NEWSLETTER. Apia Office Office for the Pacific States Quarterly. Inside this issue: Editorial. Jan - Mar 2014; Issue 4

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1 Inside this issue: Education: Regular Programme International Mother Language Day World Teachers Day Monitoring & Evaluation National Education for All CapEFA JFIT Teacher Education Module HIV & AIDS Inter-Sectoral Program: ESD UNESCO Institute for Statistics: UIIS in Apia Workshop on Statistics for Pacific Islands Sciences: Climate Change Disaster Risk Management Man and Biosphere Website Youth Social Inclusive Regional Meeting UNESCO IOC Culture: Intangible Cultural Heritage World Heritage Brochure & Publication Communication & Information: Memory of the World Apia Office Office for the Pacific States Quarterly 4-5 & Editorial In November 2013 I joined UNESCO Apia, as the new Director. I wish therefore to take the opportunity of this newsletter to introduce myself and share with you some news which I consider important for the next two years in the Pacific. Coming from Bangkok, where I was Deputy Director of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education from 2009 to 2013, following a number of assignments since 1984 in various UNESCO Offices and at Headquarters, my first four months in Samoa have first allowed me to familiarize with the Pacific. I also got to know our Apia Office staff, a solid team of dedicated and highly competent colleagues who briefed me in details on the vast programme developed by our Office in collaboration with National Commissions and other Pacific partners is not a year like the others in the Pacific. It was chosen by the UN to be the International Year of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This year is thus the opportunity to celebrate SIDS diversity of cultures and heritage, as well to address economic, social and environmental challenges faced by small islands all over the world, and ultimately to contribute to a brighter future for generations to come. During 2014, the third International Conference on Small Island Developing States will be held, precisely in Apia, Samoa, from 1 to 4 September. Its thematic being The sustainable development of small island developing States through genuine and durable partnerships", it will be an opportunity to monitor the progresses made since previous such SIDS Conferences and to renew political commitments. The SIDS Conference is expected to focus the world's attention on a group of countries which have unique characteristics, strengths and vulnerabilities. It will set the agenda for the years to come, in the context of the post 2015 development agenda. By showcasing SIDS s main priorities such as climate change, the Conference will also be the occasion to fuel a new dynamic in the Pacific region. Thanks to various partnerships, including NGOs, civil society and Youth, the SIDS Conference will be an inclusive event and an occasion for the UN as a whole to proclaim the preservation of SIDS unique cultural heritage and to support its creative forces and initiatives. UNESCO Apia is collaborating closely with the Government of Samoa for its organization and towards its success. As to our Newsletter, it will become quarterly and, for the sake of clarity, will remain concise. Its objective is to share with you achievements and future programmes in Education, Culture, the Sciences, Communication and Information in our Pacific region. From this year, an emphasis will be put on our collaboration with a growing number of UNESCO partners in our Pacific region. Finally, I am pleased to inform you that several new colleagues have joined the office recently. You will find the whole list on the last page. I am looking forward to your feedback and to our continuous collaboration all over 2014 and beyond. Etienne Clement Director Jan - Mar 2014; Issue 4 Pacific Member States: Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau (Associate), Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

2 EDUCATION Page 2 Education Regular Programme UNESCO has had several consultation meetings with the Ministry of Education in Kiribati and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to agree on a workplan for the education sector in Kiribati for International Mother Language Day International Mother Language Day was celebrated in Nauru on 21 February 2014 and was supported by UNESCO. The theme for the day was 'Local languages for global citizenship: spot light on science'. The activity report and financial report are due to be submitted shortly to Apia. World Teachers Day UNESCO support was given to Tokelau to celebrate World Teacher's Day in The final report has yet to be received. Monitoring and Evaluation Discussions are underway with the Department of Education in Papua New Guinea for a workshop on the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework. The workshop was tentatively scheduled for April 2014 if the terms of reference and programme can be finalised in time. National Education for All (EFA) 2015 Review All UNESCO Member States in the Pacific have been asked to prepare a national report on EFA 2015 Review and submit the draft by 15 March 2014 and submit a final report by June An international consultant, Dr Ibtisam Abu-Duhou has been contracted to provide technical support for Nauru, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. She has visited both Nauru and Vanuatu in March 2014 and will travel to Tuvalu in early April to provide support. Niue has requested financial support from UNESCO to help prepare the review. UNESCO Apia and UNICEF Pacific are providing technical and financial support to the Solomon Islands and the Ministry of Education will hire a national consultant to write the review. Kiribati has requested technical support to write their review and are yet to decide whether to hire a national or international consultant to do this work. Papua New Guinea may also require technical and financial support from UNESCO Apia to complete the EFA review. Cook Islands, Fiji, the Republic of Marshall Islands and Samoa have submitted their first drafts of the EFA 2015 review and these will be reviewed by a team of UNESCO, UNICEF and EFA partners and can then be finalised by the countries. Capacity for Building Education for All (CapEFA) Final reports have now been received for the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu and these programmes will close shortly. Some documentation is yet to come from the Solomon Islands. Japanese Funds in Trust (JFIT) The four countries involved (Fiji, Samoa, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) have begun their planning. Fiji and Samoa are well underway in beginning the organisation of teacher in-service workshops and consulting on professional standards for the teaching profession. In Vanuatu planning has begun for trialing the professional standards for school principals developed under the CapEFA work and then for further capacity development for school principals and education officials. In the Solomon Islands planning for further teacher in-service can begin as the CapEFA work is nearly complete. Teacher Education Modules Reviewing and rewriting UNESCO teacher education modules work is well underway on this review by the consultants and should be completed by the end of April. HIV & AIDS The attitudinal survey reports on attitudes of principals, teachers, parents and students on whether HIV and sexual reproductive health should be taught in primary and secondary schools are now in the final stages before publication with inputs received from all four countries (Nauru, Niue, Palau and Samoa). There will be a publication for each of the four countries and one further publication providing the summary of the findings. The Joint Programme document to strengthen Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) via a collaborative effort between UNESCO, UNFPA and UNICEF is also being finalised and was presented to the Ministers of Health meeting in the Cook Islands in April. This partnership should considerably strengthen CSE UN support to countries looking to improve this area. PNG HIV & AIDS Training

3 INTER-SECTORAL PROGRAMME Page 3 Inter-Sectoral Programme Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) In Fiji a writing workshop to develop year 7 and 8 resources on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction has been completed and the final reports have been received. In Kiribati the three day workshop on Climate Change and Disaster Education has been completed with support from the consultant, Ms Bridget Glasgow, and the final report has been submitted. Waikato University has also mapped and developed the arts curriculum framework for year 3-6, 7-10 and ESD Fiji Project The final deliverables for the Vagahau Niue curriculum project have also been completed and this project is due to close at the end of March. The situation analysis for Palau is almost completed. The Palau National Commission is working of the final report for the integration of Intangible Cultural Heritage and ESD into the grade 6 curriculum which should be completed in March. Two participants from Palau will also attend the ICH ESD regional partners' meeting in Bangkok to examine follow up activities and the progress to date. In Papua New Guinea the HIV/AIDS training project has been successfully completed. Unfortunately the National Youth Policy implementation project was not started and the funds need to be returned to UNESCO. Tonga has completed the ESD work while in Vanuatu the Chief Roi Mata project with the Curriculum Unit in the Ministry of Education has unfortunately not commenced so the funds may need to be returned to UNESCO. A final print draft of a teacher guide for Tuvalu on Climate Change Education is being prepared but the actual implementation will be confirmed by UNESCO Bangkok. ESD Tonga Project UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) UIS in Apia Michelle Osborne, Associate Expert, UIS, has recently arrived in Apia office after relocating from the UNESCO office in Bangkok. Michelle will be working to support the collection and use of data on education, culture and communication, literacy and science and technology in the Pacific. Workshop on Education Statistics for Pacific Islands A regional workshop was held on education statistics in the Pacific at the office of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in Noumea, New Caledonia from February. The workshop was a jointly funded initiative of UIS and SPC and representatives from Cook Islands, Fiji, FSM, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu were able to attend. The objectives of the workshop were to: 1. Review the status of education data produced for the region at the national and international levels. 