The 4th Regional Galaxy Forum Southeast Asia is taking place at the Science Centre for Education at the Bangkok Planetarium in collaboration between ILOA, National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) and Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA). Thailand is a leader in the region for Astronomy and Satellite Technology. NARIT is a national research organization for astronomy in Thailand enabling the development of a collaborative research network both regionally and globally, and aiming at developing and strengthening knowledge in astronomy at an international level. They also ally with public and private observatories and other institutions around the World to pursue excellence in scientific research, education and public outreach.

1. UNESCO & SPACE
PROGRAMME
Dr. RAMASAMY JAYAKUMAR
UNESCO Bangkok
r.jayakumar@unesco.org

2. Creation of UNESCO
• UNESCO was born on the
ashes of the Second World
War
• Constitution was signed
on 16 November 1945 and
came into force on 4
November 1946, initially
ratified by 20 countries
• Goal: To build peace in
the minds of men

3. Today, UNESCO
 Mobilizing for education
 Pursuing scientific cooperation
 Building intercultural
understanding
 Protecting freedom of expression
UNESCO is known as the "intellectual"
agency of the United Nations

4. UNESCO in numbers
• 195 Member States; 9 Associated members
• Around 1,500 staff members working at
Headquarters and around 600 in the field
• Regular budget 2012/13: 653 million US$
• Extra-budgetary funds 2012/13: 540
million US$

5. Director General
 The Director-General is
the executive head of
the Organization
 The present Director-
General Madam Irina
Bokova, being of
Bulgarian Nationality,
elected during 2009 as
the first Women
Director-General

6. Director, UNESCO Asia and Pacific
Regional Bureau
• Dr. Kim holds Public Administration
degree from Korea Ph.D. in Education
from Harvard University, U.S.A.
• Former Deputy Minister of Education and
Human Resources Development (HRD),
Korea and Senior Education Specialist at
the World Bank

7. 5 Programme Sectors
• Education
• Natural Sciences
• Social and Human Sciences
• Culture
• Communication and Information

8. UNESCO Natural Sciences Sector
• To better assess and manage the
Earth’s resources
• To reinforce the capacities of
developing countries in the
sciences, engineering and
technology
• To assist governments formulate
and implement effective science
and technology policies and
strategies

9. Natural Sciences
Main thematic areas are
• Fresh water - IHP
• People and nature – MAB & IGCP
• Oceans - IOC
• Science Policy for Sustainable
Development
• Basic and engineering sciences - IBSP

10. • Italian initiative to the IAU,
2003 → proposal to UNESCO
• UNESCO’s recommendation
to the United Nations, 2005
• UN General Assembly’s
resolution, December 2007
• 125 countries involved by
Sep 2008
IYA 2009 background

11. Goals & Objectives
Increase scientific awareness.
Promote widespread access to new knowledge and observing experiences.
Empower astronomical communities in developing countries.
Support and improve formal and informal science education.
Provide a modern image of science and scientists.

12. UNESCO 33 C/Resolution 25
on IYA2009

13. This is like nothing we have
ever done before
In 2009, the International Year of
Astronomy reached 815 million
people in 148 nations

14. The International Year of Light
and Light-based Technologies
2015
We will only get one chance

15. Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Japan,
Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Republic
of Korea, Russian Federation, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and United
States of America

16. What the UN wants
• To promote light technologies for
improved quality of life in developed
and developing world
• To reduce light pollution and energy
waste
• To promote women’s empowerment
in science
• To promote education amongst young
people
• To promote sustainable development

17. Science partnership

18. Space Education Programme
The Space Education Programme was
launched in 2002 based on the
recommendations of two world conferences
• World Conference on Science organized
by UNESCO and ICSU, Budapest, 1999
• Third United Nations Conference on the
Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE-
III) organized by the UN Committee on
the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
(COPUOS) and the UN Office for Outer
Space Affairs, Vienna 1999.

19. Space Education Programme
• To promotes space-related subjects
and disciplines in schools and
universities, particularly in developing
countries
• To provides teachers opportunities to
develop/improve their knowledge and
skills space-related areas
• To raise public awareness of the
important contribution of space to the
well-being of society
• Contributes to the preparation of the
next generation of space workforce

20. The GARS Program of UNESCO and IUGS
provides a means of continually
investigating the geological applicability
of remote-sensing techniques.

22. Ocean Observations & Services
• GOOS Global Ocean Observing System
• JCOMM Joint WMO-IOC Technical
Commission for Oceanography and Marine
Meteorology
• IODE Intergovernmental Oceanographic Data
and Information Exchange
• OBIS Ocean Biogeographic Information
System
• GLOSS Global Sea Level Observing System
• OOPC Ocean Observations Panel for Climate
• DBCP Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP)
• Argo Profiling Float Programme

23. The Open Initiative: UNESCO Space
for Heritage Network

24. A broad network using space technologies to assist
developing countries in their goals to document,
monitor and protect World Heritage sites.
• Created by UNESCO and the European
Space Agency (ESA)
• aims to develop a framework of co-
operation, open to all types of space
partners, in order to assist developing
countries in managing and protecting
their natural and cultural heritage with
the benefits of space technologies

25. Generated interest among Member
States on applications of space
technologies for UNESCO sites –the
creation of HIST as a dedicated category
2 Centre is part of the outcome of the
“open initiative”

26. The ‘Open Initiative’–Examples of Intervention
Cultural Heritage
• Modeling and reconnecting the Silk Road
• African Heritage Database
• Inventory and Preservation of the Frozen Tombs in
the Mountains of Altai
• Machu Picchu: Using remote sensing to provide an
effective management tool
• Decision support system for archaeological sites in
Guatemala
Natural Heritage
• Taking the Pulse of our Tropical Forest Heritage Sites
• Decision support tool for gorilla conservation in
Central Africa
• Mesoamerican Biological Corridor: Space supporting
management

27. Preserving digital heritage data for
future generations: CASPAR project
• UNESCO was part of the CASPAR
team and contributed with digital
heritage expertise.

