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UNESCO QUESTIONNAIRE - Consultation on the preparation of the Draft Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029 (41 C/4) and the Draft Programme and Budget 2022-2025 (41 C/5)

UNESCO Questionnaire

Director-General Consultation

of Member States and Associate Members, including their National Commissions for UNESCO,

on the preparation of the Draft Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029 (41 C/4)

and the Draft Programme and Budget 2022-2025 (41 C/5)

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PURPOSE

This questionnaire is designed to gather Member States views and feedback on the future vision and priorities for UNESCO to be defined in the next Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029 (41 C/4) and the future Programme and Budget for 2022-2025 (41 C/5), in conformity with the decisions of the General Conference at its 40th session (40 C/Resolution 102 and 40 C/Resolution 103).

In accordance with the Roadmap adopted by the General Conference at its 40 th session (Annex of document 40 C/11), the questionnaire is an important milestone in the broader consultation process of Member States and relevant stakeholders. Its findings will serve to inform the Director-General’s Preliminary Proposals on the Drafts 41 C/4 and 41 C/5 that will be submitted to UNESCO’s Executive Board, at its 210 th session, in Autumn 2020. The debates and subsequent decision of the Executive Board at that session will serve as a framework for preparing the Draft Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029 (41 C/4) and the Draft Programme and Budget 2022-2025 (41 C/5), which will be examined by the General Conference at its 41st session in Autumn 2021.

In preparing your response to this questionnaire, you are strongly encouraged to:

a. Conduct consultations in your country by engaging with a diversity of partners and other stakeholders including academia, youth organizations and networks, civil society, and local experts in the domains of UNESCO’s competence, partners and other national experts and representatives who are members of UNESCO International and Intergovernmental Programmes;

b. Consult the relevant documents (e.g. General Conference documents, UNESCO evaluation reports) accessible here. To note: all documents referred to in this survey are also accessible through direct links included in the text.

Following a general introductory section on the global context, the questionnaire is composed of two parts:

- Part A (11 questions) concerning the future Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029 (41 C/4); and - Part B (11 questions) concerning the future Programme and Budget for 2022-2025 (41 C/5).

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INSTRUCTIONS TO COMPLETE THE QUESTIONNAIRE

Please take note of the following guidelines when completing the questionnaire:

- Each Member State is entitled to submit one reply only. Please identify yourself at the beginning of the questionnaire.

- The online version of the questionnaire exists in all six official languages of UNESCO (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish).1

- Complete this questionnaire by 15 May 2020 at the latest.

- Once you have completed the online questionnaire, your response will be registered and cannot be modified. It is important, therefore, to conduct all necessary internal consultations before completing the questionnaire.

- Consider also the following technical details:

- The list of countries on the "Identification" page presents the list of UNESCO Member States in alphabetical order, followed by the list of Associate Members also in alphabetical order;

- To scroll from one page to another, you can at any moment use the "Previous" or "Next" buttons available at the bottom of each page;

- While there is no text limit in the comment boxes, please keep your replies as concise as possible.

- You have the possibility of completing the questionnaire in several stages, SurveyMonkey will automatically save your data. To find your saved data, simply open again the link provided using imperatively the same computer and the same browser.

- Your answer will be definitively taken into account and will no longer be modifiable once you have clicked on the "Submission" button at the end of the questionnaire.

Kindly contact Ms. Aurore Salinas at [email protected] (Tel: +33 (0) 1 45 68 12 68) should you require technical assistance in completing the questionnaire.

1 The Word version of the questionnaire can be provided on demand.

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IDENTIFICATION

(*) Identification of the Member State or Associate Member State on behalf of whom you are submitting a reply

Please select your country name

Please select your region

AfricaArab StatesAsia and the PacificEurope and North AmericaLatin America and the Caribbean

(*) Please enter your name and title

(*) Please enter your email

Please indicate which groups of national partners and other stakeholders were consulted in preparing your responses

Yes No

Academia

Civil society / NGOs

Youth (youth organizations, networks, students, experts, among others)

National experts in UNESCO's domains of competence

Expert(s)/ member(s) of UNESCO International and Intergovernmental Programmes

Other UNESCO networks and “UNESCO family” members (e.g. UNESCO Chairs, UNESCO category 2 institutes and centres, etc.)

