DIRECTOR-GENERAL’S CONSULTATION
OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSIONS
OF THE LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN REGION
ON THE PREPARATION OF THE
DRAFT PROGRAMME AND BUDGET FOR 2006-2007 (33 C/5)
Oranjestad, Aruba
3-7 May 2004
DIRECTOR-GENERAL’S CONSULTATION
OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSIONS
OF THE LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN REGION
ON THE PREPARATION OF THE
DRAFT PROGRAMME AND BUDGET FOR 2006-2007 (33 C/5)
Oranjestad, Aruba, 3-7 May 2004
Introduction
1. Representatives of thirty-four out of thirty-six National Commissions in the region (Panama and Colombia were absent) participated in the consultation, which was chaired by Ms Carla Zaandam, President of the National Commission of the host country, Aruba, with Mr Haldane Chase (Bahamas) and Ms Silvia Marin-Garat (Uruguay) serving as Vice-Chairperson. Mr George P. Brown (Antigua and Barbuda) served as Rapporteur and was assisted by two co-Rapporteurs, Ms Patricia Mejias (El Salvador) and Ms Rosario Navas (Cuba). Several directors of UNESCO field offices or their representatives also attended the meeting as well as a number of observers invited by the Aruba National Commission.
2. The representative of the Director-General, Mr. Hans d’Orville, Director of UNESCO’s Bureau of Strategic Planning (BSP) presented an overview of the process leading to the preparation of the draft programme and budget for 2006-2007 (33 C/5). He outlined the objective of the Consultation, namely to provide recommendations and suggestions to the Director-General and the Executive Board on the preliminary proposals for the 33 C/5. He put the Consultation also in the context of the ongoing reform process of the Organization, in particular with regard to programming, and highlighted the recent revisions of the programme management cycle designed to ensure a more strategic and policy-focused approach and to facilitate a more rational allocation of programme resources between Headquarters and the Field as well as between the various regions and clusters. The organisation of further cluster consultations following the fall 2004 session of the Executive Board will seek to introduce a more participatory process, including the involvement of stakeholders at the national and cluster levels, in the identification of priority needs to be included in the 33 C/5.
3. The representative of the Bureau of Field Coordination (BFC), Mr. Philippe Ratte, provided an update on decentralization by the Organisation, encompassing both the decentralized network of field offices and the decentralisation of programme resources. As regards the field office network, the generic functions of Headquarters vis-à-vis field offices had recently been clarified and defined and the present structure of cluster offices – as principal delivery platform for UNESCO’s programmes -, national offices and regional offices was in the process of being reviewed internally with a view to submitting a report to the Executive Board in 2005. Decentralisation is not a mere shift of resources from HQ to the Field, it is part and parcel of a more global reform, turning a centralized organisation into a decentralized one. This entails a wide range of changes in all aspects of both management and structures. Decentralization means upgrading and enhancing the linkages between all parts of UNESCO so as to enhance the performance of the Organisation as a whole.
4. The regional consultation in plenary on the questionnaire on the 33 C/5 was preceded by separate meetings of the five clusters of the region, focusing on the identification of programme priorities.
5. The following sections reflect the observations and recommendations on the various parts of the questionnaire, which were each introduced by the Director of BSP.
I. IMPLEMENTING THE THIRD AND LAST BIENNIUM OF THE MEDIUM-TERM STRATEGY FOR 2002-2007 (31 C/4)
6. There was general agreement that the identification of one “principal priority” and a few select “other priorities” for each major programme in the last two C/5 documents has helped in concentrating and focusing UNESCO’s actions. As regards the relationship between the 31 C/4 and the C/5 documents, it was however pointed out that the third strategic objectives of 31 C/4 for both the science and the culture programmes have thus far not been adequately addressed and need to be given more emphasis in the 33 C/5. It was also suggested that the results reported and the lessons learned in the 32 C/3 and the 33 C/3 document, currently under preparation, should be fully taken into account in the preparation of the 33 C/5.
7. Questions were raised about the implementation of the provisions of the regional strategy adopted in Montevideo in 2002. It appeared that a number of activities foreseen for the region had only been treated in a tangential manner in the 32 C/5 and hence there was an urgent need to integrate them better into the 33 C/5.
