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The 2021 Special Dialogue of International Youth Forum successfully held on 17 December 2021

The UNESCO Beijing Office collaborated with the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO the Changsha Municipal Government and the Nanjing Municipal Government to organize the 2021 International Youth Forum on Creativity and Heritage along the Silk Roads Special Dialogue on Youth Leadership in Creativity Heritage and Resilience hereinafter the 2021 IYFSD online in Beijing Changsha and Nanjing simultaneously on 17 December 2021 More than 80 youth from 46 countries participated in the Special Dialogue to share and exchange their thoughts stories and actions on the topics The 2021 IYFSD consisted of a plenary session and two parallel sessions that respectively focused on Youth leadership in innovation and creativity for resilient World Heritage conservation and Youth leadership in innovation and creativity for resilient and inclusive cities At the beginning of the plenary session Ms Gabriela Ramos Assistant DirectorGeneral for the Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO encouraged youth actions and underlined the importance of youth power in her opening remarks We need youth for more critical thinking we need youth for more ambition we need youth to really consider all the elements that you have learned to build a much better resilient and inclusive world This is really important as we move into the last decade for action You are really key players

December 23, 2021

2021 East and Southeast Asia UNEVOC Network Consolidation Workshop in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

Promoting policy dialogue and sharing best practices in TVET and Skills Development in Member States is a key aspect of the UNESCOs global TVET strategy On September 9 2021 Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training KRIVET hosted the first workshop on TVET development KRIVET collaborated with the UNESCO International Centre for TVET UNEVOC in Bonn Germany to host the regional knowledge sharing consultation UNESCO Beijing was invited to participate at the consultation The second workshop was organized on October 14 with its focus on the transformation of TVET and case studies The aim of the two workshops was to further enhance the strategic cooperation with the TVET Institutions that are Members of the UNEVOC network in the East and SouthEast Asia region The two separate webinars focused the discussions around TVET policies quality and relevance of TVET green skills demand Greening TVET alignment with SDGs TVET standards quality of TVET Teachers Financing of TVET reform of TVET to align with needs of labour market ICT mainstreaming in TVET good practices and TVET leadership The participants at these two workshops presented status of TVET in their countries and discussed new thematic areas such as adjusting to the new normal of TVET institutions and adapting to the impact of COVID19 and discussed alternative strategies such as online learning and distance learning iInnovation access equity inclusion issues in TVET and improving the image of TVET and aligned with the SDG4 SDG8 SDG 9 targets related to TVET and Education 2030 Agenda

December 17, 2021

UNESCO Capacity Building of the Higher Education Sector in Mongolia -A Korea Funds in Trust (KFIT) project

UNESCOs support to the higher education sector in the Asia and the Pacific region is focused in 5 strategic areas i Policy dialogue and advocacy ii capacity development and strengthening quality assurance systems in higher education iii supporting implementation of qualifications frameworks iv ensuring fair recognition of qualifications v Knowledge sharing through knowledge networks On 11 October 2021 UNESCO Beijing will provide the funding for the equipment provision for the higher education project in Mongolia to compliment the ongoing Regional Korea FundsinTrust KFIT higher education project in Mongolia in terms of the policy dialogue capacity development and equipment components of the project The project is aligned with the Mongolian Governments education vision 2050 and Education Sector Medium Term Development Plan 20212030 Under education sector policy review conducted by UNESCO in 2019 the higher education sector reform is fundamental to producing the quality graduates for the needs of the labour market In addition to equipment provision UNESCO will also provide additional policy advice and technical support assistance to the Ministry of Education and Science and National Accreditation Council to reform the higher education system in Mongolia in accordance with policy coherence across qualification frameworks quality assurance and recognition of qualifications by implementing regional quality tools The project will be sustained for the next two years of implementation The Mongolia higher education project is implemented within the framework of the regional project implemented by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Bangkok to strengthen the AsiaPacific Network of National Information Centres APNNIC and assist Member States to develop or improve their National Information Centers NICs to promote transparent and fair information sharing in higher education among State Parties to the Tokyo Convention and relevant stakeholders It also shall contribute towards monitoring evaluation and the implementation of regional quality tools and the role of NICs in the AsiaPacific region in line with the Tokyo Convention and the 2019 UNESCO Global Convention on recognition of qualifications in higher education Mongolia is expected to ratify the 2019 Global Convention on Recognition of Qualifications in higher education very soon

