The Korean National Commission for UNESCO (KNCU) has launched this year’s ICoN (Increasing Capacities of National Commissions) Programme, with support from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Korea. Designed of two main projects, KNCU will carry out Joint Projects with five National Commissions in the Asia-Pacific region, and a Website Development Project with seven National Commissions of the Caribbean region.

Joint Project in the Asia-Pacific region

Five nominated participants from the Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Laos, Uzbekistan and Pakistan National Commissions are invited for a ten-day study visit to Korea in May. During their stay, the participants will experience the daily workings of KNCU and learn its operations, while also developing a Joint Project, which they will implement upon their returns. KNCU will provide technical and financial support, allowing participating NatComs to successfully implement the projects according to their local needs.

Website Development Project

Following a successful programme last year with six National Commissions in the Pacific region, a total of seven National Commissions of the Caribbean region will participate in this year’s project; this includes Aruba, Curaçao, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Sint Maarten. KNCU will collaborate with these National Commissions to assist them in developing their own websites and to help build the capacities required to manage them. A training workshop in Kingston, Jamaica in September will help participants to increase their website management capacities, ensuring long-term sustainable and active website utilization.