Hundred and sixty-ninth Session REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL ON THE CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN IRAQ SUMMARY

Transcription

1 ex United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Executive Board Hundred and sixty-ninth Session 169 EX/36 PARIS, 19 March 2004 Original: English Item 8.2 of the provisional agenda REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL ON THE CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN IRAQ SUMMARY This document is presented in compliance with 167 EX/Decision 9.2 adopted by the Executive Board at its 167th session by which the Director-General was requested to report on progress made regarding the cultural and educational institutions in Iraq. Decision proposed: paragraph 35.

2 169 EX/36 INTRODUCTION 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 11 of 167 EX/Decision 9.2. This is the second report on this issue presented to the Executive Board and covers the period from mid- August 2003 to February The period under consideration was characterized by the deterioration of the security situation and the reduction of the number of United Nations international staff in Iraq. Following the attack on the United Nations Headquarters in Baghdad on 19 August 2003, an event which had a devastating immediate impact and many far-reaching consequences, the Secretary-General decided to withdraw all international personnel other than those required for essential humanitarian assistance activities and security and logistics support. 3. Despite the destruction of the Office of the Special Representative and the subsequent relocation of United Nations international staff outside the country, a considerable number of planned United Nations activities such as the reconstruction needs assessment process and the Madrid Conference as well as the termination of the Oil-for-Food Programme have continued. The first part of this report highlights UNESCO s contribution to these processes and programmes. 4. The present progress report also describes some priority UNESCO activities in regard to recovery and reconstruction planning. Despite adverse circumstances, these activities have been sustained throughout the reporting period, primarily by national staff in Iraq and by international staff based in neighbouring countries. These activities, mainly focused upon the fields of education and culture, are described in the second part of the document. 5. The third and final part of the report is devoted to the way forward for UNESCO s presence and activities in the country in compliance with Security Council resolutions and the Secretary- General s policy on the future role of the United Nations in Iraq. In this regard, Security Council resolution 1511 which mentions UNESCO specifically and the close collaboration with UNAMI are of paramount importance for the Organization. 6. The underlying principles that guide UNESCO s activities in Iraq at present and will guide them in the period ahead are those delineated by the Secretary-General for the overall United Nations engagement in Iraq in his last report to the Security Council (S/2003/1149, 5 December 2003). The prospect of a sovereign transitional government of Iraq in place by 30 June 2004 has required the Secretary-General to consider which United Nations activities are appropriate now and which activities should await the formation of the transitional government. Immediate and pressing needs that must be met urgently are those pertaining to humanitarian assistance, emergency rehabilitation, technical assistance for relevant ministries and the initiation of vital reconstruction activities. All of these programmes, furthermore, can help to generate conditions favourable to the vital political process that lies ahead. According to the Secretary-General, much work needs to be done now and the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes are continuing to play a very active role in the areas identified, responding to requests from their Iraqi partners, with whom they are working very closely, and operating in close consultation with the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). Indeed, Security Council resolution 1511 calls for the United Nations to strengthen its role in these areas over time, as circumstances permit. These guiding principles elaborated by the Secretary-General have provided the framework within which UNESCO has established contacts and working relationships with Iraqi counterparts, the CPA and international partners within and outside the United Nations system.

