functions, better adapted to the expectations of Member States and UNESCO s stakeholders. UNESCO, in all of its fields of competence, will fulfil the following functions: Current functions (34 C/4) Proposed functions (37 C/4) 1. Laboratory of ideas 1. Leading the global agenda in education, the sciences and culture through policy analysis and benchmarking 2. Standard-setter 2. Setting norms and standards 3. Catalyst for international cooperation 3. Fostering alliances, partnerships and cooperation at the international and regional levels 4. Clearing house 4. Providing advice for policy development at the national level 5. Capacity-builder in Member States in UNESCO s fields of competence 5. Developing capacities, especially institutional capacities 20. Pursuant to the General Conference s recommendation (36 C/Resolution 1) to take into consideration the need for a better reflected differentiation and focus of UNESCO s role and functions at the global, regional and national levels, the table below shows how the differentiation and focus of UNESCO s role and functions will be reflected internationally, regionally and nationally. Leading the global agenda in education, the sciences and culture through policy analysis and benchmarking International level X Regional level National level Setting norms and standards X X Fostering alliances, partnerships and cooperation at the international and regional levels X X

10 190 EX/19 Part I page 9 Providing advice for policy development at the national level X X X Developing capacities, especially institutional capacities X X VI. Overarching objectives 21. The choice of the number and type of overarching objectives is a key step in the focusing of UNESCO s activities. It is proposed that overarching objectives in the new Medium-Term Strategy, be significantly reduced from five (34 C/4) to two objectives (37 C/4). Overarching objective No.1. Contributing to lasting peace by promoting quality education and lifelong learning, international scientific cooperation, preserving cultural heritage and cultural expressions and promoting intercultural dialogue. Overarching objective No.2. Contributing to sustainable development and the eradication of poverty by developing policies and institutional capacities in the fields of education, science and culture. 22. This proposal is in line with replies by Member States to the questionnaire concerning the preparation of document 37 C/4, where two objectives are standing out: promotion of peace, intercultural dialogue, tolerance and mutual understanding; speedier progress in achieving the international agreed development goals (IADGs), including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). 23. The proposal is also based on the conclusions of the Leaders Forum held at the 36th session of the General Conference of UNESCO at which emphasis was laid on the inseparability of lasting peace and sustainable development, described as two sides of the same coin. This proposed strategic orientation, structured around two overarching objectives, should enable the broadening and strengthening of UNESCO s action in the field of the culture of peace in a manner that is better adapted to contemporary challenges and more deeply rooted in every programme activity. This new approach will draw on the wealth of the work already accomplished in this areas and the many partnerships established, in particular in the context of the experience gained with the intersectoral platform and the interdisciplinary plan of action for a culture of peace and non-violence adopted by the General Conference at its 36th session. 24. This option would constitute a historic refocusing of UNESCO s action. It calls for a thorough review of all programmes and mechanisms currently in place in order to determine the most appropriate structure for accomplishing those goals. 25. The selection of overarching objectives that link all of UNESCO s fields of action should prevent silos of isolated activities and permit greater cohesion and a more integrated approach to UNESCO s programmes and mechanisms. This arrangement should also permit clearer accountability and comparability of impacts and results in each field of action. The adoption of a new approach based on cross-cutting thematic areas would also be better suited to the interconnection, multidimensionality and multidisciplinarity of today s challenges. At this stage, there are no plans to continue the intersectoral platforms, which will be replaced, if need be, by greater flexibility and specifically designed mechanisms in programme implementation at both the global and the country levels.

