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The United Nations world water development report 2018: nature-based solutions for water Year of publication: 2018 Corporate author: UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) The 2018 edition of the World Water Development Report (WWDR 2018) seeks to inform policy and decision-makers, inside and outside the water community, about the potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) to address contemporary water management challenges across all sectors, and particularly regarding water for agriculture, sustainable cities, disaster risk reduction and water quality. NBS use or mimic natural processes to enhance water availability (e.g., soil moisture retention, groundwater recharge), improve water quality (e.g., natural and constructed wetlands, riparian buffer strips), and reduce risks associated with water-related disasters and climate change (e.g., floodplain restoration, green roofs). The WWDR2018, titled Nature-based solutions for water, demonstrates how nature-based solutions (NBS) offer a vital means of moving beyond business-as-usual to address many of the world’s water challenges while simultaneously delivering additional benefits vital to all aspects of sustainable development. Currently, water management remains heavily dominated by traditional, human-built (i.e. ‘grey’) infrastructure and the enormous potential for NBS remains under-utilized. NBS include green infrastructure that can substitute, augment or work in parallel with grey infrastructure in a cost-effective manner. The goal is to find the most appropriate blend of green and grey investments to maximize benefits and system efficiency while minimizing costs and trade-offs. NBS for water are central to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development because they also generate social, economic and environmental co-benefits, including human health and livelihoods, food and energy security, sustainable economic growth, decent jobs, ecosystem rehabilitation and maintenance, and biodiversity. Although NBS are not a panacea, they will play an essential role towards the circular economy and in building a more equitable future for all. Working with nature improves the management of water resources, helps achieve water security for all, and supports the core aspects of sustainable development. The World Water Development Report was presented at the 8th World Water Forum, in Brasilia (Brazil) on the 19th of March. URL: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/water/wwap/wwdr/2018-nature-based-solutions/ 
Monitoring the implementation of the Lisbon Recognition Convention - Council of Europe Higher Education Series No. 23 Year of publication: 2019 Corporate author: UNESCO | Council of Europe In accordance with the Lisbon Recognition Convention, the Committee of the Convention shall oversee its implementation and guide the competent authorities in implementing the convention and in their consideration of applications for the recognition of foreign qualifications. The Rules of procedure (adopted by the Committee in Vilnius in 1999) reiterate this role – the function of the Committee is to promote the application of the convention and oversee its implementation. Article II. of the convention states that where the central authorities of a party are competent to make decisions in recognition cases, that party shall be immediately bound by the provisions of the convention and shall take the necessary measures to ensure the implementation of its provisions on its territory. Where the competence to make decisions in recognition matters lies with individual higher education institutions or other entities, each party, according to its constitutional situation or structure, shall transmit the text of this convention to those institutions or entities and shall take all possible steps to encourage the favourable consideration and application of its provisions. The provisions of Article II. are central to determining the obligations of the parties to the convention. This article places upon these parties an obligation to make sure that information on the provisions is disseminated to all competent recognition authorities, and that these institutions are encouraged to abide by the convention (Explanatory report to the convention). The objective of this monitoring exercise has been to oversee the implementation of the main provisions of the convention and to report to parties on the outcome of this monitoring, presenting the main findings and recommendations. This monitoring report is also a contribution to the commitment set out in the Yerevan Communiqué (2015) to review national legislation to ensure full compliance with the convention, and to ask the Convention Committee, in co-operation with the ENIC (Council of Europe and UNESCO European Network of National Information Centres on academic recognition and mobility) and NARIC (EU Network of National Academic Recognition Information Centres) networks, to prepare an analysis of the national legislation reports by the end of 2017, taking due account of this monitoring report. This is the first monitoring of implementation of the Lisbon Recognition Convention (LRC) since its signature in 1997. The questionnaire used for the monitoring exercise was drawn up by the Bureau of the Convention Committee, namely Gunnar Vaht, President of the Committee, Gayane Harutyunyan, Vice-President, Allan Bruun Pedersen, Vice-President, and Baiba Ramina, Rapporteur, together with the joint Council of Europe/UNESCO Secretariat. The monitoring covers the 10 main provisions of the convention and comprises 22 questions relating to implementation of the main principles. The questions focus primarily on how the convention requirements are regulated at national level and to what extent the rules are reflected in national legislation. In cases where some or all of the provisions are not regulated at national level and where the higher education institutions have total autonomy in establishing the principles of the convention, the aim has been to discover how national authorities oversee implementation of the principles of the convention at institutional level. As stated above, the objective of this monitoring report is to monitor implementation of the convention by the parties to the convention. The executive summary focuses on the key findings and the conclusions focus on the recommendations made by the Convention Committee Bureau, which will require political decisions from the Convention Committee and from national authorities for follow-up action. The various chapters of the report elaborate further on both the key findings and the recommendations. The questionnaire was sent to 53 states parties to the LRC, and replies were received from 50 countries. The initial deadline given was 15 February 2015, but this was extended to June 2015. The analysis by the members of the Convention Committee Bureau took place from June to November 2015 and was assisted and reviewed by the Council of Europe and UNESCO, the joint Secretariat of the LRCC Bureau. 
