UNESCO - Beirut NEWSLETTER Volume 5 - Issue No 15, October - December 2015 2015: An Ideal Conclusion for a Typical Year Education in the Arab States Culture Communication & Information Social and Human Sciences Natural Science Capitalizing on a phenomenal start of the year, and benefiting from the momentous commitment and exceptional devotion of our network of partners amid the severe challenges faced throughout 2015, we can easily say that the last three months were the perfect reflection of yet another milestone year in the course of UNESCO Office in Beirut. In terms of Education, 2015 was the year of new agendas, as it marked the target year for both the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Education For All (EFA) goals. Leading the international talks on the post-2015 Education agenda, UNESCO organized the First Arab Regional Meeting on Education 2030 in Cairo, Egypt, resulting in the adoption of the Arab Regional Roadmap for Education 2030. Major steps were also taken on the culture scene, as UNESCO Beirut office and UNIFIL held a training seminar on the 1954 Hague Convention for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict. UNESCO also partnered with the European Union, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), and the Lebanese Ministry of Culture to organize a national seminar on Building capacities on the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural objects, while December 2015 was specifically marked with the adoption of the action plan for the management of the world Heritage site of Qadisha Valley. Moreover, under the NETMED youth project, UNESCO conducted a mapping activity of youth targeting interventions at Ministries and Municipalities. A training programme was also launched to empower Youth NGOs in Lebanon in media and communications disciplines. In the framework of its natural sciences programme, UNESCO Beirut Office actively participated in the organization of the National Conference on Coping with Water Scarcity, agreeing on a set of recommendations that will make an integral part of a national preparedness plan for drought. Finally, I would like, on behalf of UNESCO Beirut Office, to thank our devoted partners, generous donors, dedicated colleagues in UNESCO Headquarters and field offices, as well as citizens of the Arab region for their trust and precious support throughout 2015, wishing you all a joyful, peaceful, and successful 2016.
Education in the Arab States First Arab Regional Meeting on Education 2030: A Roadmap for Collective Action Under the auspices of His Excellency Dr El-Helaly El-Sherbiny, Minister of Education and Technical Education in the Arab Republic of Egypt, UNESCO organized on 15 and 16 December 2015 the First Arab Regional Meeting on Education 2030, under the theme Towards Collective Action in Achieving Education 2030 Goal in the Arab Region. The Regional Meeting was attended by over 90 participants, including high level officials from Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs as well as Parliamentarians in charge of Commission on Education from 17 Arab Member States. The UN co-convenors, regional organizations, civil society organizations and private foundations also took active part in the Meeting. The objectives of the First Regional Meeting were to articulate the interconnectedness of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and central role of education in achieving it, discuss the Education 2030 (SDG 4) Framework for Action as well as agree on a roadmap to its operationalization in the Arab Region. During the Meeting, participants highlighted emerging and pressing educational issues common to the region, which need to be addressed for a successful implementation of the new Agenda. These issues include effective coordination and partnership, need for increased financing and efficient use of resources, good governance, institutionalized capacity development, and sound monitoring and evaluation mechanism. After two days of fruitful, forward looking deliberations from the perspectives of Member States as well as those of participating organizations, the Meeting culminated in the adoption of Arab Regional Roadmap for Education 2030 which sets out immediate actions to be undertaken in 2016 by Member States and partners in order to operationalize the Education 2030 agenda in the Arab Region. With this adoption UNESCO will continue to lead the coordinating process together with UN co-convenors, regional organizations, civil society organizations and private foundations, and reaffirms its commitment to accompany and support Member States throughout the implementation process of the Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goal 4.