December 17, 2021

Third National Stakeholder Forum on Media and Information Literacy held in Mongolia

The Third National Stakeholder Forum on Media and Information Literacy MIL was held on 25 November 2021 in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia under the theme Digital Literacy and Inclusion as a Booster for Infodemic Immunity The forum was jointly organized by the Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO and the Press Institute of Mongolia as part of Mongolias national celebration for UNESCO Global MIL Week 2021 Mr Tapan Mishra UN Resident Coordinator in Mongolia Prof Shahbaz Khan Director and Representative of UNESCO Beijing Cluster Office Mr Sambuu Boldsaikhan SecretaryGeneral of the Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO and Ms Munkhmandakh Executive Director of the Press Institute of Mongolia delivered opening remarks More than 60 stakeholders including representatives from the Mongolian Government nongovernmental organizations and civil society organizations attended the event and discussed how media and information literacy can contribute to addressing disinformation and hate speeches especially in and after a state of emergency and bridging the digital divide for inclusiveness especially for women youth the elderly and persons with disabilities Mongolia has identified digital literacy and inclusion of left behind groups as national priorities as outlined in its Digital Nation Strategy With support from the Swedish International Development Agency SIDA UNESCO has been supporting Mongolia in this endeavour by equipping policy makers media regulatory and selfregulatory professionals with advanced knowledge of MIL policy and best practices and improving capacities to respectively adapt and apply MIL curricula and policy in Mongolia Prof Khan in his opening remarks pointed out that the COVID19 pandemic is the first pandemic in history in which technology and social media are being used on a massive scale and on various levels to keep people safe and informed but at the same time the technology we rely on is enabling and amplifying an infodemic that continues to undermine effective responses and jeopardizes informed decisionmaking Therefore the importance of media and information literacy particularly digital literacy for all is more critical than ever Sustained and coordinated efforts are needed among all stakeholders He stressed The second edition of the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Curriculum Think critically Click Wisely Media and Information Literate Citizens which is an updated version of the first edition released in 2011 were officially introduced at the forum followed by a discussion on terms and definitions for localization to create a shared understanding and buyins at all levels The discussions during the forum were centered around four major aspects including access to education during COVID19 and capacity building for the education sector in the state of emergency opportunities and challenges in transitioning to the Digital Nation and addressing the digital divide building MIL knowledge and skills to prevent and protect against disinformation and hate speeches and responsibility of media in social development and importance of ethical and professional conduct for the media sector Discussion results have been generated into recommendations including developing a comprehensive national policy and strategy for MIL education promoting the new UNESCO MIL Curriculum and organizing training for teachers improving knowledge and understanding of MIL among journalists and media workers among others The recommendations will be delivered to the Mongolian Government for further consideration towards a national MIL policy Under the theme Media and Information Literacy for the Public Good the UNESCO Global MIL Week 2021 highlights the needs and importance for each individual to be equipped with MIL competencies to understand contribute to and benefit from information and communication opportunities and at the same time advance the public good Through capacitybuilding resources such as curricula development policy guidelines and articulation and assessment framework UNESCO supports the development of MIL competencies among all people Free and open online courses are available for selfpaced learning about MIL Through media and information technologies UNESCO facilitates networking and research through the Global Alliance for Partnerships on MIL GAPMIL and MIL University Network For more resources on media and information literacy please visit httpsenunescoorgthemesmediaandinformationliteracy

