International UNESCO Earth Network
On December 1st 2020, Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO launched a Multi-Partner Trust Fund “UNESCO Network of international environmental experts- the UNESCO Earth Network” with a global resource mobilization target of USD 20 million over an initial period of 4 years.
The Fund became effective with the signature of a funding agreement between Italy, the first donor and founding partner, and UNESCO, with a contribution of USD 3.9 million over three years.
The Fund offers an international cooperation platform in the area of biodiversity, the ocean and climate change between experts and UNESCO Member States, opening the door to transformative actions within territories to regenerate human/nature relationships and restore ecosystems, conserve ecosystem harmony and amplify the power of youth, which are the three pillars of UNESCO's strategic actions for biodiversity.
Thanks to Italy's catalytic and very generous funding, other public and private donors are invited to share the commitment of UNESCO and the Italian Government to these values and goals by supporting the implementation of UNESCO's biodiversity strategy.
Through the “UNESCO Network of international environmental experts", training will be provided in the restoration and conservation of ecosystems in biosphere reserves, global geoparks and natural heritage sites. The programme also aims to regenerate the relationship between humans and nature through the promotion of good practices, knowledge and know-how that respect biodiversity, as well as the elements of intangible heritage related to local and indigenous knowledge and practices.
The main objectives of the programme are centered on:
- support to capacity for ecosystem management, restoration and resilience in UNESCO-designated sites (or sites in the process of being designated), through training and exchange of experiences and good practices;
- mitigation and adaptation of ecosystems to the effects of climate change;
- support to youth and local communities for transformative change in values and practices.
This programme will create a unique network of experts, including young people, to support UNESCO designated sites and demonstrate that living in harmony with nature is already possible.
The creation of a Multi-Partner Trust Fund 'UNESCO Earth Network' is in line with UNESCO's Strategy for Biodiversity and will contribute to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework as well as to the two UN Decades of Ecosystem Restoration and Ocean Science.
The Multi-Partner Trust Fund 'UNESCO Earth Network’ is guided by a steering committee with representatives of UNESCO and the donors and by a scientific committee of 9 international experts to give respectively strategic and scientific guidance.
Join us
If you wish to support this programme in favor of the sites designated by UNESCO and contribute to the two decades of the United Nations on the restoration of ecosystems and Ocean Sciences:
Contribute to the Multi-Partner Trust Fund
To foster programmatic coherence, reduce fragmentation, and strengthen national capacity and systems around the UNESCO designated sites and to capture and replicate innovation, contributions from individual donors are pooled within the Multi-Partner Trust Fund set up to support the programme. There is no threshold for financial contributions to the Fund, but donors who provide more than USD 200,000 will also sit on the Steering Committee which will provide strategic direction and advice on the programme. Two seats on the Steering Committee will also be rotated annually between donors who provide contributions of less than USD 200,000. More information on the "UNESCO Network of international environmental experts- the UNESCO Earth Network" is available below.
Call for volunteer experts including young people
UNESCO is launching a call to constitute a roster of volunteer experts, prioritizing local and regional experts in the field of biodiversity and land restoration, environmental management and environmental law, as well as knowledge holders. Volunteer experts will provide technical advice, generate data, build partnerships and provide training so that local actors, particularly indigenous people, youths, and women, can share their learning and knowledge throughout the Networks of UNESCO designated sites and elements through targeted activities.