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| Archive - Press Releases (2002-2006) |
Global disaster reduction education campaign
15-06-2006 5:00 pm - (Press Release N°2006-60)
“Investing in school safety and disaster risk education pays off”
A global campaign for disaster reduction education was launched at UNESCO’s Paris Headquarters today by Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO Director-General and Sálvano Briceño, Director of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction secretariat (ISDR). Also present at the event were several children who have lived through natural disasters, including the young English schoolgirl, Tilly Smith, whose saved many lives in Thailand in December 2004 thanks to a geography lesson about tsunamis. More |
Amsterdam named “World Book Capital 2008”
13-06-2006 3:00 pm - (Press Release N°2006-59)
Amsterdam has been chosen as the 2008 “World Book Capital” by a selection committee, comprised of representatives of UNESCO and the three main international organizations representing the book industry, that met at UNESCO on 8 June. More |
Opatija declaration adopted
02-06-2006 5:00 pm - (Press Release N°2006-56)
The Declaration of Opatija was adopted yesterday by six Heads of State from South-East Europe*, during the Summit on Heritage and Communication: A New Vision for South-East Europe. The meeting was organized by the President of Croatia Stjepan Mesić and the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, in collaboration with the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, Terry Davis. More |
Director-General deplores killing of Pakistani cameraman Munir Ahmed Sangi
02-06-2006 2:00 pm - (Press Release N°2006-55)
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, today deplored the killing of Pakistani cameraman Munir Ahmed Sangi who was shot dead on Monday while covering a gunfight in the Pakistani town of Larkana. Mr Matsuura called for improved safety for journalists working in areas of armed conflict. More |
African students the most mobile in the world
31-05-2006 10:00 am - (Press Release N°2006-54)
 Tertiary students from sub-Saharan Africa are the most mobile in the world, with one out of every 16 – or 5.6 percent - studying abroad, according to a report from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). At the other end of the scale, only one out of every 250 North American students (0.4 percent) studies overseas, making this group the least mobile. More |
UNESCO offers support to Indonesia in the aftermath of the Earthquake
30-05-2006 10:00 am - (Press Release N°2006-52)
 “UNESCO stands ready to assist Indonesia in the aftermath of the tragic earthquake that killed thousands of people in Java on Saturday,” said UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura today, as he expressed his condolences to the people of Indonesia. More |
Abdoulaye Wade receives Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize
16-05-2006 8:00 pm - (Press Release N°2006-42)
 UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura and former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger today presented the 2005 Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize to the President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, during a ceremony at the Organization’s Headquarters. More |
Launch of African World Heritage Fund
04-05-2006 4:10 am - (Press Release No.2006-38)
 A fund to help the States of sub-Saharan Africa improve the preservation of their cultural and natural heritage will be launched in South Africa on 5 May. The African World Heritage Fund will also be used to help boost the number of African sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. More |
World Press Freedom Day 2006 to focus on media, development and poverty eradication
25-04-2006 5:10 pm - (Press Release N°2006-35)
Media, Development and Poverty Eradication is the theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, 3 May, which UNESCO will observe in Colombo (Sri Lanka) with a two-day international conference on the subject and the award ceremony of the 2006 UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to Lebanese journalist May Chidiac. More |
Teacher shortages threaten quality Education For All
25-04-2006 5:00 pm - (Press Release N°2006-34)
 Sub-Saharan Africa will need another 1.6 million teachers in classrooms by 2015 to provide every child with a primary education, according to a new report by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). Chronic shortages are also expected in the Arab States, which will need to expand their teaching force by 26% in less than a decade to achieve the same goal. More |
Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage enters into force
20-04-2006 6:00 pm - (Press Release N°2006-32)
The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage, adopted in October 2003 by UNESCO’s General Conference, enters into force today, three months after the 30th instrument of ratification was deposited. A total of 47 Member States have ratified the Convention to date: 16 in Europe, nine in Asia, nine in Africa, seven in Latin America and six of the Arab States. More |
Close of a very positive session of Executive Board
14-04-2006 5:00 pm - (Press Release N°2006-30)
The 174 session of UNESCO’s Executive Board ended yesterday - after more than two weeks of debates qualified by its Chairman, Vice Minister of Education Zhang Xinsheng (China), as particularly enriching – with the adoption of a decision urging mutual respect for cultural diversity, religious beliefs and religious symbols. More |
Director-General expresses deep concern about press freedom in Nepal
14-04-2006 1:00 pm - (Press Release N°2006-29)
UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura today expressed deep concern over the increasing attacks against democracy and freedom of expression that have occurred in recent weeks in Nepal. “The announcements that more than fifty journalists and publishers have been attacked, beaten up and arrested by the Nepalese Army and the Armed Police Forces represent attacks on freedom of expression, which UNESCO has a mission to defend,” said Mr. Matsuura, recalling also the critical report about the conditions for press freedom in Nepal from the recent mission to the country by the International Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression Mission, in which UNESCO took active part. More |
Respect for freedom of expression and respect for religious beliefs : the Director-General of UNESCO applauds the decision of the Executive Board
13-04-2006 5:30 pm - (Press Release N°2006-28)
On 13 April, the Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, expressed his “strong satisfaction” after the Executive Board of the Organization adopted a decision relating to the issue of respect for freedom of expression and respect for religious beliefs and religious symbols. While referring to international instruments that uphold freedom of expression, of thought, of belief and of religion, the Member States of UNESCO have reaffirmed their attachment both to respect for religious beliefs and religious symbols and to freedom of expression. More |
Director-General condemns attack on Buratha Mosque in Iraq
12-04-2006 11:30 am - (Press Release N°2006-27)
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, today expressed grave concern over escalating violence in Iraq, especially the mounting loss of innocent lives, and condemned attacks on places of worship. More |
Ad-hoc Independent High Commission of Information and Communication for Afghanistan meets at UNESCO
14-03-2006 12:00 pm - (Press Release N°2006-19)
Afghanistan’s Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Sayed Makhdom Raheen, and the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, today opened the meeting of an Ad Hoc Independent High Commission of Communication and Information for Afghanistan. Over the next six days, the Commission’s members, 15 Afghan media professionals will take stock of the problems they face so as to assist the government of Afghanistan’s preparation of a medium-term development plan of the Afghan communication and information sector. More |
Water: a crisis of governance says second UN World Water Development Report
09-03-2006 5:00 pm - (Press Release N°2006-14)
 Although unevenly distributed, the world has plenty of freshwater. However, mismanagement, limited resources and environmental changes mean that almost one-fifth of the planet’s population still lacks access to safe drinking water and 40 per cent lack access to basic sanitation says the United Nations World Water Development Report 2. More |
Five remarkable women scientists receive the 2006 L’ORÉAL-UNESCO Award
02-03-2006 11:30 am - (Press Release N°2006-16)
 The L’ORÉAL-UNESCO Tribute for UNESCO’s 60th anniversary is awarded to Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard, 1995 Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Five L’ORÉAL-UNESCO Awards For Women in Science have been presented for Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. More |
Director-General of UNESCO condemns the destruction inflicted on the Ali al-Hadi shrine in Samarra (Iraq)
23-02-2006 7:25 pm - (Press Release N°2006-12)
 The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, voiced shock and concern at the destruction of the golden dome of the Imam Ali al-Hadi shrine in the northern Iraqi city of Samarra and at the heavy loss of lives in the violence. Mr Matsuura also condemned the destruction of dozens of Sunni mosques and Christian churches in the country as “unacceptable.” He welcomed the appeal for calm by Iraq’s highest religious leaders and national authorities and called for respect for all religious sites in the country. More |
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