December 15, 2021

Make Persons with Disabilities Visible, Promote the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The United Nations stands for the rights of every member of our human family Today and every day we will continue to work for justice equality dignity and human rights for all António Guterres United Nations SecretaryGeneral

December 10, 2021

UNESCO Launches updated Handbook on Media Reporting for Promoting Disability Equality in China

On the occasion of the 2021 International Day of Persons with Disabilities UNESCO officially launches the latest version of the Handbook on Media Reporting for Promoting Disability Equality in China

December 3, 2021

UNESCO calls for photos demonstrating leadership and participation of persons with disabilities

How often do you see persons with disabilities featured in visual content from the social media What do they usually look like Photographs can be one of the most effective and powerful ways to communicate Good photographs have the power to shape ideas alter perceptions evoke empathy and build community As persons with disabilities are discriminated against in many spheres of society they are often represented in pitiful and extremely undignified ways thus reinforcing stereotypes and increasing societal barriers Positive images have the potential to change societal perceptions of disability and support people with disabilities to achieve full and equal participation in society In celebrating this years International Day of Persons with Disabilities UNESCO and the UN Theme Group on Disability in China are calling for photos which celebrate the leadership and participation of persons with disabilities Selected photos will be compiled into a DisabilityInclusive Photo Collection Launched in 1992 the annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities IDPD on 3 December aims to promote the rights and wellbeing of persons with disabilities and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political social economic and cultural life The theme of IDPD 2021 is Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive accessible and sustainable postCOVID19 world An integrated approach is required to ensure that persons with disabilities can lead and participate in all spheres of society and development Disability inclusion is an essential condition to upholding human rights sustainable development and peace and security It is also central to the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to leave no one behind The commitment to realizing the rights of persons with disabilities is not only a matter of justice it is an investment in a common future The global crisis of COVID19 is deepening preexisting inequalities exposing the extent of exclusion and highlighting that work on disability inclusion is imperative People with disabilitiesone billion people are one of the most excluded groups in our society and are among the hardest hit in this crisis in terms of fatalities Who can participate Everyone Participants do not need to be professional photographers When 310 December 2021 How to participate Post one or multiple photos on Sina Weibo that authentically depicts individuals with disabilities in various spheres of society showcasing their leadership and participation with the hashtag 看见残障人 Make Persons with Disability Visible and 2021国际残障人日 2021International Day of Persons with Disabilities Each post should include a caption that describe the featured individualsorganization location date and the message it conveys Photo credit should be duly indicated when necessary We are looking for photos that Tell an enabling and positive story focusing on abilities of persons with disability and portraying their inclusion in society Convey persons with disabilities as active actors focusing on the individuals and not on their particular functional or physical limitations Include positive images and representations that show persons with and without disabilities interacting on equal terms Portray people with disabilities as integral members of the community and not as set apart and segregated by their apparent difference Include persons with disabilities as those providing services not just as receivers or users of services Avoid gender stereotypes and reflect diversity in the images such as sexgender identity type of disability age group ethnicity ruralurban location occupation Important To participate in the contest the photographer must own the rights of the content shehe is posting and have the permission of the person featured in the photo for posting By participating in the contest the photographer holds the copyright to the photos posted but UNESCO retains the right to use the photos for public information purposes such as in a DisabilityInclusive Photo Collection UNESCO will only use photos for noncommercial purposes which include education and advocacy materials website brochures reports flyers at no cost Photo credits and copyrights will be duly indicated while using the photos

December 3, 2021

Peng Liyuan remarks in an exclusive interview with the UNESCO Courier: “Together, we will make tomorrow’s world a better place through education”

