UNESCO - Archive - Press Releases

Archive - Press Releases (2002-2006)

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Twenty-eight masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity proclaimed
07-11-2003 3:30 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 92)

A thousand year old Chinese musical idiom that is mastered by a mere 50 people, the know-how of itinerant doctors in South America who are familiar with the properties of almost 1,000 plant species, a communication system among different language communities in Vanuatu using finger drawings in sand, these are but three of the 28 cultural expressions proclaimed by UNESCO today as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. More
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Girls continue to face sharp discrimination in access to school
05-11-2003 2:00 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 91)

Paris/New Delhi - Despite slow but significant progress achieved in the 1990s, girls continue to face “sharp discrimination in access to schooling” in a majority of developing countries, according to a global report released today in New Delhi. More
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UNESCO Director-General deplores situation of Zimbabwe's Daily news
30-10-2003 5:00 pm - (Press Release N°2003-90)

UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura today expressed his concern over the situation of Zimbabwe's Daily News, and deplored the arrest of its directors. More

Spanish

UNESCO publishes first Global Education Digest
24-10-2003 3:25 pm - (Press Release N° 2003-89)

How to gain an accurate picture of the performance of education systems around the world? Which data can provide a perspective of students’ participation, progression and completion? The Global Education Digest*, just published by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), seeks to answer these questions, providing the latest key education indicators for all countries of the world. More
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World Cities join to protect their biological and cultural diversity
23-10-2003 10:00 am - (Press release N° 2003-88)

The image of cities as hotbeds of pollution, stress, poverty and crime needs an update. They are also havens of natural and cultural diversity – and may hold the keys to sustainable development in the twenty-first century. While some 3 billion people worldwide are now estimated to live in towns or cities, with a growing number of poor, cities are by no means incompatible with rich biodiversity. More
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UNESCO Director-General deplores killing of journalist Jean Hélène in Côte d’Ivoire
22-10-2003 4:00 pm - (Press Release No.2003-87)

UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura today deplored the killing of Radio France Internationale (RFI) reporter Jean Hélène in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire yesterday. More
Spanish

UNESCO Director-General condemns assassination of Journalist in Cambodia
22-10-2003 12:00 pm - (Press Release No.2003-86)

Koïchiro Matsuura, the Director–General of UNESCO, today condemned the assassination of Chuor Chetharith, a journalist of the Cambodian opposition radio station Ta Prum, in Phnom Penh on October 18 and called for action to track and prosecute those responsible for his killing. More
Spanish

'Study Abroad 2004-2005' guide just published
21-10-2003 4:45 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 85)

Some 2,600 higher education institutions in 147 countries are listed in the latest edition of “Study Abroad 2004-2005”*, which has just been released by UNESCO Publishing. The guide contains information for students – in English, French and Spanish – on study programmes available in different countries around the world, distance education, national educational systems, course languages, school fees, immigration requirements, scholarships and other financial aid. More
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Hans-Heinrich Wrede of Germany elected chairperson of UNESCO's Executive Board
20-10-2003 12:10 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 84)

Hans-Heinrich Wrede, Permanent Delegate of Germany to UNESCO, was today elected Chairperson of the Organization’s Executive Board for a period of two years. More
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UNESCO adopts a convention on the safeguarding of intangible heritage and a declaration on human genetic data
17-10-2003 5:30 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 83)

Five standard-setting instruments, including the International Convention on the Preservation of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the International Declaration on Human Genetic Data, were adopted by the 32nd session of UNESCO’s General Conference that ended today, and which was marked by the return of the United States of America to the Organization and by the adoption of a real-growth budget of US$ 610 million for 2004-2005. More
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UNESCO adopts international convention to safeguard intangible cultural heritage
17-10-2003 5:15 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 82)

Oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage, the performing arts, social practices, rituals and festive events, as well as knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe and traditional craftsmanship, now benefit from an international legal instrument to safeguard intangible heritage through cooperation. More
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UNESCO adopts international declaration on human genetic data
16-10-2003 4:30 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 81)

"Every effort should be made to ensure that human genetic data and human proteomic data are not used for purposes that discriminate in a way that is intended to infringe, or has the effect of infringing human rights, fundamental freedoms or human dignity of an individual or for purposes that lead to the stigmatization of an individual, a family, or a group or communities," reads one of the provisions of the International Declaration on Human Genetic Data, which has just been adopted by the UNESCO General Conference meeting in Paris for its 32nd Session. More
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UNESCO Director-General condemns assassination of Russian Journalist Alexei Sidorov
15-10-2003 11:30 am - (Press Release No 2003 - 80)

UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura today condemned the assassination of journalist Alexei Sidorov, editor in chief of the independent newspaper Togliattinskoe Obozrenie (“Togliatti Review”), in the Volga region of central Russia on October 9. More
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DaimlerChrysler and UNESCO launch Mondialogo
14-10-2003 5:30 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 79)

