UNESCO is committed to executing its priority programmes, in cooperation with all the development partners, including the UN System, in pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals.
Following its Action Plan for improved management of extrabudgetary funds (174 EX/INF.4), UNESCO has developed the Additional programme of targeted/projected extrabudgetary activities in further reinforcement of UNESCO’s Regular Programme and Budget for 2008-2009 (34 C/5). This was presented to its donor community on 28 March 2008 at UNESCO Headquarters.
This programme constitutes the essential framework of the fund-raising and development cooperation strategy of UNESCO for the current biennium. It flows from the Medium-Term Strategy (34 C/4) and the Programme and Budget (34 C/5), and also takes into account the national development strategies established by the potential beneficiary countries, and notably the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and the Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRS), in order to ensure full national ownership of the cooperation activities.
Within the overall framework of the Millennium Development Goals, UNESCO’s Overarching objectives and corresponding strategic Programme Objectives are:
Attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning | Mobilizing science knowledge and policy for sustainable development | Addressing emerging social and ethical challenges | Fostering
cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and a culture of peace | Building
inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication |
Strengthening UNESCO’s global lead and coordination
role for EFA and providing support to national leadership in favour of EFA; | Leveraging scientific knowledge for the benefit of the environment and the management of natural resources; | Promoting principles, practices and ethical norms relevant for scientific and technological development; | Strengthening the contribution of culture to sustainable development; | Enhancing universal access to information and knowledge; |
Developing policies, capacities and tools for quality education for all, and lifelong learning as well as promoting education for subtainable development; | Fostering policies and capacity-building in science, technology and innovation; | Enhancing research-policy linkages on social transformations; | Demonstrating the importance of exchange and dialogue among cultures to social cohesion and reconciliation in order to develop a culture of peace; | Fostering pluralistic, free and independent media and infostructures; |
Contributing to disaster preparedness and mitigation | Fostering research on critical emerging ethical and social issues; | Sustainably protecting and enhancing cultural heritage. |