3 169 EX/36 page 2 UNESCO S CONTRIBUTION TO UNITED NATIONS ACTIVITIES AFTER 19 AUGUST 2003 Termination of the Oil-for-Food Programme 7. Paragraph 16 of Security Council resolution 1483 (2003) requested the Secretary-General to terminate by 21 November 2003, in the most cost-effective manner, the ongoing operations of the Oil-for-Food Programme, both at Headquarters and in the field, transferring responsibility for the administration of any remaining activity under the Programme to the CPA. UNESCO has successfully implemented the instructions of SCR 1483 regarding the termination of the Oil-for- Food Programme. Despite the operational difficulties experienced due to the prevailing security situation, the Organization more than doubled its implementation of the previous year in the Northern Governorates, providing some $40 million in educational services and materials which had been prioritized by the local authorities and the CPA. In the centre and the south, UNESCO supported the end-of-year school examinations and the preparations of the new school year through the provision of examination materials and textbooks. At the request of the national authorities and the CPA, the Organization assisted in the relaunching of education projects previously foreseen but not implemented by the former regime. It thus facilitated the implementation of 76 projects valued at $195 million. UNESCO is cooperating with the Office of the Iraq Programme in New York in assuring the Programme s liquidation by 31 March 2004; to this end, a final audit conducted by IOS was launched on 2 February Reconstruction needs assessment and the Madrid Conference 8. The expertise gained by the Organization has enabled it to assist national authorities and external partners, within the United Nations framework established for Iraq. UNESCO has participated in the inter-agency initiatives and donor mobilization efforts coordinated by the United Nations Development Group (UNDG), the ongoing work of the United Nations Country Team for Iraq undertaken in Amman, and the international meetings organized in New York, Dubai and Madrid. The Organization has benefited from the services of Iraqi counterparts and the support of the Ministers of Education and Culture, who attended last year s session of the General Conference of UNESCO and recently visited UNESCO s Headquarters to discuss future cooperation projects. 9. From the outset, UNESCO participated in the needs assessment process for Iraq, launched last summer by the UNDG and the World Bank, by providing assistance in the fields of culture, education and communications. The earlier missions to Iraq in the field of culture were a real asset in this regard. In the area of education, the Organization contributed to the UNDG/World Bank needs assessment mission in the areas of secondary, vocational, technical and higher education. It has undertaken, through Japanese-funded projects, a detailed survey of these types and levels of education in conjunction with the training of national staff and is providing assistance for strengthening the Ministry s institutional capacity to coordinate the rehabilitation process. The Communication and Information Sector contributed to the UNDG/World Bank needs assessment process in Iraq last August and has produced a comprehensive report, which was included in the Governance Section of the overall needs assessment document. The report identifies the various tasks that should be addressed in the post-conflict period or as soon as the political and security situation allows. The objective of the media aspect of the UNDG/World Bank needs assessment was twofold: to identify what would be required to ensure that Iraq rapidly develops independent and pluralistic media, and to present a budget for urgent media initiatives. 10. The Organization participated in the detailed consultation on a draft of the needs assessment held in late September 2003 in Dubai; members of the Governing Council and several interim Ministers were present at this meeting. UNESCO also participated in the International Donors

4 169 EX/36 page 3 Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq held in Madrid on 23 and 24 October Its delegation, which was composed of senior staff from the Education, Culture and Communication Sectors, contributed actively to the discussions of the consolidated needs assessment report. 11. As a follow-up to the Madrid Conference, the Organization assisted the Minister of Education to organize a meeting with the major external partners in Amman. Finally, prior to the International Donors Conference held in Abu Dhabi in late February 2004, the Director-General signed the Memorandum of Cooperation concerning the newly established UNDG Trust Fund on Iraq, focusing on technical assistance in relevant sectors, quick-impact projects and transition activities that need to be implemented in a rapid and flexible manner. PRIORITY UNESCO ACTIVITIES IN REGARD TO RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION PLANNING Education 12. The main activities in the Education Sector in the latter half of 2003 were focused on the gradual phasing out of the Oil-for-Food Programme, with a view to ensuring that the education system would not face any disruptions associated with this process, particularly regarding the achievement of the EFA goals. In all of these activities, UNESCO has adhered strictly to the instructions of the Secretary-General regarding cooperation with and assistance to Iraq, placing emphasis on the use of national capacities and staff when implementing new activities. 13. Textbooks Project: This project contributed to the provision of a total of 8.75 million school textbooks for mathematics and science under USAID funding. Over three quarters of the books were printed by local printers with the aim of generating local income and economic activity. National expertise was strengthened in editing the books and monitoring the overall implementation of the project. Major achievements under this project were: 14. Printing and distribution Review of 48 mathematics and science textbooks in Arabic, in July 2003 in Baghdad, by a team comprised of teachers, supervisors and education specialists, with representatives of all language groups. Review of 26 titles in the Kurdish languages undertaken in Erbil. Assistance to Iraqi printers regarding how to tender competitive bids for contracts with international organizations (in the past, the printers had worked only for the Ministry of Education and had developed little capacity in bidding, contracting, invoicing, etc.). Assistance to build up the production capacity of local printers and fully utilize the large print and four-colour printing capacities available in Baghdad for the printing of first and second semester books in mathematics and science for primary and secondary children. Printing of 5,597,000 textbooks in Arabic for the first semester (24 titles, of which 19 were printed in Baghdad and five in Amman). All textbooks were distributed between October and December 2003 to Baghdad and the 14 Governorates outside the capital. Improvement of the books/students ratio, which was brought down to 1:2 for 50% of the textbooks and to 1:1 for the remaining 50% (previously, the ratio had been approximately 1:4 since only half of the required books were printed and distributed).