Education in the Arab States Education and Knowledge for People with Disabilities in Lebanon In his opening speech, Dr. Nawaf Kabara, NARD president, stated that no less than 30% or 72 million child around the globe do not attend schools due to disability, adding that 95% of the disabled youth are eliminated by the educational systems in the Middle East and North Africa. In another major step towards promoting full inclusion in Lebanon, UNESCO Beirut Office and the Lebanese National Association for the Rights of Disabled People (NARD) organized the National Conference on The right to education and knowledge for people with disabilities in Lebanon. The conference that took place on 16-17 November 2015, at the Crown Plaza Hotel, in the heart of Beirut city, gathered major stakeholders from civil society, ministries of Education and Higher Education, social affairs and Communication, people with disabilities and their families in addition to, educators working in educational inclusion and accessibility of people with disabilities in Lebanon. The conference objectives included: Highlighting the current educational status for people with disabilities in Lebanon; Discussing the plan of the Centre of Educational Research and Development and related programmes of the Ministry of Education with the aim to set a comprehensive plan to merge the people with disabilities in schools; Aspiring to endorse a national plan for educational inclusion; Discussing UNESCO Model policy for information and communication technology (ICT) in education for people with disabilities. It is our responsibility now more than ever to rethink our educational systems and curricula, to be violence free, and raise our students as human beings disregarding color, gender, race, or religion, considered Dr. Hamad Al- Hammami, Director of UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States. Our statistics point that 90% of disabled children in under developed countries do not attend schools. Taking this in hand, UNESCO is working with the member states and through its four sectors to create a nursing, suitable and supportive setting to the people with disabilities. People with disabilities face specific challenges in the pursuit of their right to education resulting in a reduced access to mainstream education, specific provisions guarantee their right to education and encourage countries to adopt an approach that is inclusive to all, including those with disabilities. UNESCO takes a leading role in the development and enhancing the role of people with disabilities. In particular, believing in the important role of ICT and how it is changing people s lives, UNESCO launched at the global level, a Model policy for ICT in Education for people with disabilities. This model was presented by Mr. George Awad, programme officer at UNESCO Beirut with the different steps on how Lebanon can benefit from the model to convert it to its own national policy. In addition, Awad showed also the importance of engaging all national stakeholders in this exercise, from government, to civil society and academia and most importantly people with disabilities and their families. This event was co-sponsored by the National Collaboration Fund financed by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Education in the Arab States Open Dialogue Session on EASE Project: Ensuring the Right of Education for All in Lebanon In the framework of the new project entitled Enhancing Access to Secondary Education and Quality Results for Youth Affected by the Syria Crisis (EASE), the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Lebanon and UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States Beirut organized on 24 November a Consultative Open Dialogue Session with Secondary School Teachers and Principals, with the aim to introduce beneficiaries and partners to the EASE initiative and provide an overview of the project and its expected outcomes, as well as identify a number of relevant topics to be addressed in further capacity development activities in order to enable schools to perform better. More than 70 of teachers and principals from 35 schools, as well as senior representatives from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, UNESCO regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States, and the Centre of Educational Research and Development (CERD), attended this event. The EASE Project did facilitate the enrolment of around 1500 students in secondary schools located in all Lebanese governorates. Students benefited from direct support in the form of school registration fees, contributions to parents councils, and stationery, while around 35 schools were provided with needed school equipment. This three-year regional initiative will be jointly implemented by UNESCO Offices in Beirut and Amman in close collaboration with the concerned Ministries of Education and will directly benefit students, teaching staff and administrators of partner schools, in addition to Ministry specialists and decision makers. Kuwait Donates US$ Half a Million The State of Kuwait has made an important contribution to UNESCO Education Response to the Syria Crisis in Lebanon. At the solemn handover ceremony held on 16 October in the Kuwaiti Embassy in Lebanon, Dr. Hamed Al-Hammami, Director of UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States received the cheque of US$ 500.000 from Mr. Mohamed Al Saoud Al-Waqyan, Deputy Ambassador of the State of Kuwait in Lebanon. This contribution will be invested to scale up UNESCO interventions in the area of secondary education for Syrian refugees and host Lebanese communities. Dr. Al-Hammami praised this support that has now become typical from Kuwait in the recent years, for education and development in this region, emphasizing UNESCO readiness to cooperate more closely with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Kuwait to achieve the common goals.
