Issue 36: From 24 to 28 July 2017 Message of the Director

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1 Issue 36: From 24 to 28 July 2017 Message of the Director Last week the 2 nd TeacHer Regional Training for Africa, which took place in Nairobi, Kenya was an important occasion to represent UNESCO and bring up the issues of partnerships and effective coordination of interventions on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Science, Technology, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) targeting especially girls as gender equality is a global priority and a basic human right for UNESCO. It is important therefore that UNESCO takes a lead role in 1

2 effective coordination and partnerships to ensure that Member States do not get overwhelmed with too many players on the same issue that do not talk to each other. This would ensure less duplication and greater quality outcomes to benefit girls and the different participating Member States. The public-private partnership that the United States of America Mission to UNESCO established through the TeacHer Initiative addressing the gender gap in STEAM through teachers is highly applauded. Through the TeacHer initiative, gender-responsive STEAM training already enabled hundreds of teachers in Africa and in Latin America to inspire and impart STEAM skills to students in gender-equal, engaging and empowering ways. Advancing gender equality is a shared-responsibility, and thus it requires the engagement of governments, civil society, the private sector, UN, bilateral and other development partners, and especially of those that work closest with children in the most formative periods of their lives, teachers. UNESCO is playing its part in furthering SDG 5 on Gender Equality. On 26 July 2017, the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, held a Global town hall meeting on the Reform of the United Nations, referring to his report on operational activities of the United Nations for international development cooperation. These reflections and reform processes are important for UNESCO as we are part of the UN family and such reforms will have a profound impact on Delivering as One. The UN faces several challenges that calls for a need of management reform to better deliver results, in a decentralized way. If we are the people of the United Nations, delivering for the people, the Organization should be a Fieldorganization, therefore all the decisions should be made at field level, and not coming from a central point, that perhaps is not aware of the context and the 2

3 issues. Mr. Guterres highlighted five words that describe the new face of the United Nations: accountable, transparent, decentralized, geared towards results and impact, effective, and with a simplified and faster management system. I encourage all of you to familiarize yourself with the report: Repositioning of the UN development system to deliver on the 2030 agenda- Ensuring a better future for all. This week, from 31 July 2017 to 2 August 2017 UNESCO will carry out a new training for 100 teachers from the informal settlement of Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya. The training is an opportunity to deepen the knowledge of health literacy that can be then cascaded to students, raising awareness of sexuality and behavioral change. I also wish to congratulate UNESCO colleagues on the remarkable work accomplished during the first nine months since my deployment in the Eastern Africa Region. I appreciate the hard-work, the constant team work and encouragement of all staff in the achievements of the UNESCO mandate of building peace in the minds of men and women. Best wishes to all who would take their vacation in the summer period. To those staying behind stay safe and keep your neutrality in the upcoming national elections scheduled in Kenya and Rwanda. It is my fervent prayer for a successful peaceful outcome of the two elections and see you all in September. Have a good start of August with the rotating interims of Jaco, Abdul and Mica. Ann Therese Ndong Jatta 3

4 Announcements Invest together for a peaceful and prosperous Kenya; Elections should not break this peace -IV 4

5 Ethics Teachers Training (ETTC) in Kampala, Uganda Dates: 27 November to 1 December 2017 Venue: Martyr's University, Kampala- Uganda The Course is open to Ethics Professionals and Practitioners and it offers a unique opportunity for participants from Uganda, and other countries in the Eastern Africa region, to enhance their teaching and professional capacities in Bioethics and Ethics. Read about the teaching modules, and apply here Send you application form to ettc.umu@unesco.org; with copies to Mr. Abdul Rahman Lamin (ar.lamin@unesco.org) and Mr. David Onyango (d.onyango@unesco.org), as early as possible, but no later than 31 October Applicants should also include a letter of intent (a minimum of 600 words, in English) explaining why you wish to participate in the course, and how you expect to benefit from it. The UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa released the updated Communications Strategy for the 5

6 Year It is available to consult, for all UNESCO staff, on the portal UNESTEAMS, Regional Office for Eastern Africa. Events of the Week Training of 100 Teachers from Kibera informal settlement on health literacy 31 July to 2 August 2017 Nairobi, Kenya China Funds-in-Trust Project (CFIT) Implementation Committee Meeting 1 to 3 August 2017, Kampala, Uganda 6

7 Web News of the Week Enhancing Quality and Inclusive Education in Rwanda Ministers from Eastern Africa and the adjacent Indian Ocean Island States pledge to strengthen synergies for the protection of cultural heritage 7

8 Asmara: a Modernist City in Africa gains World Heritage status A big step for investigative journalism in Madagascar English version Un grand pas pour le journalisme d'investigation à Madagascar French version 8

9 Missions Jaco Du Toit China-Funds-in-Trust Project (CFIT) Implementation Committee Meeting Kampala, Uganda 1 to 3 August 2017 Lamin Abdul Rahman Representation of UNESCO and participation in the 9th Commonwealth Youth Ministers' Meeting Kampala, Uganda 31 July to 4 August

