1 The new vision of the 34 C/4 and the 34 C/5 Hans d’Orville, Director, Bureau of Strategic Planning Training Seminar for Secretaries General of Caribbean National Commissions for UNESCO Curacao, Netherlands Antilles 3-5 July 2007

2 The UNESCO’s Medium-Term Strategy for (34 C/4), articulates the strategic vision and overall programmatic direction for UNESCO’s action in all its domains at the global, regional and country levels for the upcoming six years The roadmap of the C/4 is translated into three consecutive biennial programme and budget documents (C/5), beginning with the Programme and Budget for (34 C/5), ensuring a reliable linkage and coherence between C/4 and C/5 (‘seamless transition’) I. Linkages between 34 C/4 and 34 C/5

3 “ Programme-based approach ” : Content overrides administrative structure – all UNESCO action will be driven by and organized around specific and complex global challenges and problems, calling for a mobilization of all of UNESCO ’ s core competences Interdisciplinarity and intersectoral engagement as integral parts of the programming process Structure: –1 single mission statement guiding UNESCO ’ s action across all its areas of action –5 overarching objectives (OOs), expressing the unique core competencies of UNESCO and its comparative advantage –14 strategic programme objectives (SPOs) translate these overarching objectives into programme-relevant and thematic terms, combining both sectoral and intersectoral responses to the global challenge identified II. The main programmatic features of the new Medium- Term Strategy for (34 C/4)

4 Attaining quality education for all and lifelong education Mobilising science knowledge and policy for sustainable development ■ Strengthening UNESCO’s global lead and coordination role for EFA and providing support to national leadership in favour of EFA ■ Developing policies and tools for quality education for all, and lifelong education as well as promoting education for sustainable development ■ Demonstrating the importance of exchange and dialogue among cultures to social cohesion and reconciliation in order to develop a culture of peace ■ Promoting principles, practices and ethical norms relevant for scientific and technological development ■ Fostering policies and capacity- building in science, technology and innovation ■ Enhancing universal access to information and knowledge ■ Fostering pluralistic, free and independent media and infostructures ■ Leveraging scientific knowledge for the benefit of the environment and the management of natural resources Fostering cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and a culture of peace Building inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication Addressing emerging social and ethical challenges ■ Enhancing research- policy linkages on social transformations Priority gender equality ■ Contributing to disaster preparedness and mitigation Strategic programme objectives Overarching objectives ■ Support through UNESCO’s domains to countries in post-conflict situations and post-disaster situations ■ Fostering research on critical emerging ethical and social issues MISSION STATEMENT: 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 ■ Strengthening the contribution of culture to sustainable development ■ Sustainably protecting and enhancing cultural heritage Priority gender equality Priority Africa

5 Other guiding principles : –Further programme portfolio concentration, focusing on UNESCO ’ s core competencies and comparative advantages –Orientation towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other internationally agreed development goals relevant for UNESCO ’ s domains –Strict results orientation, with measurable expected outcomes (for the 34 C/4) and expected results, performance indicators and benchmarks (for the C/5 documents and subsequent work plans), informed by periodic evaluation of results, for which the Organization can be held accountable –UNESCO be an integral and proactive part of United Nations reform, contributing to national development goals at the country level and ensuring coherence and effectiveness of UN – wide coordinated action, not the least from the perspective and interests of UNESCO as a specialized agency –Sustaining the internal reform process of UNESCO III. The main programmatic features of the new Medium- Term Strategy for (34 C/4) – cont’d

6 Medium-Term Strategy is proposed to be structured around a single, unifying mission statement (as revised by the Executive Board) to guide UNESCO ’ s strategic action across all its areas of competence: “ 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 ” Mission is built on the vision articulated in UNESCO ’ s Constitution, “ to construct the defenses of peace in the minds of men ”, which remains relevant to the Organization, while realities and contexts in which the Constitutional mandate is being carried out continue to evolve IV. The main programmatic features of the new Medium-Term Strategy for : Mission statement