Culture Security, Policy and Law during the National Seminar on Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property The urge to address illicit trafficking of cultural property and the need to push towards the adoption of preventive measures to facilitate recovery through strict methods and appropriate channels, have long been placed on UNESCO top priorities. In light of armed conflicts spreading in the region, several historic sites, some listed on the World Heritage list, are subject to destruction, looting and vandalizing. With its geographical location, Lebanon is being used as a transit country for looted antiquities coming from Syria and Iraq. Judges from the Department of Justice, representatives from the National Interpol Office, high-ranking officers from various security agencies (army, internal security forces, border police and customs), in addition to directors and officials from various museums, and the cadre of the Department of Antiquities at the Ministry of Culture participated in this seminar, along with representatives from UNESCO, the European Union, ICMPD (Vienna), and the International Council of museums (ICOM). Sessions were facilitated by a number of prominent experts from UNESCO Office in Beirut, UNESCO Cultural Heritage Protection Treaties Section (Paris), the INTERPOL, World Customs Organization (WCO), the Swiss Federal Police, ICOM Lebanon, UNIDROIT, The Association for Research into Crimes Against Arts (ARCA), as well as academics from British universities. Culture Programme Officer in UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut, Joseph kreidi, stressed that the current situation of cultural heritage in this region of the world raises serious concerns, noting that many archaeological sites and museums were subject to acts of vandalism and looting. Kreidi considered that Lebanon has long made the issue of fighting illegal trafficking of cultural property at the top of its priorities, through adopting strict and preventive measures, also facilitating the recovery process through the appropriate channels and methods. Strengthening national and regional international cooperation is vital to combat illicit trafficking, he added. The seminar also contained a special component dedicated to spreading media awareness on the 1954 Hague Convention, as it focused on working towards the immediate ratification of the Convention s second Protocol, through enabling participants and familiarizing them with its content, as well as other international conventions adopted in this field such as the 1995 Convention of the International Institute for the Unification of private law (UNIDROIT). Throughout this event, participants have been empowered to take full advantage of the tools developed by international organizations, thereby enabling them to disseminate the use of those tools and that knowledge within their respective institutions in view of a better implementation of the 1970 Convention.
Culture Director-General Condemns the Destruction of the Arch of Triumph in Palmyra On 5 October UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, strongly condemned the destruction of the Arch of Triumph in Palmyra, an iconic 2,000-year-old civil monument of the city that is inscribed on UNESCO s World Heritage List. Despite their relentless crimes, extremists will never be able to erase history, nor silence the memory of this site that embodies the unity and identity of the Syrian people. Each new destruction should spur us to share knowledge of the significance of this heritage in museums, schools or the media. This is an important part of safeguarding the city and of the global fight against the cultural cleansing underway in the Middle East. I commend teachers, journalists, associations, and professionals in the field of culture, as well as members of the public, who are helping transmit the story of Palmyra to future generations. There will be no impunity for war criminals and UNESCO will make every effort, at its level and in close cooperation with the International Criminal Court, to ensure that the perpetrators of these acts of destruction are tried and punished. In the face of this new war crime, UNESCO reaffirms its determination to continue protecting all that can be saved by relentlessly fighting against the illicit trafficking of cultural objects, documenting heritage and establishing networks to link the thousands of experts in Syria and abroad working to transmit this heritage, notably with the help of modern technology. UNESCO and UNIFIL: Seminar on the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict As witnessed in countries living an armed conflict in the region, cultural heritage is particularly at risk, owing to its inherent vulnerability and tremendous symbolic value. Intentional targeting and destruction of heritage sites, illicit trafficking of artifacts, and illegal excavation are causing major losses that can deprive a community of its memory, the physical testimony to its past, but also of a precious resource for social and economic wellbeing. With these new enormous challenges, it has become necessary to develop and improve the mechanisms and tools for the protection of cultural property, especially in the case of disputes. Forty senior officers from the UNIFIL s military sections (Infantry, the Armor/Tanks, the Artillery as well as the Air force); in addition to high level officers working in legal and political departments participated in this event held on 24 and 25 November in UNIFIL Headquarters in Naqoura, Southern Lebanon. The seminar was composed of five thematic sessions, providing participants with a wide and detailed overview of the Convention s legal assets, penalties, and best implementation practices, focusing on military measures, with practical examples from the region. These sessions were facilitated by international and national experts, that started by an Introduction into the Hague Convention and its two Protocols followed by Specific examples of UNESCO s activities regarding the region and viewing of the Military aspects of the implementation of the Hague Convention and its two Protocols then came a session regarding the Measures of respect relating to The Hague Convention and its two Protocols, Penal aspects of The Hague Convention and its two Protocols. Dedicated to UNIFIL officers (military and civilians), this seminar comes to follow up on the recommendations declared during a first similar event held in Beirut in June 2013 for the Lebanese Army.