8. With regard to the reflection of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the 33 C/5, several participants called for a better involvement of UNESCO in interagency efforts at the country-level (as regards especially CCAs, UNDAFs and PRSPs). Overall, UNESCO should maintain the funding of cross-cutting theme projects pertaining to the eradication of poverty and should devote substantially more resources for this purpose, especially in the Latin American and Caribbean region which has received insufficient support in the 32 C/5. The achievements and effectiveness of PROMELAC with respect to the attainment of relevant MDGs should also be assessed and should be taken into account during the forthcoming strategic review of the EFA activities. It was also emphasized that UNESCO’s hydrological programme was playing a crucial role with respect to the pursuit of the water-related MDG, but that the region needs to receive increased support during the 2006-2007 biennium.
9. Concerning the functions of UNESCO, it was suggested that the Organization should place more emphasis on capacity-building at the country level, especially through an expansion of training, fellowships and research activities.
II PROGRAMME PRIORITIES
10. The National Commissions of the region reached consensus on the priorities for Latin America and the Caribbean for the Programme and Budget for 2006-2007 (33 C/5). The consensus is as follows.
11. The National Commissions of the Latin America and Caribbean Region have met during the Regional Consultation in Aruba from 3 to 7 May, 2004 and have agreed by consensus on regional priorities as indicated below.
12. The Region considers it is in a position of disadvantage with respect to other regions in the world, with regard to the regional consultation for the elaboration of the 33 C/5 for the following reasons:
a. The countries did not receive the questionnaire early enough, to facilitate the national consultations before the Aruba meeting.
b. The Clusters did not have enough time during the meeting in Aruba to work in depth on the establishment of their priorities.
c. The agenda did not provide sufficient time for the Latin American and Caribbean Region to discuss their priorities.
13. For these reasons, the Region considers that this process did not allow National Commissions to exchange and express their views thoroughly.
14. For the preparation of the 34C/5, the Latin America and Caribbean Region requests that the questionnaire be sent well enough in advance to allow for national consultations and that Cluster Offices be provided with the necessary resources to hold their respective sub-regional meetings before the Regional Consultation, in order to establish priorities based on the results of these national consultations.
15. With respect to the budget ceiling for document 33C/5, the Latin America and Caribbean Region in its majority chooses option a) “zero nominal growth”.
16. The Latin America and Caribbean Region has agreed to support and consider as its own, the request presented by El Salvador on behalf of the Central American sub-region to initiate an action for the “prevention of youth violence” as evidenced in the gang phenomenon of “Maras” or “Pandillas”. The Region officially requests the Secretariat to provide guidance and urgent support to launch such preventive action in Central America and Mexico.
17. The Latin America and Caribbean Region in its majority requests UNESCO to support the exchange of debt for investment in education.
18. The Latin American and Caribbean Region requests the Secretariat to ensure involvement of the National Commissions in the planning process of the UNESCO Programme and Budget in conformity with the resolutions 32 C/56 y 30 C/83. In this respect, the Latin American and the Caribbean region request the Secretariat to provide them with information regarding the decentralization of funds specifying the amounts by Cluster and programme.
19. The Latin America and Caribbean Region wants to establish that it values, recognizes and commends the Division of Relations with National Commissions and New Partnerships for its work and for achieving considerable improvements in communication, capacity- building and general support to the Region.
20. The Latin America and Caribbean Region officially requests the Secretariat to include this document in the report that will be presented to the Executive Board on the results of the Consultations on the Programme and Budget for 2006-2007 (33C/5).
21. The following priorities were identified and agreed upon by consensus by the National Commissions of the region:
EDUCATION
Principal Priority: "Quality Basic Education for All”
Other priorities:
1. Technical and vocational, secondary and higher education, with emphasis on teacher training.
2. Scientific and technological education.
3. Education for a Culture of Peace.
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Principal Priority: "Promotion and protection of human rights, enhancement of human security and the fight against violence, poverty and exclusion."
Other priorities:
- The ethics of sciences and technology, with an emphasis on bioethics.
