UNESCO
Krista Pikkat - UNESCO Representative (a.i)
Mission
UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - was established on November 16, 1945, and its headquarter is in Paris. As a specialized agency of the United Nations, UNESCO helps to build peace, alleviate poverty, and promote sustainable development and intercultural dialogue. These goals are achieved through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. In achieving these goals, UNESCO has been able to promote co-operation among its 193 Member States and six Associate Members, and has worked to create conditions for genuine dialogue based on a respect for shared values and the dignity of each civilization and culture.
The main mission of the UNESCO Tashkent Office is to represent the Secretariat in the country. The organisation ensures that education, science, culture and communication are all taken into account within the planning and implementation of UN activities in Uzbekistan. UNESCO also raises the funds required for the promotion and implementation of its programme activities, in close cooperation with the National Commission for UNESCO in Uzbekistan along with both local and international partners.
Main areas of work
Education
The UNESCO office in Tashkent is working to assist the Government in improving the quality of education and its accessibility in Uzbekistan, through technical advice, standard setting, innovative projects and networking. The Education sector of The UNESCO office in Tashkent mainly focuses on enhancing the national education sector by means of strengthening the capacities of education institutions, improving teaching quality, and providing training opportunities and materials. In this regard, the UNESCO education sector actively conducts the following activities:
• Conducting teacher training courses for the integration of ICT
into teaching and learning process, with the aim of improving the
quality of learning processes;
• Strengthening the capacities of policy makers by introducing them
to Education Management Information Systems, by means of which
policy makers will be able to retrieve accurate data from all
levels of basic education;
• Intervention for the development and improvement of technical and
vocational education and training in Uzbekistan. The UNESCO
Tashkent office is conducting a country analysis study of the
Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system;
• Conducting training of trainers course (ToT) on Education for
Sustainable Development. UNESCO, in cooperation with National
University of Uzbekistan, has designed and conducted ToT courses
regarding the integration of Education for Sustainable Development
concepts into the existing curricula. The trainings also increased
awareness among educators and policy makers in regards to
Sustainable Development issues;
• UNESCO supports the comprehensive education sector responses to
HIV and AIDS within five essential areas:
o Quality Education;
o Content, curriculum and learning materials
o Educator training and support;
o Policy and systems management;
o The use of multiple approaches and entry points.
UNESCO leads EDUCAIDS, the UNAIDS Global Initiative on Education and HIV & AIDS, the Organization supports Member States in achieving universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support of HIV/AIDS.
Culture
UNESCO’s mission in the field of culture is to:
• Protect tangible heritage by implementing the 1972 Convention
concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
This convention recognises that some places have outstanding
universal value and represent common heritage of humanity.
Uzbekistan currently has four Heritage places on the World Heritage
List, including Khiva (Itchan Kala), the old cities of Bukhara,
Shahrisabz and Samarkand. In order to implement the convention,
UNESCO has conducted a documentation and condition assessment on
GIS as a basis for preparing a management plan for Bukhara, while
preparing a guidebook for Samarkand and organizing trainings on the
conservation of archaeological artefacts;
• Protect and promote intangible heritage by implementing the 2003
Convention for the safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage,
ratified by Uzbekistan in 2008. The Boysun area and Shashmaqom,
Uzbekistan’s classical music have been inscribed on the
Representative List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity. In this
framework, UNESCO leads the inventory of Karakalpakstan musical
traditions;
• Promote cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and cultural
tourism through handicrafts, fairs and publications such the Golden
Ring of Khorezm- a cultural tourist guide to Karakalpakstan and
Khorezm. A block-printing revival programme has been created in
Ferghana Valley, allowing HIV-infected children to build technical
skills and receive an artistic education;
• Enhance national capacities within the field of Movable Cultural
Heritage and cultural tourism, especially through work with museums
and through trainings and publications. UNESCO conducts seminars
for museum staff concerning museum management, and safeguarding and
conservation of collections. UNESCO also translates and publicizes
guidebooks and manuals regarding the management of movable
heritage.
Science
UNESCO also considers that scientific and technological processes must be placed within the context of ethical reflection rooted in the cultural, legal, philosophical and religious heritage of the various human communities. In order to address environmental issues and protect natural heritage, UNESCO must:
• Promote the sustainable use of land and water resources
through research and education project such as the ZEF/UNESCO
project in Urgench;
• Promote the use of renewable energies through a yearly summer
camp for young scientists, regarding the use of solar energy in
Samarkand;
• Develop science education by conducting awareness-raising
campaigns on sustainable development, targeted at school
children;
• Print publications regarding environmental issues, including the
Ecological Atlas of Uzbekistan, the Atlas of Spring water in
Uzbekistan and the Water and Migration case study;
• Develop eco-friendly technologies: including the introduction of
indigo culture in Khorezm and Karakalpakstan.
Communication
Equitable access to information and knowledge, along with the support of the development of a communication sphere in Uzbekistan, has been identified as priorities of the Communication sector of UNESCO’s Tashkent Office. In collaboration with local partners, the Communication sector has implemented projects which enhance the role of communications and information, including efforts to:
• Promote the development of free, independent and pluralistic
media, while using community media to foster community
participation in sustainable development. In this programme’s
context, the UNESCO Tashkent office has implemented with its
national partners a project on disseminating and building the
capacity for a diverse range of sustainable development. This can
be achieved through the use of educational soap operas in rural
areas, and the implementation of the Silk Road Radio Project;
• Foster universal access to information, while developing
info-structures. Within the framework of this programme, the
project ‘Fostering universal access to information through the
conservation and documentation of historic archival materials’
intends to digitise printed materials and historic archives of
glass negatives;
• Support national efforts regarding the creation of an environment
for the growth of free and pluralistic media. Within this activity,
UNESCO carried out trainings and workshops in order to strengthen
the capacities of local information professionals with regards to
environmental issues, notably in Khorezm and Karakalpakstan. This
initiative involves the celebration of events like World Press
Freedom Day.
Main partners:
National:
• The National Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan for
UNESCO;
• National and international NGO''s and foundations;
• Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs);
• Bi-and multilateral organizations;
• Cities and local Authorities;
• National Institutions and organizations;
• Ministries;
• The private sector;
• The media;
• UNESCO clubs;
• Centres and associations.
International:
• CRA Terre-ENSAG;
• ICOMOS;
• CACSA;
• IICAS;
• University of Barcelona;
• Swiss Government;
• UN agencies in Uzbekistan.
Contact information:
UNESCO
9, Ergashev street
100037 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Phone: (+ 998 71) 1207116, 1207154, 1207155
Fax: (+ 998 71) 1205159
Website: www.unesco.org