Paris/Stuttgart - DaimlerChrysler and UNESCO have launched the “Mondialogo School Contest” and “Mondialogo Engineering Award” to promote intercultural dialogue and exchange, respect and tolerance. The contest and award are the two main pillars of a partnership between UNESCO and the German-American automobile company, known as Mondialogo. The initiative also involves the dedicated “Mondialogo Internet Portal” to promote broader participation and sharing of knowledge and experience. More
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President of Peru calls for extending intercultural dialogue and fight against poverty
14-10-2003 3:30 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 78)

“Discrimination, ignorance, poverty and exclusion can undermine the very foundations of democracy,” declared the President of Peru, Alejandro Toledo, at UNESCO Headquarters today. “Intercultural dialogue and education for peace,” he added, “are the appropriate instruments for combating these scourges.” More
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Visiting UNESCO, Jacques Chirac calls for the adoption of international conventions on Bioethics and on Cultural Diversity
14-10-2003 1:30 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 77)

We must now “enshrine” principles of cultural diversity “in law by means of a convention”, and similarly, “we need to set out the principles of bioethics in international public law” in a “universally applicable instrument”, declared President of France Jacques Chirac to UNESCO’s190 Member States, meeting in Paris for the 32nd session of the Organization’s General Conference, presided by Michael Abiola Omolewa of Nigeria. More
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Access to information essential to the establishment of knowledge societies
14-10-2003 11:50 am - (Press Release No 2003 - 76)
Meeting in Paris in preparation of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS, Geneva, December 10–12 and Tunis 2005), ministers from all over the world have agreed on a set of principles - including universal access to information and press freedom – that must guide the utilization of information and communication technology (ICT) to maximize its effectiveness for individual, community and national development. More
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Rebuilding Iraq's Universities
12-10-2003 10:00 am - (Press Release No 2003 - 75)
Doha, Qatar - A multi-million dollar initiative to rebuild and revitalize Iraq’s once thriving universities was launched today in Doha by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned, First Lady of Qatar, Chairperson of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development and UNESCO Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education, and Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO. More
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Election of 29 Members to Executive Board
10-10-2003 4:00 pm - (Press Release No.2003-74)
The 190 Member States of UNESCO, assembled for the 32nd Session of the General Conference, UNESCO’s supreme ruling body, today elected 29 new representatives to the 58-member Executive Board, the other governing body of the Organization, in one round of voting. More
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Intangible Heritage, Cultural Diversity and Preventing Intentional Destruction of Heritage: Key Cultural Issues at UNESCO’s General Conference
09-10-2003 4:05 pm - (Press Release N° 2003-73)

Safeguarding the world’s intangible heritage, cultural diversity and the protection of cultural heritage from intentional destruction, are the main topics on the cultural agenda at the 32nd Session of UNESCO’s General Conference (September 29 - October 17) underway at the Organization’s Paris Headquarters. More
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Human Genetic Data an international declaration soon
09-10-2003 11:30 am - (Press Release No 2003 - 72)

Human genetic data should soon have its own standard-setting instrument: an international declaration setting out the ethical principles that should govern their collection, processing, storage and use. A draft declaration is being examined by UNESCO’s General Conference, which is meeting in Paris for its 32nd session until October 17. More
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The President of Kyrgyzstan emphasizes education and new information and communication technology in an address to UNESCO's General conference
06-10-2003 5:00 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 71)

“Issues of science, modern technologies and real cultural development are organically connected to education […] The modern age requires heads of state, academics and educators to make a careful choice of priorities in education development,” declared Askar Akayev, the President of Kyrgyzstan, during an address today before the 190 Member States of UNESCO gathered in Paris for the Organization's 32nd Session of the General Conference, presided over by Michael Abiola Omolewa of Nigeria. More
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Network of cooperation between UNESCO and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to be launched
03-10-2003 2:30 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 70)
A network of cooperation between the 145 Parliaments that make up the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU*) and UNESCO will be launched on Monday, October, at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris (Room IV, 2.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.), where the Organization's 32nd General Conference is in session. More
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UNESCO promotes 'knowledge societies' to maximize the impact of communication technology
02-10-2003 2:00 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 69)
Two standard-setting instruments concerning information and communication technology are to be submitted to UNESCO’s Member States for adoption during the 32nd session of the Organization’s General Conference (September 29 to October 17): one on multilingualism in cyberspace and access to the internet and the other on the preservation of digital heritage. More
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UNESCO's General Conference to debate preparation of an international convention against doping in sport
30-09-2003 2:30 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 68)
The proposal to prepare an international convention against doping in sport is on the agenda of UNESCO’s General Conference. If the proposition is adopted, this standard-setting instrument - the first of its kind to be intergovernmental, universal and legally binding - should be finalized before the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin (Italy). More
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The First Lady of the United States of America marks the U.S. Return to Unesco with an Address to the General Conference
29-09-2003 5:30 pm - (Press Release N° 2003-67)

