UNESCO implementing Mauritius Strategy

In January 2005, a high-level United Nations (UN) meeting was convened in Mauritius to review the implementation of and refine the 1994 Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA) for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The principal negotiated outputs of the meeting are a strategy document and a political declaration. The Mauritius Strategy builds on and reassesses the original BPoA areas. But it also highlights several new priorities and emerging issues now considered important dimensions of sustainable development in SIDS. The twenty chapters of the Mauritius Strategy call for action in many fields related to UNESCO’s concerns, programmes and priorities. Particular attention is being given to often marginalized dimensions such as culture, youth and outer islands. In 2008, to ensure that UNESCO’s unique multi-disciplinary expertise – in science, culture, climate change, education, biodiversity resource preservation, knowledge management and information for decision-making – are productively used in addressing the multiplicity of challenges facing SIDS, a UNESCO intersectoral platform has been established. The aim of this website is to provide information on UNESCO’s intersectoral response to the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, encapsulated in the Mauritius Strategy and the Mauritius Declaration.

NEWS/EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

2010

Sandwatch Regional Indian Ocean Workshop to be held in Seychelles (4-8 October 2010) During 4-8 October 2010, UNESCO will – in partnership with the Sandwatch Foundation and the Seychelles National Commission for UNESCO – conduct a regional workshop in Mahe, the Seychelles, under the heading “Sandwatch: a combined approach to climate change adaptation and Education For Sustainable Development”. The workshop will have two principal objectives. Firstly, it will serve as the first international Sandwatch training event to make use of the new, second edition Sandwatch manual, which integrates climate change adaptation as well as international cooperation and networking as new thematic areas of focus. Secondly, the workshop will serve to strengthen and consolidate the Indian Ocean Sandwatch networks, both within the Indian Ocean itself as well as with other SIDS regions such as the Caribbean and the Pacific. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapters I (Climate change and sea-level rise), II (Natural hazards and disasters) and XIV (Sustainable capacity development and education for sustainable development).

The Mauritius Strategy +5 High-level Review in New York (24 - 25 September 2010) The five-year United Nations-wide review of the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for the Sustainable Development of SIDS will take place in New York during 24-25 September 2010, culminating in a high-level meeting at United Nations Headquarters. UNESCO is contributing actively to the follow-up of this review process. [More] Mauritius Strategy: General.

SIDS-SIDS Success Stories just released (September 2010) UNESCO’s Sandwatch Success Story in SIDS has been published in the joint UN SIDS Unit and UNDP publication entitled “SIDS-SIDS Success Stories”. The aim of the publication is to highlight significant achievements that have been made in advancing sustainable development in SIDS through collaboration among SIDS in the broader context of South-South cooperation. The results highlighted in the Success Stories demonstrate that important steps forward have been achieved to promote sustainable development in SIDS through the collective commitment and dedication of many different stakeholders. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapters I (Climate change and sea-level rise), II (Natural hazards and disasters) and XIV (Sustainable capacity development and education for sustainable development).

World Heritage Site inscriptions (25 July-3 August 2010) The World Heritage Committee will consider requests for the inscription of new sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List when it meets for its 34th session in Brasilia (Brazil), from 25 July to 3 August. Sites for consideration include "Phoenix Islands Protected Area (Kiribati)" and "Bikini Atoll, nuclear tests site (Marshall Islands)" [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapter XIX (Culture).

UNESCO prepares the ground for Haiti’s rebirth through culture Building institutional capacity, drawing up inventories and developing plans for safeguarding Haitian cultural heritage are some of the priority actions identified by the International Coordination Committee for the protection of Haitian cultural heritage (ICC) at its first meeting on 7 and 8 July at UNESCO in Paris.[More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapter XIX (Culture).

The Canoe is the People workshop in the Cook Islands The “The Canoe Is the People” workshop was organized over three days, on the island of Rarotonga, one day focused on review and feedback on the LRP (Learner’s Resource Pack) materials, one focused on the design and development of new and modified content for a final Cook Islands localized edition of the LRP, and one day centered on a half-day sail with the Cook Islands Voyaging Society in the Society’s newly constructed oceangoing vaka Marumaru Atua. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapter XIX (Culture).

Accession by Tonga to the International Convention against Doping in Sport (14 June 2010) On 14 June 2010, Tonga deposited with the Director-General its instrument of ratification of the International Convention against Doping in Sport. In accordance with Article 37, the Convention will enter into force with respect to Tonga on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of one month after the date of deposit of this instrument of ratification, that is to say on 1 August 2010. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapter XVII (Health).