______________________

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Note: Mandatory fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

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GLOBAL CONTEXT

In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly set out, through the 2030 Agenda, an ambitious and transformative vision for the world. Drawing on its mandate, and mobilizing all of its partners and stakeholders, UNESCO has a fundamental role to play in making the 2030 Agenda a reality.

In their decision 40 C/Resolution 102 (“Preparation of the Draft Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029”), Member States reaffirmed “the abiding relevance of UNESCO’s mandate to the achievement of sustainable development and international peace” and stressed “the importance for UNESCO to support its Member States in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as other relevant internationally agreed development goals”. They also emphasized “the importance of aligning UNESCO’s action with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Samoa Pathway”.

During their debates at the 40th session of the General Conference, Member States identified key global trends and contemporary challenges facing the world, and the critical need to address them through dialogue, international cooperation and reinvigorated multilateralism. These include: climate change; threats to the environment and degradation of biodiversity; depletion of ocean resources and access to water; impact of frontier technologies (notably artificial intelligence) in all areas of life; hate speech and rising extremism; disinformation and decline in press freedom; threats to cultural heritage and diversity of cultural expressions; growing urbanization and mega cities; protracted conflicts and crisis; unequal access to knowledge and technology; gender inequalities in all areas of economic, political, social and cultural life (see documents 40 C/INF.18 ; 40 C/INF.30).

Recognizing that persistent poverty and growing inequalities pose severe risks to the building of open, peaceful and inclusive societies, Member States reiterated the importance for UNESCO to pursue its role in support of the 2030 Agenda and strengthen transversal approaches and integrated responses articulated around the “Leaving No One Behind” pledge and a human rights-based approach, grounded on key principles of equality, non-discrimination and equity.

In recognizing “the need for UNESCO to continue evolving, adapting and renewing itself in order to consolidate its role in international cooperation more effectively”, they also invited UNESCO to pursue efforts aimed at “harnessing its comparative advantage to address the challenges of the contemporary world, strengthening its programmes and their impact, and making the Organization better fit to address the challenges of the future” in the context of the United Nations reform process. This questionnaire seeks your contribution to help delineate UNESCO’s overall vision, leadership role and strategic objectives for the 2022-2029 period.

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PART A

Questionnaireon the preparation of the future

Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029 (41 C/4)

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I. MISSION AND FUNCTIONS

I.1 - Mission statement

As recalled by Member States in their decision on the preparation of the future Medium-Term Strategy (40 C/Resolution 102), Article I of UNESCO’s Constitution states that the purpose of the Organization is “to contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among the nations through education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations”.

UNESCO’s current Medium-Term Strategy (2014-2021) puts forth that “as a specialized agency of the United Nations, UNESCO – pursuant to its Constitution – contributes to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, and sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information”.

Question A1. When designing the future Medium-Term Strategy that will guide the Organization’s efforts in addressing emerging global challenges, should UNESCO revise its mission statement and formulate it differently?

Yes No

If yes, please suggest an alternative formulation:

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I. MISSION AND FUNCTIONS

I.2 - Functions

During their debates at the 40th General Conference, Member States reaffirmed the relevance of UNESCO’s five core functions presented in the Medium-Term Strategy for 2014-2021 (37 C/4) , and invited the Director-General to “take into consideration the need for a better reflected differentiation and focus of UNESCO’s role and functions at the global, regional and national levels with a view of leaving no one behind” (40 C/Resolution 102 ) .