2. Review the statistics recently provided to UIS by countries. 3. Present and discuss the 2011 revision of the ISCED. 4. Finalise ISCED 2011 mappings by country to ensure readiness for future data collections. 5. Review current and future UIS questionnaires in detail and discuss issues related to their completion. 6. Provide an opportunity for countries to exchange views on data quality, collection, analysis and national and international use of education statistics. 7. Discuss a collaborative roadmap for education data and indicators in the Pacific Region. There were four main activities undertaken during the week: (1) ICSED 1997 and 2011 mappings, (2) excel training, (3) creating data templates and calculating key EFA indicators, and (4) bilateral meetings between country representatives and staff from UIS and SPC. In addition, Andrew Hancock from Statistics New Zealand, who is the chair of the UN Expert Group on International Statistical Classifications, provided further insights about the usefulness of classification systems in general and of ISCED 2011 in particular. Naomitsu Nakagawa from the Japan International Cooperation Agency in Papua New Guinea (PNG) also attended and shared some of his experience using education statistics for program planning and evaluation in PNG.

4 SCIENCES 1 Page 4 Natural Sciences Climate Change Climate Change and Legal/Law workshops in the Pacific DLA Piper (Global Law Firm), UNESCO and UNICEF are planning a second specialized training workshop in Vanuatu. The proposed title of the workshop: Climate change, law and human rights. In 2013, the UNESCO Office for the Pacific States and DLA Piper organized, for the first time in the Pacific, free, specialized and interactive "Changing Winds: Climate Change and the Law" workshops. The target audiences were lawyers, legal researchers, government officers involved in planning, development (e.g. urban), the environment or infrastructure. The workshops were held in Fiji and Samoa in the first week of August They were intended to give lawyers and other interested groups assistance in understanding climate change law, particularly the law relating to climate change adaptation. This should allow them to act as leaders in developing effective legal solutions in the Pacific. A report has been published entitled Climate Change Adaptation Guided by the Law. SPARCK Project Workshop in Samoa UNESCO Apia is hoping to officially publish SPARCK project report. It is expected that the published report will be circulated at the 3 rd SIDS International conference in Samoa. UNESCO initiated the Sharing Perceptions of Adaption, Resilience and Climate Knowledge (SPARCK) project to investigate how three different groups in the Pacific communities living near to a conservation area, high school teachers and media officers perceive climate change, as well as their decision-making processes and adaptive capacities. The SPARCK project was implemented through a partnership between UNESCO, Apidae Development Innovations and the University of Melbourne in three countries: Samoa, Fiji and Vanuatu over two phases. Phase I (January - July 2013) was data collection through focus group discussions and an innovative mobile survey, the first of its kind in the Pacific. Phase II (September 2013) was capacity building based on information gathered and Is a UNESCO multicountry climate change research and capacity building Sharing Perceptions of Adaptation, lessons learned to enhance resilience initiative. Resilience and Climate Knowledge to climate change though improved knowledge and education. Disaster Risk Reduction Malaysia Fund In Trust (M-FIT) The M-FIT steering committee has endorsed in principle Apia s proposal entitled Towards Economic Resilience in the Pacific: Reducing Risk of Loss & Damage in the Tourism and Agriculture Sectors from Extreme and Slow-Onset Events through Improved Assessments and Education. Apia office has submitted full project proposal as per request from M-FIT steering committee. UNESCO Publication on Global Building Codes UNESCO Unit for DRR is planning to have a publication on building codes to be presented at the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) on March 2015 in Sendai Japan. The WCDR is the biggest event on DRR organized by UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR). It is held once in 10 years for discussing Disaster Reduction strategy globally. Appropriate building code and its implementation is crucial to secure safer building/housing and reduce human/property losses. UNESCO is planning to make recommendations/input for the HFA2 on building code and its implementation. UNESCO Apia Office is presently conducting a survey on building codes in Samoa. Man and Biosphere (MAB) Networks are key features of the Man and the Biosphere programme (MAB hereinafter), enabling exchange, cooperation and interdisciplinary researches among its members. To date and despite these aims, the Pacific Biosphere Reserve Network, the official network for the Pacific region, has not been used to its full potential. Established in 2006, it was expected that PacMAB would expand rapidly, as additional biosphere reserves were established in the Pacific island countries. Looking back over the past years, and despite a promising start, progress has been hampered due to various factors. In this respect, UNESCO Apia Office is well ahead in its preparation to organize the 4 th PacMAB meeting, in Nadi, Fiji from th April. The 4 th PacMAB meeting is of vital importance to revitalize the network in the Pacific. The theme of the meeting is The role of the biosphere in sustainable development in the Pacific. Website As of September 2013, the web presence of the Natural Sciences sector was minimal and consisted of an overview page and a news article on a tsunami training workshop held in February Over the last four to six months, the Sciences website has over hauled completely. The new website pages (accessible through now offer a comprehensive and visually appealing account of past and present projects and activities of the sector. The new web pages have already proven useful in communicating the priorities, activities and projects of the natural science sector with partners within and outside of UNESCO.

5 SCIENCES Page 5 Social and Human Science Youth On Monday 24 February, Samoan Youth launched the Local Chapter of the Global Network for the Future of Small Islands at Robert Louis Stevenson Secondary School in Apia. During the event young farmers from across the country, students, teachers and representatives of UN agencies and the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD) came together to highlight the important role of young people in the future of Samoa and its sustainable development. UNESCO has been actively engaged in developing the SIDS Youth Network, as well as in preparing the Samoan Local chapter and providing inputs for the side-event on youth at the First Preparatory Committee for SIDS in New York. The launch of the Samoan chapter was part of a global launch of the network in New York supported by a series of local, national, and regional launches of the SIDS Youth Network organized around the world. In New York, three youth represented Caribbean, Pacific and AIMS Small Island Developing States. The event took place during the first meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the 2014 SIDS Conference. The Network is intended to serve as a platform for young people to be agents of sustainable development in their countries and in SIDS across the world. UNESCO Apia in collaboration with the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator has established a new Samoan based UN Working Group on Youth. This group will coordinate UN activities related to Youth for the SIDS Conference coming-up in September. Furthermore, UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Lizbeth Cullity, and UNESCO Apia Director, Mr. Etienne Clement, met the Ministry of Finance and Chair of the SIDS Partnership Sub-committee, Ms. Noumea Simi, to strengthen the partnership on Youth between the UN and the Government of Samoa. Social Inclusion Deportees have been identified as one of the most vulnerable groups in the Pacific, in terms of human rights and social inclusion. There are limited or no social and economic services available for this sub-population, including lack of disability services, as well as active discrimination and targeting by some groups. Following with a previous study on Deportation in Samoa and Tonga carried out in 2009, in the coming months UNESCO will extend the research to the Republic of Marshall Islands, to better understand the needs of this particularly vulnerable group in the Pacific countries. Regional Meeting A regional meeting was held in Bangkok (12-14 March) to develop a collaborative approach to Social and Human Sciences work during the current biennium in the Asia-Pacific Region. The major areas covered during the retreat were bioethics, youth, social inclusion, global environment change, sports, anti-doping and Education for Sustainable Development. Many areas of potential collaboration were identified, and a commitment was established to write a collective UNESCO report on SHS activities in Asia-Pacific region, by the end of the current biennium.