Peng Liyuan and Audrey Azoulay at a special session on Girls and Womens Education in Paris 2019 Notwithstanding the progress made in recent years the Covid19 pandemic has further widened gender inequalities International efforts investment and innovation must be strengthened to better protect girls and womens rights to equal access to education advocates Peng Liyuan the wife of the President of the Peoples Republic of China and UNESCO Special Envoy for the Advancement of Girls and Womens Education 1 The education of girls and women is an important component of the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs In your view what role does womens education play in poverty reduction economic growth and sustainable development Could you give us some specific examples of this and share some good practices The eradication of poverty and the realization of gender equality are ideals shared by all mankind and an aspiration shared by women all over the world The access to equitable and quality education ensures that women are able to draw the power of selfreliance from knowledge and skills This will help them to lift themselves out of poverty and to embrace a happy life In addition they would be in a position to utilize this power to make contributions to society and to pass it on to empower future generations thus stopping the intergenerational transmission of poverty I have visited many countries and talked to people from all walks of life I have observed many women lift themselves out of poverty and change their fate through education I would like to share with you some of Chinas experiences and practices in this regard Through continuous endeavour China has achieved the goal of eliminating absolute poverty We have always stressed that for poverty alleviation we must first provide knowledge and skills The development of education is a very important measure to achieve this China considers the education of girls and women from poor families a top priority and seeks to safeguard girls right to education with a host of measures These include building schools exempting girls from tuition and miscellaneous fees and offering them grants and nutritious meals In addition we have introduced various skills training programmes for women which take regional characteristics and the local needs of women into account and help them increase their income Our Spring Bud Project is a public welfare programme aiming to improve the education of girls from poor families Over the past three decades more than 3 million girls have completed their schooling and fulfilled their dreams through this programme In Chinas Guizhou Province local governments introduced a programme called The Beautiful that offers handicraft training to women More than 500000 women have started to work from home as a result making and selling embroidery batik and woven products They are creating new lives for themselves using their skilful hands Today 435 million women in the world still live in poverty and a marked gender inequality in education still remains We should be even more determined to promote girls and womens education and work together to ensure that more of them are able to receive a good education This would contribute to the attainment of the SDGs 2 Covid19 has led to increased inequalities in global education and an unprecedented disruption to education More than ninetyone per cent of students around the world have been affected by the suspension of classes According to UNESCO 11 million girls might not be able to continue their studies Before the pandemic there were already 130 million girls out of school around the world In your view how should we respond to the serious challenges facing the education of girls Girls and women are among the groups most vulnerable to crises Since the Covid19 outbreak I have been following the challenges of health and education faced by girls and women around the world I am deeply concerned that so many girls cannot return to school At this unusual time we should give them more attention and offer them practical help From the beginning of the pandemic UNESCO has taken positive action to safeguard the right to education of girls such as integrating global online educational resources compiling the Building Back Equal Girls Back to School Guide and publishing thematic reports Governments all over the world have also worked hard to ensure that children girls in particular continue to take lessons taught online or broadcast via radio and television In China while doing a good job on our pandemic response we have made every effort to protect the physical and mental health of hundreds of millions of students We introduced online education for nearly 300 million learners including girls during school closures and have worked to resume classes so that children can safely return to school While Covid19 continues to spread across the world it is our shared wish that no girl is left behind because of the pandemic The first thing we need therefore is collaboration As the Chinese saying goes when people work with one mind even Mountain Tai can be moved As long as we stand in solidarity and work together every problem is surmountable Second we need to invest more in the education of girls during the pandemic and make greater efforts to promote it Third we need to explore innovation use new methods and adopt new technologies to address new problems so that highquality educational resources can be offered to more girls and they can continue their education in flexible and diverse ways 3 In 2019 UNESCO launched the Futures of Education initiative which looks at 2050 and beyond and seeks to understand how knowledge and learning can shape the future of humanity and the planet In your view how should the education of the future help people improve their capacity to promote sustainable development and build a better world The Futures of Education initiative launched by UNESCO pools global wisdom to think about the future of education which is of great significance The education of the future should accompany everyone throughout their life be equally accessible to everyone suit everyone and be more open and flexible I believe the education of the future should focus on helping people to improve their abilities in three key areas First the ability to live in harmony with nature humans and nature constitute the community of life In the face of challenges like climate change and the deterioration of the environment education is essential to enable us to understand and respect nature so that production models and lifestyles that are conducive to sustainable development can be fostered People will then take the initiative to adapt themselves to protect nature and look after the Earth the only home shared by all mankind Education is