Question A2. Please indicate the degree to which these functions should be carried out at the global, regional or country level (scale: High/Medium/Low)

Global level

(H/M/L)

Regional level

(H/M/L)

Country level

(H/M/L)

Laboratory of ideas: generating innovative proposals and policy advice in its fields of competence

Clearing house: developing and reinforcing the global agenda in its fields of competence through policy analysis, monitoring and benchmarking

Standard-setter: setting norms and standards in its fields of competence, supporting and monitoring their implementation

Catalyst for international cooperation: strengthening international and regional cooperation in its fields of competence, fostering alliances, intellectual cooperation, knowledge-sharing and operational partnerships

Capacity-builder: providing advice for policy development and implementation, and developing institutional and human capacities

Comments

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II. GUIDING FRAMEWORK: THE 2030 AGENDA

With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, UNESCO reassessed its strategic orientations to target those core areas where the Organization had a recognized international role of coordination, benchmarking and monitoring, advocacy, capacity development and policy advice. While recognizing the indivisible nature of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNESCO has focused its attention in the 2016-2021 period on nine SDGs to which it contributes significantly, through an integrated approach, drawing on all of its areas of specialized expertise, and in close partnership with UN entities and partners from the public and private sector. UNESCO has also identified three other SDGs (SDGs 1, 10 and 17) as cross-cutting and relevant to the Organization’s action. Furthermore, the Organization has embedded in all its programmes the 2030 Agenda commitment to leaving no one behind and to universal respect for human rights and human dignity.

At the 40th session of the General Conference, Member States expressed concerns about the slow progress towards the achievement of a number of SDGs and reiterated the important role and contribution of UNESCO in accelerating progress in cooperation with its partners. They reaffirmed “the abiding relevance of UNESCO’s mandate to the achievement of sustainable development and international peace”, and stressed “the importance for UNESCO of supporting its Member States in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the attainment of the SDGs”). They also invited the Director-General to “clarify further UNESCO’s strategic role and contribution in the achievement of the SDGs” (40 C/Resolution 102).

Question A3. In light of the above, please indicate on a High/Medium/Low scale those SDGs where you believe UNESCO has a strategic role and contribution, and towards which the Organization should concentrate its efforts and resources during the 2022-2029 period.

Please note that the nine SDGs that the Organization is focusing on currently are marked with an asterisk in the list below.

Sustainable Development Goals High Medium

Low

SDG1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere

SDG2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

SDG3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

SDG4 (*): Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

SDG5 (*): Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

SDG6 (*): Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

SDG7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

SDG8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

SDG9 (*): Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization

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and foster innovation

SDG10: Reduce inequality within and among countries

SDG11 (*): Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

SDG12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

SDG13 (*): Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

SDG14 (*): Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

SDG15 (*): Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

SDG16 (*): Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainabledevelopment, provide access to justice for all and build effective,accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

SDG17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

For those SDGs that you have indicated as “High”, please also provide comments on the overall positioning, specific comparative advantages and challenges or opportunities regarding UNESCO’s future contribution to these SDGs and their related targets.

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III. STRATEGIC CROSS-CUTTING AREAS OF ACTION

Member States at the 40th session of the General Conference called on UNESCO to strengthen integrated and cross-disciplinary approaches, drawing on the Organization’s unique multi-disciplinary competencies (40 C/INF.18 and 40 C/INF.30). They underscored “the opportunity for UNESCO to further harness its multidisciplinarity, its expertise and experience in its fields of competence, stressing the importance of inter- and intra-programmatic approaches, where appropriate, in order to strengthen its position within the United Nations development system, and achieve synergies and greater impact”. They also invited the Director-General to “streamline programmatic activities with a view of enhancing UNESCO’s leadership in education, sciences, culture, communication and information, which constitute its core mandate”, focusing especially on areas of comparative advantage for the Organization (40 C/Resolution 102 ).

The current Medium-Term Strategy for 2014-2021 is underpinned by nine Strategic Objectives that have been conceived in an interdisciplinary approach. In pursuance of the General Conference Resolution, and bearing in mind all of the above, the future Medium-Term Strategy should be built on the foundation of a limited set of overarching strategic objectives, that would help drive the 2030 Agenda forward. Such objectives, as discussed during the 40th session of the General Conference and the “Dialogues” meetings with the Permanent Delegations, would drive strong intersectoral cooperation to address global emerging challenges and cross-cutting strategic priorities aligned with the SDGs and underpinned by a human rights-based approach to development.

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Question A4. Taking into account major challenges and opportunities identified by Member States during the 40th session of the General Conference, the following are possible cross-cutting areas of action aligned with the SDGs, which could guide UNESCO’s Medium-Term Strategy, and be translated into both strategic objectives and programmatic terms of relevance to all sectors in the next two quadrennial Programmes (see also Question B4 in Part B).Please indicate the level of relevance of each of the following transversal areas of action, as a basis for future strategic investment and prioritization.

