The Task Force met to map the climate change-related activities ongoing within UNESCO, dismantle the sector mentality of separate activities, and to draft the UNESCO Strategy for Member States’ comment. It then organized a briefing to discuss the Strategy with Permanent Delegations on 13 November 2007, and a sub-group of the Task Force organized a UNESCO side-event at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties-13 in Bali, Indonesia on 14 December 2007. Since January 2008 the Task Force has served as the Steering Committee for the Intersectoral Platform on the same subject.

Task Force Mandate
The purpose of the Inter-Sectoral Task Force on Global Climate Change is to define a strategic and integrated approach for UNESCO on the issue of global climate change and to position the Organization so that it can make a tangible contribution in the years to come.

The mandate of the Task Force is to:

• take stock and map activities that are ongoing globally, regionally and at the country level in relation to GCC, both within and outside the United Nations System and, in particular update the inventory of UNESCO efforts with a view to identifying the Organization’s comparative advantage and its future role within its areas of competence;
• elaborate an interdisciplinary framework and platform for UNESCO’s contribution in the area of GCC, which benefits from the Organization’s comparative advantages and decentralized network, including its Category I and II Centres and UNESCO Chairs in this area; addresses the needs related to its priorities within the Medium-Term Strategy (34 C/4), namely Africa and gender equality; and feeds into ongoing global efforts, in particular the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change;
• prepare a results-based implementation plan for the Organization’s action in this area from now through to the end of 2009 in cooperation with the Field Offices, which makes provisions for regular monitoring and which puts particular emphasis on ensuring the visibility and communication of UNESCO’s actions;
• define and propose mechanisms for ensuring a coherent and mutually reinforcing approach by programme sectors when addressing GCC in the 34 C/5 workplans; and suggest a strategy by which to insert UNESCO effectively into global and regional mechanisms and initiatives, including through links with the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoys on Climate Change.

Accomplishments:

• The Task Force drafted the UNESCO Strategy for action on climate change, which was approved by the 179th Executive Board, and will be reported on at upcoming autumn Boards.
• A subset of the Task Force prepared the UNESCO official side event at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties-13 in Bali, Indonesia in December 2007.
• The Task Force serves as the Steering Committee of the Intersectoral Platform UNESCO Action to address climate change.