11 190 EX/19 Part I page Pursuant to 36 C/Resolution 1, the option of including youth as a global priority has been examined. In the questionnaire replies, Member States expressed commitment to the current two global priorities and stressed that the addition of a third global priority could be detrimental to the effectiveness of each global priority. Acknowledging, however, that youth was mentioned as a priority by many Member States and is a priority target of most UNESCO activities, the Director- General wishes to consider this matter in greater depth and proposes a close examination of programmes in order to target and meet the specific expectations of this group more effectively (in particular access to work, creativity, education, intercultural dialogues and so on). The Director- General will propose to the Executive Board at its 191st session an operational strategy that will place emphasis on the inclusion of young people in programme design and operational implementation in the field. The proposals will be built into the full proposals for documents 37 C/4 and 37 C/5 and will take the discussions at the 190th session of the Executive Board into account. 27. Building on the achievements of the intersectoral platform on Small Island Developing States and the principles of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, the Director-General wishes to deepen and renew UNESCO s approach in this regard. The specific needs of Small Island Developing States which anticipate also future challenges that will be faced by other Member States must be better integrated into all of UNESCO s programmes, not only in science, but also in education and culture. Each programme will be required to submit concrete plans and approaches to this end, with emphasis on operational implementation in the field and ensuring that the sub-regional offices concerned, in particular in the Pacific and the Caribbean, play a key role. VII. Global priorities Africa and gender equality 28. Africa and gender equality will be UNESCO s global priorities in all of its fields of competence throughout the period covered by the medium-term strategy. (a) Capacity building in Africa 29. The African continent is at the forefront of economic, political and demographic change in the international environment. It is most severely stricken with extreme poverty, while some regions are experiencing unprecedented growth that must be sustained in the long term. 30. The regional consultations show that it is important for Africa to build inclusive knowledge societies in order to improve the continent s connectivity with information- and knowledge-sharing networks. 31. Member States expect UNESCO to implement a more targeted and consolidated peacebuilding, poverty-eradication and inclusive sustainable development strategy by building capacities to safeguard cultural heritage, foster creative industries, improve the quality of education for all, promote science and technology, protect freedom of expression and support peace and citizenship education. 32. The Director-General therefore proposes that UNESCO s activities be focused on two main areas: (a) peace-building by fostering inclusive, peaceful and resilient societies: peace, citizenship and human rights education; preservation of cultural identities and promotion of intercultural dialogue; enhancement of the shared natural and intangible cultural heritage. (b) institutional capacity-building for sustainable development and poverty eradication: protection and promotion of cultural, natural and intangible heritage; teacher training and improvement of the quality of education;

12 190 EX/19 Part I page 11 development of technical and vocational education; support for the development of science, technology and innovation policies; formation of regional educational, scientific and knowledge-sharing networks; capacity-building for the promotion of the heritage and of cultural and creative industries. 33. UNESCO plans to strengthen its cooperation with the African Union in order to harmonize action in Africa, capitalizing on the rapprochement of recent years. UNESCO will reinforce its partnerships with the private and public sectors and encourage North-South and South-South cooperation. 34. UNESCO will build on lessons learnt in several biennia and, in particular on the recommendations contained in the evaluation of Global Priority Africa and the Readjustment of the missions of the Africa Department and strengthening of its capacity to monitor Global Priority Africa. An operational strategy document will be drawn up on the basis of the evaluation of Global Priority Africa. (b) Gender equality 35. Priority will also be given to the pursuit of gender equality. This choice is consonant with the strategic goal of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to make gender equality an accelerator of sustainable development. 36. The establishment of the new United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) requires UNESCO to identify its added value better and to highlight in particular: o UNESCO programmes contribution to the strengthening of gender equality through access to quality education for all, science education, intercultural dialogue and respect for universal human rights; o the role of gender equality as a factor of success and implementation of UNESCO s programmes. 37. The Director-General therefore proposes in the period to focus UNESCO s gender equality activities on: (a) developing and sharing knowledge of the gender equality situation as the bedrock of public policy-making: development of research on gender equality and the empowerment of women; training of teachers and professionals involved in the framing of public policies; development and networking of regional research and documentation centres on violence against women. (b) harnessing the potential of education, science and culture for gender equality: improvement of the integration of gender issues into UNESCO s programmes, and coordination of those activities; internal and country-level capacity-building; development and implementation of a global framework for monitoring and evaluating the impact of UNESCO s gender equality activities.