New UNESCO Initiative: 1600 Students to Learn about the Protection of Cultural Heritage UNESCO - Beirut Office is organized, under the patronage of the Minister of Culture, HE Raymond Arayji, and in collaboration with Biladi, an NGO specialized in heritage preservation, eight workshops targeted students aged between 11 and 15 years, in order to increase their awareness about the protection of heritage in times of war, and to introduce them to UNESCO Conventions (1954, 1970,1972). These activities fall into the framework of the International Campaign #UNITE4HERITAGE, launched in Lebanon by the UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova during her visit to the Lebanese National Museum, in May 2015. 1600 students from various schools in Lebanon will be invited to participate in a guided tour, either in one of the World Heritage archeological sites of Lebanon or in the National Museum. During these visits, the students will have the opportunity to acquire information on UNESCO International Conventions for the protection of heritage by following interactive educational methods designed especially for this initiative, namely maps, pictures and publications, aimed at helping students to assimilate the acquired data. This initiative is launched by the UNESCO-Beirut office at a time when so many relics and archaeological sites are in danger, and as many historical sites have already been devastated by violence, so it is crucial to increase the young generation s awareness on the urgency to protect the region s heritage, against the attempt to erase their collective memory. Management of Qadisha Valley: Action Plan Adopted UNESCO-Beirut Office in cooperation with the Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO organized a seminar for the adoption of the Action Plan for the World Heritage Site of Qadisha Valley. This seminar was held under the Patronage of the Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-rahi, and in the presence of the Minister of Culture HE Raymond Araiji, MPs Setrida Geagea and Elie Keirouz parliamentarians of Becharré, mayors and senior officials from the region s municipalities, as well as representatives from UNESCO Beirut Office, Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO, and concerned NGOs. Held on Tuesday 15 December 2015, in Bkerki, and after more than 20 coordination meetings organized by UNESCO culture sector in Beirut over the past two years, the seminar represented a main platform during which all relevant stakeholders discussed the key issues raised in the UNESCO Action Plan to manage this World Heritage site. Minister Raymond Araiji described the meeting as a milestone for the Sacred Valley. Following the opening statements, technical experts from UNESCO, the Lebanese Ministry of Culture, and from the Valley, made a series of presentations explaining the newly endorsed management plan, as well as the valley features, including the different roads and entrances; Existing infrastructure; Heritage inventory; Natural disasters management plan; and organizing the entrance to the valley. The action plan consist of 3 volumes: Good Management Practice; Conservation Guidelines; and A set of selected pilot projects for the region. Over the past two years, UNESCO Beirut Office has been working with the Ministry of Culture, Religious authorities, and other stakeholders in Lebanon to set a long term management plan for this unique site with the aim to cherish and preserve its cultural and religious value, while at the same time allowing residents from surrounding villages to benefit from its great economic potential as a prime pilgrimage and touristic destination.
Social and Human Science Social Sciences: The Tool for a Healthy Transformation Sports to Promote Intercultural Dialogue among Youth in Lebanon Vibrant social sciences research has proven to be an efficient vehicle for better management of social transformations, and can better inform policy making process in general in the emerging social problems linked to poverty, inequality and climate change. Making social sciences research more vibrant and relevant to policy making is facing a double challenge in the Arab region: social sciences are often viewed as a troubling disciplines without few career opportunities on one hand, and culture and practice of evidence informed policy making in general and especially with regards to social justice and equity. In line with UNESCO Strategy on Youth (2014-2023), and the efforts of the Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS) to raise awareness and understanding of possible career options as social sciences, UNESCO and ACSS jointly organized a consultation meeting entitled: Social Sciences as a career choice: Awareness creation among secondary school students in the Arab region. The event took place on 30 and 31 October 2015 in Gefinor Rotana Hotel, Beirut. The workshop aimed to Share the updates on the tools in preparation by ACSS and get the feedback for finalization (mapping studies, a story board for a documentary film, a draft poster and other communication items), as well as Sharing the outreach strategy plan, and plan a national campaign in coordination with partners to have an aligned approach in the pilot phase Fifteen young managers and trainers in youth and civil society organizations in Lebanon and Syria met at Hoops Sports Club - Hazmieh to participate in a workshop on intercultural dialogue through sports. This three-day training workshop was organized by UNESCO in collaboration with Hoops Sports Club, facilitated and monitored by its trainers from 14 to 16 October 2015. Through this workshop, managers and trainers from youth NGOs enhanced their essential skills in the design and implementation of youth targeting activities, aiming to promote social cohesion by using sport. Skateboarding World Champion James Kelly also attended this workshop as a special guest to show how to integrate skateboards in youth activities. As proven in similar experiences, sport is an effective tool to promote social integration in culturally mixed communities, in particular among young people. Sports help fight negative prejudices, and enhance the understanding and appreciation of cultural differences. Since the outburst of the Syrian conflict, around two million Syrian refugees have fled the war and entered to Lebanon. In the midst of armed conflicts, political instabilities, worsening economic conditions, and the rise of extremism, youth find themselves increasingly marginalized with fewer choices, decreasing opportunities, and a limited ability to effectively exercise their civic role as a dynamic force of positive change. Within the framework of its Social and Human Sciences programme, UNESCO Office in Beirut launched a series of activities to promote intercultural dialogue and positive interaction between youth in the countries affected by the Syrian Crisis (Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq).