High Medium Low

1. Promote lifelong learning, inclusive and creative societies (SDGs 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 16, 17)

High Medium Low

2. Enhance environmental sustainability and mitigate and adapt to climate change (SDGs 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)

High Medium Low

3. Foster open, diverse and peaceful societies (SDGs 1, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 16, 17)

High Medium Low

4. Advance ethical standards and policy frameworks adapted to the new digital environment

and reduce the digital divide (SDGs 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17)

High Medium Low

5. Other (please specify in the Comments box below)

Comments

Any additional comments

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IV. GLOBAL PRIORITIES AND PRIORITY TARGET GROUPS

By decision 40 C/Resolution 102, Member States invited the Director-General to continue dedicating “adequate attention to UNESCO’s global priorities Africa and Gender Equality and to priority groups particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Youth”.

IV.1 – Global priorities

Africa

UNESCO’s current Operational Strategy for Priority Africa (2014-2021) is closely aligned with the goals of the First Ten-Year Implementation Plan of the African Union Agenda 2063, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development. The 2014 Strategy was designed based on an initial mapping of UNESCO’s contribution to the relevant goals of these two Agendas (See document 200 EX/13.INF ) .

Question A5. In your view, how could Priority Africa be better mainstreamed and prioritized in UNESCO’s next Medium-Term Strategy?

Gender equality

As an established United Nations crosscutting system-wide priority, Member States recognized gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls (SDG 5) as one of the most powerful levers for achieving all of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Question A6. Please indicate the level of importance of the following SDGs and their related targets for UNESCO to pursue and prioritize in its Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029

High Medium Low

1. Gender disparities in education are eliminated (SDG Target 4.5)

2. Women and girls live a life free from violence, harassment and oppression (SDG Targets 5.1 and 5.2)

3. Women have income security, decent work, economic autonomy and social protection (SDG Targets 8.5 and 8.8)

4. Women are leaders, participate in and benefit equally from inclusive and participatory systems of governance (SDG Target 5.5)

5. Women have universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SDG Target 5.6)

6. Women and girls have access to and fully participate in technological developments and frontier technologies that are free of gender biases (SDG Target 5B)

7. Women and girls lead action for climate justice (SDG 13)

8. Sex-disaggregated statistics are gathered for evidence-based policy making and monitoring (SDG Target 17.8)

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9. Enforceable legislation and inclusive policies are in place for the promotion of gender equality policies and the empowerment of all women and girls (SDG Target 5C)

10. Other (Please specify in the Comments box below)

Comments

IV.2 – Priority target groups

Youth

UNESCO’s current Operational Strategy on Youth (2014-2021) is closely aligned with the Youth 2030 – UN Youth Strategy. In all its fields of competence, across all programmes, UNESCO works with and for youth. The Mid-Term Review of UNESCO’s Strategy confirms that UNESCO has established an integrated and transversal approach to youth engagement that enables youth, in all their diversity, to contribute to the implementation of the SDGs.

Furthermore, at the 40th session of the General Conference, Member States underlined the importance of youth participation as a priority, emphasizing the need to further actively and meaningfully engage youth in UNESCO’s work (40 C/INF.30 ).

Question A7. In your view, and in light of past experience, how best could UNESCO ensure that youth engagement is better integrated in the future Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029?

Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

UNESCO is currently implementing the SIDS Action Plan for 2016-2021 that was developed in alignment with the UN Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway adopted in 2014. In 2019, SIDS Member States gathered to reflect on the current Action Plan, the evolution of needs and priorities of SIDS, and to define an approach for the remaining implementation phase of the current Action Plan (2016-2021), as well as for future actions post 2021. Member States noted that future plans would have to take into account the outcomes of the SAMOA Pathway Mid-Term Review and the fourth international conference of SIDS likely to be held in 2024, which should lead to the SAMOA+10 era.

Question A8. What would you recommend for UNESCO to do during the period 2022-2029, in order to respond more effectively to the needs of the SIDS? Please provide up to three recommendations on priority areas to be addressed.

