Nepal

• © UNESCO
• Swayambunnth : Decorated entrance porch of a Buddhist temple, Nepalese art, Buddhism

Nepal joined UNESCO on May 1, 1953. The Organization has an office in Kathmandu.

The Kathmandu Valley, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979, is the object of a vast safeguarding endeavour. At the crossroads of the great civilizations of Asia, the site harbours some 130 Hindu and Buddhist monuments exemplifying Nepalese art at its peak. Pilgrimage centres, temples, shrines, bathing areas and gardens are sites of veneration for both religious groups. Other World Heritage sites in Nepal are the Sagarmatha National Park, the Royal Chitwan National Park and Lumbini, birthplace of the Lord Buddha.

Nepal participates in the UNESCO pilot project “Breaking the Poverty Cycle of Women: Empowering Adolescent Girls to Become Agents of Social Transformation in South Asia”, providing holistic educational programmes for girls.

Three pilot community multimedia centres (CMC) in Nepal provide specialized programmes for the sight and hearing-impaired as well as training sessions for disadvantaged youth.