18-11-2002 Orbicom Awarded Prize
An award was made by UNESCO in Paris last Wednesday to Orbicom, an international university network associating UNESCO chairs in communication and experts from the professional, industrial and government sectors. The award ceremony took place on the occasion of the World Forum of UNESCO Chairs celebrating the tenth anniversary of UNESCO's UNITWIN Programme, in Paris, France, last week.
15-11-2002 UNESCO Media Role in Pacific Praised by PINA
The Pacific Islands media development work of UNESCO has been praised in Suva during a visit by its Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Abdul Waheed Khan this week. William Parkinson, former Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) president and regional broadcaster said that NESCO "hears what the Pacific Islands themselves believe their needs are and then tries to help meet these needs".
15-11-2002 (Beirut) Participation and Access of Women to Media
Women's participation and access to the media was the theme of a meeting of leading media experts and representatives of women NGOs from all over the world that was organized by the UN and UNESCO in Beirut this week. The meeting aimed at reviewing policy issues; access, employment and decision-making, content, and impact of ICTs on media professionals and media content.
14-11-2002 "Freedom of Expression in the Information Society": International Symposium to Begin Tomorrow
Freedom of expression is a fundamental right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and this also applies to cyberspace: according to this conviction, the French National Commission for UNESCO, in cooperation with UNESCO, is organizing tomorrow and Saturday an international symposium on “Freedom of expression in the information society”.
14-11-2002 The « Freedom of expression in the information society » International Symposium to Begin Tomorrow
Freedom of expression is a fundamental right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and this also applies to cyberspace: according to this conviction, the French National Commission for UNESCO, in cooperation with UNESCO, is organizing tomorrow and Saturday an international symposium on “Freedom of expression in the information society”. This meeting will be held in UNESCO headquarters, in Paris, France ( UNESCO, Room XI; 7, place de Fontenoy, 75007 Paris) and the registration of the participants will begin at 9.00.
13-11-2002 How does Society Perceive Archives?
The image of archives in society is the theme of this year’s conference of directors of national archives of more than 90 countries that opened yesterday evening in Marseille, France. The 36th International Conference of the Round Table of Archives, organized by the International Council on Archives (ICA) looks at missions and challenges of archives in contemporary societies.
12-11-2002 Preparing the World Summit on the Information Society with Civil Society
An electronic discussion to prepare the second meeting of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Preparatory Committee ( Prepcom II, 17-28 February 2003): this is the project UNESCO is launching, in cooperation with the WSIS Executive Secretariat, to closely involve Civil Society in the Summit preparation process.
12-11-2002 (Dushanbe) UNESCO Director General “Honorary Professor” of Technological University of Tajikistan
As the Computer Centre at Technological University of Tajikistan, established through a UNESCO/UNDP project in order to foster human resource development in the use of ICTs, celebrated its third anniversary last week, UNESCO’s Director General Koïchiro Matsuura has been awarded with the title "Honorary Professor" during a visit to the University on 1 November 2002.
11-11-2002 European Principles for Information Society
In the Information Society, everybody must be enabled to ”exercise their right to freedom of opinion and expression” and to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”. This is one of the principles adopted at the Pan European Regional Ministerial Conference in preparation of the World Summit on the Information Society held last week in Bucharest. Romania.
08-11-2002 Preparing the World Summit on the Information Society with Civil Society
An electronic discussion to prepare the second meeting of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Preparatory Committee ( Prepcom II, 17-28 February 2003): this is the project UNESCO is launching, in cooperation with the WSIS Executive Secretariat, to closely involve Civil Society in the Summit preparation process.
07-11-2002 UNESCO Produces Film on AIDS in Africa
As part of its action to fight AIDS in Africa, UNESCO has produced a film entitled “The professor who fight against AIDS” relating Luc Montagnier’s discoveries about the characteristics of the virus. The film will be broadcast nationally on African television stations and worldwide to be used as a tool in various awareness-raising programmes in the fight against AIDS set up by governments and local NGOs.
06-11-2002 Disaster at the National Library of Ukraine
According to reports of the Permanent Delegation of Ukraine to UNESCO, hundreds of thousands of books, magazines and newspapers have been heavily damaged by water when pipes of the heating system of the Vernadsky National Library in Kiev broke in the night from 22 to 23 October.
05-11-2002 IRTU Now Has "Formal Consultative Relations" with UNESCO
In a press release published last week, the International Radio and Television University (IRTU) proudly announces its admission to the status of "Formal Consultative Relations" with UNESCO, as recently decided by the Organization's Executive Board. This category of formal consultative relations is granted to a small number of organizations only.
04-11-2002 Six short Fiction Films Against Violence
Six short fiction films for teenagers and young adults on reasons behind conflicts between communities will be produced and disseminated by UNESCO, in collaboration with the International Council of Film Schools (CILECT). The films are intended to increase inter-cultural understanding and to sensitize young people for tolerance, dialogue and peace.
