Conference of Elected Representatives of the Mediterranean ( Rabat, - PDF document

Conference of Elected Representatives of the Mediterranean ( Rabat, 2 8 -2 9 June 2 0 0 6 ) Presentation UNESCO and ISESCO are jointly organizing this Conference of elected representatives. The participants will be the Mayors of capitals or their alternates, other elected representatives and Focal Points for UNESCO in the Mediterranean Region. They will meet for two days to analyse the means and ways of enhancing their cooperation with UNESCO at local, national and regional levels in order to promote the objectives of the Organization in their local and national agenda and legislation in the Mediterranean Region. OBJECTI VES 1. Strengthen partnership w ith Elected representatives in the Mediterranean Region UNESCO and ISESCO, attaching great importance to strengthening its partnership with elected representatives of the Mediterranean Region, aims at associating them more closely with the implementation of their programmes. This first working session will be dedicated to UNESCO’s m echanism s of partnership w ith Elected Representatives at the national level (parliamentarians, mayors and local authorities), to encourage the designation of parliamentary focal points for UNESCO in national parliaments, and to promote networking of its partners. 2. Support Education for All ( EFA) and educational policies This second working session will be devoted to a short presentation of the six EFA goals adopted by the international community at the World Education Forum at Dakar, Senegal, in 2000 and recently re-affirmed by world leaders at the United Nations Summit in New York in September 2005. The EFA action at the national level will present a goal occasion for dialogue and exchange of experience between elected representatives of both regions (European and Arab) in achieving the EFA goals in their respective countries. 3. Prom ote hum an rights and dem ocracy The session will address the reforms of the UN Secretary-general, that aim at enhancing Hum ans Rights related activities within the United Nations System, and the Millennium Declaration. With this in mind, UNESCO has adopted two strategies, one on the Humans Rights and the other on Racism and Discrim ination, Xenophobia and I ntolerance. With a view to implementing these strategies, UNESCO launched in March 2004 the International Coalition of Cities against Racism and Discrim ination . It is an initiative to establish a network of cities interested in sharing knowledge and experiences to improve their policies to fight racism, discrimination and xenophobia. This working session will be an occasion to sensitize elected officials to the objectives of the two strategies mentioned above and to present this new initiative of Coalition of Cities against Racism and Discrimination. 1/3

4. Encourage the ratification of I nternational Conventions The main objective of this intervention will be to encourage the ratification of the w ide range of I nternational Conventions in its field of competence, notably the: � Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, with Regulations for its Execution (The Hague, 14 May 1954) and its Protocols, � Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (Paris, 14 November 1970) and the UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects (1995), � Convention on the World Heritage (1972), � Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (Paris, 2 November 2001), � Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (Paris, 17 October 2003), � Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (Paris, 20 October 2005), � International Convention against Doping in Sport (Paris, 19 October 2005) 5. Facilitate access to w ater The 2 nd United Nations W orld W ater Developm ent Report entitled ‘Water, a shared responsibility’ has been presented in Mexico City, in March 2006. This second edition of the World Water Development Report focuses on the importance of governance in managing the world's water resources and tackling poverty. Therefore, this session will be dedicated to a presentation on the tools and skills needed, a better understanding of those basic processes, a better management practices and policies, and the development of suitable legal instruments and policies that will help im prove the supply and quality of global freshw ater resources . 6. Encourage access to inform ation and know ledge Young people are major stakeholders and key partners in offering new ideas, adapting to change, and UNESCO has long recognized the importance of youth participation, both as concerns young people’s contributions to the strategies and orientations of the Organization and their active involvement in the development, implementation and evaluation of specific programmes and projects. The presentation gives an introduction to UNESCO’s strategy of action with and for youth. Secondly, it provides an overview on the means and modalities of youth participation and youth-led partnerships with UNESCO. A few examples of how UNESCO is working with and for young people in its fields of competence will illustrate these aspects further. Thirdly, it addresses some of the challenges related to the effective mainstreaming of youth at all levels, especially in the youth policy domain. Based on the principles of universal access to information and knowledge, promotion of cultural diversity and freedom of expression, UNESCO and ISESCO will seek to support actions designed to promote access to information and knowledge and therefore contribute to building of “Know ledge Societies” . This session will be devoted to promote the formulation of integrated information and communication strategies and policies that conform to the Principles and the Action Plan adopted at the W orld Sum m it on the I nform ation Society ( W SI S) . 2/3

7. UNESCO’s action w ith and for young people Young people are major stakeholders and key partners in offering new ideas, adapting to change, and UNESCO has long recognized the importance of youth participation, both as concerns young people’s contributions to the strategies and orientations of the Organization and their active involvement in the development, implementation and evaluation of specific programmes and projects. The presentation gives an introduction to UNESCO’s strategy of action with and for youth. Secondly, it provides an overview on the means and modalities of youth participation and youth-led partnerships with UNESCO. A few examples of how UNESCO is working with and for young people in its fields of competence will illustrate these aspects further. Thirdly, it addresses some of the challenges related to the effective mainstreaming of youth at all levels, especially in the youth policy domain. 3/3