Social and Human Science Mapping of Youth Targeting Interventions at Ministries and Municipalities As part of the joint efforts with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS) and other partners in supporting the implementation of the National Youth Policy (2012-2021), and in the framework of the NETMED Youth project, UNESCO conducted a mapping activity in partnership with Notre Dame University (NDU)- CARE Center: more than 30 students who will be trained to collect information on youthtargeting activities implemented by ministries and municipalities on the local and national level. This activity comes as a pre-requisite to the National Youth Policy action plan drafting process, which should start later in 2016. On 18 November 2015, during an induction meeting held at UNESCO premises in Beirut, 21 participants representing 7 ministries (Youth and Sports, Environment, Interior, Labour, Social Affairs, Information, and Industry), municipality unions, municipalities and local councils as well as civil society organizations, were introduced to the aim and the procedure of the mapping activity. Dr. Seiko Sugita from UNESCO welcomed the participants and explained the objective of the meeting. Dr. Bassel Akar from NDU talked about the outputs and strategy of the mapping activity, and Mr George Awad presented UNESCO Plan for Youth Outreach. Follow-up meetings will be organized between the students and the participants who expressed their commitment and their willingness to facilitate this mapping activity. The Net-Med Youth Project is a pioneering initiative implemented by UNESCO and funded by the EU. It aims to create an enabling environment for young women and men to develop their competencies, exercise their rights and meaningfully engage as active citizens, particularly in decision-making relating to political, social, economic, educational and cultural policy and planning processes. Through the different components of this programme, UNESCO is eventually aiming to improve the access and effective participation of youth in developing and implementing national strategies and policies affecting young women and men.
Communication & Information 85 Secondary School Students and Teachers Benefit from UNESCO and LAU Youth Coding Programme As part of the YouthMobile initiative, UNESCO Office in Beirut, the Lebanese American University in Beirut (LAU), and the Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO concluded today, a series of trainings for teachers, and secondary school students, in an effort to integrate programming skills and computing thinking concepts in the education system in Lebanon. 85 participants gathered today, 5 December 2015, in LAU campus in Beirut for a special ceremony organized to mark the conclusion of this programme s training activities, that has started in October 2015. In this context, 15 teachers participated in a training workshops held during October 2015, while 70 secondary school students - all part of the UNESCO Associated Schools Project (ASP); participated in 3 workshops between October and December 2015. Participants were selected giving particular attention to both less privileged communities and female students. UNESCO-LAU Youth Coding Programme comes as an outcome of UNESCO s Youth Mobile that builds on the experience of many worldwide initiatives to introduce young people to programming (learning-to- code) and problem solving (coding-to-learn). It also seeks to build on experiences targeting young women who are vastly under-represented in this field. This programme also aims to reach out to a wide range of schools in Lebanon through awareness campaigns, technical training workshops, as well as competitions. Statistics show universities in the Arab World have less than 20% of the students majoring in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) are females. Through this programme, UNESCO and LAU hope to attract and motivate more Lebanese females to computing-related fields at universities. In addition, a Mobile App Development Contest was launched for secondary schools students and its results will be announced end of March 2016. UNESCO s Youth mobile initiative is a new endeavour that targets engaging young women and men to develop mobile applications, in a time when the number of smart phones is rising exceptionally in developing countries. Realizing the major employment opportunities that are created by teaching students to develop mobile applications, UNESCO and its partners strive to provide young people with the highlevel skills and confidence to develop, promote, and sell locally relevant mobile apps. Those apps, directly related to everyday problems, are intended to solve local issues of sustainable development, and provide employment. Under this programme, UNESCO provides multi-lingual training materials, training of youth trainers and teachers, while also creating the first global mobile application competition for additional motivation.