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V. PARTNERING FOR DEVELOPMENT

In order to take forward the 2030 Agenda, UNESCO must leverage partnerships (SDG 17) that are relevant to its mandate, for greater impact, ownership and sustainability. UNESCO’s Comprehensive partnership strategy( 207 EX/11) captures new thinking on building a more open, engaging and outward looking UNESCO and recognizes a certain number of key partners and stakeholders that UNESCO would need to engage with for the accomplishment of its mission. It also paves the way for a more integrated, synergistic approach to partnerships in the new Medium-Term Strategy. This should be read also in conjunction with UNESCO’s information document on its strategy for public awareness and advocacy (Ref. 207 EX/5.III.E.INF and 209 EX/5.II.E.INF). Noting that UNESCO could not achieve its goals by its own, Member States underlined during the 40th session of the General Conference that “success will depend on fostering dynamic partnerships that leverage the strengths of [its] numerous partners” (40 C/Resolution 102 ).

Question A9. Which innovations would you suggest in UNESCO’s approach to partnerships? Please limit to three proposals

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VI. COMMUNICATION

Communication is not only a tool for visibility; it is also a means of engagement and advocacy.

Question A10. As part of a wider ambition to develop a renewed vision of the communication function of UNESCO, please indicate which of the areas listed below should be given priority for investment in future (Scale: High/Medium/Low).

High Medium Low

Social media

Digital content development (stories, video, podcasts)

Data and institutional information

Image and influence

Impactful publications

Public outreach

Media and press relations

UNESCO’s website

Other (please specify in the Comments box below)

Comments

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ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Question A11 (optional): Do you have any additional comments concerning the future Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029?

THANK YOUYou have successfully completed the questionnaire on the Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029 (41 C/4).

You can proceed now with your replies toPART B - Questionnaire on the Programme and Budget for 2022-2025 (41 C/5)

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UNESCO QUESTIONNAIRE - Consultation on the preparation of the Draft Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029 (41 C/4)

and the Draft Programme and Budget 2022-2025 (41 C/5)

PART B

Questionnaireon the preparation of the Programme and Budget

for 2022-2025 (41 C/5)

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INTRODUCTION

In accordance with the quadrennial programme cycle adopted by the 36th session of the General Conference (36 C/Resolution 105), the Programme and Budget for 2022-2025 (41 C/5) will be the first Programme and Budget to be implemented in the context of the new Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029 (41 C/4).

At the 40th session of the General Conference, Member States deliberated on the various aspects of the preparation of the 41 C/5, and requested the Director-General to launch the preparation of the Draft Programme for 2022-2025 and the related Budget for 2022-2023 (41 C/5) in accordance with the timeline and Roadmap adopted for the preparation of the Medium-Term Strategy (40 C/Resolution 102 and 40 C/Resolution 103 ) .

Furthermore, as delineated in document 40 C/7, Member States decided that the 41 C/5 should be elaborated along the following principles: (a) setting priorities, shaping the programmes while sharpening programmatic focus; (b) harnessing UNESCO’s multidisciplinary expertise to design and implement integrated and holistic programmes in support of Member States to adequately address complex issues and national priorities; (c) designing programmes with robust results frameworks and ensure greater, more sustainable impact; (d) strengthening monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and the formulation of exit strategies and sunset clauses; (e) leveraging partnerships for greater impact, ownership and sustainability; (f) clearly setting out and implementing the accountability framework within which the Organization operates; (g) strengthening Results-Based Management; and (h) ensuring that the Organization’s financial management model provides a robust and sustainable mechanism to support the delivery of the strategic objectives set out by its Member States.

This Questionnaire aims at gathering Member States views and guidance on how best the Director-General could respond to the General Conference’s requirements for the elaboration of the Draft 41 C/5.

Please reply to the following questions in consistency with the responses you provided in Part A of the survey concerning the preparation of the future Medium-Term Strategy (41 C/4).




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I. FOCUSING ON THE ORGANIZATION’S GLOBAL PRIORITIES

During the 40th session of the General Conference, Africa and Gender Equality were widely confirmed as global priorities to be maintained during the 2022-2025 period.