6 CULTURE Page 6 Culture Intangible Cultural Heritage Press Conference (Apia, 10 February 2014) for the Celebration of Samoa s Acceptance of the ICH Convention A Press Conference was hosted in Apia by the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture (MESC) on 10 February 2014 to celebrate the acceptance by Samoa of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Convention. Samoa s Instrument of Acceptance of the ICH Convention was presented to UNESCO Paris in November On this festive occasion, Hon. Magele Mauiliu Magele, Minister of MESC, shared this wonderful news with some 30 participants, comprising of parliamentarians, senior officials in charge of cultural heritage, traditional leaders, the diplomatic corps, and representative of United Nations Country Team (UNCT), who gathered in the MESC conference room in Apia. Hon. Magele commended the Culture Division of MESC for its longstanding efforts in the ICH safeguarding as demonstrated by the publication of seven volumes of Samoa Ne I Galo (Samoa, Lest we forget), a compilation of oral traditions and legends of Samoa. Mr Etienne Clement, Director of the UNESCO Office for the Pacific States, joined this celebration by sharing his views and thoughts based on his firm belief in the intimate link between culture and development. He also encouraged the country to consider joining the other UNESCO Conventions in culture in the near future. The Press Conference provided participants with the opportunity to exchange their questions and views at the session conducted under the Chair of Mr Matafeo Aiafi, CEO of MESC. Mr Aiafi concluded the Press Conference by highlighting the importance of the implementation of the ICH Convention in Samoa and called for collaboration of stakeholders across the board. World Heritage Regional Training Course for Management for World Heritage Sites (Suva, Fiji, February 2014) The First Regional Training Course on Heritage Management was held in Suva from 17 to 21 February 2014 in cooperation with the Fiji Department of National Heritage, Arts and Culture and the Pacific Heritage Hub (PHH) at the University of the South Pacific (USP) with financial assistance under the UNESCO/Australian Funds-in-Trust. Some 40 participants, comprising of senior officials responsible for heritage management, regional agencies, including the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), South Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO), NGOs and private enterprises took part in the Course. The Course facilitated by Dr Anita Smith provided participants with the opportunity to present the situations in the heritage management in their respective countries; listen to presentations by a range of experts; discuss issues specific to the Pacific island states; and identify an action plan as a way forward. Mr Peni Cavuilagi, Director of the Department of National Heritage, Arts and Culture of Fiji, shared Fiji s experience in inscribing Levuka Historical Port Town on the World Heritage List among the participants. The presentations on innovative measures were made, which included the trusteeship agreement on Sovi Basin Protected Area that has recently been concluded between the landowners and the Fiji National Trust in partnership with Conservation International and Fiji Water and Green Fee for conservation projects of the protected sites in Palau. Workshop Participants Hon. Magele Mauiliu, Minister of Education, Sports & Culture and Mr Etienne Clement, Director of UNESCO Apia at the Press Conference on 10 Feb 2014 Brochure Brochure on Traditional Knowledge for Adapting to Climate Change - Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Pacific. Jointly produced by UNESCO Apia and ICH- CAP, Category II Centre in Rep. of Korea, this brochure highlights examples of how ICH contributes to climate change adaptation efforts in the Pacific. Publication Pasivika: Islands Connected through Heritage Final Report of the UNESCO Pacific World Heritage Workshop (Suva, Fiji, November 2013) This publication is a final report of the 5 th Pacific World Heritage Workshop held in Suva in November It includes the outcome of the Workshop, the Workshop documents as well as presentations by the Workshop participants.