13 190 EX/19 Part I page UNESCO can build on the Global Partnership for Girls and Women s Education experience launched in 2011, which has permitted the adoption of targeted programmes at the country level and the achievement of tangible results in literacy and secondary education. 39. The new approach should also enhance the understanding and comparability of action taken by each programme sector, which must account for its participation in the two overarching objectives shared by all of the other sectors. VIII. Strategic objectives 40. In order to facilitate the focusing of UNESCO s action, it is also proposed that the number of strategic objective be reduced from 14 objectives (34 C/4) to six (37 C/4)). 41. This new arrangement should naturally guide a redefinition of the scope of various programmes and procedures for action, entailing rigorous scrutiny of each programme s contribution to the shared objectives. 42. In the context of the introduction of results-based budgeting (RBB) and pursuant to Member States request that emphasis be given to measurable, results-oriented implementation, the Director-General proposes that they be clearly expressed in the Programme and Budget (C/5). 43. It is also understood that the focusing exercise, much awaited by Member States, cannot be seen as diminishing or weakening UNESCO s role. Quite the contrary, the focusing of priorities must be the means of strengthening the programmes in which those priorities are included. The new medium-term strategy will be translated into a programme (C/5), drawn up on the basis context of a constant budget envelope, namely $653 million as was the case with document 36 C/5.

14 190 EX/19 Part I page C/4 Major Programme I: Education for Peace and Sustainable Development 44. Quality education, inside and outside the classroom, for all girls and boys, men and women, throughout life, has perhaps never been so fundamental to the mission of building lasting peace and sustainable development. In today s knowledge-based societies and economies, access to knowledge and skills, through quality formal and informal education as well as freedom of expression, is critical. In an ever-changing environment, people need to acquire the skills and knowledge to adapt and fully participate in social and economic development. Globalization and growing interconnectedness among education systems are increasing the importance of effective global cooperation in the sector. 45. Quality education, as well as the free flow of ideas, enable people to learn to be, learn to do, learn to know and learn to live together. They provide the basis for individuals to realize their potential, by acquiring the knowledge, competences and skills essential to become fully functioning members of their communities, societies and countries. Through education, individuals also develop values and attitudes, such as respect, empathy and solidarity, which are essential to lasting peace. 46. Recognizing the essential importance of education for holistic human development, UNESCO will promote education as the foundation for global peace and a sustainable future. 47. The United Nations Secretary-General s initiative, Education First, officially launched in September 2012, will highlight three priority areas universal access to education, improving the quality of education and making education a transforming force for global citizenship. UNESCO will mobilize all of its programmes and mechanisms to make the initiative a success, for it is also a significant springboard for UNESCO s post-2015 positioning: (i) strategic and conceptual orientation of the initiative in the High-Level Steering Committee, of which the Director-General is Executive Secretary, (ii) supporting champion countries designated by the United Nations Secretary-General to support the initiative, and capacity-building at the national level.

15 190 EX/19 Part I page In the period , UNESCO will pursue two strategic objectives: Strategic objective 1: Shaping the Global Education Agenda 49. UNESCO will inspire new ways to conceptualize and mobilize education and learning, their contribution to social development, and modalities for international cooperation. In so doing, it will create an international impetus for scaling up political attention and for the financing of education and learning. It will also integrate a foresight dimension into policy development and planning processes and expand and strengthen partnerships. 50. The Organization will steer international debates on critical issues and emerging challenges for education in the lead-up to the 2015 target year for the Millennium Development Goals and Education for All goals. This will include supporting Member States to monitor progress towards the education goals, critically review lessons learnt and guide the debate on international education and development agendas beyond Equal partnerships between countries will be fostered notably by facilitating and strengthening South-South and North-South-South cooperation, by galvanizing cooperative efforts of new and emerging countries and donors and by enhancing synergies and effectiveness. Recognizing the many isolated actions taking place in different local and global settings and sectors, UNESCO will reach beyond its traditional multilateral partners to build a broad coalition of partnerships for education that will include civil society, academia and the private sector and encompass expertise from related sectors such as health and labour. Strategic objective 2: Fostering inclusive, quality and lifelong learning opportunities for all to support creative and innovative global citizenship 52. UNESCO will promote expanded access to learning opportunities throughout the life cycle, with equity as a central concern. Recognizing the persistent even growing socio-economic inequalities between and within countries, UNESCO will seek to ensure that education and learning systems are inclusive, rights-based and cater for the full diversity of society. The

