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Issue 30: From 12 to 16 June 2017

Message of the Director

This week the Sub-regional workshop

on mobilizing higher education and

distance learning assets, capabilities and

networks to help accelerate progress

towards Sustainable Development Goal

4: Quality Education and the Agenda

2063 literacy targets, took place in

Nairobi, from 13 to 15 June 2017. The

workshop, organized in collaboration

with the UNESCO institute of lifelong

learning (UIL), University of Nairobi

and the UNESCO Regional Office in

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Abuja, aimed at strengthening cooperation between ministries of education

and higher education and distance learning institutions, with a view to

addressing adult literacy challenges. These challenges can be addressed

through capacity building to put new innovative teaching methods in place.

Nigeria also shared good practices on Open Distance Learning in higher

education. By sharing best practices and by identifying key issues and good

experiences, we could underpin national efforts towards achieving the SDG 4

and Agenda 2063 literacy targets.

Last week, was also an opportunity to attend a very successful high level

Technical meeting on Higher Education in Gaborone, Botswana from 5 to 9

June 2017. The objectives of the meeting were to raise awareness on the

ratification of the Addis Convention and enquire how far the countries of

Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) in the process so as to

submit recommendations to the Ministerial Meeting of the SADC countries.

Another objective was the discussion on the recommendation to Ministers on

increasing investments on expanding access and equity to quality STEM

education across all levels of education with specific focus on girls and

women. My participation was crucial as about four of the countries covered

by the office: Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Tanzania are members

of SADC. Mr. Hubert, Director of UNESCO's Regional Office for Southern

Africa in Harare, Zimbabwe, Mr. Ilboudo, UNESCO Head of Office of the

Windhoek Office and UNESCO Representative to Namibia and myself paid a

courtesy visit on the Executive Secretary of SADC and discussed

finalization of the UNESCO/SADC partnership agreement.

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In Madagascar, the Education Sector Plan was signed on 15 June 2017 in

Antananarivo, following a collaborative process among national stakeholders

and education partners, to develop this 2018 to 2022 plan. The sector plan

foresees broad, quality and equitable basic education for all as well as lifelong

learning and training. Such education opportunities will produce capacity and

human capital for sustainable economic, social and environmental

development. This is only possible if citizens are trained to live together and

in harmony in a better environment, with transformed knowledge and skills,

drivers of change and innovation.

The end of this trimester would determine the extent to which the office has

been successful in completing the expected tasks accomplished in SISTER.

The Regional Office and the National Offices and Antennas would conduct a

review of performance in July. The execution rates are quite satisfactory.

Colleagues are appreciated for the quality of work undertaken.

I will be travelling next week to Uganda, at the occasion of the Secretary-

General of the United Nations, Mr Guterres’s visit to the country. Uganda is

now host to over 1.2 million refugees and playing a leading role in providing

extraordinary support to refugees. As a result, a Refugees Solidarity

Conference is taking place in Kampala Uganda from 22 to 23 June 2017 in

which 30 heads of State and stakeholders will attend.

I wish you a good week ahead!

Ann Therese Ndong Jatta

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Announcements

UNESCO International Symposium and Policy Forum Cracking the

Code: Girls Education in STEM

28 to 30 August 2017

Bangkok, Thailand

The purpose of the International

Symposium and Policy Forum is to make

the case for strengthening

girls’education in STEM subjects

(science, technology, engineering and

mathematics), and ultimately female

representation in STEM careers and

decision-making. The event will provide

a platform to present latest findings from

research and practice and facilitate

policy dialogue, experience sharing and

collaboration among participants. Thanks

to the Symposium, there will be

increased knowledge on the status of girls' education in STEM worldwide,

enhanced awareness of policies and practices that are effective in supporting

girls and women's education in STEM and a strengthened platform for global,

regional and country networks, partnerships and cooperation on STEM

education for girls and women.

UNESCO Hiring of retired staff members on temporary assistance

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contracts

An Administrative Circular on the hiring of retired staff members on

temporary assistance contracts has just been published. The purpose of the

Circular is to reinforce the principle that the hiring of retired staff members

must be an exception. For more details, please consult AC/HR/57.