7 UNESCO has committed itself to accord priority in all its fields of competence to –Africa and its development, responding to the priorities articulated by the African Union, including through its New Partnership for Africa ’ s Development (NEPAD) programme –Gender equality, reflecting the strong commitment by world leaders at the 2005 World Summit as well as subsequent prominent proposals in the context of the UN reform process Specific interventions will be envisaged for –Youth, in particular addressing youth violence and other issues affecting the welfare of youth around the world –The Least Developed Countries (LDCs), in line with September 2006 High-Level Meeting on Review of the Brussels Programme of Action –The Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) in line with the Mauritius Declaration and the Mauritius Strategy V. The main programmatic features of the new Medium-Term Strategy for : Priorities and target groups

8 VI.The main programmatic features of the new Medium-Term Strategy for : Priorities and target groups (cont’d) UNESCO will further respond to the needs of the disadvantaged and excluded groups as well as the most vulnerable segments of society, including indigenous peoples At the regional and country level, action will be concentrated on groups that are at most in need Overall, the Organization will pursue in all its fields of competence a human-rights based approach to programming

9 Managing for impact Constituencies, partners and partnerships Visibility of UNESCO and public information VII. 34 C/ 4 - further contents:

10 VIII. From the C/4 to the C/5

11 IX. Seamless passage from C/4 to C/5 A. Translation of the strategic programme objectives of the C/4 into a limited number of biennial sectoral priorities and main lines of action in the C/5, with expected results, performance indicators, benchmarks. The proposed biennial sectoral priorities for 34 C/5 are: Major Programme I – Education –Leading EFA, ensuring global coordination and providing assistance to Member States to achieve the EFA goals and education-related MDGs based on the Global Action Plan (GAP) –Fostering quality education for all at all levels and in both formal and non-formal education throughout life, with particular emphasis on vulnerable and disadvantaged groups

12 Major Programme II – Natural Sciences –Promoting research and capacity-building for the sound management of natural resources –Promoting policies and strengthening human and institutional capacities in science, technology and innovation, with special emphasis on the basic sciences –Promoting knowledge networks for disaster preparedness and mitigation and enhancing national and regional coping capacities Major Programme III – Social and human sciences –Promoting principles, practices and ethical norms relevant for scientific and technological development –Enhancing research-policy linkages relevant to social transformations –Contributing to the dialogue among civilizations and cultures and to a culture of peace through philosophy, the human sciences, the promotion of human rigths and the fight against discrimination

13 Major Programme IV – Culture –Promoting cultural diversity through the safeguarding of heritage in its various dimensions and the enhancement of cultural expressions –Promoting social cohesion, by fostering pluralism, dialogue of cultures and the establishment of a culture of peace Major Programme V – Communication and information –Fostering free,independent and pluralistic communication and universal access to information –Promoting innovative applications of ICTs for sustainable development

14 X. Seamless passage from C/4 to C/5 (cont’d) B. Strong intersectoral component – 13 major intersectoral/ interdisciplinary platforms (with strategies and expected results) -Science education - HIV and AIDS - Education for sustainable development - Contribution to the Mauritius Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Islands developing States (SIDS) - Fostering ICT-enhanced learning - Strengthening national research systems - Languages and multilingualism - Enhancing linkages between cultural and biological diversity as a key basis to sustainable development - Contributing to dialogue among civilizations and cultures and a culture of peace - Support to countries in post conflict and post-disaster situations - Development of a cross-sectoral programme for capacity-building - Priority Africa: coordinating and monitoring the plan of action to benefit Africa

15 XI. Acting and reacting to change – Rolling strategies The 34th session of the General Conference (16 October-3 November 2007) will examine the Draft 34 C/4 and 34 C/5 documents together with the recommendations by the Executive Board thereon ( 34 C/11 and 34 C/6) The Executive Board recommended that the 34 C/4 be conceived as a rolling strategy, so as to reflect: –Developments in international and regional contexts pertaining to UNESCO ’ s fields of competence –Exigencies of UN reform, especially at country level in the context of the ‘ Delivering as One ’ agenda –Results and outcomes of programme activities, also drawing on the findings of evaluations and regular monitoring –Other critical factors that could put at risk the attainment of the expected outcomes