- Development of a culture of philosophical reflection with a focus on managing social transformations (emphasis on youth, children and gender issues).
- Development of strategies and policies on managing social transformations based on community studies and research and dissemination of best practices.
NATURAL SCIENCES
Principal Priority: "Water Resources and Associated Ecosystems".
Other priorities:
- Capacity-building in the basic and engineering sciences, including the fostering of a culture of maintenance and the formulation of science policies.
2. Enhancing disaster preparedness and prevention, protection of the environment, and sustainable use and management of natural resources, with emphasis on biodiversity research and renewable sources of energy. Special attention should be paid to Small Island Developing States and the MAB programme in the Region.
- Strengthening the link between cultural and natural diversity.
CULTURE
Principal Priority: "Strengthening the links between culture and development with special emphasis on activities concerning intangible cultural heritage and the promotion of cultural industries”
Other priorities:
- Promoting cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue.
- Reinforcing normative action in the field of creativity and cultural policies and strengthening links between cultural development and poverty eradication.
- Strengthening the intersectoral approach with respect to education, environment, sustainable development, ecotourism, cultural tourism and cultural heritage – tangible and intangible.
COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
Principal Priority: “Fostering universal and free access to information and knowledge for development, especially in the public domain through the use of ICTs”.
Other priorities:
- Promotion of freedom of expression, balanced by a sense of responsibility.
2. The development of a knowledge society, based on the commitment to the ethics of information and communication.
3. Preservation of the archival heritage and fostering the documentation of cultural property by means of the Memory of the World Programme.
ANNEXES
I. Debate on the Questionnaire
II. 5 Regional Cluster Reports
Annex I
DIRECTOR-GENERAL’S CONSULTATION
OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSIONS
OF THE LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN REGION
ON THE PREPARATION OF THE
DRAFT PROGRAMME AND BUDGET FOR 2006-2007 (33 C/5)
DEBATE ON THE QUESTIONNAIRE
Oranjestad, Aruba
3-7 May 2004
Annex I
DEBATE ON THE QUESTIONNAIRE
SECTION II - PROGRAMME PRIORITIES
Education
22. More technical expertise and support and more financial resources should in future be provided to member countries in the region for the formulation of EFA national plans, designed to attract funding, and for a more effective coordination at inter-agency and inter-institutional levels be assured, also providing for a better linkage of the long-standing PRELAC with EFA and the pursuit of the six Dakar Goals and the MDGs.
23. In general, UNESCO’s education institutes should work closely with cluster offices and national commissions in support of education programmes in the region.
24. Ensuring quality education at all levels is a high priority for all countries and minimum requirements therefore should be agreed upon by all governments of the region accompanied by appropriate teacher training. In the context of the 33 C/5, UNESCO should help develop instruments and indicators for the measurement of quality education, in partnership with regional statistical institutions. Further, emphasis should be placed in educational strategies on the importance of decentralization in the management of educational processes to the local, national and regional levels.
25. Education for science and technology represents a high priority for the region, yet the provisions in 31 C/5 and 32 C/5 have been rather insignificant. This should be rectified in the 33 C/5, including through a more proactive solicitation of extrabudgetary resources. It is strongly recommended that training of teachers for science education be made a regional priority and that it be designed not only as an ED/SC effort, but as an intersectoral activity involving all five major programme areas of UNESCO.
26. With respect to HIV/AIDS, all participants agreed that UNESCO’s actions in the field of prevention education should be intensified. More technical assistance needed to be envisaged in the 33 C/5 to provide support to Ministries of Education and Health as well as National Commissions in the design and dissemination of strategies and prevention methods (including teaching models) as well as with respect to the solicitation and utilisation of funds from other sources. In that connection it was proposed that prevention education should also include discouragement of drug use in general. A resumption of UNESCO collaboration with the PEDRO project was considered desirable.
27. In the 33 C/5, adequate provisions should be made for the development of strategies and effective activities in the region pertaining to the United Nations Literacy Decade, including literacy efforts directed at adults, and the Education for Sustainable Development Decade. In that connection it was also noted that sustainable development could become a cross-cutting theme for the Organization and a regional priority.