issue 30: from 12 to 16 june 2017 message of the director · coordinator mr. siddhartha chatterjee,...
TRANSCRIPT
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Issue 30: From 12 to 16 June 2017
Message of the Director
This week the Sub-regional workshop
on mobilizing higher education and
distance learning assets, capabilities and
networks to help accelerate progress
towards Sustainable Development Goal
4: Quality Education and the Agenda
2063 literacy targets, took place in
Nairobi, from 13 to 15 June 2017. The
workshop, organized in collaboration
with the UNESCO institute of lifelong
learning (UIL), University of Nairobi
and the UNESCO Regional Office in
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Abuja, aimed at strengthening cooperation between ministries of education
and higher education and distance learning institutions, with a view to
addressing adult literacy challenges. These challenges can be addressed
through capacity building to put new innovative teaching methods in place.
Nigeria also shared good practices on Open Distance Learning in higher
education. By sharing best practices and by identifying key issues and good
experiences, we could underpin national efforts towards achieving the SDG 4
and Agenda 2063 literacy targets.
Last week, was also an opportunity to attend a very successful high level
Technical meeting on Higher Education in Gaborone, Botswana from 5 to 9
June 2017. The objectives of the meeting were to raise awareness on the
ratification of the Addis Convention and enquire how far the countries of
Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) in the process so as to
submit recommendations to the Ministerial Meeting of the SADC countries.
Another objective was the discussion on the recommendation to Ministers on
increasing investments on expanding access and equity to quality STEM
education across all levels of education with specific focus on girls and
women. My participation was crucial as about four of the countries covered
by the office: Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Tanzania are members
of SADC. Mr. Hubert, Director of UNESCO's Regional Office for Southern
Africa in Harare, Zimbabwe, Mr. Ilboudo, UNESCO Head of Office of the
Windhoek Office and UNESCO Representative to Namibia and myself paid a
courtesy visit on the Executive Secretary of SADC and discussed
finalization of the UNESCO/SADC partnership agreement.
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In Madagascar, the Education Sector Plan was signed on 15 June 2017 in
Antananarivo, following a collaborative process among national stakeholders
and education partners, to develop this 2018 to 2022 plan. The sector plan
foresees broad, quality and equitable basic education for all as well as lifelong
learning and training. Such education opportunities will produce capacity and
human capital for sustainable economic, social and environmental
development. This is only possible if citizens are trained to live together and
in harmony in a better environment, with transformed knowledge and skills,
drivers of change and innovation.
The end of this trimester would determine the extent to which the office has
been successful in completing the expected tasks accomplished in SISTER.
The Regional Office and the National Offices and Antennas would conduct a
review of performance in July. The execution rates are quite satisfactory.
Colleagues are appreciated for the quality of work undertaken.
I will be travelling next week to Uganda, at the occasion of the Secretary-
General of the United Nations, Mr Guterres’s visit to the country. Uganda is
now host to over 1.2 million refugees and playing a leading role in providing
extraordinary support to refugees. As a result, a Refugees Solidarity
Conference is taking place in Kampala Uganda from 22 to 23 June 2017 in
which 30 heads of State and stakeholders will attend.
I wish you a good week ahead!
Ann Therese Ndong Jatta
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Announcements
UNESCO International Symposium and Policy Forum Cracking the
Code: Girls Education in STEM
28 to 30 August 2017
Bangkok, Thailand
The purpose of the International
Symposium and Policy Forum is to make
the case for strengthening
girls’education in STEM subjects
(science, technology, engineering and
mathematics), and ultimately female
representation in STEM careers and
decision-making. The event will provide
a platform to present latest findings from
research and practice and facilitate
policy dialogue, experience sharing and
collaboration among participants. Thanks
to the Symposium, there will be
increased knowledge on the status of girls' education in STEM worldwide,
enhanced awareness of policies and practices that are effective in supporting
girls and women's education in STEM and a strengthened platform for global,
regional and country networks, partnerships and cooperation on STEM
education for girls and women.
UNESCO Hiring of retired staff members on temporary assistance
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contracts
An Administrative Circular on the hiring of retired staff members on
temporary assistance contracts has just been published. The purpose of the
Circular is to reinforce the principle that the hiring of retired staff members
must be an exception. For more details, please consult AC/HR/57.