Accession by the Marshall Islands to the International Convention against Doping in Sport On 3 June 2010, the Marshall Islands deposited with the Director-General their instrument of accession to the International Convention against Doping in Sport. In accordance with Article 37, the Convention will enter into force with respect to the Marshall Islands on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of one month after the date of deposit of this instrument of accession, that is to say on 1 August 2010.. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapter XVII (Health). Festival on Cultural Diversity in Tonga (26-31 July 2010) Within the framework of the UN Year of Rapprochement of Cultures, a Festival on Cultural Diversity will be held in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, from 26-31 July 2010 by the Ministry of Education, Women’s Affairs and Culture in cooperation with the Tonga Tradition Committee and UNESCO. The Festival will be composed of thematic panel discussions on the places of Tongan traditional values, such as respect, consensus, cooperation, and reciprocity in a contemporary context, and challenges they face in terms of religion, governance, environment and education. Performances of students and different communities in Tonga will be presented and workshops on intangible cultural heritage transmission will be organised during the Festival. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapter XIX (Culture). UNESCO Future Forum on “Small Island Developing States (SIDS), with special emphasis on the Caribbean - The Challenges for International Development Cooperation in the 2010’s” (8 July 2010) A special edition of the UNESCO Future Forum on “Small Island Developing States (SIDS), with special emphasis on the Caribbean - the challenges for international development cooperation in the 2010s” will be held in Port of Spain , Trinidad and Tobago on 8 July 2010. This day-long Forum will immediately follow the UNESCO Director-General’s Consultation with the National Commissions from Latin America and the Caribbean on the preparation for UNESCO’s Draft Programme and Budget for 2012-2013. [More] Mauritius Strategy: General. Workshop on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Samoa (23-25 June 2010) This Workshop will discuss a strategy and action plan for strengthening the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage in Samoa by making use of different policy instruments and practical tools made available through UNESCO’s programme in this field. The Workshop will also examine the opportunity presented by the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapter XIX (Culture). CALL FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS - Youth Visioning for Island Living 2010-2011 (Deadline: 31 May 2010) Youth Visioning for Island Living is a capacity building initiative that aims to empower young people in small islands to make a difference. Through Youth Visioning, enthusiastic and dedicated young people work on projects dealing with the interlinkages between HIV/AIDS and human rights. Youth Visioning support to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) youth projects on HIV / AIDS is possible through the funding of UNAIDS Unified Budget and Workplan 2010-2011. Proposals should reach UNESCO on or before 31 May 2010. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapters XIV (Sustainable capacity development and education for sustainable development), XVI (National and regional enabling environments), XVII (Health) and XIX (Culture). Diversity of Cultures and Languages in Nauru (21 May 2010) Nauru will celebrate 2010 World Day for Cultural Divrsity for Dialogue and Development on 21 May with the participation of 9 different schools in Nauru. Under the theme of Diversity of Cultures and Languages in Nauru, the celebration will consist of workshops on weaving and flower garlands, canoe race, and essay competition on the topic of "Living in an Multicultural Society". [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapter XIX (Culture). 5th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands: Ensuring Survival, Preserving Life, Improving Governance (3-7 May 2010) UNESCO Paris, 3 - 7 May 2010. Oceans, Climate, Biodiversity: From Copenhagen 2009 to Nagoya 2010. Hosted by UNESCO and the Government of France [ More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapters I (Climate change and sea-level rise), II (Natural hazards and disasters) and IV (Coastal and marine resources). 1st Forum of Latin-American and Caribbean Parliamentarians for Education (04-05 May 2010) Within the framework of UNESCO’s Medium-Term Strategy 2008-2013, stressing the need to reinforce the Organization's partnership with the parliaments by associating them more closely with the implementation of its programmes, UNESCO's Sector for External Relations and Cooperation is organizing the 1st Forum of Latin American and Caribbean Parliamentarians for Education (FLACPED I) on 4 and 5 May 2010, in Santiago de Chile. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapters XIV (Sustainable capacity development and education for sustainable development) and XVI (National and regional enabling environments). Subregional Network Meeting on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Pacific (27-28 April 2010) A Subregional Network Meeting on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Pacific was held in Nadi from 27 to 28 April 2010, co-organised by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre for Asia and the Pacific (ICHCAP) and the Institute of Fijian Language and Culture. The Meeting provided an opportunity for Pacific state parties to the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage to present updated information on their ICH safeguarding activities and the implementation of the 2003 Convention in particular ICH inventory making. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapter XIX (Culture). Education For All (EFA) End of Decade Assessment Preparatory Meeting (20-24 April 2010) National Education for All (EFA) co-odinators and education statisticians will gather in Fiji in April to discuss their progress toward achieving EFA. The meeting will run for four days and focus on the development of an End of Decade Assessment for eight countries: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapters XIV (Sustainable capacity development and education for sustainable development) and XVI (National and regional enabling environments). The Sandwatch National Workshop for Grenada (14-15 April 2010) Following a request from Mr. Eugene Gittens, the Secretary General of the Grenada National Commission for UNESCO and the Grenada Ministry of Education to host a Sandwatch 'Train-the-Trainers' workshop, a very successful two (2) day training session was organised in St. Georges on April 14th and 15th, 2010. The workshop served to launch a pilot project for the planned integration of Sandwatch into the National Curriculum for all schools primary and secondary within the country for the school year commencing September 2010. