UNESCO Week 2023
Connecting Local to Global:
Value Creation through UNESCO Initiatives and Activities

Concept Note‘Since wars begin in the minds of men and women, it is in the minds of men and womenthat the defences of peace must be constructed.’ These words form the renowned preamble tothe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) constitution,
which formally declared the establishment of the UNESCO that exists today. UNESCO’s
founding principles highlight the importance of diversity, tolerance, dialogue, and cooperation,
which are particularly apt in our current age of intensifying global division and conflict. Further,
the ongoing climate crisis and proliferation of widespread infectious diseases are reminders that
our individual lives are intricately linked to, and affected by, the societies and communities
around us, as well as the world at large. In light of the above, it is safe to assume that UNESCO’s
overarching mission to ‘contribute to peace and security by promoting cooperation among
nations through education, science and culture’ is now more pertinent than ever.
The private sector in Japan has had a history of spearheading UNESCO activities, making
significant progress in this area relative to its global counterparts. Many organisations in theJapanese private sector thus place emphasis on international cooperation and exchange. Thishas been demonstrated not only through their frequent interaction and collaboration with
developing nations, but also in their support of local communities through the utilisation ofnatural and cultural resources.
As the secretariat for the Platform for Future Co-Creation of UNESCO activities, we seek
to create a joint platform for these UNESCO activities based in Japan, thereby connecting
stakeholders of diverse backgrounds, communities, and generations. The aforementionedobjective, coupled with our endeavour to generate opportunities for the dissemination ofoutcomes of UNESCO initiatives, has given impetus to the organisation of the upcoming
UNESCO Week 2023. It is our desire that a wide range of attendees will participate in UNESCO
Week 2023, including but not limited to youth who wish to deepen their knowledge of UNESCO
and UNESCO's activities, stakeholders overseeing or managing local UNESCO activities, aswell as practitioners striving to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) throughcollaborative partnerships. We sincerely look forward to your active participation!

1UNESCO Week 2023

MAIN EVENTS

1. Dates and Times (Japan Standard Time)DAY 1 Monday, 13 February 2023, 16:00-18:30
DAY 2 Wednesday, 15 February 2023, 16:00-18:00
DAY 3 Friday, 17 February 2023, 16:00-18:00*Attendees are not required to avail themselves for all three days to participate. For more
information on the details of each day’s events, please refer to the programme below.

2. Venue:Online (Zoom・Youtube)※ No translations will be provided for the live stream on Youtube.

3. Programme:
DAY 1: Webinar
An introduction to UNESCO: Learning about UNESCO from UNESCO staff members
Objective: To raise awareness about UNESCO’s values, ideals, initiatives, and activities.
Language: Japanese only
MC: Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO

Time
16:00-16:15

16:15-16:40

Details/Speakers
Opening Ceremony◼

Opening remarks◼

Explanation of the objectives of the event◼

Ice breakers

Presentation
Title: What is UNESCO? (tentative)
Jun Morohashi (Chief of Section of Education for Sustainable
Development, UNESCO Headquarters)

16:40-17:40

An introduction to UNESCO’s sector-based initiatives and field
offices
Education: Toshiya Kai(JFIT Programme Coordinator, UNESCO Bangkok)
Culture: Masanori Nagaoka(Programme Specialist, UNESCO Phnom Penh)Natural Sciences: Ai Sugiura(Programme Specialist, UNESCO Beijing)2

17:40-17:55

Roundtable discussion with UNESCO staff members (discussants):
Expectations for young people in UNESCO member states

17:55-18:00

18:00-18:30

Closing Ceremony◼

Information about other UNESCO Week 2023 events◼

Announcement regarding the interactive session to follow

Interactive session between UNESCO staff members (discussants)
and participants
Moderator:
Youth Committee of the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO

DAY 2: International webinar
Fostering deep, meaningful cross-sectoral partnerships through UNESCO
activities: Domestic and international case studies
Objective: To further enhance understanding of UNESCO while encouraging theexploration of possibilities for collaboration and co-creation across multiple sectors.
Language: Japanese and English (simultaneous interpretation)
MC: Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO

Presenter/Moderator: Kazuyuki Mikami(Emeritus Professor, Miyagi University of Education)
Time16:00-16:15

16:15-16:35

Details/Presenters
Opening Ceremony◼

Opening remarks◼

Explanation of the objectives of the event

Presentation 1
Title: Integrating UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and Geoparks as theplatforms for intergenerational learning
Aida Mammadova (Associate Professor, Kanazawa University)

16:35-16:55

Presentation 2
Title: Cooperation and collaboration for youth development in
Asahikawa, a UNESCO Creative City
Tomoko Hayashi (President, Asahikawa UNESCO Association)

16:55-17:15

Presentation 3
Title: International case study (to be determined)3

17:15-17:35

Presentation 4
Title: International case study (to be determined)17:35-17:55

Panel Discussion: The synergistic effects of, and potential for,collaborative partnerships

17:55-18:00

Closing Ceremony◼

Information about other UNESCO Week 2023 events.