“We raise our flag to join the flags of 189 UNESCO Member States in seeking the very best of our human hopes for liberty, dignity and peace,” said Mrs Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States of America, as the flag of her country was raised this afternoon on the grounds of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris. More
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Michael Abiola Omolewa to Preside over General Conference
29-09-2003 3:30 pm - (Press Release No.2003-66)

UNESCO’s General Conference, currently holding its 32nd session, has elected Michael Abiola Omolewa, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Nigeria to UNESCO, as its President for the next two years. He replaces Ahmad Jalali of Iran. More
Spanish

Carlo Azeglio Ciampi “The Destiny of every Nation is bound to the Destiny of all Others”
29-09-2003 2:00 pm - (Press Release No. 2003- 65)

“In today’s world, in which we have weapons of mass destruction of hitherto unimaginable power that have never existed before in history, the destiny of every nation is bound to the destiny of all others,” declared today Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, President of the Republic of Italy, in his speech at the opening of the 32nd session of UNESCO’s General Conference. More
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo addresses UNESCO conference
29-09-2003 12:30 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 64)

Empowering individuals holds the key to winning the battle against poverty, said Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in an address thismorning to the representatives of the 190 Member States of UNESCO. And “education, culture and the sciences,” she underlined, “are indispensable tools for empowerment.” More
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Earthsavers DREAMS Ensemble appointed UNESCO Artists for Peace
26-09-2003 12:00 am - (Press Release No 2003 - 63)
Earthsavers DREAMS Ensemble, a renowned Philippine theatre company made up of people who are disabled, from disadvantaged backgrounds or indigenous communities will be officially appointed UNESCO Artists for Peace by UNESCO’s Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura, at a ceremony to be held at the Organization’s Headquarters on September 29. More

Inauguration of first independent newspaper printing press in Serbia and Montenegro
25-09-2003 2:00 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 62)
A new printing press owned and operated by and for private newspapers in Serbia and Montenegro was inaugurated in Belgrade today. The Association of Private Media (APM) printing plant, which started operating this week was set up with the help of UNESCO to bolster media independence in the country. More
Spanish

Hundreds of Ministers and five Heads of State expected at UNESCO's General Conference
25-09-2003 11:00 am - (Press Release No 2003 - 61)
Safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage, cultural diversity, multilingualism on the internet and human genetic data are among the major themes that will be addressed during the 32nd session of the General Conference – UNESCO’s supreme governing body – which takes place from September 29 to October 17 in Paris. It will be attended by more than 3,000 participants, including five Heads of State and more than 300 ministers. More
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UNESCO appeals for release of political prisoners Latsami Khamphoui (Laos) and Khin Zaw Win (Myanmar)
23-09-2003 5:30 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 60)
UNESCO today issued a public appeal for the release of two political prisoners, Latsami Khamphoui, a former Deputy Minister for Economics and Planning, in jail in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic since 1990, and Khin Zaw Win, a dentist and researcher, imprisoned in Myanmar since 1994. More
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Director-General invites young researchers to apply for UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi fellowships
19-09-2003 11:30 am - (Press Release No 2003 - 59)
UNESCO has invited young post-graduate researchers in developing countries, with a Master’s degree or equivalent, to apply for fellowships, each worth a maximum of US$7,500, through the UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowship Programme, financed by Japan through funds-in-trust dedicated to the development of human resources. More
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2003 Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture awarded to Salem Himmich and Esad Durakovic
12-09-2003 5:30 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 58)
UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura has awarded the 2003 Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture to Moroccan writer Bin Salem Himmich and Bosnian professor Esad Duraković, on the recommendation of an international jury which met at Organization headquarters on September 8 and 9. More
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Director-General condemns assassination of journalists in the Philippines
10-09-2003 4:00 pm - (Press Release No.2003-57Corr.)
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, today condemned the recent murder of three journalists in the Philippines: Juan “Jun” Pala on September 6, Rico Ramirez on August 20, and Noel Villarante one day earlier. More
Spanish

