2018 Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting of National Commissions for UNESCO
Where: Gyeongju, Republic of Korea
When: 19 to 21 September 2018
The 2018 Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting of National Commissions for UNESCO, co-organized by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO and the UNESCO Bangkok Office, took place from 19 to 21 September in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea.
It was the first time that Secretaries-General and staff from National Commissions in Asia and the Pacific have gathered as a group since 2010, when the Director-General’s Consultation with National Commissions for UNESCO in Asia and the Pacific on the Preparation of the Draft Medium-Term Strategy for 2012-2017(36 C/4) and the Draft Programme and Budget for 2012-2013 (36 C/5) was co-organized by the UNESCO Secretariat and the Korean National Commission for UNESCO in Changwon, Republic of Korea.
The aims of the meeting were to contribute to strengthening the capacities of, and cooperation among, National Commissions in the Asia-Pacific region, and to continue the regional discussion on the agenda dealt with at the 5th Interregional Meeting of National Commissions for UNESCO held in Diani, Kenya in June 2018, as well as discussing the points arising from the final reports of the Training Workshops for National Commissions in the Asia-Pacific Region co-organized by Korean National Commission for UNESCO and the UNESCO Bangkok Office in Bangkok, Thailand in 2016 and 2017.
More than 100 delegates from 30 National Commissions, the UNESCO Secretariat, four UNESCO Regional Offices, and five Category 2 Centers in the region attended the meeting.
Participants discussed strengthening the network of National Commissions and enhancing cooperation, both among National Commissions and between UNESCO Field Offices and National Commissions. Participating National Commissions agreed that Action Plan for Enhancing the Cooperation of the UNESCO Secretariat with National Commissions for UNESCO, adopted at the 37th session of the General Conference, needs to be updated. The Korean National Commission proposed that a Regional Meeting of National Commissions be held on a regular basis and that a fund be raised to support regional and sub-regional projects.
Discussions were also held on implementation of the SDGs and UNESCO’s Strategic Transformation. The UNESCO Secretariat emphasized the important role of National Commissions in implementing the SDGs at the regional and national levels, including through advocacy, communication and visibility-raising.
At the closing session, the ‘Gyeongju Recommendation’ was adopted as an outcome document, with 20 recommendations in six areas. The details of the meeting and the Gyeongju Recommendation will be shared at the meeting of National Commissions for UNESCO to be held in the margins of the 205th session of the Executive Board.
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