5 169 EX/36 page 4 Printing of 3,162,000 textbooks in Arabic for the second semester (15 titles, of which 11 were printed in Baghdad and four in Amman). Distribution of these textbooks to Baghdad and the Governorates began in late January and was completed by mid-february Design of a monitoring process to ensure that production and distribution are better organized. For the first round of textbook delivery, forms devised by UNESCO were filled in by headmasters and returned to the UNESCO office, showing that 14,000 schools had received textbooks and that approximately 5 million schoolchildren were supplied with mathematics and science books in Baghdad and the 14 Governorates. 15. Capacity-building Initial training in textbook review for teachers, supervisors and education specialists (including representatives from the Governorates in northern Iraq). Training in monitoring and quality control for Ministry of Education staff. Computerization of the monitoring and quality control of the production process so as to keep close track of available titles and rebuild pre-war capacity. Short on-the-job training in distribution, along with monitoring and evaluation of distribution by teams in each Governorate. Preparation of a study tour for Ministry of Education representatives to several countries to learn from successful implementation of education reforms. 16. International Fund for Higher Education in Iraq: The signing ceremony of the Agreement of the International Fund for Higher Education in Iraq between the Director-General and H.H. Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Misnad took place on 12 October 2003 in Qatar in the presence of the UNESCO delegation, officials of the Qatar Foundation, presidents and deans of Iraqi universities and higher education institutions as well as distinguished guests. UNESCO s Division of Higher Education is administering the International Fund. Following the establishment of the International Fund (funded by Qatar to the amount of $15,000,000), the first meeting of the Fund Directorate took place at UNESCO Headquarters on 1 and 2 December The Fund Directorate has identified six projects for implementation during the current academic year to address immediate training and equipment needs; in addition, eight areas of activity to address longer term priorities such as capacity-building and quality assurance have been identified. An advance of $500,000 has been transferred to UNESCO to begin the implementation. A workshop involving UNESCO education specialists, Iraqi counterparts and the donor is being organized by the UNESCO Beirut Office to prepare the project documents for the six projects for immediate implementation; the workshop will take place in the first week of April Support to the promotion of girls education: The model secondary school for girls being constructed by UNESCO in Baghdad should be completed for opening by September Culture 18. In line with UNESCO s active commitment to assist in the rehabilitation of the cultural heritage of Iraq and following the initiatives undertaken immediately after the conflict last year, the Culture Sector has pursued its activities aimed at providing assistance to the Iraqi people as follows.