04-11-2002 Involving Latin America and the Caribbean in the Information Society
The International Forum “Latin America and the Caribbean in the Information Society” that was held in Rio de Janeiro from 26 – 28 September under the auspices of UNESCO, the Ministry of Science and Technology of Brazil, and the United Nations Task Force for Information and Communication Technologies (UN ICT Task Force), has issued its final report.
31-10-2002 UNESCO and ICA Signed Agreement for Six-Year Cooperation Today
UNESCO and the International Council on Archives (ICA) will continue to closely cooperate to enhance the management of, facilitate access to, and ensure preservation of, information that is held by public archives worldwide. This is the main thrust of the Agreement that Abdul Waheed Khan, UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information and ICA's Secretary General Joan van Albada signed in Paris today.
30-10-2002 UNESCO Partner Wins Stockholm Challenge Award
Cuba's Health Portal “Infomed", a close UNESCO partner, is one of the two winning projects the 2002 Stockholm Challenge Award in the category “Health”. The project was awarded the prize at a ceremony at the Blue Hall in Stockholm City Hall, venue of the Nobel Banquet, earlier this month. 19 projects were selected finalists in the category.
30-10-2002 Freedom of Expression in Cyberspace
Freedom of expression on the internet will be the subject of an international symposium held as part of the preparation for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) that will take place in Geneva and Tunis in 2003 and 2005 respectively.
29-10-2002 Asia/Pacific Challenges for Preserving Digital Heritage
UNESCO's campaign for the preservation of the world's digital heritage takes another concrete step next week, with the first of a series of Regional Consultation Meetings to be held in Canberra, Australia, on 4-6 November. The meeting will discuss digital preservation challenges in Asia and the Pacific, and prepare comments on two key documents-in-draft.
28-10-2002 Filming the Peace Process in Sri Lanka
Responding to the lack of dramatised work about the war and peace process in Sri Lanka, UNESCO will support the production of locally written, directed and produced short films in this country. The objective is to strengthen creativity and integrate the marginalized Tamil film-making talent into the wider TV and film industry.
28-10-2002 An on-line forum for civil society
Continuing the debate that started during the informal meeting on contents and themes (Geneva, September 2002): this is the aim of the Discussion Forum entitled “The civil society platform” launched by the Civil Society Division of the World Summit on the Information Society.
25-10-2002 New Preservation Gateway Launched
The National Archives of the Netherlands and the European Commission on Preservation and Access (ECPA), a close partner to UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme, recently announced the launch of the Gateway for Resources and Information on Preservation (GRIP), an Internet portal giving access to core material on the various aspects of document preservation.
24-10-2002 'Effat'. A Unique Women Magazine Focusing on Afghan Provinces
Afghan women living in cities and rural areas outside of Kabul can now voice, share and discuss their ideas and concerns, thanks to "Effat", a new monthly magazine dedicated to women outside of Kabul. “Effat” is produced by the “Voice of Afghan Women in Global Media” – a network of professional Afghan women journalists established in the aftermath of the Taliban era, with support from UNESCO.
24-10-2002 (Paris) UNESCO Condemns Murder of Journalists in India and Pakistan
UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura today urged Pakistan and India to bring the assassins of two journalists to justice.
23-10-2002 Latin American/Caribbean Experts to Discuss Preservation of Digital Heritage
Preservation of the digital heritage is on the agenda of an expert consultation for Latin America and the Caribbean that UNESCO organizes in November in Managua, Nicaragua. The results of the consultation will be the regional input to the Charter on Digital Heritage that UNESCO is presently preparing.
23-10-2002 UNESCO Recalls Importance of Freedom of Expression after Banning of Journalist From Beirut Summit
UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura today recalled the paramount importance of freedom of expression in response to reports concerning journalist Gideon Kouts who was prevented from exercising his professional activity during an international Summit in Lebanon late last week, despite his accreditation to the meeting as a reporter for French publication L’Arche.
22-10-2002 The World Split in Two: New WebWorld Point of View
There is an obvious division between an "utopian, idealized image of a global Internet planet" and the "reality that powerful economic forces are seeking to transform the world to their advantage". says Philippe Quéau, Director of UNESCO 's Information Society Division in a new article entitled "The World Split in Two" that WebWorld today publishes as Point of View .
21-10-2002 Building Rwanda’s First Public Library
A call for help building Rwanda’s first public library on the country’s capital Kigali has recently been addressed by the Ministry of Education of Rwanda to UNESCO. The cornerstone of the library was placed by Rwandan Prime Minister Bernard Makuza on May 11, 2001. Its opening is foreseen for next year.
18-10-2002 ÆGiS: Using the Web for the Fight Against AIDS
Using ICTs to foster the understanding and knowledge that will lead to better care, prevention, and a cure to the global AIDS pandemic is the goal of the AIDS Education Global Information System (ÆGiS).
18-10-2002 ICT Policy and Civil Society Workshop in Africa
Providing the basis for a strong African civil society input to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in December 2003 in Geneva, and then again in Tunis in 2005: this is the goal of the five-day information and communications technology (ICT) policy and civil society workshop organized by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), ARTICLE 19 and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) from November 6th to 10th, 2002 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