Margaret Somerville is first winner of Avicenna Ethics in Science Prize
04-09-2003 5:45 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 56)
Margaret A. Somerville has been chosen as the first winner of the Avicenna Prize for Ethics in Science by UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura, on the recommendation of an international jury which met from September 1 to 3 at Organization Headquarters. More
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International Literacy Day: Good news in four high population countries
04-09-2003 5:00 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 55)
New data released by UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics (UIS) on the occasion of International Literacy Day (September 8), show improvement over the past decade in adult literacy rates for several of the world’s high population countries, including Brazil, China, Egypt and Pakistan. More
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Dialogue among civilizations
The message from OHRID
01-09-2003 5:30 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 54)
The South-East European Regional Forum on the “Dialogue among Civilizations” held August 29 and 30 in Ohrid (in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) ended on Saturday with the adoption of the Message from Ohrid. More
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Twenty-three new inscriptions on Memory of the World Register of Documentary Collections
01-09-2003 5:00 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 53)
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and documents pertaining to slavery in the Caribbean are among the 23 documentary collections from 20 countries selected for inscription on the Memory of the World Register of library and archive material during a three-day meeting of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme in Gdansk, Poland, that ended Saturday. More
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UNESCO welcomes pledge by Royal Dutch/Shell to stay out of world Heritage sites
27-08-2003 3:00 pm - (Press Release N° 2003-52)
UNESCO has welcomed the announcement by the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies (Shell) not to explore for, or develop, oil and gas resources within any of natural World Heritage sites. More
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UNESCO welcomes 'No-Go' pledge from leading mining companies
22-08-2003 5:00 pm - (Press Release No 2003 - 51)
UNESCO has hailed as “a major step forward” the pledge made by the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) – comprising 15 of the world’s largest mining and metal producing companies – not to explore or mine in World Heritage sites. More
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Eight Heads of State gather at Ohrid Forum for Dialogue Among Civilizations
19-08-2003 2:00 pm - (Press Release N° 2003-50)
A southeast European regional Forum on Dialogue Among Civilizations will take place on August 29 and 30 in Ohrid, in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Organized by President Boris Trajkovski with UNESCO, the Forum will bring together eight heads of state: Alfred Moisiu (Albania), Dragan Čoviċ (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Georgi Parvanov (Bulgaria), Stjepan Mesic (Croatia), Ferenc Mádl (Hungary), Svetozar Marovic (Serbia and Montenegro), Janez Drnovšek (Slovenia). Political leaders, experts, religious leaders and representatives from civil society and the private sector from all over the world are expected to attend. More
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International Experts Meeting In Tokyo Recommend Greater Security For Iraq’s National Museum and Heritage
06-08-2003 4:15 am - (Press Release No.2003-49)
Some 30 experts who met in Tokyo on August 1 and 2 at the joint initiative of UNESCO, the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs (BUNKACHO) and the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO, issued recommendations aiming at coordinating international efforts to safeguard Iraq’s cultural heritage and ensure the reopening of the Iraq Museum in the best possible conditions. More
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Teachers’ Photo Contest Winners Announced
04-08-2003 11:05 pm - (Press Release No.2003-48)
Auckland (New Zealand)– Schools in Kyrgyzstan, Brazil, Lebanon, Burkina Faso and Slovenia have won the top prizes in an International Photo Contest for Teachers, organized by UNESCO’s Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet). The winners were announced here Sunday at the Navigators for Peace Congress celebrating ASPnet’s 50th anniversary. More
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UNESCO’s Associated Schools Project Celebrates its 50th Anniversary
31-07-2003 12:30 am - (Press release N°2003-47)
Auckland - What does a teacher training institution in Morocco have in common with a secondary school in the South Pacific island state of Kiribati? What links a technical school in the Russian Federation with a primary school in Togo, or a kindergarten in New Zealand with a secondary school in Ecuador? More
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UNESCO calls for radical reform of water education programmes
16-07-2003 11:00 am - (Press Release No 2003 - 46)
Paris – In the face of looming water shortages, which threaten to affect billions of the earth’s inhabitants by mid-century, UNESCO is calling for a radical review and reform of water education programmes and for a speedy doubling in the number of water professionals around the world. More
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UNESCO adds 15 new sites to world network of biosphere reserves
10-07-2003 4:00 pm - (Press release N°2003-45)
Paris – Fifteen new sites in 10 countries have been added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves, including the first members of the network in Slovenia and Yemen. Three extensions to existing biosphere reserves have also been approved, reflecting on-going efforts to improve existing sites, illustrating the vitality of the network. The World Network of Biosphere Reserves now consists of 440 sites in 97 countries. More
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UNESCO and INTERPOL reinforce cooperation in fight against traffic in iraqi cultural goods
10-07-2003 4:30 am - (Press release N°2003-44)
UNESCO and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) yesterday reinforced their cooperation in the fight against the illicit traffic in Iraqi cultural properties by signing an amendment to their Cooperation Agreement of 1999. More
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Venezuelan Research Centre and Norwegian Scientist share UNESCO Prize while Young Scientists get awards
09-07-2003 4:00 pm - (Press release N°2003-43)
This year’s Sultan Qaboos Prize has been jointly awarded to a pioneering Venezuelan centre for tropical ecology and a leading Norwegian biodiversity specialist. At yesterday’s meeting of the Bureau of the International Co-ordinating Council of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, which acts as the jury of these prizes, the winners of MAB Young Scientists Awards, representing nine countries, were also decided. More
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