Somalia

• © UNESCO
• Somali women and children listen UNESCO's Civic Education radio programmes

Somalia joined UNESCO on 15 November 1960. It is covered by the UNESCO Office in Nairobi, Kenya.

Institutions of democratic transition introduced in late 2004 marked Somalia’s return to peace after long years of war. In November 2005, to encourage renewed activity, UNESCO pledged to give special support to post-conflict Somalia. To coordinate strategy, Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura met the “United Nations Somalia” team in Nairobi during his May 2007 visit to Kenya.

UNESCO's Programme for Education for Emergencies and Reconstruction (PEER), based in Nairobi, is responding to the country’s urgent needs. Emphasizing education for peace, its activities include teacher training, curricula updating and textbook development.

Since 1997, UNESCO has successfully set up civic education programmes via radio broadcasting. The project encourages dialogue between Somalis on crucial issues.

In June 2007, UNESCO organized an expert meeting to devise an action plan to revitalize Somali culture.