16 190 EX/19 Part I page 15 Organization will support States in strengthening the participation of children, youth and adults from marginalized or under-represented groups, with a particular focus on girls and women. Specific attention will be given to harnessing the contribution of information and communication technologies to expanding access and enhancing lifelong learning. In this regard, UNESCO will seek to bridge the digital divide and promote inclusive knowledge sharing. 53. UNESCO will support Member States in designing, planning, managing and monitoring flexible lifelong learning systems that allow for multiple pathways and synergies between education and learning in formal, non-formal and informal settings. The Organization shall support Member States to ensure the development of skills and competencies to help people to create and find decent jobs and become active members of the society. 54. In view of the critical and enduring disruptions to education and learning caused by conflict and natural disasters as well as transitions more generally, UNESCO will pay particular attention to supporting Member States to overcome crises, and to restore and reconstruct their education and learning systems. 55. UNESCO will also mobilize education and support information for all drawing on contributions from the Information For All Programme (IFAP) as a tool to build resilient societies and help people to tackle the challenges of a changing environment. UNESCO will provide support to education systems in promoting inclusive lifelong learning to empower learners to understand societal challenges and develop responses to them. This is an essential foundation to the creation of lasting peace, equitable and sustainable societies based on the principles of social justice and respect for human rights, gender equality, diversity and the environment. 56. UNESCO will harness education and freedom of information to allow individuals to participate actively in democratic processes as engaged and informed citizens and lead lives they have reason to value. 57. To these ends, UNESCO will support Member States to ensure that learning content, environments, practices and processes foster effective and relevant competencies to meet local and global challenges. These could include critical thinking, creativity, understanding of the ethical dimensions of human development, and active and responsible citizenship based on the principle of solidarity. In particular, the Organization will promote peace and human rights education, as well as media and information literacy. It will seek to strengthen education for sustainable development, and seek overall to support Member States in developing safe and inclusive learning environments that foster learners overall well-being and achievement. Throughout all of this, UNESCO will assist Member States to ensure effective and relevant learning including by assessing the development of cognitive and non-cognitive skills in learners. 58. Given the essential role of teachers in promoting effective learning, the reinforcement of teacher education and professional development programmes will be supported, in order to tackle teacher shortages on one hand and improve the quality of the learning-teaching practices and processes on the other. Cost-effective alternatives, particularly through the application of ICTs will be promoted. Major Programme I Proposed Programme Priorities for 37 C/5 59. During the quadrennial (37 C/5), and in pursuance of the proposed strategic programme objectives, Major Programme I will concentrate on the following programme priority areas:

17 190 EX/19 Part I page 16 Major Programme I 37 C/4 Strategic Objectives SO1: Shaping the global education agenda SO2: Fostering inclusive, quality and lifelong learning opportunities for all to support creative and innovative global citizenship 37 C/5 Main lines of action MLA 1: Generating knowledge and building partnerships MLA 2: Promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all MLA 3: Improving the quality and relevance of education Thematic areas expected results of 1. Education foresight and research 2. Monitoring of global trends in education 3. Mobilizing partnerships for education 4. Strengthening policies and plans for education systems that foster lifelong learning (formal, non-formal, informal) at all levels, including in post-conflict and postdisaster situations 5. Monitoring the right to Education & Normative Instruments 7. Transforming education for promoting sustainable development 8. Assessing learning outcomes: cognitive and non-cognitive skills. 9. Supporting teacher professional development 6. ICTs in education 37 C/4 Major Programme II: Mobilizing the sciences, technology and innovation for peace and sustainable development