Communication & Information UNESCO Conduct a Media Training Programme to Empower Youth NGOs As part of Net-Med Youth Project, an initiative implemented by UNESCO with support of the European Union, UNESCO Beirut office launched a Media training programme for youth-led NGOs to enhance their communication skills, enabling them to build media relations, increase their capacity to produce media material, push their news through national and international channels, and efficiently monitor this process. Over the period from September to December 2015, more than 30 representatives of youth-led NGOs took part in a series of introductory sessions and trainings conducted by experts and specialists in media and communication disciplines. General Manager of Radio Voice of Lebanon Mr. Sam Menassa, Managing Editor at Annahar Newspaper Mr. Ghassan Hajjar, and Social Media expert Philippe Abou Zeid were among the experts who conducted these trainings. In the inaugural session, Communication and Information programme Officer at UNESCO Mr. George Awad talked about the programme, its stages, benefits and the commitments needed from each NGO. This was followed by a brief on each NGO current communication status, which was lead by Ms. Nada Hamzeh, UNESCO consultant. Participants were also introduced to the results of a UNESCO survey conducted last May with the aim to understand youth media preferences and trends in Lebanon. Training topics included online safety, social media, news writing, and photography, with the aim of supporting NGOs and helping them develop their knowledge and practices in the field of communication. Participants were guided through the main media features, including traditional and new platforms, ethics and best practices, privacy and security, campaign design and management, and strategic planning. Considered to be a main pillar in the NET-Med youth project, this Media Training Programme provided young leaders with a comprehensive insight on available media and communications tools, eventually allowing them to voice their concerns, express their views, and play a more effective role in decision making processes in youth-related areas.
Natural Science National Conference on Coping with Water Scarcity Under the patronage of HE Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Akram Chehayeb, the National Conference on Coping with Water Scarcity was launched on Monday 14 December 2015, at the Movenpick Hotel, in Beirut. This event is organized by UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut in partnership with Rafik Hariri foundation, and with the cooperation of Lebanese Ministries, committees from the private and public sector, specialized national and international organizations, and Lebanese as well as international universities. In her opening statement, The Director of Rafik Hariri Foundation Mrs. Salwa Sanioura Baasiri marked the need to combine efforts to approach the issue of water scarcity. Talking about the seriousness of this issue Mrs. Baasiri added that levels of water stress in Lebanon are excessive, equivalent to 4.75 out of 5 points, ranking it 16 out of 167 countries according to the global estimates for 2020. On his behalf, Mr. George Awad, Natural Sciences Programme Officer at UNESCO Beirut Office, considered that our destiny is committed to our water. In order for us to build the future that we want, we need to ensure water security through the reinforcement of science and innovation. Mr. Awad added that the role of human behaviour, cultural beliefs and current water attitudes, as well as socio-economic research to better understand and develop tools to adapt to water availability, are some of the issues that must be addressed. In his speech for the occasion, Minister of Agriculture HE Mr. Akram Chehayeb warned from the seriousness of the current situation, praising the exceptional importance of this conference, hoping for it to pave the way for establishing a water policy, allowing a more rational use of the country s water wealth, which requires a scientific management and a rationalized policy. Following the launching ceremony, two working days took place on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 December at UNESCO Office in Beirut. National and international experts guided more than 50 participants through key topics related to water and drought management. Participants agreed on a set of recommendations on how to cope with water shortage, better manage water resources, and address related social, economical, and environmental setbacks. Those recommendations will be an essential contribution towards the development and implementation of a national preparedness plan for drought. International Days (January - March 2016) World Radio Day, 13 February International Mother Language Day, 21 February International Women s Day, 8 March World Poetry Day, 21 March International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, 21 March World Day for Water, 22 March