Third Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities

The Third Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities focuses on four main themes:

• Preservation and presentation of cultural heritage;
• Cultural identity, diversity, and dignity;
• Culture, the creation of decent work, and the fight against poverty;
• Culture and the role of indigenous peoples

It is being held in Montreal, Canada (November 13-15).

According to CCN Mathews, The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, is chairing the meeting:

"Canada's New Government is proud to host this prestigious meeting in the province of Quebec. We believe in the importance of these meetings to exchange ideas and information and foster cooperation on cultural policy issues," said Minister Oda who will deliver a Keynote Address during the Opening Session of the Meeting on November 14. "Canada intends to use this meeting to engage countries of the Americas on the issue of cultural diversity and to promote the ratification of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions."

Third Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities

The Third Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities focuses on four main themes:

• Preservation and presentation of cultural heritage;
• Cultural identity, diversity, and dignity;
• Culture, the creation of decent work, and the fight against poverty;
• Culture and the role of indigenous peoples

It is being held in Montreal, Canada (November 13-15).

According to CCN Mathews, The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, is chairing the meeting:

"Canada's New Government is proud to host this prestigious meeting in the province of Quebec. We believe in the importance of these meetings to exchange ideas and information and foster cooperation on cultural policy issues," said Minister Oda who will deliver a Keynote Address during the Opening Session of the Meeting on November 14. "Canada intends to use this meeting to engage countries of the Americas on the issue of cultural diversity and to promote the ratification of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions."

"More power for UN reps urged"

Read the full article by Mark Turner in the Financial Times , November 9 2006.

A blue-ribbon reform committee has recommended that the United Nations should establish a network of much more powerful country representatives who have and exercise the authority to rein in and allocate funds for country programs. This would presumably affect UNESCO's programs as well as those of other decentralized U.N. agencies.

The reform committee of 15 including the UK chancellor of the exchequer, the prime ministers of Pakistan, Norway and Mozambique, and the former presidents of Chile and Tanzania.

The committee suggests designing unified UN development plans in each country, putting all funds into a single pot, and then allocating money to the different agencies as appropriate. The process would be overseen by a UN resident-coordinator in that country who would have far more authority than at present. The UN’s global network of coordinators would then report to a powerful new ‘Sustainable Development Board’, headed by the UNDP in New York.

Their proposals need the approval of the General Assembly to become policy.
According to the The Financial Times article, it is far from clear whether the recommendations will be accepted by the General Assembly.

"More power for UN reps urged"

Read the full article by Mark Turner in the Financial Times , November 9 2006.

A blue-ribbon reform committee has recommended that the United Nations should establish a network of much more powerful country representatives who have and exercise the authority to rein in and allocate funds for country programs. This would presumably affect UNESCO's programs as well as those of other decentralized U.N. agencies.

The reform committee of 15 including the UK chancellor of the exchequer, the prime ministers of Pakistan, Norway and Mozambique, and the former presidents of Chile and Tanzania.

The committee suggests designing unified UN development plans in each country, putting all funds into a single pot, and then allocating money to the different agencies as appropriate. The process would be overseen by a UN resident-coordinator in that country who would have far more authority than at present. The UN’s global network of coordinators would then report to a powerful new ‘Sustainable Development Board’, headed by the UNDP in New York.

Their proposals need the approval of the General Assembly to become policy.
According to the The Financial Times article, it is far from clear whether the recommendations will be accepted by the General Assembly.

UNESCO produced TV documentary on Darfour gets best investigative journalism award

Read the full UNESCO press release.

“The Children of Darfur”, directed by Denmark’s Camilla Nielsson and produced by UNESCO, receives the International TV3 Actual Award today in Barcelona, Spain, a 10,000-euro first prize for outstanding examples of investigative journalism.

UNESCO produced this documentary as part of its “Revisiting Public Service Television” series.

The Children of Darfur had already received this summer the 25th Grand Prix of Documentary at the 2006 Monte-Carlo TV Festival. Other prizes received by the series include the Golden Award from the Aljazeera Documentary Film Festival and the Bronze Medal at the URTI TV Film Festival.

UNESCO produced TV documentary on Darfour gets best investigative journalism award

Read the full UNESCO press release.

“The Children of Darfur”, directed by Denmark’s Camilla Nielsson and produced by UNESCO, receives the International TV3 Actual Award today in Barcelona, Spain, a 10,000-euro first prize for outstanding examples of investigative journalism.

UNESCO produced this documentary as part of its “Revisiting Public Service Television” series.

The Children of Darfur had already received this summer the 25th Grand Prix of Documentary at the 2006 Monte-Carlo TV Festival. Other prizes received by the series include the Golden Award from the Aljazeera Documentary Film Festival and the Bronze Medal at the URTI TV Film Festival.

Decisions adopted by the Executive Board at its 175th session, Paris, 26 September-12 October 2006

Read the full 77 page report online. (PDF format.)