DAY 3: International Symposium
From Local to Global: Creating value through collaborative approaches
Objective: To facilitate UNESCO-based panel discussions that foster the creation of global
solutions for local issues and vice versa, thereby drawing strong connections between the local
and the global.

Language: Japanese and English (simultaneous interpretation)
MC: Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO

Presenter/Moderator: Nobuko Kayashima(Senior Research Advisor, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA))
Time
16:00-16:15

16:15-16:30

Details/Speakers
Opening Ceremony◼

Opening remarks◼

Explanation of the objectives of the event

Short Speech 1 by Maoko Kobayashi・Akitosh Nagasawa Pati
(Leaders, Youth Committee of the Japanese National Commission forUNESCO)

16:30-16:45

Short Speech 2 by Kazuo Tase (CEO, SDG Partners)

16:45-17:00

Short Speech 3 by Supranee Khamyuang(Expert on International Cooperation Policy Development, Thai National
Commission for UNESCO (TNCU))

17:00-17:50

Panel Discussion
Panelists：
Yuji Suzuki (Chairman of the Board of Directors, National
Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan)

Kazuo Tase (CEO, SDG Partners)

Robert Parua (Programme Specialist, UNESCO Beijing)4

Maoko Kobayashi・Akitosh Nagasawa Pati (Leaders, YouthCommittee of the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO)Supranee Khamyuang (Expert on International Cooperation Policy
Development, TNCU)

17:50-18:00

Closing Ceremony◼

4.

Closing remarks【Main Organiser】
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) (Commissioned by MEXT)【Co-Organisers】
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation（UNESCO）【Collaborative Partners】
National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan (NFUAJ)Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J)Japanese Geoparks Network (JGN)

Youth Committee of the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO

International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-PacificRegion (IRCI), National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH)

5.

Participant Registration Form

https://forms.office.com/r/jcTC4HEyVM※Interested participants may register for the main events hosted by ACCU,
as well as the associated thematic events using the above link.
6.

For inquiries, please contact:
Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)
Education Cooperation Department
1-32-7F Publishers Club Building,Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku,

5Tokyo, 101-0051 JAPAN
TEL：+81-3-5577-2851（main） / FAX：+81-3-5577-2854
Email: education@accu.or.jp / wakayama@accu.or.jp

6UNESCO Week 2023 Associated Thematic Events※All events listed below will be held online.
Date and Time
(Japan Standard Time)

Organiser

Language

Notes

Intangible Cultural Heritage for
Sustainable Cities and Communities：
The first international symposium

Wednesday, 1 February
10:30-16:45

International Research Centre for Intangible
Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI)Japanese and English(Simultaneousinterpretation)

Registration to be made via theofficial IRCI website by 30 January

The connection between us andGeoparks: Promoting Learning throughOki SDGs Cards

Sunday, 12 February
10:00-12:00

Youth Committee of the Japanese National
Commission for UNESCO(Science sector working group)Japanese

Understanding sources of pride andfrustrations within our town: Creativity
hidden in the everyday life

Wednesday, 15 February
19:00-20:30

Youth Committee of the Japanese National
Commission for UNESCO(Culture sector working group)Japanese

Envisioning the future: The potential roleof the performing arts in fostering
diversity and multi-culturalism

Thursday, 16 February
18:00-19:30

Youth Committee of the Japanese National
Commission for UNESCO(Education sector working group)Japanese

Promoting Teacher Education for
Climate Change Education throughCollaboration between Asian Centres ofExcellence on Education for Sustainable
Development

Tuesday, 21 February
13:00-17:00

Okayama University
UNESCO Beijing Office

EnglishESD Evaluation Forum: Creating andshaping sustainable societies throughthe assessment of ESD initiatives byschools and communities

Thursday, 23 February(National holiday)
16:00-18:00

Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)

Japanese and English(Simultaneousinterpretation)

Event【Participant Registration】【Inquiries】
Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)
Education Cooperation Department
1-32-7F Publishers Club Building,Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku,
Tokyo, 101-0051 JAPAN
TEL：+81-3-5577-2851（main） / FAX：+81-3-5577-2854
Email: education@accu.or.jp / wakayama@accu.or.jp

https://forms.office.com/r/1NuFVfbGqJ※Interested participants may register for themain events hosted by ACCU, as well as theassociated thematic events, using the above link.

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