danish national commission - unesco

Strategy for the

Danish National Commission for UNESCO

United NationsEducational, Scientific and

Cultural Organization

UNESCO-related work in Denmark 2014 – 2017

Strategy for the


Strategy for the UNESCO-related work in Denmark 2014 – 2017

Editor: Jens Dalsgaard, Secretary-General for the Danish UNESCO national commission.

Contributors: Lisbeth Søndergaard (graphic design), Ulrik Jantzen (photos), Colourbox (photos), Tove Lonning (translation).

Version: 1.0

ISBN: 978-87-603-3012-4ISBN: (WWW) 978-87-603-3011-7

URL: www.uvm.dk/unesco2014

Published by the Danish Ministry of Education, 2014

Printed by: Rosendahls Schultz Grafisk

Printed in Denmark 2014

Strategy for the UNESCO-related work in Denmark 2014 - 2017 · 5

ForewordSince its establishment on the ruins and the painful experience of WWII, UNESCO has been given the important mandate to contribute to lasting peace and development through strengthened internatio-nal cooperation in the areas of education, science, culture, and communication and information. Denmark’s participation in this work involves a great variety of authorities and actors in addition to the Danish National Commission for UNESCO.

Globally, UNESCO is an important partner that actively promotes shared priorities in relation to human rights, including education and gender equality, freedom of expression and free media, sustainable development and inclusion. It is not only in the world at large, but also in Denmark, that UNESCO is a source of inspiration and a lever for development – intellectually and in terms of values, but also, economically and with regard to employment, to a greater extent than we have been aware of up to now.

This very summer, Denmark succeeded in having two more natural landscapes, the Danish part of the Wadden Sea and the coastal cliff, Stevns Klint, added to UNESCO’s List of outstanding natural and cultural World Heritage sites, and several new applications have been submitted for assessment in 2015. Other municipalities are working on the development of exciting Geopark projects in close cooperation with UNESCO. Altogether, UNESCO is involved in local development projects in about 20 per cent of Danish municipalities in various ways.

From surveys conducted in our neighbouring countries, we know that recognition by UNESCO is of great importance, not just as a professional seal of approval, but also for local identity and prospects of increased tourism and employment.

World Heritage and Geoparks are just two examples of good and relevant UNESCO activities. Also in relation to dialogue and cooperation in the fields of education, research and communication, UNESCO is a source of inspiration with a view to globally responsible action based on solidarity in relation to key common challenges.

One of the goals of the present strategy for the UNESCO-related work in Denmark is to contribute to better use of the content perspectives and develop-ment potential of the cooperation with UNESCO.

By sharpening the focus of our UNESCO work and ensuring better linkage to national challenges and opportunities, the aim and objective is to promote the relevance and visibility of UNESCO input to policy and practice development in relation to the strategy’s four cross-sectoral priorities and ten action areas.

The UNESCO strategy is to be cross-sectoral regar-ding the proposed 10 action areas. The strategy is to cut across ministries, authorities, sectors and expertise in UNESCO and in the Danish National Commission for UNESCO, across institutional and professional silos, and across organisations and actors in civil society. With these words, I wish to invite all to participate in this work, and I look forward to seeing the results of the years ahead.

Christine Antorini, Minister for Education

6 · Strategy for the UNESCO-related work in Denmark 2014 - 2017

Introduction – Where do we come from?

Denmark is a constructive and committed actor in international and global cooperation for peace and for sustainable development. In the Nordic coun-tries, in the EU and not least in the UN.

The point of departure is fundamental values that we share: democracy and human rights, equal opportunity for all, enterprise, justice, solidarity and community. Denmark has been a member of UNESCO since the establishment of this UN organi-sation almost 70 years ago. The key mission: to foster conditions for peace and sustainable development through international cooperation in the areas of education, science, culture, and communication and information is as relevant and urgent today as ever before.

Politically, diplomatically and through specific development assistance, Denmark has translated words into action and supported the effort to reach the UN millennium development goals. These years, Denmark participates proactively and committedly in the process of drafting new global and universal post-2015 sustainable development goals.

Through specific standard-setting, monitoring and capacity-building activities in the areas of education, science, culture, communication and information, UNESCO contributes actively and directly to promoting global priorities in relation to human rights, shared by Denmark. This includes e.g. gender equality, freedom of expression and free media, sustainable development and inclusion.

