UNESCO

Non-resident Agency in Kosovo

UNESCO Mission and Mandate

As a specialized agency of the United Nations, UNESCO contributes to the promotion of peace, human development and intercultural dialogue through education, sciences, culture, communication and information.

Coordinated by its Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe based in Venice, Italy, and in close coordination with the UN Kosovo Team and UNMIK, UNESCO in the framework of its overall mandate has placed priority on activities related to culture including intercultural dialogue and the protection and conservation of multi-ethnic heritage, science including environmental sustainable development as well as enhancing education for all opportunities.

Main activities in Kosovo since programmes started:

Recognizing the role that cultural heritage is playing as a potent symbol of identity and as a factor for reconciliation, UNESCO has developed a framework for coordinating the contributions of the international community towards the restoration, reconstruction and protection of cultural heritage in Kosovo.

Following international donors conference to safeguard cultural heritage in Kosovo (13 May 2005) thanks to the generous support from Albania, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Russian Federation, Turkey and USA, UNESCO has actively supported the restoration and reconstruction works of multi-ethnic examples of extraordinary cultural heritage. In addition to strengthening the capacities and widening of the knowledge of young local professionals through the physical works undertaken, UNESCO has contributed to the reconciliation process by ensuring that all professionals, regardless of their ethnic origins, work on monuments representing a variety of different cultures, thus fostering a process to deepen cross-cultural understanding.

All projects have been implemented together with local experts in cooperation with all partners involved in the protection of heritage, in particularly close cooperation with UNMIK (in accordance to the Memorandum of Understanding of 2006) and the UN Kosovo Team.

Major Goals for next 3-5 years:

• Along its five areas of competence – culture, education, natural sciences, social and human sciences and communication and information – UNESCO has identified a range of future priorities:
• Enhance capacities for the management, safeguarding, and promotion of cultural heritage and cultural diversity as tools for dialogue, sustainable development, welfare, and prosperity.
• Strengthen the science & technology system, improving internal, regional and international collaboration
• Encourage adoption of EU standards in higher education, making education available to all with a particular focus on girls, and promoting life-long learning.
• Strengthen sustainable management of ecosystems, freshwater, terrestrial resources, and biodiversity, including strengthening capacities for disaster risk reduction and  rural development
• Foster the development of youth and minority policies that give all citizens opportunities for representation and participation.
• Support the development of an independent and pluralistic media.

Contact

UNESCO Venice Office
http://www.unesco.org/venice
Tel:  +39 041-2601-511
Fax: +39 041-5289-995
Email: veniceoffice-dir@unesco.org