6 169 EX/36 page World Heritage List Following the inscription of Ashur on both the World Heritage List and the World Heritage List in Danger by the World Heritage Committee (WHC) at its 27th session (July 2003), and in light of the Emergency International Assistance grant of $50,000 for the preparation of an action plan for the ancient city of Ashur, the WHC made a contract with the archaeologist Dr Arnulf Hausleiter for the elaboration of an updated management plan for the site. This plan will serve as a framework and guideline for the conservation of the site in both the short and long term. The management plan envisages the assessment of the current state of conservation of Ashur in order to devise appropriate conservation measures, including immediate needs, and build capacity of local staff of the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. Through the Nordic World Heritage Foundation, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs allocated $100,000 to support the implementation of activities for Iraq relating to the World Heritage Convention, in particular training capacities and assistance for the preparation of the nominations files for two Iraqi sites inscribed on the Tentative List. A workshop on the implementation of the World Heritage Convention for the benefit of Iraqi technicians of the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBOAH) and the National Environment Institution is scheduled for June Iraq National Museum Following the third International Experts Meeting for the Safeguarding of the Iraqi Cultural Heritage held in Tokyo on 1 August 2003, and in light of the recommendations of the experts concerning in particular the Iraq National Museum in Baghdad, the projects carried out by the Culture Sector have focused on three main objectives: to provide appropriate conservation and environmental conditions for the artefacts in the museum; to update the museum staff s professional skills in conservation; and to document and manage information on the artefacts and their movement in the museum. The project for the rehabilitation of the conservation laboratories, financed by Japanese Funds-in-Trust, is focused on the physical rehabilitation of five rooms, the supply of equipment and materials, and training. The Director of the Iraq National Museum and the Head of the Conservation Department at the Museum will undertake a mission to Tokyo at the end of March This mission will facilitate the finalization of the list of equipment to be supplied and the timing of the delivery. Other projects already submitted by UNESCO to the Japanese Government will be also discussed during this visit. Through a contribution of the Flanders Funds-in-Trust, the rehabilitation of the storage at the Iraq National Museum is under way, addressing in particular the issue of the removal of artefacts from the storage and how to ensure their appropriate packing and conservation in an adequate place during the rehabilitation work. UNESCO is coordinating its action with the British Museum team which will visit the Iraq National Museum in April. A bidding process for the rehabilitation work will be launched soon in Baghdad. Several publications on conservation have been purchased for the Iraq National Museum through the Participation Programme. ICOM (International Council of Museums) will assist UNESCO in the selection of key publications to be translated into Arabic.

7 169 EX/36 page Database for Iraqi cultural property The project to establish a centralized database for Iraqi cultural property at UNESCO Headquarters, in cooperation with the Iraq National Museum, is being implemented, with support from a Switzerland Funds-in-Trust. The detailed specifications and overall structure of the database have been defined. Some experts from the Committee on International Documentation Standards (CIDOC) of ICOM were contacted on a personal basis to advise on the preparation of the database. Since UNESCO wishes the database to become a model on documentation and collection management, it will follow the standards agreed with the international scientific community. A meeting with ICOM is planned for the end of March 2004 to discuss the creation of a panel of experts to oversee and validate the framework of the database before the software is fully developed. Some of these professionals, or others identified by them, shall also provide expert guidance during the process of installing the network (in cooperation with UNESCO web master) and assist in the provision of associated training. Moreover, the structure of the database will be tested and verified by the personnel in charge at the Iraq National Museum before the detailed technical aspects of the database are developed. 22. National Heritage Institute Within the project financed through a contribution from Norway for the supply and installation of an electrical generator and air-conditioning equipment at the National Heritage Institute, a bidding process will be launched in March 2004 in Baghdad. 23. School of Music and Ballet The provision of equipment to the School of Music and Ballet has begun. 24. Stolen property On 17 February 2004, UNESCO participated in the meeting of the Interpol Expert Group (IEG) on Stolen Cultural Property, at Interpol Headquarters, Lyon, to strengthen international cooperation to fight the illicit trafficking of Iraqi cultural property. Training of border patrols and site guards to fight against the illicit traffic in cultural artefacts and to provide effective security at archaeological sites. Contact has been established between UNESCO and the Italian Carabinieri in order to define the programme, the dates of implementation and the profile of the trainees. Protection of the archaeological site of Nineveh. The funds raised through the campaign launched in September 2003 in Switzerland ($45,000) will pay for urgent action to protect the archaeological site of Nineveh in the north of Iraq. In particular, the funds will cover the cost of repairing the existing fence around the Assyrian palace of Sennacherib (eighth century BC) and thereby stop looting at the site. 25. Exhibition of the Treasure of Nimrod At the invitation of the Government of Denmark, UNESCO participated in a meeting in Copenhagen from 14 to 16 February 2004 to discuss the proposal advanced by the United Exhibits Group to hold a travelling exhibition of the Treasure of Nimrod.