As a member of the UNESCO Executive Board until 2013, Denmark worked actively to strengthen reform and results orientation by focusing and prioritising

the work of UNESCO more strongly. Also in the years ahead, Denmark will act as a constructive partner for reform of UNESCO and support the organisation’s effort and leading role in relation to ensuring relevance and quality in education and learning for all; strengthening the link between science, politics, innovation and sustainable development; conserving, transmitting and mobilising natural and cultural heritage for inclusion, gender equality and diversity as well as the global role of UNESCO for freedom of expression, free media and the safety of journalists.

As part of Denmark’s commitment to UNESCO’s key priorities, there are nationally an abundance of activities and actors in many different areas. In the years ahead, the aim is to derive even greater joy and results from this effort through stronger coherence in the UNESCO work and strengthened interaction with professional environments and with policy and practice development in Denmark.


Th e overall objective of Denmark’s new UNESCO strategy is, consequently, to contribute to:• strengthened coherence and synergy between

UNESCO activities in Denmark• strengthened visibility and involvement of

UNESCO perspectives in relevant professional and political environments in Denmark

• the prioritisation of a limited number of focal points for Denmark’s UNESCO-related work in the years ahead with a view to maximum mutual inspirational perspective of policy and systems development in Denmark

• continued active and constructive Danish action for reform and results orientation of UNESCO through the Permanent Delegation of Denmark to UNESCO in Paris, Danish membership of the Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee (IGBC), the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) and the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport (CIGEPS), Danish participation in UNESCO conferences and networks, active participation in Nordic UNESCO cooperation and further regional/international cooperation.

Focal points of Denmark’s UNESCO work In order to foster these goals, the UNESCO-related work undertaken by Denmark in the years ahead will focus in particular on the following four cross-sectoral thematic priorities that are considered to be of special relevance to the opportunities and challenges facing us:

• Learning for global citizenship and sustainable development

• Conserving and transmitting natural heritage and cultural heritage for sustainable develop-ment

• The mobilisation of science for innovation and sustainable development

• The strengthening of human rights, gender equality, freedom of expression and free media – nationally and globally.


Strategy for the UNESCO workLearning for global citizenship and sustainable development

Introduction to the global UNESCO contextAs a result of increasing globalisation and the importance of knowledge in continuously changing economies and societies, it has become an alto-gether special priority to ensure all citizens’ right to education and learning in a life-long learning perspective. Globally, UNESCO fosters a human rights-based and holistic vision of education and life-long learning for all and underlines the impor-tance of formal as well as non-formal and informal learning arenas. Investing in education and learning is a key precondition for reaching development goals such as e.g. the fi ght against poverty, the impor-tance of health, gender equality, human rights and sustainable development. Specifi cally, UNESCO contributes knowledge and capacity building in support of Member States’ reforms and investment in ensuring education for all.

In 2014, we in Denmark celebrate the bicentenary of the introduction of compulsory education. Since then, we have developed a good and well-functioning framework for education and life-long learning. All children and young people receive education. However, we still face challenges in terms of ensuring good learning results and up-to-date competencies for all. Th e Government’s broad agreement on reforms of primary and lower secondary school (the Folkeskole) and vocational education and training programmes are the most recent measures to address these challenges and foster education and learning for all.

Increasing need for competencies and education with a global perspectiveMore Danes are quite simply in need of global competencies. It is therefore of crucial importance that the content and perspective of education pro-grammes ensure a coherent vision for strengthening global education and competencies in education and learning.

Danish education programmes hold many good in-ternational elements. However, exactly with regard to the global aspect, UNESCO is a special source of inspiration to draw from. Th e organisation’s strategy for the next eight years includes a cross-sectoral goal of strengthening learning for creative and respon-sible global citizenship, and for the last ten years UNESCO has been the lead organisation of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014). Most recently, in May 2014 UNESCO published “Global Citizenship Education. Preparing learners for the challenges of the 21st century.”

On the basis of knowledge and insight in the cor-relation between local and global challenges and in-creasing interrelation and interdependence globally, UNESCO’s goal is to be a source of inspiration for the development of:• learning content and environments fostering

critical thinking, innovation, creativity and new solution models

• an understanding of the importance of solidarity and ethical considerations as well as a spirit of community across diff erences in language, gender, culture and life circumstances

• the capacity for democratic participation and active citizenship – locally and globally.

Learning for global citizenship and sustainable development is, consequently, not a matter of specifi c learning elements. It is rather a matter of developing a relevant global outlook and action perspectives on all subject fi elds. It is also a matter of education and the framework for learning with an emphasis on openness towards the surrounding society and its challenges and towards active participation in this. Th is is completely in line with the best Danish and Nordic learning traditions as they are refl ected e.g. in the New Nordic School and also in the thinking behind the new school reform. But learning for global citizenship and sustainable development is not just relevant to primary and


lower secondary school and the formal educational system. It is also of relevance to learning in non-formal and informal education and cultural contexts throughout life.

