Rosanna Santesso, UNESCO, Venice, Italy UNESCO’s contribution to global challenges http://obc2012.outofthebox.si/

1. UNESCO’s contributions to global challenges
UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe
http://www.unesco.org/venice

2. UNESCO’s Constitution
(16 November 1945)
That since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of
men that the defences of peace must be constructed…
© UNESCO

3. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the
building of peace, the eradication of
poverty, sustainable development and
intercultural dialogue through education,
the sciences, culture, communication and
information
Priorities and Objectives
The Organization focuses on 2 global priorities:
Africa and Gender equality
Its overarching objectives:
• Attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning
• Mobilizing science knowledge and policy for sustainable
development
• Addressing emerging social and ethical challenges
• Fostering cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and a culture of
peace
• Building inclusive knowledge societies through information and
communication

4. In fulfilling its mission, UNESCO carries out for the international
community five established functions:
i) laboratory of ideas, including foresight
ii) standard-setter
iii) clearing house
iv) capacity-builder in Member States in UNESCO’s fields of
competence
v) catalyst for international cooperation

5. UNESCO Venice Office – Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe
(Palazzo Zorzi – Venice, Italy)

6. After the devastating AQUA ALTA of 1966, UNESCO launched its international Campaign.
In 1973, UNESCO establishes its Liaison Office in Venice. In 1987, the City of Venice and its
Lagoon are inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

7. UNESCO Venice Office - Mandate
Foster cooperation, contribute to capacity building
and to provide specialized expertise in science and culture
with special emphasis to SEE (South East European) and the Mediterranean Region

8. Culture and heritage: our past, our future
UNESCO works to preserve
humanity’s irreplaceable
riches: cultural diversity and
shared heritage
(safeguarding tangible and
intangible heritage)

9. South Eastern European Cultural Heritage – A Bridge
towards a shared future
Activities:
• Cultural heritage in the
service of mutual
understanding and
development
• Cultural diversity and
intercultural dialogue
• Promotion of the
diversity of cultural
expressions
• Related to the UNESCO
Conventions

10. Inter-cultural dialogue: A New Vision of South East Europe
A shared cultural heritage is a necessary
step in furthering both mutual
understanding among South-East
European peoples, and the sustainable
socio-economic development of the
region.
The first Ministerial Conference was
held in Mostar on 2004 and followed
by Venice (2005), Ohrid (2006),
Zadar (2007), Bucharest (2008),
Cetinje (2010), Belgrade (2011)

11. UNESCO’s Culture Conventions
• The Convention on the
Protection of the Underwater
Cultural Heritage (2009)
• The Convention on the
Protection and Promotion of the
Diversity of Cultural Expressions
(2005) - translated into Albania
• The International Convention for
the Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage
(2003)
• The Universal Declaration on
Cultural Diversity (2001)
• The Convention concerning the
Protection of the World’s
Cultural and Natural Heritage
(1972)
• The Convention on the means of
prohibiting and preventing the
Illicit Import, Export and Transfer
of Cultural Property (1970)

12. Science: UNESCO and sustainable development
UNESCO began sounding
the alarm for the need of
sustainable development
back in 1968.
Science provides knowledge,
tools and critical skills to
tackle key global challenges.
Sustainable development is a
moral as well as a scientific
concept closely linked to
peace, human rights and
equity.

13. UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB)
Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage Sites
Biosphere Reserves are sites of
excellence where new and optimal
practices to manage nature and
human activities such as:
• sustainable tourism development
and quality economy development
• contributions to UN-DESD
• natural risk preparedness
• territorial governance of specific
sites
• energy efficiency
© Archives Kozjansko Park, Trebce - Kozjansko &
are tested and demonstrated.
Obsotelje, Slovenia
New MAB site in 2010
The Venice Office also provides
specific coaching and institutional
capacity-building activities.

14. Transboundary (Shared) Water Issues in SEE
• Regional cooperation of the Danube
countries (Water and Sediment Balances)
• Ecohydrology (deltas and estuaries)
• Internationally shared water systems –
Focus on Karst (TRANSKARSTBA with
INWEB; DiKTAS)
• Water Governance (building up of policy
options) / Shared Water Diplomacy
• River corridors (Sava, Drin, Drava-Mura)
© Adiel lo
and Lakes (Ohrid-Prespa, Skadar) as Lake Bled, Slovenia
Transboundary Systems for cooperation
in the promotion of Sustainable
Development model regions (Biosphere
Reserves).

15. The Venice Process: Reconstructing the Science Systems in
Southeast Europe
Since March 2001, the Venice Office has been
contributing to the rebuilding of Southeastern
European scientific cooperation between the sub-
region and with the rest of Europe through the
‘Venice Process’.
The Venice Office has provided science policy
advice and expertise to Southeast European
countries so to raise public and private awareness of
investing in S&T for national and regional
development of both Bosnia and Herzegovina and
Albania.

16. Other Science Activites:
• Basic Sciences: Scientific networks in
SEE: Seismology, astronomy,
Mathematics & Physics
• Risk preparedness in World Heritage
Sites (Albania)
• Gender and youth in science
© UNESCO - Tzigounaki, Anastasia

17. The world needs science...
Science needs women
Since 1998, this conviction has united L’Oréal and UNESCO to promote
women in scientific research by creating the For Women in Science
partnership.

18. H2Ooooh! Initiative

19. UNESCO’s Future Role - Developing a Global
Consciousness: Thinking and Learning for the
21st Century
Developing a “global consciousness”
for a culture of peace is based on
recognizing the multiplicity of world
views and cultural identities.
UNESCO’s actions are focused on:
• raising consciousness in various
settings, particularly in teaching
and decision making
• developing tools that are suitable
to anchor the way for women and
men to think, relate and approach
problems
© UNESCO/Suleyman Karaca, Turkey

20. Irina Bokova, Director-General
“UNESCO has a leading
role to play in building a
global human community.
The stakes of peace today
lie precisely in education,
science, culture and
communication as the
foundations for sustainable
development…these are
the pillars of the
Organization’s new
humanism approach.”
©UNESCO http://portal.unesco.org/education

21. THANK YOU
Rosanna Santesso
tel. + 39 041 2601511 fax: + 39 041 5289995
Email: veniceoffice@unesco.org
http://www.unesco.org/venice