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  United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Major fields of action and priorities

Major fields of action and priorities

UNESCO deploys its action in the fields of Education, Natural Sciences, Social and Human Sciences, Culture, Communication and Information.

Education

Since its creation in 1945, UNESCO has worked to improve education worldwide through technical advice, standard setting, innovative projects, capacity-building and networking. Education for All (EFA) by 2015 guides UNESCO’s action in the field of education and indeed, in an intersectoral manner, throughout all its fields of competence.

UNESCO’s educational priorities:

  • Basic education for all, with special attention being given to literacy, HIV/AIDS prevention education and teacher training in sub-Saharan Africa
  • Secondary education, including technical and vocational education and training as well as science and technology education
  • Promoting quality education, with special reference to values education and teacher training
  • Higher education

    Natural Sciences

    Since its inception, UNESCO has developed several international programmes to better assess and manage the Earth’s resources. The Organization also helps reinforce the capacities of developing countries in the sciences, engineering and technology.

    UNESCO’s priorities in the field of Natural Sciences:

  • Water and associated eco-systems
  • Oceans
  • Capacity-building in the basic and engineering sciences, the formulation of science policies and the promotion of a culture of maintenance
  • Promoting the application of science, engineering and appropriate technologies for sustainable development, natural resource use and management, disaster preparedness and alleviation and renewable sources of energy

    Social and Human Sciences

    The social and human sciences have a vital role to play in helping to understand and interpret the social, cultural and economic environment. They provide research, identify and analyse trends, propose paths of action.

    UNESCO’s priorities in the field of Social and Human Sciences:

  • Ethics of science and technology, with emphasis on bioethics
  • Promotion of human rights and the fight against all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia and related intolerance through activities in UNESCO’s field of competence
  • Foresight, philosophy, human sciences, democracy and the enhancement of human security
  • Management of social transformation

    Culture

    Preserving and respecting the specificity of each culture, while ensuring that it preserves and respects the specificities of another culture, and involving it in an approach that bring them together and extends beyond them in a more interactive and interdependent world, is the challenge which must be met by the international community and, on its behalf, by UNESCO and its partners.

    UNESCO’s cultural priorities:

  • Promoting cultural diversity, with special emphasis on the tangible and intangible heritage
  • Cultural policies as well as intercultural and interfaith dialogue and understanding
  • Cultural industries and artistic expressions

    Communication and Information

    Communication and Information programmes are rooted in UNESCO’s Constitution, which requires the Organization to promote the “free flow of ideas by word and image”. The main objective for UNESCO is to build a knowledge society based on the sharing of knowledge and incorporating all the socio-cultural and ethical dimensions of sustainable development.

    UNESCO’s priorities in the field of Communication and Information:

  • Empowering people through access to information and knowledge with special emphasis on freedom of expression
  • Promoting communication development
  • Advancing the use of ICTs for education, science and culture

    • © UNESCO 1995-2010 - ID: 6406