National challenges and opportunities for the UNESCO work A crucial challenge in connection with this focus is to contribute to fostering a professional and edu-cational practice which to relevant extent reflects the conditions and challenges of globalisation and ensures the opportunity of global education and competence development as an integral dimension of the learning provided for all children, young people and adults.

In basic school and the youth education program-mes, there are good opportunities of interacting with the new corps of global education advisers that have been established for the purpose of inspiring and upgrading the work of municipalities and schools regarding global outlook and citizenship. Youth and higher education programmes and non-formal adult education have numerous good initiatives and organisations to collaborate with, for example the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASP net), relevant student organisations, the National Union of Danish Students, Operation Day’s Work (Operation Dagsværk), the Danish Council for Adult Education and many others.

National focal areas• Denmark participates actively in the further

development of concepts and good practice regarding Global Citizenship Education, among other things by developing models for ICT-based cooperation and interactive learning- targeted communication in line with social media

• Education for Sustainable Development is an integral element of Global Citizenship Education and UNESCO’s new global action programme focuses e.g. on the Whole School Approach, i.e. school democracy and sustaina-bility in practice, which also sets the stage for strong involvement of parents and the local community. Denmark has a good starting point for contributing to the development of this concept and practice

• UNESCO has a strong tradition of a holistic, inclusive and strategic approach to education and learning, including adult learning and life-long learning. Denmark has many strong parallel learning systems throughout life. However, Denmark could strengthen a more integrating, appreciative and strategic overall perspective regarding the various learning arenas and their societal significance. In this respect we can learn something from UNESCO.


Conserving and transmitting natural heritage and cultural heritage for sustainable development

Introduction to the global UNESCO contextGlobally, UNESCO’s action for conserving and transmitting natural heritage and cultural heritage is well profi led and implemented across the areas of the organisation’s mandate. In addition to the World Heritage Convention and the famous List of cultural and natural sites of outstanding universal value, this work is conducted in all UNESCO’s cultural conven-tions as well as in a multitude of other programmes and networks such as Biosphere Reserves and Geoparks. Th e fundamental perspective of the work is the signifi cance of natural and cultural heritage to identity and community and as a point of departure for dialogue across borders and diff erences. Insight and raised consciousness of own natural and cultural heritage linked to peoples and nations, and exchange and inspiration across ethnic groups and the borders of nation states will unlock creativity and enterprise to the benefi t of sustainable development and the fi ght against poverty – locally and globally.

UNESCO supports this development in the Member States by setting standards for the protection, conser-vation, transmission and development of natural and cultural heritage. In connection with the preparation of global post-2015 sustainable development goals, UNESCO has, furthermore, set the agenda for incorporating culture and creativity in the future global agenda. Together with the UNDP, UNESCO has most recently submitted a signifi cant contribution for documentation and inspiration of this debate with the publication: “Creative Economy Report 2013. Widening local development pathways.”

Denmark has ratifi ed fi ve out of UNESCO’s six cultural conventions. As a State Party to the cultural conventions, Denmark participates in the current work on the implementation of these. Denmark has not yet acceded to the 2001 Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage. In

connection with the 1972 World Heritage Convention, Denmark has at the moment six sites that are recognised as World Heritage. Th ey are the Jelling Monuments, Roskilde Cathedral, Kronborg Castle, Stevns Klint, the Danish part of the Wadden Sea and Ilulissat Icefj ord. Another three sites have been nomi-nated for evaluation in 2015. Two regions in Denmark are preparing for admission to the Global Geoparks Network, which cooperates closely with UNESCO. In the course of a few years, they are expected to be able to use the designation UNESCO Geoparks. Th ey are Geopark Odsherred in the Municipality of Odsherred and Geopark Vestjylland (Geopark West Jutland) in the Municipalities of Holstebro, Lemvig and Struer.

In line with UNESCO’s work for a human rights-based approach to culture and development, the Danish Government in June 2013 published an overall strategy for this area under the heading “Th e Right to Art and Culture. Strategic Framework for Culture and Development.”

Similarly in 2013, the International Culture Panel of the Ministry of Culture published an action plan for international exchange of culture with a focus on the themes: sustainability, children and young people as well as dialogue, democracy and participation. In the future work in Denmark, it should be endeavoured to achieve maximum synergy between UNESCO activi-ties and the above-mentioned political initiatives.

National challenges and opportunities for the UNESCO workMany Danish actors are involved in the work on natural heritage, cultural heritage and development. In this connection, it is a challenge to foster synergy across the various activities and to optimise the development potential in UNESCO branding of natural heritage and cultural heritage in Denmark.