essential to enable us to understand and respect nature Second the education of the future must focus on the ability to live in harmony with people from different countries and cultures Different histories national conditions ethnic groups and customs have given birth to many different civilizations and created a world rich in diversity Through education we can teach future generations about the cultures of other countries and nations so that they appreciate the diversity of civilizations and respect other peoples choices of development paths and lifestyles while upholding their own cultural traditions and coexisting in harmony Third the education of the future should impart the ability to learn innovate and apply new technologies Given the explosion of knowledge and technologies future education should encourage people to think innovatively and pursue lifelong learning Digital education should be boosted and people trained to use the internet big data artificial intelligence and other cuttingedge technologies to deal better with the changes in our world Through education we can teach future generations to appreciate the diversity of civilizations Im convinced that together we will make tomorrows world a better place through education 4 The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the World Conference on Women in 1995 laid a solid foundation for promoting gender equality and protecting womens rights and interests giving a strong impetus to womens development around the world Girls and womens education is an important way to promote gender equality and protect womens rights and interests Looking into the future how do you think we can better promote the education of girls and women and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind Living in one and the same global village humanity is evolving into an interlinked community with a shared future Women have the power to promote the development of human civilization and create a better future for mankind Education for girls and women can awaken enhance and fully unleash this wonderful power The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action have driven home the idea of gender equality and womens empowerment exerted a farreaching influence on the development of women worldwide and greatly stimulated the development of education for girls and women It is heartening to see that over the past twentyplus years countries have been working to promote gender equality in education and safeguarding the right of girls and women to education Positive progress has been made in womens education across the world The development of girls and womens education could not have happened without three conditions the leading role played by UNESCO and other international organizations the firm enduring commitment of the international community to achieving gender equality and the enabling environment jointly created by society families and community schools I hope that governments and more and more international organizations nongovernmental organizations NGOs and publicminded people will take the initiative to work together uphold the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind enhance solidarity and cooperation increase input develop more targeted and effective policies and action plans and create a better global network for the education of girls and women When education is used to empower women and greater progress is made to promote it we will be able to work at full throttle to build a community with a shared future for mankind 5 The awarding of the 2021 UNESCO Prize for Girls and Womens Education ushered in the second phase of cooperation between China and UNESCO on the prize In your view what are the most remarkable achievements and impact of the first phase of cooperation What more can the international community do to continue supporting these laureates In 2015 UNESCO and China jointly established the prize which honours outstanding contributions made by individuals institutions and organizations to advance girls and womens education Intended to demonstrate the importance of education in changing the destiny of girls and women and to inspire more people to be involved in the cause the prize has been playing a positive role in recent years In the first phase the prize was awarded to projects of ten organizations from ten countries with one other country receiving a special nomination The themes of these projects ranged from early childhood education to higher education covering all dimensions of womens development They safeguarded womens right to education helped them acquire knowledge and skills and worked to eliminate gender discrimination The prizes have provided women with the confidence and ability to change their destinies and pursue their dreams benefiting millions of girls and women They have also inspired more people to engage in this noble cause Promoting this important cause today will deliver benefits to future generations China will continue to work with UNESCO to make the second phase of the collaboration on the prize a success This is a new starting point I hope that more countries institutions and people will join in I also expect to see that the laureates will strengthen exchanges and cooperation and share their good practices and successful experiences in various ways More importantly I want to see the international community paying more attention to and supporting the education of girls and women because they were influenced by the prize Their stories deserve to be read and heard and they deserve to be recognized and encouraged As UNESCO Special Envoy for the Advancement of Girls and Womens Education I am ready to further fulfil my responsibility and join hands with every one of you to make sure that more girls and women are loved confident and empowered About the UNESCO Courier Of all the journals published by the United Nations and its specialised institutions The UNESCO Courier has always occupied first place for the number of its readers and the range of its audience said the American journalist Sandy Koffler the Couriers founder and first editorinchief in 1988 The magazine has changed a great deal over the years both in content and in form But it pursues its original mission promote UNESCOs ideals maintain a platform for the dialogue between cultures and provide a forum for international debate Read more Peng Liyuan Together we will make tomorrows world a better place through education The UNESCO Courier 20215 Peng Liyuan The equality of opportunity is fundamental The UNESCO Courier AprilJune 2017 Subscribe to The UNESCO Courier for thoughtprovoking articles on contemporary issues The digital version is completely free Follow The UNESCO Courier on Twitter Facebook Instagram or WeChat account UNESCOcourier