8 169 EX/36 page Intangible Heritage Iraq submitted, in 2001, a candidature file entitled Iraqi Maqam and Baghdad Challeghi in the framework of the Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Upon the recommentation of the International Jury, the Director- General proclaimed on 7 November 2003 the Iraqi Maqam and Baghdad Challeghi as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Iraq received financial assistance ($18,000) for the preparation of this candidature. The follow-up action plan of the project is under preparation. THE WAY FORWARD FOR UNESCO S PRESENCE AND ACTIVITIES IN IRAQ Maintaining UNESCO s presence and activities in Iraq 27. Current situation: In keeping with the Secretary-General s instructions concerning the withdrawal of international staff and the utilization of national staff inside Iraq, UNESCO currently is represented in Iraq by 11 national staff members. Nine are employed on short-term contracts under the Textbooks Project; the employment of some may be extended for several more months subject to negotiations concerning the Textbook Project. The other two national staff members on short-term contracts are working in the fields of education (on finalizing the rapid needs assessment for education) and culture respectively. 28. In Amman, two international staff members are managing the Textbook Project; their contracts terminate in April and June In addition, there are two international staff members currently working on the liquidation of the Oil-for-Food Programme; their contracts expire at the end of March One of them is liaising with UNAMI on logistics and security matters. An additional consultant, in educational planning, is working closely with UNAMI on finalizing the educational component of the Strategy for Assistance to Iraq and on establishing the thematic cluster for education and culture within the United Nations Country Team for Iraq. 29. Establishment of the UNESCO Office for Iraq: Following the positive reaction of the Executive Board at its 167th session to the Director-General s proposal to open a UNESCO Office in Baghdad, it was decided to establish a UNESCO Office for Iraq initially, on a temporary basis, in Amman; in due course, with the fully-fledged return of the United Nations to the country, the Office would be opened in Baghdad. The UNESCO Office for Iraq will be temporarily hosted in the premises of the UNESCO Office in Amman, Jordan. 30. The UNESCO Office for Iraq will be in charge of managing UNESCO projects and activities in Iraq and providing guidance and backstopping to the UNESCO national staff operating inside the country. It will also have the main responsibility for cooperating with the United Nations Country Team for Iraq, also located in Amman, in order to coordinate strategies and actions in line with the integrated programmatic approach adopted by the United Nations for its rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in Iraq. In addition, the Office will maintain contacts with NGOs and bilateral organizations with a view to mobilizing partnerships and extrabudgetary funds. The Office will also liaise, in particular for security and policy issues, with the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) based in Larnaca, Cyprus. In fulfilling the above responsibilities, the Office will engage in regular consultations with the Iraqi authorities and will ensure that UNESCO s activities are in line with the overall recommendations provided by the Task Force on Iraq chaired by the Director-General. The Office will cooperate closely with the sectors, services and regional bureaux concerned.