Maintaining global perspectives and network oppor-tunities in this connection is also of key importance from a UNESCO point of view.

In addition to the Nature Agency and the Danish Agency for Culture, there are many opportunities of entering into cooperation and partnerships. From 1 September 2014 Aarhus University, for example, offers a new master’s degree programme in English called “Sustainable Heritage Management”. The programme is to meet the complex challenges linked to the future management of cultural heritage, locally as well as globally. In the field of culture and development, the Danish Centre for Culture and Development (CKU) is a key actor. With regard to knowledge transmission, the Danish UNESCO ASP net has worked on World Heritage education and cooperation with schools in the Middle East for ten years. Also institutions and local societies related to Danish World Heritage sites and future Geoparks will be natural partners. And, naturally, the National Museum of Denmark, specialised museums and local museums to a relevant extent.

National focal areas• A strengthening of the development potential

in UNESCO branding of institutions, natural heritage and cultural heritage in Denmark, including World Heritage sites and Geoparks

• The development of sustainable tourism in relation to World Heritage sites and Geoparks

• Ongoing adjustment of the work on the conventions in light of developments natio-nally and in the Nordic countries, within the EU and globally.


Introduction to the global UNESCO contextIncreasing population growth, huge inequalities and poverty-related problems, development pressure on limited resources and enormous env-ironmental problems. Th ese are all factors leading to high expectations of science to develop and utilise new knowledge. Knowledge that will make a diff erence to people’s lives and everyday activities and foster ethically responsible and sustainable development. Top agenda items include the need for promoting the green transition and ensuring employment and decent jobs for increasingly large generations of young people in the south - and in the north. Th is must be achieved at the same time as the adaptation to climate change and energy issues, extreme weather phenomena and natural catastrophes, and the fi ght against new and old diseases call for responses and action possibilities from science and research.

Globally, UNESCO works in a spirit of solidarity for open sharing of access to scientifi c progress and results, and UNESCO supports specifi cally Member States’ development of framework conditions for research and higher education. Th is includes securing data as a basis for the development of evidence-informed policies in the area of science – and, in general, fostering stronger linkage between science, policy development and the common good.

In light of the complexity and gravity of global challenges, UNESCO points at the necessity of cross-sectoral and inter-disciplinary approaches to research and development. Th is is refl ected e.g.in the most recent World Social Science Report 2013, which argues “that social science needs to be at the heart of understanding and responding to global challenges such as climate change, pollution,resource limits and planetary boundaries to econo-mic growth”.

Th roughout the world, people living in coastal communities are closely connected with and dependent on the sea. With the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), UNESCO is a leading actor in supporting international scientifi c cooperation on the exploration and documentation of the dynamics and challenges of the seas in connection with natural catastrophes, pollution and climate change. Huge opportunities are linked to the economics of the oceans, but this depends on responsible, coordinated and sustainable management. Th e cooperation taking place within the IOC framework focuses exactly on fostering data exchange and collection, knowledge development and knowledge sharing. Denmark participates and contributes actively to the cooperation in UNESCO/IOC.

In order to foster continued and intensifi ed develop-ment of the contribution of the sciences to innova-tion and sustainable development, much attention is required to the quality and relevance of science teaching and education throughout the educational system, and to the stimulation, motivation and re-cruitment of all with the right talent and potential for contributing to science—irrespective of gender and background.

Denmark has been involved in UNESCO’s work on science and ethics for a great many years, e.g. through Danish membership of the Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee (IGBC). A fi ne tradition has also developed in cooperation with L’Oréal Denmark for profi ling women in science through the award of the L’Oréal Denmark for Women in Science National Fellowship, and for highlighting the fi nest contributions to science and society through the award of the UNESCO Niels Bohr Gold Medal. Over the next four years, Denmark will be a member of

Th e mobilisation of science for innovation and sustainable development


the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport (CIGEPS) and Denmark’s first UNESCO Category 2 Institute was opened in Aalborg in spring 2014 - The Aalborg Institute for Problem-Based Learning in Engineering and Sustainability. Both of these will open up new opportunities that should be integrated in the further work.

National challenges and opportunities for the UNESCO workIn the area of science, the national focus is placed on two key challenges. One of these is to contribute to the quality and relevance of science teaching and to foster an interest in and boost the number of applications for technical and science studies with a special focus on the motivation for and contribution to science among girls/women. The other is to contribute to the development of the IOC’s work in relation to the Arctic. In terms of opportunities, both the well-established cooperation with L’Oréal Denmark and the opening of the new UNESCO centre at Aalborg University present interesting per-spectives in this context.