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapter I (Climate change). UNESCO Participation Programme and Small Islands Developing States (14 April 2010) The Participation Programme provided direct assistance to initiatives undertaken by SIDS Member States and Associate Members, in line with priorities determined by the countries themselves and the Approved Programme and Budget for the Organization. [More] Mauritius Strategy: General. Caribbean Conference on Higher Education (11-13 April 2010) From April 11-13, 2010 UNESCO-IESALC organized the Caribbean Conference on Higher Education in Paramaribo, Suriname. The conference was organized in close collaboration with the Organization of American States (OAS), UNESCO Kingston office, UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education for the Caribbean (IESALC) [ More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapter XIV (Sustainable capacity development and education for sustainable development). UNESCO organizes theatre performances for displaced people in Haiti (11 April 2010) A theatrical project supported by UNESCO with the Haitian street theatre troupe Zhovie aims to give displaced people in Port-au-Prince a moment of joy and solace, and to help relieve their fears after the 12 January earthquake that left many of them with nothing. Zhovie gave the first performance of the play “Zonbi Lage” on 11 April in a camp in the Haitian capital to an audience of several thousands. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapter XIX (Culture). UNESCO’S action in Small Island Developing States (8 April 2010) An information document was prepared to inform the Executive Board of the status of implementation by UNESCO of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS for 2008-2009. [More] Mauritius Strategy: General. Mobilizing for Haiti Helping Haiti’s recovery: Donate now UNESCO is taking part in international efforts to bring emergency assistance and longer term relief to Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake of 12 January. The Organization is inviting donations to help rebuild Haiti’s education system and preserve the country’s cultural heritage. [More] Mauritius Strategy: General. Report on the World Heritage Programme for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) This document briefly presents a background to the World Heritage Programme for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and describes progress achieved in its implementation since 2005, when it was adopted, to early 2009. It also contains a summary of the outcomes of regional workshops, for the Caribbean Capacity Building Programme held in Havana (Cuba) from 5 to 7 March 2007, and for the Pacific Action Plan held in Cairns (Australia) from 13 to 17 October 2008. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapter XIX (Culture). Calls for New Nominations for Memory of the World International Register (Deadline: 31 March 2010) UNESCO is inviting new nomination proposals for inscription on its Memory of the World International Register, a list of library collections and archive holdings of world significance, which was established in 1997 to promote documentary heritage of universal value. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapter XIX (Culture). Launching of the UNESCO Chair on Inter-religious Understanding and Relations in New Zealand and the Pacific (26 February 2010) The launch of the UNESCO Chair of Interreligious Understanding and Relations was held at the Opening Ceremony of the National Interfaith Dialogue on 26 February 2010. [ More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapters XIV (Sustainable capacity development and education for sustainable development), XVI (National and regional enabling environments) and XIX (Culture). UNESCO publishes report on STI in Latin America and the Caribbean (17 February 2010) UNESCO’s Regional Bureau for Science in Latin America and the Caribbean has just published a 325-page report on the major developments in the National Systems of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) of Latin America since 1945. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapter XI (Science and technology). Call for Michel Batisse Award for Biosphere Reserve Management (Deadline: 15 January 2010) The MAB Secretariat is pleased to invite interested person to submit one case study before 15th January 2010 to mab@unesco.org. Application forms and more details can be found on their website.[More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapter IX (Biodiversity resources). A tsunami watch was in effect for ...Haiti, Cuba, Bahamas, Dominican Republic (13 January 2010) A tsunami measuring 12 cm crest-to-trough was recorded at Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and a tsunami less than 1 cm crest-to-trough was recorded on a deep ocean gauge in the east-central caribbean. Based on these data there could have been destructive tsunami waves near the earthquake epicenter but there is not a threat to coastal areas further away. Therefore the tsunami watch issued by this center is now cancelled. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapters I (Climate change and sea-level rise) and II (Natural hazards and disasters). Advancements in global early warning systems for tsunamis and other ocean hazards 2004-2009 (13 January 2010) Before the tsunami in 2004, there was no system in the Indian Ocean to warn its coastal populations that danger was imminent. Now, five years after and following intensive efforts by twenty-eight governments around the Indian Ocean and a huge international effort coordinated by UNESCO/IOC, a regional end-to-end tsunami and multi-hazard warning system is firmly in place; an interim cover has been provided by Japan and the United States of America since 2005. The Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWS) will start full operational service in 2010. [More] Mauritius Strategy: Chapters I (Climate change and sea-level rise) and II (Natural hazards and disasters). ________ NEWS ARCHIVE: 2009 / 2008 / 2005-2007