9 169 EX/36 page Pending the appointment of the Director of the UNESCO Office for Iraq, following the ongoing recruitment process, the Director-General has requested Mr Wolfgang Reuther, Director of the UNESCO Office in Amman, to act as Director ad interim in addition to his current functions. The Director of the Office will be assisted by two programme specialists, in education and in culture, whose posts are included in the staff establishment in document 32 C/5. UNESCO s future activities 32. In accordance with 167 EX/Decision 9.2, the Director-General has decided to convene the First Plenary Session of the International Coordination Committee for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Iraq (ICC) on 24 and 25 May 2004 in Paris. 33. In order to ensure a holistic approach to the actions carried out in the field of culture in Iraq, and following the request of Mr Moufid Al Gazaïri, Minister of Culture of Iraq, UNESCO will organize an international conference at its Headquarters, bringing together intellectuals and artists living in Iraq or from the diaspora in order to elaborate a Cultural Charter for Iraq. The conference will be organized from 26 to 28 May 2004, following the ICC meeting. 34. The Natural Sciences Sector of UNESCO, in close cooperation with professional educational, scientific and technological institutions in the United States, the Arab world and Europe, is planning to organize a two-day consultative meeting on rebuilding Iraqi science and technology, in Trieste, Italy, on 14 and 15 April The meeting will examine the best ways and means of responding to the needs of Iraq in the area of scientific and technological higher education and research and of contributing to the planning of the recovery programmes in the country. The tentative objectives of the meeting are: to examine needs as identified by the Iraqi authorities; to evaluate existing resources and facilities in the light of needs; to organize the structure for developing, implementing and monitoring programmes; and to distribute tasks, set timetables and establish channels of communication and responsibility. Proposed draft decision 35. In the light of the above, the Executive Board may wish to adopt a decision along the following lines: The Executive Board, 1. Recalling 167 EX/Decision 9.2, 2. Having examined document 169 EX/36, 3. Emphasizing the necessity to meet the immediate and pressing needs of the Iraqi people, notably in the fields of education and culture, with a view to generating conditions conducive to the restoration of social stability, 4. Recalling the major responsibility entrusted to UNESCO in the field of culture and its prompt and efficient action since the end of the conflict, 5. Thanks the Director-General for the efforts made to sustain UNESCO s recoveryrelated activities, despite the deterioration of the security situation in Iraq; 6. Appreciates UNESCO s contribution to the United Nations system response on behalf of Iraq, with particular regard to the successful termination of the Oil-for-Food Programme and the conduct of reconstruction planning processes;

10 169 EX/36 page 9 7. Notes the Director-General s decision to convene the first meeting of the International Coordination Committee for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Iraq (ICC) on 24 and 25 May 2004 in Paris; 8. Also notes the Director-General s decision to establish a UNESCO Office for Iraq, initially located in Amman and, as soon as the situation permits, to be relocated in Baghdad; 9. Thanks all concerned Member States, NGOs, IGOs and foundations for their substantial contributions to UNESCO s action in favour of the Iraqi people and appeals to them to continue to assist UNESCO in its efforts to foster reconstruction processes in Iraq; 10. Invites the Director-General to provide a progress report to it thereon at its 170th session.

11 ex United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Executive Board Hundred and sixty-ninth Session 169 EX/36 Add. PARIS, 22 April 2004 Original: English Item 8.2 of the provisional agenda REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL ON THE CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN IRAQ ADDENDUM Under the chapter describing UNESCO s activities in the field of culture, the following information should be added: Following the financing by Italy of the first UNESCO experts mission, which visited Baghdad from 17 to 20 May 2003 to assess the damages inflicted on the Iraqi cultural heritage, the Government of Italy pledged up to US $1 million for the protection and rehabilitation of the Iraqi cultural heritage through the UNESCO/Italian funds-in-trust. The Government of Italy has also generously agreed to bear the funding of one professional to assist in the activities for the protection of the cultural heritage of Iraq and in particular to ensure the Secretariat of the International Coordination Committee for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Iraq, the first plenary session of which will be held on 24 and 25 May 2004 at UNESCO Headquarters.