Functional Representation and liaison function of field offices in relation
to regional organizations in Africa
The UNESCO Director-General decided to assign the functional
representation and liaison functions of field offices to regional economic
communities as well as other regional communities in Africa. Field offices in
charge of the liaison with the regional organizations will work in close
collaboration with the other field offices in their region and, whenever
necessary, with Programme Sectors and Central Services concerned, and in
particular the Bureau of Strategic Planning for issues related to partnerships
and resource mobilization. The Africa Department will coordinate the work
of the offices as regards their liaison functions and will report to the Director-
General on issues of political relevance. Please read the functional
representation and liaison function of field offices in relation to regional
organizations in Africa, Ivory Note, here
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Events of the Week
Under the framework of the UNESCO-KFIT Project in Rwanda, the
African Virtual University (AVU) will carry out an infrastructure needs
assessment for Open and Distance Learning in the 16 Teacher Training
Colleagues of the University of Rwanda
19 to 23 June 2017
Kigali, Rwanda
XPRIZE Project, Community Sensitization
19 to 23 June 2017
Tanga, Tanzania
Resource assessment activity for Girls' empowerment project (Korea
International Cooperation Agency )
20 to 22 June 2017
Micheweni and Mkoani, Tanzania
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
17 June 2017
World Refugee Day
20 June 2017
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Missions
Ann Therese Ndong Jatta
19 to 24 June 2017
Solidarity Summit
Kampala, Uganda
Mr. Davide Storti
Programme Specialist, Knowledge and Societies Division UNESCO HQ
Communication and Information Sector
16 to 19 June 2017
Flic-en-Flac, Mauritius
Launch of the Africa Code Week 2017
Mika Odido
19 to 29 June 2017
29th Session of the IOC Assembly, 50th Session of the IOC Executive
Council
Lamin Abdul Rahman
20 to 24 June 2017
Harare, Zimbabwe
National Consultations on Development of Youth Policy in Zimbabwe
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Web News of the Week
UNESCO and VIKES enhancing better
news inserts for Public Service
Broadcasting in Somalia
UNESCO Publishes its Freedom of
Expression Toolkit: A Guide for Students in
Kinyarwanda Adapted to the
National Context
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Mobilising higher education to fast-
track literacy and lifelong learning
in sub-Saharan Africa
Meetings
UNESCO Rwanda monitors the progress of the SIDA Empowering Local
Radio through ICTs
12 June 2017
Mr. Peter
Wallet, at UNESCO
Rwanda, visited Radio
Ishingiro in Gicumbi,
Rwanda to monitor the
progress of the SIDA
Empowering Local Radio
Through ICTs. In particular,
the visit was key to assess
ongoing capacity needs, review past achievements, interview the Radio
Manager, journalists, correspondents and other stakeholders on past training
initiatives supported by UNESCO.
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Mobilizing Higher Education and Distance Learning assets, capabilities
and networks to help accelerate progress towards Sustainable
Development Goal 4 and the Agenda 2063 targets in Sub-Saharan Africa
From 13 to 15 June 2017
Nairobi, Kenya
UNESCO Regional Offices in Nairobi and Abuja, and UNESCO Institute for
Lifelong Learning (UIL) hosted the Sub-regional workshop on mobilizing
higher education and distance learning assets, capabilities and networks
moving towards SDG4 and the Agenda 2063 literacy targets in sub-Saharan
Africa 13-15 June 2017. The main purpose of the workshop was to strengthen
cooperation between ministries of education and higher education and
distance learning institutions, with a view to addressing adult literacy
challenges. The workshop brought together a wide range of participants,
representing ministries of education, departments of youth and adult literacy,
commissions for higher/university education, the International Association of
Universities, the African Association of Universities, selected universities,
UNESCO Chairs, and distance learning centers.
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UNESCO and the University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands
meet to discuss combining UNESCO's ICT-Competency Framework for
teachers (CFT) training course for teachers
14 June 2017,
Nairobi, Kenya
UNESCO and the University
of Applied Science in the
Netherlands (HU) met on 14
June 2017 to discuss
combining UNESCO's
Kenyan ICT Competency
Framework for Teachers
training course for teachers
with the University of
Applied Science in the Netherlands (HU) teacher training activity in the
Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya. UNESCO will visit the Kakuma Refugee
Camp with HU to understand the needs of the teachers.
From the Office
15 June 2017
Axel Plathe - from the Division of Field Support and Coordination (FSC) –
UNESCO Paris, is on an official mission to Nairobi from 13-15 June 2017.
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On 15 June he gave a presentation to the UNESCO team in Nairobi on field
coordination and support, presenting statistics, budget, responsibilities and
accountabilities for the field Network in Africa, issues encountered after the
Africa Field Reform and improvement plan for the Field Network. The
Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa was present and
highlighted the importance of working as a team, in the field and in close
collaboration with HQ to implement and deliver projects together.
Mr. Axel Plathe also had the
opportunity to meet, during his
visit, with the UNON Director-
General, Ms. Sahle Work-Zewde,
the UN Kenya Resident
Coordinator Mr. Siddhartha
Chatterjee, and the UNESCO Kenya
National Commission Secretary- General,
Ms. Eva Njoka.
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Public Holidays
Eid al-Fitr
26 June 2017
UN Public Holiday in UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa
End of Ramadan
Birthdays
Ann Therese Ndong Jatta
22 June 2017
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