Saturday, October 20, 2007

UNESCO General Conference - 34th Session

The 34th session of the General Conference, which every two years brings together the Member States of UNESCO, is being held from 16 October to 3 November in Paris.

Two ministerial round tables – on education and on science – a youth forum and an international civil society forum are on the agenda of the session. Close to 2,000 participants are expected, including numerous ministers and some ten heads of State and government who will take the floor before representatives of the Organization’s 193 Member States.

UNESCO General Conference - 34th Session

The 34th session of the General Conference, which every two years brings together the Member States of UNESCO, is being held from 16 October to 3 November in Paris.

Two ministerial round tables – on education and on science – a youth forum and an international civil society forum are on the agenda of the session. Close to 2,000 participants are expected, including numerous ministers and some ten heads of State and government who will take the floor before representatives of the Organization’s 193 Member States.

Interface between Education and Economic Development

A Ministerial Round Table was held on the theme of Education and Economic Development on October 19th and 20th. More than 100 ministers of education and another 250 observers participated in the meeting, which built upon two previous Round Tables focused on education quality (in 2003) and Education for All (in 2005). This Round Table concentrated on the key issues at the interface between education and economic development. It sought to identify new approaches and to elicit fresh ideas, to provide impetus for future national policies and strategies, and to give orientation to UNESCO’s action and priorities in this field.

Interface between Education and Economic Development

A Ministerial Round Table was held on the theme of Education and Economic Development on October 19th and 20th. More than 100 ministers of education and another 250 observers participated in the meeting, which built upon two previous Round Tables focused on education quality (in 2003) and Education for All (in 2005). This Round Table concentrated on the key issues at the interface between education and economic development. It sought to identify new approaches and to elicit fresh ideas, to provide impetus for future national policies and strategies, and to give orientation to UNESCO’s action and priorities in this field.

Teleconference Regarding the U.S. World Heritage Tentative List Meeting Minutes

Member nations of UNESCO submit tentative lists of sites within their countries that may be nominated for recognition as World Heritage Sites. The U.S. is now being updated for the first time since 1990. The National Park Service is responsible for compiling the new list, and asked for inputs from the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO as part of the compilation process. A NatCom committee was formed to review the submission, and met held a phone consultation a couple of weeks ago. The minutes of the meeting provide a list of the potential sites considered this year, and the recommendations for inclusion or non-inclusion from the list.


White Sands was one of the sites highly recommended for inclusion on the tentative list.

Teleconference Regarding the U.S. World Heritage Tentative List Meeting Minutes

Member nations of UNESCO submit tentative lists of sites within their countries that may be nominated for recognition as World Heritage Sites. The U.S. is now being updated for the first time since 1990. The National Park Service is responsible for compiling the new list, and asked for inputs from the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO as part of the compilation process. A NatCom committee was formed to review the submission, and met held a phone consultation a couple of weeks ago. The minutes of the meeting provide a list of the potential sites considered this year, and the recommendations for inclusion or non-inclusion from the list.


White Sands was one of the sites highly recommended for inclusion on the tentative list.

UN Competitive Recruitment Examinations

The United Nations is holding a competitive recruitment examination in February 2008, for U.S. CITIZENS who are interested in entry-level professional posts. A maximum of 40 of the most qualified applicants in each field will be invited to take the exam. The UN must receive applications for it by October 31, 2007.

EXAMINATION CRITERIA ( all must be met)

  1. Be no more than 32 years old as of December 31, 2008 (UN requirement).
  2. Have at least an undergraduate degree (advanced degree is an advantage but is not required) in one of the following occupational fields or related areas:
    • Finance
    • Information Technology
    • Political Affairs
    • Program Evaluation
    • Environment
    • Statistics
  3. Be fluent in English and/or French, the two working languages of the Secretariat. Knowledge of additional official languages of the UN (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish) is a definite advantage.
The competitive recruitment exam appears to have been given once a year, You can find out more about this and other UN employment examinations at the exam page of the UN Office of Human Resource Management website.

The United Nations Office of Human Resource Management website provides more information on employment opportunities and conditions in the United Nations system..

You may also find links to the job websites of many of the larger intergovernmental agencies on Thoughts About K4D (blog).

There is an earlier aritcle on how to get a job with UNESCO on the UNESCO in the Spotlight blog.
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