7 COMMUNICATION & INFORMATION Page 7 Communication and Information Memory of the World Consultation on the Development of the Samoa Culture Centre (Apia, Samoa, 5 6 February 2014) The Consultation on the Development of [the] Samoa Culture Centre was held on 5-6 February and discussed the long standing proposal to establish a national centre to showcase Samoan culture and house heritage institutions such as the National Museum and Archives. Some 50 participants, comprising of senior officials responsible for cultural heritage, international experts, and representatives from regional stakeholder organizations took part in the process. Dr Tomo Ishimura, expert in the field of Oceania archaeology and culture at the Nara National Research Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Property also took part in this consultation as a resource person sponsored by the Government of Japan. The consultation provided participants with the opportunity to listen to presentations by a range of experts; consider and debate various points of view and visit existing cultural facilities such as Orchestra House, the National Museum of Samoa, and the National Archives. The consultation also served as an opportunity for Samoa s heritage professionals to communicate recent developments in the sector. Ms Amela Silipa, Principal Archives Officer at MESC reported on the passing off the Public Records Act, the establishment of the National Archives and Records Authority and ongoing efforts to digitize Samoa s documentary heritage including the Archives of the German-Samoa Colonial Administration , a recent nomination for inscription on UNESCO s Memory of the World Asia Pacific (MOWCAP) Register. The consultation concluded favorably and marks another milestone in the process toward realizing the dream of a national culture centre for Samoa. Group photo of the Consultation MESC Project Samoa Culture Centre MESC Natural Science (con t) UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) New Apia Office Director visits SOPAC Division of SPC The new Director for UNESCO Apia Cluster Office visited the SOPAC Division of SPC on 6 Feb. It was largely a courtesy call but also gave the two Directors opportunity to discuss future collaboration and a draft Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to be signed between UNESCO and SPC relating to hosting of the Suva-based IOC NPO. Both parties agreed to cooperate and collaborate in areas of common interest as well as to the arrangements proposed in the draft MOA. With the Disaster Reduction Programme (DRP) of SOPAC anticipated to undergo changes, it was considered appropriate that the MOA be signed by the Director-General of SPC. JICA Support for UNESCO-IOC training on Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre New Products A meeting was held on 12 Feb to seek JICA support for the upcoming training scheduled for May 2014 in Port Vila. It was a very successful meeting with JICA agreeing to support participation of representatives from selected PICs to the training as it had done for two UNESCO-IOC workshops held in August 2013.

8 UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the UN and works to create the conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based upon respect for commonly shared values. UNESCO in the Pacific will contribute to the construction of peace, human development and intercultural dialogue for sustainable Pacific through Education, the Sciences, Culture, Communication and Information. For more information about the work of UNESCO in Apia, please visit apia Contact Information: Mailing Address: PO Box 615 Matautu-uta, Apia, Samoa Office Address: apia@unesco.org Phone Number: Fax Number: Director s Office: Mr Etienne Clement Director Ms Nifo Onesemo-Simaika Secretary to the Director Ms Isabel Inguanzo Ortiz Basque Volunteer Mr Aurelien Bacot Intern Education: Mr Toshiyuki Matsumoto Programme Specialist (Education) Ms Brenda Sherley CapEFA Programme Assistant Mr Andrew Peteru HIV/AIDS Education National Programme Officer Mr Yusuke Nii UN Volunteer (ESD) Ms Ruta Tupua Secretary Sciences: Mr Denis Chang Seng Programme Specialist (Natural Sciences) Mr Rajendra Prasad UNESCO/IOC Programme Officer (based in Suva, Fiji) Ms Isabel Inguanzo Ortiz Basque Volunteer/Social and Human Sciences Mr Leo Berthe Intern Ms Perelini Hamuferi Secretary Our Team Culture: Ms Akatsuki Takahashi Programme Specialist (Culture) Ms Perelini Hamuferi Secretary Communication & Information: Ms Akatsuki Takahashi Interim CI Adviser for the Pacific Ms Ruta Tupua Secretary UNESCO Institute for Statistics Ms Michelle Osborne Associate Expert Administration & Finance: Mr Yogendra Chhetri Finance & Administration Officer Ms Vaotupu Sufie Administrative Assistant Ms Kattrina Esera Finance Assistant Mr Moeva Lofiaivai Kuresa IT Assistant Ms Telesia Faalogo Receptionist Mr Pouleta Asalemo Driver Mr Bryan Soonalole Cleaner Editor-in-Chief: Etienne Clement Drafter of this newsletter: Nifo Onesemo-Simaika based on inputs from all UNESCO Apia team