The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Task Force on COP 21 and Climate Change has released a short publication that outlines the Organization's contributions to addressing climate change.
The publication also provides information on UNESCO events and initiatives in the run-up to, and during, the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the UNFCCC, which will take place in Paris, France, in November-December 2015.
November 2015: The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Task Force on COP 21 and Climate Change has released a short publication that outlines the Organization’s contributions to addressing climate change. The publication also provides information on UNESCO events and initiatives in the run-up to, and during, the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the UNFCCC, which will take place in Paris, France, in November-December 2015.
The brochure, titled ‘UNESCO, Climate Change and COP 21,’ presents actions undertaken by the Organization to address climate change, grouped under five themes covered by UNESCO’s mandate: climate knowledge, science and culture; climate change education and public awareness; climate change and water security; the ocean and climate change; and UNESCO Sites.
In addition, the brochure highlights three areas: gender; small island developing States (SIDS); and Africa. On gender, UNESCO is committed, through its Priority Gender Equality Policy, to integrating a gender equality perspective in all its programmes and initiatives. On island States, UNESCO “places high priority on providing multidisciplinary support to SIDS in all of its areas of expertise,” and supports SIDS through its Sandwatch educational programme. In Africa, also identified as a priority, UNESCO focuses its support to member States through an extensive network of Field Offices, in close cooperation with the African Union (AU).
The publication further lists close to 50 climate change-related programmes, networks and initiatives that UNESCO leads or participates in, including: the Blue Carbon Initiative; Gender Equality and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR); Renewable Energy Futures for UNESCO Sites Initiative; UN Alliance on Climate Change Education, Training and Public Awareness; and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Nairobi Work Programme (NWP).
The UNESCO brochure also lists events, initiatives and exhibits UNESCO is organizing and hosting in the lead-up to, and during, the UN Paris Climate Change Conference. [UNESCO Climate Change and COP 21 Webpage] [Publication: UNESCO, Climate Change and COP 21]