The Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit, created in 2014 and located within the Culture and Emergencies entity of the Culture Sector of UNESCO, coordinates and supports activities related to preparedness and response to cultural emergencies, in close consultation with other UNESCO Sectors and Field Offices, and relevant UN entities. It does so through policy advice, the development of new partnerships and tools, the provision of technical backstopping to Headquarters Divisions and Field Offices, as well as by communication and resource mobilization. The Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit is also responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Strategy for the Reinforcement of UNESCO’s Action for the Protection of Culture and the Promotion of Cultural Pluralism in the Event of Armed Conflict, its Addendum concerning emergencies associated with disasters caused by natural and human-induced hazards and the related Action Plan. Finally, the Unit serves the role of secretariat to the Heritage Emergency Fund, a multi-donor fund established in 2015 for the protection of heritage in emergency situations.
Ms Alessandra BORCHI
Coordinator of the Heritage Emergency Fund and Focal Point for the Rapid Response Mechanism
+33 (0)1 45 68 14 00
a.borchi@unesco.org