I.1 - Africa

UNESCO’s current Operational Strategy for Priority Africa (2014-2021) including its six Flagship Programmes is closely aligned with the goals of the First Ten-Year Implementation Plan of the African Union Agenda 2063, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (see also 200 EX/13.INF ) . Enhancing this alignment can be achieved by further mainstreaming UNESCO’s actions in favor of global priority Africa.

Taking into account the decision of the General Conference (40 C/Resolution 102), and in line with its action plan, UNESCO started a reflection on the impact of the current operational strategy. Lessons learned from the implementation of flagship programmes will help develop new plans and modalities that would ensure significant contribution to the achievement of the 2063 African Union Agenda and the 2030 Agenda Goals.

Question B1. In your view, what should UNESCO do to ensure more impactful implementation and greater visibility of UNESCO’s action in and for Africa?

Agree Disagree No opinion

Continue with the design and implementation of “flagship” programmes

Develop new plans and modalities to ensure a better mainstreaming of Priority Africa across all UNESCO’s Major Programmes and in the field

Adopt a set of criteria for resources mobilization and allocation for Priority Africa programmes, allowing for a better targeting of countries most in need (such as, for example, targeting the least developed countries in Africa, post-conflict countries, and/or countries with the lowest levels of literacy and education on the African Continent)


Comments



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I. FOCUSING ON THE ORGANIZATION’S GLOBAL PRIORITIES

I.2 - Gender Equality

UNESCO Internal Oversight Service (IOS) is currently conducting a comprehensive review of the implementation of Priority Gender Equality in the last five years. The findings and recommendations of this review should ideally produce practical and realistic guidance for the implementation of this Priority during the next Medium-term period, including for the first cycle of the programme and budget.

Question B2. In your view, and based on relevant decisions of UNESCO’s Executive Board to date, what would be the actions to be taken in order to achieve a greater impact of UNESCO’s work to support Global Priority Gender Equality?

Please indicate your choice on a scale of High/Medium/Low.

High Medium Low

1. Develop a third Priority Gender Equality Action Plan (2022-2029)

2. Pursue transversal gender transformative initiatives across all areas of work

3. Design and implement an operational budget tracking tool

4. Enhance dedicated Gender equality expertise in UNESCO field offices, specifically at the regional level

5. Other (please specify in the Comments box below)

Comment

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II. ENHANCING UNESCO’S PROGRAMMATIC FOCUS

In their decision during the 40th General Conference (40 C/Resolution 102), Member States invited the Director-General to “streamline programmatic activities with a view of enhancing UNESCO leadership in education, sciences, culture, communication and information which constitute its core mandate”. They also noted that the two consecutive Programmes and Budgets represent an opportunity for UNESCO “to further harness its multidisciplinarity, its expertise and experience in its fields of competence, stressing the importance of inter-and intra-programmatic approaches, where appropriate, in order to strengthen its position within the United Nations development system, and achieve synergies and greater impact”.

Question B3. Please highlight up to 3 cases where UNESCO’s actions (technical support; policy advice; key publications; other) have had an impact in your country, and which you believe should inspire the Organization’s future work

II.1 – Prioritization of programmatic areas

Question B4. Bearing in mind the need to focus on the areas in which UNESCO has a clear added value and comparative advantage within the UN system and on its contribution to the 2030 Agenda, which of the following programmatic areas should be prioritized in future (please also refer to the strategic cross-cutting areas of action identified in your response to Question A4)?

The list below is based on the current 40 C/5 programme.

High Medium Low

ED

1. Leadership in the coordination of SDG 4 – Education 20302. Education and lifelong learning policies and plans3. Technical and Vocational Education and Training4. Youth and adult literacy5. Higher education6. Teachers7. Education for sustainable development and global citizenship8. Education for health and well-being9. Gender equality in Education, including education for girls and women10. Right to education11. Education for vulnerable groups and Education in emergencies12. Technology and Artificial Intelligence in education13. Research and foresight14. Curriculum development15. Education for Early Childhood and Care (ECCE)16. Data collection and analysis17. Other (please specify in the Comments box below)

