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Expertise

UNESCO’s action on the ground has sparked a legacy of diverse and meaningful international cooperation. Together with dozens of UN Agencies, implementation partners, and financial donors from all backgrounds (governments, agencies, individuals, foundations and NGOs), UNESCO’s involvement in Palestine, led by the Ramallah Field Office and dedicated teams within the Organization’s Program Sectors, has facilitated a significant number of projects in the interest of peace and stability among the Palestinian people.

 

In each of UNESCO’s domains, the Organization has launched and managed projects under its various collaborative initiatives. The wide range of projects aims to impact the largest number of beneficiaries possible.

The diversity of agencies and stakeholders partnering with UNESCO has ensured that projects benefit from the best expertise in a variety of domains, from promoting freedom of expression to safeguarding archaeological sites; from the right to education in crisis areas to the creation of new museums.

 

The commitment demonstrated by UNESCO member nations and international organizations, NGOs and other entities strongly illustrates the importance of sustainable, reliable, and continuous support to the Palestinian people, not only in times of immediate crisis, but also for the promotion of lasting peace.

Leading Education 2030

Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) of the 2030 Agenda encompasses all aspects of education to ensure “inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. After the Incheon Declaration was adopted at the World Education Forum in 2015, UNESCO was entrusted with coordinating the Education 2030 agenda alongside its education partners, with the goal of achieving the ten targets in the Education 2030 Framework for Action. Within this framework, UNESCO is committed to promoting the right to education for all Palestinian children, youth and adults, and actively supports the Palestinian Authority in the areas of education policy and planning, support for teachers, and inclusive participation of key partners.

 

As a technical advisor, UNESCO has been working closely with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to provide technical assistance in inclusive and child-friendly education, teacher education strategy, curriculum reform, and the drafting of new laws and policies to achieve the targets of SDG 4 in Palestine, all with the aim of ensuring equal, equitable, and quality education for all.  Through its support of global and national frameworks (Education Development Strategic Plan 2014-2019), UNESCO also engages closely with other UN agencies, civil society organizations and NGOs in the system of global and local coordination mechanisms known as Cluster Systems. Amidst coordinated efforts on the part of all education stakeholders and partners, UNESCO is currently co-chairing the Education Sector Working Group, providing a space for education actors in Palestine to review their achievements and pave a way forward for education, while providing technical input for various education sub-thematic groups.

Through its support of global and national frameworks such as the National Policy Agenda (Priority 8: Quality Education for All), the  Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) 2017-2022, and the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), UNESCO plays an active role in this Cluster System, engaging closely with Thematic Working Groups and the Education Cluster.  Furthermore, UNESCO’s urgent interventions in the field of education in emergencies in Palestine are guided by the UNESCO Strategic Framework for Education in Emergencies in the Arab Region (2018-2021).

Contacts at the Education Unit

Sonia EZAM
Senior Programme Officer
+972 (0)2 2959740
Wisam AL-ASSI
Programme Assistant
+972 (0)2 2959740

Culture

Supporting Culture and Cultural Heritage constitutes one of UNESCO’s core mandates and is deeply reflected in UNESCO Ramallah’s work in Palestine. Our programmes, projects and activities promote the safeguarding and management of cultural heritage while emphasizing the role of culture in sustainable development.

The mission of the Culture Unit is to provide technical assistance to Palestinian institutions and professionals in the safeguarding of cultural heritage in both its tangible and intangible forms, as well as to aid in the development of cultural and creative industries.

The Culture Unit has a responsive planning approach that follows a systematic feedback process, focusing on technical assistance for capacity-building, policy-making, pilot activities, the establishment of partnerships, and the dissemination and implementation of best practices. An important precondition for sustainable and reliable UNESCO action in Palestine remains the widespread perception of UNESCO’s role as an honest and trusted intermediary which encourages informed and active participation from the stakeholders working together on these issues. Our actions involve the input and participation of governmental and non-governmental organizations, local communities, the private sector, as well as civil society.

Contacts at the Culture Unit

Mr. Giovanni SCEPI
Head of Culture Unit and Culture Programme Specialist
+972 (0)2 2959740
Mr. Mohammad Abu Hammad
Project Coordinator
+972 (0)2 2959740
Ms. Salaam Bannoura
Assistant Project Officer
+972 (0)2 2959740

Communication and Information

The Communication and Information Sector strives to foster freedom of expression, media development, and access to information and knowledge in line with UNESCO’s mandate to “promote the free flow of ideas by word and image”.

Our programmes directly contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (including SDGs 4, 5, 8, 9, 10,11,13,16 and 17) set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with specific attention to the social, political and economic mutations of the digital age.

In collaboration with local Palestinian partners, UNESCO advances freedom of expression and the safety of journalists online and off-line, notably in the framework of United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists. Moreover, the Sector combats online hate speech, as well as disinformation and misinformation through awareness raising initiatives, steady monitoring, capacity-building activities, and technical support to Member States.

The Sector’s activities are supported by the intergovernmental programme, the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), which support grassroots projects and implement activities along the priorities set by their governing bodies in Palestine.

Contacts at the Communication and Information Unit

Ms. Hala B. Tannous
Communication and Information Focal point