This national focus can contribute to the target of increased prioritisation of good teaching and communication of research results at higher educa-tion institutions. In this connection, it is especially important to communicate the link between science and the humanities as crucial to the sustainable development of society.

National focal areas• The UNESCO work contributes to the

profiling of the role of sciences for sustainable development, globally and nationally, including the interaction between science and the humanities

• Contribute to placing focus on high quality in science education throughout the educational system and the provision of good role models, e.g. through focused work regarding the L’Oréal and Niels Bohr awards

• In connection with the work in relation to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, focus will be placed on ocean conditions and climate change e.g. with a view to new development conditions for the Arctic region

• Denmark is a member of CIGEPS for the period 2013-2017. As responsible for the remit of physical education and sport, the Ministry of Culture performs this task.


Introduction to the global UNESCO contextTh e mandate to foster freedom of expression, free and pluralistic media, the safety of journalists, and free and equal access to knowledge and information is an important dimension of UNESCO’s work for lasting peace, democracy, universal human rights and the development of inclusive and sustainable knowledge societies. In the current discussions of post-2015 sustainable development goals, the UN High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons has also underlined the importance of both freedom of expression and unimpeded access to information for positive social and economic development.

UNESCO promotes the Member States’ own eff orts by developing norms and standards and by specifi cally supporting reforms in relation to media legislation, journalists’ training and professional ethics, women’s access to the media and the safety of jour-nalists. Th is is achieved e.g. through the respected International Programme for the Development of Communication where Denmark over the years has played an active role. UNESCO is, furthermore, a leading actor in the UN regarding the work on the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. Most recently in spring 2014, UNESCO documented its leading and monitoring role in the area with the publication of the report: “World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development”.

With respect to free and equal access to knowledge and information, UNESCO plays a key strategic role for promoting Open Access to scientifi c results and in the follow-up on the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). In light of the most recent attention to surveillance via the Internet and

telecommunication, the work in also UNESCO has been intensifi ed in relation to ensuring freedom of expression on the Internet as well as the right to protect private information. Th ese are complex and somewhat controversial issues, but Denmark will seek to contribute to a satisfactory consensus on ways forward.In autumn 2013, Denmark was once again elected a member of the Intergovernmental Council of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC). Th is will be a crucial platform for infl uence and inspiration in the years ahead.

National challenges and opportunities for the UNESCO workIn light of the global political and technological development in relation to freedom of expression and media – printed as well as online – it is important to ensure that Denmark continues to work solidly and constructive in UNESCO for the prioritisation of this eff ort. Also nationally, there is a need for ongoing advocacy for the importance of freedom of expres-sion, gender equality, free media and the safety of journalists for transparency, democracy, universal human rights and sustainable development.

It would be advantageous for the work on this focus to interact with the Danish Business Authority’s forthcoming strategy for Internet governance and with Denmark’s new national strategy for Open Access, as well as with the steering group in charge of this under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science.

Th e strengthening of human rights, gender equality, freedom of expression and free media


National focal areas• An active effort in UNESCO is of key

importance to maintaining and developing support for and giving priority to UNESCO’s standard-setting, monitoring and capacity-building work in the area, among other things through a qualified effort as a member of the Intergovernmental Council of IPDC

• Ongoing advocacy for the importance of freedom of expression, gender equality, artistic freedom, free media and the safety of journa-lists for transparency, democracy, universal human rights and sustainable development - globally and nationally

• Digital inclusion, media and information literacy, and the importance of non-formal and informal learning services in this context

• The mapping of challenges in connection with digital footprints and control over data in Denmark.


Educational, Scientific and

Four transversal priorities – Ten action areas

1) Learning for Global Citizenship;

2) Education for Sustainable Development;

3) Learning Cities as a lever for holistic and cross-sectoral learning strategies;

4) Unfolding and optimizing the potential of UNESCO branding of heritage and geoparks for sustainable development;

5) Strengthening the inspiration from and sy-nergy between UNESCO’s cultural conventions;

6) UNESCO science prizes and quality of science education;

7) Th e Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and the candidacy of Denmark to its Executive Council;

8) Freedom of expression, free media and safety of journalists;

9) Th e International Programme for the Develop-ment of Communication and the eff orts of Denmark as member of its Council and Bureau;

10) Access to information, digital participation and privacy.

Th e four transversal and cross-sectoral priorities of this strategy is accompanied by the following ten action areas to be pursued in the coming years through outreach to relevant authorities, institutions, civil society and NGO’s:


United Nations

Educational, Scientific and

Cultural Organization

Danish Ministry of Education

Strategy for the


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