29. UNESCO Culture Sector
• UNESCO is in the vanguard of
international efforts to protect
world heritage.
• Certain places are of outstanding
universal value and as such form
part of the common heritage of
humanity.
• Protecting World Heritage is the
duty of the international
community as a whole.

30. UNESCO Thematic Initiative
Astronomy and World Heritage

31. Global Strategy
Global Strategy aims to
ensure that the World
Heritage List reflects the
world's cultural and natural
diversity of Outstanding
Universal Value
1994World Heritage Global Strategy
1994

32. World Heritage and Astronomy
• Properties related to science
or having an important
component directly or
symbolically linked with, for
example, astronomical
observations, are under-
represented on the World
Heritage List

33. 28th session of the World Heritage
Committee (Suzhou, China) 2004
• The World Heritage Committee
requested the World Heritage Centre
to submit, for its consideration at its
29th session (2005), the thematic
initiative of the World Heritage
Centre on “Astronomy and World
Heritage”
• 2004 – First International expert meeting on scientific and
astronomical heritage (WHC & UNECSO Bureau in Venice)

34. The World Heritage Committee requested
the Director of the World Heritage Centre
to further explore the thematic initiative
“Astronomy and World Heritage” as a
means to promote, in particular,
nominations which recognize and celebrate
achievements in science.
29th session of the World Heritage
Committee, (Durban, South Africa) -
2005
2005 - sub-regional round table (Institute of
Astronomy, Moscow)

35. The World Heritage Committee examined an
Integrated Implementation Strategy of the Thematic
Initiative “Astronomy and World Heritage”
This strategy, prepared in coordination with the
National Focal Points in charge of implementation of
the Initiative, Advisory Bodies and the International
Astronomical Union (IAU), aims to improve the
identification, conservation and management of the
specific types of properties connected with
astronomical observations and traditional
astronomical knowledge.
32nd session of the World Heritage
Committee
(Quebec City, Canada) 2008

36. Memorandum of Understanding between UNESCO
and IAU on Astronomy and World Heritage
2008

37. By the Memorandum of Understanding signed
on 30 October 2008, the Parties confirm their
commitment to promote the World Heritage
Convention and, in particular, to explore and
explore and implement the “Astronomy and
World Heritage” Initiative.

38. The Parties shall work together to develop and implement a
joint programme of activities focused on the following four
areas of cooperation:
• Research: to provide experts who will assist with site
identification and inventory;
• Education: to build the capacities of World Heritage
property managers and enlarge their experience through
fellowship programmes;
• Promotion: to provide institutional partners who will assist
with development of the data base;
• Partnerships: to create tri-partite partnerships between
the parties and others, in order to gather enough
financial support to implement the Initiative.

39. IAU AWH International Working Group
http://www.astronomicalheritage.org/

40. International Year of Astronomy
Cycle of activities
“Astronomy and World Heritage :
across time and continents”
2 0 0 9

41. 2009 - International Conference “Astronomy and World Heritage:
across time and continents”, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan,
Russian Federation
• Observatories as “scientific monuments”
• Material representations of the results of astronomical
observations and contextual understanding:
constructions, architecture and urbanism related to
applied astronomy and/or bearing astronomical
information
• Properties whose design and/or landscape setting
have significance in relation to celestial objects or
events
• Monuments, sites and cultural landscapes related to
the history of astronomy and/or human cultural
practices related to astronomy
• Sites related to space exploration

42. ICOMOS – IAU Thematic Study on
Astronomical Heritage 2010
• The Thematic Study
constitutes the
background for a
comparative analysis
that could be carried
out to assess the
Outstanding Universal
Value of a specific site
of the same type
proposed for World
Heritage listing

43. 34th session of the World Heritage
Committee
(Brasília, Brazil) - 2010
• The World Heritage Committee took
note of the activities organized by
the States Parties within the
framework of the Thematic
Initiative "Astronomy and World
Heritage", and requested the World
Heritage Centre to disseminate the
Thematic Study on Astronomical
Heritage jointly prepared by
ICOMOS and the IAU Working Group
among the States Parties.

44. Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (India), inscribed on the World
Heritage List as an astronomical observation site built in
the early 18th (1792) century comprising 19 large
instruments for naked-eye observation;

45. The 13th-century Dengfeng Observatory (China-1276),
inscribed on the World Heritage List as one of the
components of the Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in
“The Centre of Heaven and Earth” (China)

46. 36th session of the World Heritage Committee
(St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, 2012)
The World Heritage Committee :
• encourages cooperation between the
UNESCO World Heritage Centre,
specialized agencies and relevant
interdisciplinary scientific initiatives
towards the elaboration of a Global
Thematic Study on Heritage of
Science and Technology, including
studies and research on technological
heritage connected with space
exploration.

47. Be the change that you want to
see in the world