Youth PVE: Preventing Violent Extremism Year of publication: 2020 Corporate author: UNESCO | UN. Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Violent extremism threatens the security and fundamental rights of citizens all over the world, and undermines the attempts of many countries to achieve sustainable peace. Many violent extremist organizations work by recruiting disenfranchised youth and inciting them to commit acts of violence. This project focuses on meaningful youth engagement because we believe that enhancing the resilience of young people will prevent their involvement in violent extremism and instead transform them into agents of positive change. We provide a framework for action that mobilizes UNESCO at multiple levels to provide young people with opportunities, knowledge and capacities to foster dialogue and cooperation in furtherance of PVE. 
UNESCO, UNFPA & UN Women Joint Programme: on Empowering Adolescent Girls and Young Women through Education Year of publication: 2019 Corporate author: UNESCO | United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) The Joint Programme on Empowering Adolescent Girls and Young Women through Education leverages the collective expertise, experience and networks of three United Nations agencies – UNESCO, UNFPA and UN Women.It aims to empower adolescent girls and young women aged 10 to 24 to make successful and healthy transitions into adulthood, in and through quality education.Taking a lifecycle perspective and a holistic approach, the Joint Programme strengthens the links between education, health and gender equality. 
Building Back Equal: Girls Back to School Guide Year of publication: 2020 Corporate author: UNESCO | United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) | Plan International | United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI) | Malala Fund The guide provides targeted inputs to ensure continuity of learning during school closures, and comprehensive, timely and evidence-based plans for reopening schools in a way that is safe, gender-responsive and child-friendly, and meets the needs of the most marginalised girls. This guide emphasizes an approach to ‘build back equal’ through gender-responsive measures that transform education systems, prioritise resilience and address the key bottlenecks and barriers to girls’ education, including: Gender-responsive data and evidence to inform action, including data disaggregated by sex and gender-responsive monitoring to identify promising practices to promote gender equality. Policies, laws and plans to advance girls’ rights, including the removal of discriminatory practices that impede girls’ educational participation and completion, and ability to apply their learning. Sustained financing to achieve results, protecting education financing for girls’ education, alongside health, social protection and economy recovery initiatives with an equity lens. 
Good Practices in South-South and Triangular Cooperation: Transforming Education and Delivering on SDG 4 Year of publication: 2023 Corporate author: UNESCO | United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) | UN. Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) Quality Education: South-South cooperation as a lever for action. This publication showcases 40 innovative solutions on how South-South and Triangular Cooperation can transform education.South-South and triangular cooperation is at the heart of SDG4 implementation on Quality Education. As demonstrated in the last few years, this kind of cooperation can mobilize action, ambition, solidarity and solutions to transform education in a rapidly changing world. From the inclusive approach to digital learning in Lao People’s Democratic Republic to distance learning and teacher training strategies in Caribbean SIDS, South-South cooperation is a key modality of cooperation for transforming education and supporting internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda. This publication showcases 40 innovative solutions on how South-South and Triangular Cooperation can transform education.This publication presents forty innovative solutions from around the world which showcase how South-South and triangular cooperation can support the development of more efficient, equitable and resilient education systems that are adapted to the challenges of the 21st century. Countries of the South, with the support of partners, must enhance South-South and triangular cooperation to exchange resources, technology, skills and knowledge to realize the promise of making inclusive, quality education available to all. 
Situation Analysis on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Uzbekistan Year of publication: 2021 Corporate author: UNICEF Uzbekistan | UN. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN. OHCHR) | United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) | United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) This study is based on the results of a situation analysis of children and adults with disabilities conducted in 2019. The ambition of this Situation Analysis is not merely to point at problems but to lay ground for solutions by identifying the opportunities and catalytic forces emerging today. The report looks at the necessary preconditions for realisation of human rights of persons with disabilities, particularly women, girls, and boys with disabilities, such as a robust equality and non-discrimination framework, availability of inclusive and accessible services in the community, disability inclusive financial and coordination mechanisms, transparent monitoring and accountability systems and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities. 
Paris Agreement Year of publication: 2015 Corporate author: United Nations (UN) The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015. It entered into force on 4 November 2016.Its overarching goal is to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.” 
World Youth Report: Youth and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Year of publication: 2018 Corporate author: United Nations (UN) The World Youth Report on “Youth and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, prepared by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), examines the mutually supportive roles of the new agenda and current youth development efforts. The report provides insight into the role of young people in sustainable development in the context of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and related frameworks, in particular, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development and the World Programme of Action for Youth.The Report considers the role the 2030 Agenda can play in enhancing youth development efforts and examines how evidence-based youth policies can help accelerate youth-related objectives. It explores the critical role young people have in the implementation of sustainable development efforts at all levels. 
Understanding the Challenge of Finite Resources: Seeing The Bigger Picture - Lesson 3 Corporate author: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) World’s Largest Lesson is a collaborative education project to support the announcement of the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Learning outcomes of the project: • To understand and the urgent challenge that finite resources pose to our current economic system • To explore economic history since the industrial revolution through personal narrative • To critically evaluate our current consumption and production systems and explore better ways of dealing with resources.