In Focus

Over the coming two years, UNESCO is committed to continue working for freedom of expression and press freedom and to promoting the use of the information and communication technologies to foster inclusive knowledge societies that empower individuals and communities.

International Literacy Day is celebrated around the world on 8 September. Information Literacy is an important element of UNESCO's strategy to promote equitable access to information and knowledge.

Knowledge is the key to social and economic development. Its acquisition and sharing has been going through dramatic changes because of rapidly emerging ICTs and the societal transformations that they generate.

World Information Society Day is celebrated each year on 17 May to remind the world of the vision of the World Summit on the Information Society to build “a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented information society” based on fundamental human rights.

UNESCO promotes freedom of expression and freedom of the press as a basic human right. It highlights media independence and pluralism as fundamental to the process of democracy.

Documentary heritage is the mirror of the world and its memory. Every day, irreplaceable parts of this memory disappear for ever. UNESCO takes actions to preserve it.

In developing countries, women face many cultural and logistical barriers in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). Can ICT be used to address gender issues?

UNESCO seeks to promote wider and more equitable access to information networks by supporting the creation of linguistically and culturally diverse content in cyberspace and the preservation of endangered languages.

UNESCO strongly believes that access of developing countries to low cost or free quality hardware can be enhanced through the exchange of experiences and improvement of PC quality standard.

2005/2006 was a key period for development and democratization in Iraq. UNESCO has developed various programmes that seek to strengthen human rights and democracy by building local capacities.