Comments


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High Medium LowS

C18. STI Policy and governance19. Science-policy interface20. Open science21. Science diplomacy22. Gender equality in science23. Basic sciences and engineering24. Biosphere reserves and ecosystems25. Biodiversity26. Climate change monitoring, mitigation and adaptation27. Indigenous and local knowledge systems28. Water Security29. Geoscience30. Disaster Risk Reduction31. Data collection and analysis32. Other (please specify in the Comments box below)

Comments

IOC

33. Healthy ocean ecosystems and sustained ecosystem services34. Effective early warning systems and preparedness for tsunamis and

other ocean-related hazards35. Increased resilience and adaptation to climate change and variability36. Scientifically-founded services for the development of the sustainable

ocean economy37. Enhanced knowledge of emerging ocean science issues38. Data collection and analysis39. Other (please specify in the Comments box below)

Comments

SH

S

40. Ethics and human rights (equity, inclusion)41. Management of social transformation42. Intercultural dialogue43. Sport (physical education, anti-doping, traditional sports and games)44. Data collection and analysis45. Other (please specify in the Comments box below)

Comments

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High Medium LowC

LT

46. World heritage (1972 Convention)47. Illicit trafficking of cultural property (1970 Convention)48. Return and restitution of cultural property49. Museums (2015 Recommendation)50. Cultural property in armed conflict (1954 Convention and its Two Protocols)51. Underwater cultural heritage (2001 Convention)52. Living heritage (2003 Convention)53. Diversity of cultural expressions (2005 Convention)54. Creative economy55. Culture and emergencies56. Cultural policies and sustainable development57. Data collection and analysis58. Other (please specify in the Comments box below)

Comments

CI

59. Freedom of expression and safety of journalists60. Access to information61. Digital transformation62. Media and information literacy63. Media development and journalism education64. Documentary heritage preservation65. Data collection and analysis66. Other (please specify in the Comments box below)

Comments

Any additional general comment?

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II. ENHANCING UNESCO’S PROGRAMMATIC FOCUS

II.2 -Programmes to be re-oriented / discontinued

By decision 40 C/Resolution 102, Member States emphasized “the need for UNESCO to continue evolving, adapting and renewing itself in order to consolidate its role in international cooperation more effectively”.

In accordance with 38 C/Resolution 99, the Secretariat prepared the Strategic Results Report (SRR) 2020, which provides an evidence-based, strategic and analytical assessment of programme implementation over the 2016-2019 period, and is intended to inform the Executive Board’s early discussions on the future Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029 and the Draft Programme and Budget of the Organization for 2022-2025 (See also recent evaluations).

Question B5. Building on your responses to Question B4, and taking into consideration the results presented in the SRR 2020, as well as the findings and recommendations from past evaluations, which programmatic area(s) and/or programme(s) would you recommend to be reoriented or discontinued during the 2022-2025 period?

Please provide up to three suggestions per Major Programme based on the programmatic areas listed in Question B4, and indicate whether these should be re-oriented or discontinued. Please use the text box below to structure your reply, by first indicating the programmatic area, and then the type of action (to re-orient; or to discontinue), followed by a short text to justify/support your suggestion.

https://unesdoc.unesco.org/notice?id=504596a9-5dea-45ee-8528-547869bdc6e3

https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000372853


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II.3 –Strengthening interdisciplinary and intersectoral work

At the 40th session of the General Conference, Member States underscored the need for UNESCO to harness its multidisciplinary expertise and experience in its fields of competence, and stressed the importance of inter- and intra-programmatic approaches, with the aim of achieving greater synergies and impact.

Question B6. In your view, which programmatic area(s) need, as a priority, to be handled in a transversal /intersectoral manner in the next Programme and Budget? Please provide up to three suggestions.

Question B7. In your view, how could UNESCO best facilitate interdisciplinary approaches in programming and implementation, as needed, in the next Programme and Budget?