10 Meetings UNESCO and Africa Development Bank meeting on ICT-enabled solutions to achieve the SDGs at African Development Bank, Nairobi - Kenya 25 July 2017 Within the framework of the UNESCO Youth Mobile Programme and as a follow-up to "Search for Martha" initiative, spearheaded by UNESCO, in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UNESCO Communication and Information Team held, on 25th July, a fruitful meeting with the AfDB in Nairobi, Kenya. Among the other areas of cooperation discussed on, UNESCO is invited to join the Consortium of institutions spearheaded by the AfDB to carry out Gender and ICTs in Africa desktop study. UNESCO will bring on board several methodologies and indicators related to ICT that could form a good basis of refining the study methodology and tools. UNESCO will also partner with AfDB to organise an Eastern Africa Gender and ICT responsive policies regional forum, with special focus on Francophone countries in Eastern Africa and Indian Ocean. Other areas of 10

11 partnership that were agreed on included organising a SearchforMartha side activity, during the March 2018 Innovation Week at the University of Nairobi (C4D Lab) focused on two tracks: (i) ICT and Gender (ii) ICTs and People living with disabilities. Within the framework of Youth Connect, AfDB is to also partner with UNESCO in Rwanda on Intellectual Property for Digital creation, in cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Town Hall Meeting- Skype about the United Nations Reform at UN Complex in Gigiri, Nairobi- Kenya 26 July 2017 The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, spoke during a Global Town Hall meeting, to all UN staff around the world. Issues he tackled, from his new report Repositioning the UN Development system to deliver on the 2030 Agenda-ensuring a Better Future for all. Mr. Guterres highlighted the need to deliver coherently through strengthened and accountable leadership, shifting towards a decentralized system of actions, results and impact on the people we serve. Key reforms include increased transparency, accountability, simplification of procedures and staff recruitment, decentralization of operations, reduction of duplication and overlapping of activities, thus more overall effectiveness. The event was also available to all UN staff around the globe live by webcast on the UN TV. 11

12 First meeting of the UNESCO Kenya NATCOM Planning Committee for the Launch of the GEM Report on October 24, 2017 at Kenya National Commission for UNESCO, Nairobi- Kenya 27 July 2017 UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, and the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO (KNATCOM), gathered with representatives of Kenya- from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education- State Department of Basic Education, State Department of TVET and State Department of University Education, Ministry of Interior, Department of Immigration and the Kenya Police Service to start planning and discussing the launch of the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, foreseen on 24th October 2017, United Nations Day. The 2017 GEM Report will be launched at a major event in Nairobi, and it will aim to inform policy makers on different approaches to accountability being used in different contexts. The theme of the 2017 Report edition will be "Accountability in education: meeting our commitments", investigating accountability in education, analyzing how all relevant stakeholders can 12

13 provide education more effectively, efficiently and equitably. UNESCO-CVTE Partnership: Acknowledging CVTE donation to UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa The UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa in Nairobi has received the donation - Interactive Flat Panel (Screen L65EB PC module MT21 and some other accessories) from a Chinese technology company called CVTE ( which is based in Guangzhou, China. The equipment arrived on 31 March 2017, is currently being used in our office for enhancing our conferencing facilities. The Director of the organization has acknowledged CVTE s contribution and agreed on developing such partnership further with them, particularly exploring cooperation opportunities in the UNESCO-China-Funds-in-Trust project in Uganda, entitled Enhancing Teacher Education for Bridging the Education Quality Gap in Africa. Driven by corporate social responsibility, CVTE has expressed interest in donating a number of education equipment to three main teacher training institutions in Kampala, Uganda, namely Kyambogo University, Shimoni Core Primary Teacher College and Nakawa Vocational Training Institute. It is also proposed to jointly organize a hand-over ceremony with the Chinese Embassy to Uganda involved, as well as a training workshop conducted by CVTE in Kampala. 13

14 From the office UNESCO Staff Meeting 26 July 2017 A Staff meeting was held on 26 July 2017 to discuss the office preparedness in the upcoming elections in Kenya. During the meeting, the importance of overall emergency preparedness was discussed as well as adhering to the security tree. A presentation was also made on progress made in establishing the UNESCO Nairobi Welfare Club, its proposed rules and procedures of actions as well as monthly fee contributions and staff social gatherings 14

15 Monthly Skype meeting- Public Information and Communications 28 July 2017, Nairobi, Kenya for August and September. The meeting discussed topics of social media ( facebook and twitter regional coordination), explanation of the visibility report of the Regional Conference and Ministerial Roundtable for the protection of cultural heritage in Eastern Africa and in the adjacent Indian Ocean States, as well as the upcoming regional and national events UN days & Public Holidays International Day of Friendship (A/RES/65/275) 30 July 2017 World Day against Trafficking in Persons (A/RES/68/192) 30 July 2017 Martyrs' Day South Sudan 30 July 2017 Rwanda Elections Day 3 August

16 Kenya Elections Day 8 August 2017 Peasants's Day Tanzania 8 August

17 Publications Radio Script for drugs and substance abuse, by the Ministry of Education of Kenya and UNESCO, with the support of the Government of Azerbaijan Investigative Journalism in Madagascar. First Issue of the "Trandraka" (meaning tenrec) in Malagasy and French language, as a product of the first training session on investigative journalism, as part of the project on 'Democratic, Credible, and Representative Institutions in Madagascar' (IDIRC)", funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund. Featured are nine best articles tackling issues of the Malagasy society and the willingness to live together on "sustainable peace". 17

18 Birthdays Virginia Ntheketha Mumo 26 August 2017 Mika Odido 31 August