18 190 EX/19 Part I page Science, including natural, social and human sciences, technology and innovation (STI) are widely recognized by Member States as major tools for advancing sustainable development, reducing poverty, stimulating creativity and employment and improving the quality of life for their citizens. The recent report of the United Nations Secretary General s High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability, as well as the Outcome document of the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, highlight the crucial contribution of science, technology and innovation for development, and the necessity to design better integrated science policy society approaches and policies. 61. The Rio+20 Conference underscored the vital role of oceans for the health and well-being of humanity. The ocean constitutes a conduit for 90% of the world s trade, and for connecting people, markets and livelihoods. Scientific collaboration on oceans can be a driver for peace and sustainable development. Oceanic acidification, climate change, polluting activities and overexploitation of marine resources have made oceans one of the earth s most threatened ecosystems. The United Nations Secretary-General launched the Oceans Compact to strengthen United Nations system-wide coherence in delivering on its oceans-related mandate. UNESCO s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission is uniquely placed to contribute to this global effort. 62. The Oceans Compact launched by the United Nations Secretary-General is guided by the general idea of ensuring the sustainable use, management and conservation of oceans. UNESCO will mobilize its scientific expertise and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission to implement the initiative, which comprises: (i) producing and disseminating scientific knowledge (including traditional and indigenous knowledge) for ocean and coastal zone sustainability; (ii) reducing coastal communities vulnerability to ocean-related disasters, especially in small island developing States and low-lying States and regions; and (iii) mobilizing international scientific cooperation in the field of the oceans for regional integration and peace-building. 63. International global change research has demonstrated that we have entered a new era, the Anthropocene in which human activity is fundamentally altering the earth s dynamics, testing the biophysical limits of our planet. This has a deep impact on oceans, freshwater supplies and

19 190 EX/19 Part I page 18 biodiversity. As a result, rapid urbanization, migrations, demographic pressures and major social transformations are becoming more frequent. Similarly global environmental change is emerging as a major driver for conflict and violence. These transformations exacerbate competition for scarce resources (food, clean air, water and land), with growing uncertainty and risks increasing the potential for resource-based conflicts or violence. 64. A major factor in social exclusion is the uneven impact of global environmental change, which reveals and in some cases aggravates pre-existing patterns of social inequality. Furthermore, the scientific and technological divide is a major obstacle to peace and sustainable development in today s knowledge-driven societies. Marginalized groups and sectors of societies such as in SIDS and LDCs, including indigenous peoples, women and youth are particularly vulnerable. 65. Global environmental change raises ethical challenges that need to be grasped within a framework of forward-looking critical thinking. Among these challenges are the production, access to and sharing of scientific knowledge, including through ICTs This sharing is too often weakest precisely where vulnerability is greatest, and advances are urgently needed. The terms of reference of adaptation policies need to respond to social and technical concerns of sustainability, and to promote social transformations consistent with the realization of human rights and the enhancement of social inclusion. 66. UNESCO has a unique mandate to harness the power of science in order to empower individuals and states in core areas of the ocean, biodiversity and freshwater, and to contribute to bridge the technological and knowledge gap between and within countries. Most countries call for more appropriate human, institutional and financial capacities and more effective science-policysociety interface and linkages to fully mobilize scientific knowledge. They also require equal access to and sharing of scientific advancement and its benefits. The Organization will promote international scientific cooperation and the strengthening of the science-policy-society interface as key levers for peace and a sustainable future. In this, UNESCO will pursue two strategic objectives: Strategic objective 1: Strengthening international science cooperation for peace, sustainability and inclusion 67. Building upon its experience in leading international and intergovernmental programmes in the field of sciences, UNESCO will contribute to shaping the research agenda of global and regional scientific cooperation. This will aid in further identifying, understanding and providing responses to global environmental and social challenges. Active engagement with the dynamics at work in science communities will be pursued to support equitable participation, policy relevance and social responsibility. 68. UNESCO will mobilize international scientific collaboration to promote the sustainability of terrestrial, freshwater and ocean resources, and to reduce disaster vulnerabilities and risks. In doing so, UNESCO will promote scientific collaboration as a motor for peace and dialogue, through the co-production of scientific knowledge, science diplomacy and joint management of transboundary areas and resources notably oceans and freshwater supplies. The mobilization of UNESCO s international and intergovernmental sciences programmes (IHP, MAB, IBSP, IGCP, MOST), as well as the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and SESAME, will be strongly promoted, in order to contribute to conflict prevention, in particular in transboundary areas, and to the advancement of peace, dialogue and reconciliation in fragile situations. The Organization will continue to mobilize support to WWAP, which is hosted by UNESCO. 69. UNESCO will continue to support international partnerships in the fields of the basic sciences and engineering as important levers for sustainable development. Basic sciences provide an important lever for sustainable development, in order to bring technological innovations and