Chronicle Editor
Rejoyce Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
THE United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) yesterday conducted an awareness workshop in Bulawayo aimed at educating the public on various programmes under the Zimbabwe National Commission (ZIMNATCOM) for Unesco.
Unesco’s mission is to contribute to peace and human development in an era of globalisation through education, science, culture and communication.
Zimbabwe joined Unesco on September 22, 1980. The 1987 Presidential Decree 1987 culminated in the establishment of ZIMNATCOM for Unesco.
ZIMNATCOM for Unesco is a Department in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development.
Founded on November 16, 1945, Unesco has 193 member states and 11 associate members from non-independent states.
Speaking during the workshop yesterday, the secretary-general of ZIMNATCOM for Unesco, Ms Margaret Julia Chirapa said that her organisation seeks to inculcate its ideals, messages and programmes in the society right down to the grassroots where they are often inaccessible.
“There is need to bring out aspirations and demands from the grassroots, facilitate the establishment and promotion of partnerships in member states as well as identify problems of all kinds which Unesco may contribute to solving them,” said Ms Chirapa.
She said the link between Unesco and the Government must ensure that member states draw maximum benefit from the membership.
Ms Chirapa said the Unesco team is working towards enforcing effective communication such as coming up with a Facebook page where job vacancies would be posted for people to see and share.
She said Unesco also offers prizes in the education sector notably the US$50 000 prize for women and girl education.
“Members of the public can also apply to get funds for their various projects through provisions made out through Extra Budgetary Funding, Participation and Fellowship Programmes,” said Ms Chirapa.
In 1984, Unesco defined the African continent as a priority in the implementation of its mandate providing responses to the continent’s developmental challenges especially in the areas of youth unemployment, inclusive development, education, climate change, heritage and history among others.
Ms Chipara said an Operational Strategy for Priority Africa 2022-2029 was developed based on consultations with member states.
“This operational strategy aims at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 and the African Union”s Agenda 2063 “The Africa We Want”, in Unesco’s fields of competence,” she said.
In Agenda 2063, the African Union renews its vision for “An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens, representing a dynamic force in the international arena”.
To achieve this pan-African vision, Ms Chipara said Africa will need to address innovatively the major challenges it faces, while seizing the opportunities they present.
The Operational Strategy for Priority Africa 2022-2029 has five flagship programmes which are: Campus Africa: Reinforcing Higher Education in Africa (Education), The General History of Africa (GHA) as a catalyst for achieving Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda” (Education-Social and Human Sciences-Culture).
Others include fostering cultural heritage and capacity development (Culture), harnessing new and emerging technologies for sustainable development in Africa, including through the implementation of the recommendation on the ethics of artificial intelligence” (SHS-SC-CI) and “Enhance Open Science, reinforce capacity building in Basic and Applied Sciences and Scientific Research to strengthen innovation and technology development and use in Ocean Science, climate change resilience and water resource management in Africa” (SC-IOC) — @Reeky60245168
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