November 19, 2021

State Parties in the Pacific reassess their priorities concerning the World Heritage

November 5, 2021

The 2021 Nanjing Peace Forum successfully held in Nanjing, China from 24 to 26, October, 2021

The UNESCO Beijing Office collaborated with the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO the Information Office of Jiangsu Provincial Government and the Nanjing Municipal Government to organize the 2021 Nanjing Peace Forum from 24 to 26 October 2021 in Nanjing China In order to enhance the notion and importance of ecocivilization for peace this years overarching theme for the 2021 Nanjing Peace Forum is Living in Harmony with Nature for Peace On the evening of October 24 the 2021 Nanjing Peace Forum opened at the Zijin Mountain Music Stage Ms Gabriela Ramos the Assistant DirectorGeneral for the Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO applauded the overarching theme of Living in Harmony with Nature for Peace for the 2021 Nanjing Peace Forum This will provide a muchneeded space for us to engage in an indepth dialogue on the importance of addressing climate change and environmental degradation for the pursuit of peace And it will showcase to the world that peace needs to be the underlying consideration and objective in the global discourse on climate change and sustainable development Ms Gabriela Ramos underlined in her opening remark

November 4, 2021

UNESCO Learning City Award goes to ten cities with outstanding achievements in lifelong learning

Ten cities with outstanding achievements in the implementation of the learning city strategy will receive the UNESCO Learning Cities Award 2021 on 27 October 2021 the first day of the fifth International Conference on Learning Cities in Yeonsu Republic of Korea Whether they are megacities or smaller urban areas all of the awardees have shown how learning opportunities empower citizens of all ages when suitable policies and programmes are put in place The awarded cities are the UNESCO learning cities of Al Wakra Qatar Belfast United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ClermontFerrand France Damietta Egypt Dublin Ireland Huejotzingo Mexico Jubail Industrial City Saudi Arabia Osan Republic of Korea Shanghai Peoples Republic of China and Wyndham Australia They were selected by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning UIL upon the recommendation of an independent jury of international experts With more than half of humanity living in urban areas cities have a central role to play in providing learning opportunities This years UNESCO Learning City Awardees enable their citizens to adapt to a rapidly changing world and acquire the knowledge necessary to act jointly to solve global challenges Through lifelong learning they pave the way for fairer more just and sustainable societies and a better future for all of us underlined David Atchoarena Director of UIL ahead of the awards ceremony The ten UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities Awardees are Australia Wyndham Lifelong learning in Wyndham is implemented by a broad network of stakeholders ranging from the city administration to learning institutions the private sector and the general public among others The Citys Learning Community Strategy 20182023 promotes a learning culture for more than 270000 citizens from 162 countries emphasising equity and inclusion as drivers of planning engagement and delivery With a focus on celebrating learning Wyndham has not only hosted its own Wyndham Learning Festival for six years but also works with the Australian city of Melton to coordinate a Global Learning Festival and has successfully collaborated with five other local governments to host a Learning for Earning Festival with activities that help people acquire the knowledge they need to find employment and ultimately contribute to the economic and social wellbeing of the community

November 3, 2021