Yes No No opinionFormulate transversal expected resultsCreate pooled funding mechanisms across sectorsEstablish dedicated intersectoral agile teamsOther (please specify in the Comments box below)

Comments

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III. UNESCO’S PRESENCE IN THE WORLD

Field Office Network

UNESCO implements its activities in its Member States through a network of 53 field offices, which operate at regional, sub-/regional and national levels. In order to sustain relevance, better strategic positioning and enhanced programme delivery, these field offices work in coordination with the programme and corporate sectors at UNESCO Headquarters, with category 1 institutes and centres and in partnership with members of the UNESCO family, e.g. National Commissions for UNESCO, UNESCO Chairs, category 2 institutes and centres, among others. Moreover, UNESCO works jointly with other UN agencies at the country level within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).

The recent reform of the United Nations development system (UNDS) involves a set of far-reaching changes in the way the System works. The reform shall reposition the UNDS to deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and ensure that it is agile, cohesive and responsive to a country’s priorities and people’s needs.

UNESCO has started the review of its field network configuration, informed by the United Nations reform as it unfolds. The review continues, also in pursuance of Member States’ guidance and decisions urging the Organization to align itself with the United Nations reform process (40 C/Resolution 102).

Question B8. In the framework of the global UN development system reform, what changes do you think UNESCO could make to optimize its operations at the regional, sub-regional and national levels?

Yes No No opinion

Align its regional presence, as far as possible, with the regional hubs of the UN system

Better focus regional functions on regional coordination, and on analytical and policy work of relevance to an entire region

Strengthen its commitment to the Field in terms of budget and human resources, and reorganize those resources to ensure greater impact

Develop the practice of flexible arrangements at country level, in alignment with country needs and UN cooperation modalities (UNSDCF)

Ensure a systematic review of Field presence at the end of each quadrennial period of the Programme and Budget (C/5)


Comments


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IV. WORKING TOGETHER WITH ITS PARTNERS

With a wide mandate encompassing numerous thematic areas and programmes in the fields of education, the sciences, culture, communication and information, UNESCO cannot achieve its ambitious objectives alone. Acknowledging that global challenges are too great for any organization to tackle alone, Member States of UNESCO, adopted, at the 40th session of the General Conference, UNESCO’s Comprehensive Partnerships Strategy (207 EX/11 ). The overall purpose of the strategy is to establish a clear framework for leveraging partnership to enhance in a consistent and strategic way the impact and visibility of UNESCO’s programme and to ensure that partnerships contribute to optimal results for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Organization is benefiting from the cooperation with a wide network of partners, including United Nations agencies, donors, Intergovernmental and Non-Governmental Organizations, and members of “UNESCO family”, as well as other key constituencies and networks such as youth organizations, cities and business. Among those partners and networks within UNESCO family, the Organization relies on a network of some 130 category 2 institutes and centres in some 70 countries, which implement projects under the auspices of UNESCO. In addition, over 700 higher education institutions in 116 countries, promote international inter-university cooperation and networking in key priority areas related to UNESCO’s fields of competence within the framework of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme. Some 34 International and Intergovernmental bodies, including category 1 institutes and centres and committees of global conventions, provide high-level expert guidance to the Organization’s mandate.

IV.1 - UNESCO networks

Question B9. In your view, how best can UNESCO harness cooperation with its partners and “family” members to increase synergies, efficiency and impact of its actions? Please limit to three suggestions.

IV.2 - Public and private partnerships

Question B10. How best can Member States assist UNESCO in leveraging partnerships to support programme implementation and the achievement of the 41 C/5 results? Please indicate the degree of significance on a scale of High/Medium/Low

High Medium Low

By helping UNESCO to identify suitable public and private partners on their territory

By convening public and private partners to engage with UNESCO on its strategic objectives

By relaying information to potential partners on modalities and entry points for partnering with UNESCO

By ensuring increased un-earmarked funding


https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000370506?posInSet=1&queryId=6c308883-f0b2-43b1-b015-72d5130d2108

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Comments

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ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Question B11 (optional). Do you have any additional comments concerning the future Programme and Budget for 2022-2025?

THANK YOUYou have successfully completed both parts of UNESCO’s Questionnaire

Part A on the preparation of the Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029 (41 C/4); and Part B on the preparation of the Programme and Budget for 2022-2025 (41 /5)

(SUBMISSION)

· web viewunesco questionnaire - consultation on the preparation of the draft medium-term...

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