Functional Representation and liaison function of field offices in relation

to regional organizations in Africa

The UNESCO Director-General decided to assign the functional

representation and liaison functions of field offices to regional economic

communities as well as other regional communities in Africa. Field offices in

charge of the liaison with the regional organizations will work in close

collaboration with the other field offices in their region and, whenever

necessary, with Programme Sectors and Central Services concerned, and in

particular the Bureau of Strategic Planning for issues related to partnerships

and resource mobilization. The Africa Department will coordinate the work

of the offices as regards their liaison functions and will report to the Director-

General on issues of political relevance. Please read the functional

representation and liaison function of field offices in relation to regional

organizations in Africa, Ivory Note, here

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Events of the Week

Under the framework of the UNESCO-KFIT Project in Rwanda, the

African Virtual University (AVU) will carry out an infrastructure needs

assessment for Open and Distance Learning in the 16 Teacher Training

Colleagues of the University of Rwanda

19 to 23 June 2017

Kigali, Rwanda

XPRIZE Project, Community Sensitization

19 to 23 June 2017

Tanga, Tanzania

Resource assessment activity for Girls' empowerment project (Korea

International Cooperation Agency )

20 to 22 June 2017

Micheweni and Mkoani, Tanzania

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

17 June 2017

World Refugee Day

20 June 2017

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Missions

Ann Therese Ndong Jatta

19 to 24 June 2017

Solidarity Summit

Kampala, Uganda

Mr. Davide Storti

Programme Specialist, Knowledge and Societies Division UNESCO HQ

Communication and Information Sector

16 to 19 June 2017

Flic-en-Flac, Mauritius

Launch of the Africa Code Week 2017

Mika Odido

19 to 29 June 2017

29th Session of the IOC Assembly, 50th Session of the IOC Executive

Council

Lamin Abdul Rahman

20 to 24 June 2017

Harare, Zimbabwe

National Consultations on Development of Youth Policy in Zimbabwe

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Web News of the Week

UNESCO and VIKES enhancing better

news inserts for Public Service

Broadcasting in Somalia

UNESCO Publishes its Freedom of

Expression Toolkit: A Guide for Students in

Kinyarwanda Adapted to the

National Context

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Mobilising higher education to fast-

track literacy and lifelong learning

in sub-Saharan Africa

Meetings

UNESCO Rwanda monitors the progress of the SIDA Empowering Local

Radio through ICTs

12 June 2017

Mr. Peter

Wallet, at UNESCO

Rwanda, visited Radio

Ishingiro in Gicumbi,

Rwanda to monitor the

progress of the SIDA

Empowering Local Radio

Through ICTs. In particular,

the visit was key to assess

ongoing capacity needs, review past achievements, interview the Radio

Manager, journalists, correspondents and other stakeholders on past training

initiatives supported by UNESCO.

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Mobilizing Higher Education and Distance Learning assets, capabilities

and networks to help accelerate progress towards Sustainable

Development Goal 4 and the Agenda 2063 targets in Sub-Saharan Africa

From 13 to 15 June 2017

Nairobi, Kenya

UNESCO Regional Offices in Nairobi and Abuja, and UNESCO Institute for

Lifelong Learning (UIL) hosted the Sub-regional workshop on mobilizing

higher education and distance learning assets, capabilities and networks

moving towards SDG4 and the Agenda 2063 literacy targets in sub-Saharan

Africa 13-15 June 2017. The main purpose of the workshop was to strengthen

cooperation between ministries of education and higher education and

distance learning institutions, with a view to addressing adult literacy

challenges. The workshop brought together a wide range of participants,

representing ministries of education, departments of youth and adult literacy,

commissions for higher/university education, the International Association of

Universities, the African Association of Universities, selected universities,

UNESCO Chairs, and distance learning centers.

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UNESCO and the University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands

meet to discuss combining UNESCO's ICT-Competency Framework for

teachers (CFT) training course for teachers

14 June 2017,

Nairobi, Kenya

UNESCO and the University

of Applied Science in the

Netherlands (HU) met on 14

June 2017 to discuss

combining UNESCO's

Kenyan ICT Competency

Framework for Teachers

training course for teachers

with the University of

Applied Science in the Netherlands (HU) teacher training activity in the

Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya. UNESCO will visit the Kakuma Refugee

Camp with HU to understand the needs of the teachers.

From the Office

15 June 2017

Axel Plathe - from the Division of Field Support and Coordination (FSC) –

UNESCO Paris, is on an official mission to Nairobi from 13-15 June 2017.

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On 15 June he gave a presentation to the UNESCO team in Nairobi on field

coordination and support, presenting statistics, budget, responsibilities and

accountabilities for the field Network in Africa, issues encountered after the

Africa Field Reform and improvement plan for the Field Network. The

Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa was present and

highlighted the importance of working as a team, in the field and in close

collaboration with HQ to implement and deliver projects together.

Mr. Axel Plathe also had the

opportunity to meet, during his

visit, with the UNON Director-

General, Ms. Sahle Work-Zewde,

the UN Kenya Resident

Coordinator Mr. Siddhartha

Chatterjee, and the UNESCO Kenya

National Commission Secretary- General,

Ms. Eva Njoka.

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Public Holidays

Eid al-Fitr

26 June 2017

UN Public Holiday in UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa

End of Ramadan

Birthdays

Ann Therese Ndong Jatta

22 June 2017

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