Resources
Explore a wide range of valuable resources on GCED to deepen your understanding and enhance your research, advocacy, teaching, and learning.
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World Heritage: A Unique Contribution to Biodiversity Conservation Year of publication: 2023 Corporate author: UNESCO | International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) The UNESCO World Heritage Convention is unique among international agreements as it deals with both natural and cultural heritage. By conferring one of the highest levels of protection recognized by 195 countries, it ensures a truly global commitment to safeguarding exceptional places. UNESCO natural World Heritage sites are critical for the conservation of ecosystem integrity and biodiversity. While they make up less than 1% of the Earth’s surface, they harbor more than 1/5 of mapped global species richness. This includes over 75,000 species of plants, and over 30,000 species of mammals, birds, fishes, reptiles and amphibians. Cultural World Heritage sites in particular can be an important ally in biodiversity conservation since around 20% of them are located in Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs). UNESCO World Heritage sites also represent a safe haven for some of the most threatened species on Earth. They are estimated to protect over 20,000 globally threatened species, and are home to some of the last individuals of many iconic species. Today, up to 1/3 of remaining elephants, tigers and pandas can be found in these sites, as well as at least 1 in 10 great apes, giraffes, lions and rhinos. However, even these highly protected sites are today threatened by global climate change and human pressures, including agricultural expansion, infrastructure development, poaching, overexploitation of resources and the proliferation of invasive species. Every 1°C increase in temperature could double the number of species exposed to dangerous climate conditions. Ensuring effective and sustained protection of UNESCO World Heritage sites and surrounding landscapes is crucial for maximizing their value as a solution to tackle the current biodiversity and climate crisis. One way of achieving this is by supporting countries to integrate World Heritage into their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), as they are key to implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). 
National Capacity Building on Inventorying the Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Arab Republic of Egypt Year of publication: 2024 Author: Ahmed Bahi El Din | Haitham Younes Corporate author: UNESCO | UNESCO Cairo Communities in Egypt are inventorying their living heritage Egypt is famed for its rich civilization and long history. Egyptian identity is presented not only through archaeological sites and Ancient Egyptian civilization, but also through Egypt’s diverse living heritage. More than simply showing who they are today, this living heritage tells the story of how the Egyptians arrived at this point over the generations.To celebrate this identity and strengthen national capacities to safeguard it, UNESCO, alongside the Egyptian government and civil society, implemented the project Strengthening National Capacities for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in Egypt for Sustainable Development, which ran from June 2018 to June 2021.The project focused on community-based inventorying of living heritage. This involved training workshops and a pilot community-based inventorying exercise, which took place in six different locations throughout Egypt (Cairo, Fayoum, Gharbeya, Aswan, Assuit, and Marsa Matrouh). Thanks to the project, participating community practitioners and heritage bearers are now equipped to inventory their own living heritage. • This pilot was Egypt’s first step to establishing a national inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) under the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with community practitioners. • This publication provides recommendations on how to further enhance national capabilities for ICH safeguarding and how to advance community engagement in the inventorying processes in Egypt. 
UNESCO Guidance for the World Heritage ‘No-Go’ Commitment: Global Standards for Corporate Sustainability Year of publication: 2022 Corporate author: UNESCO UNESCO World Heritage properties are cultural, natural and mixed sites of outstanding universal value (OUV) that exemplify some of humanity’s most exceptional heritage and treasures on our planet. They cover over a thousand properties in all regions of the world and it is the duty of the international community as a whole to cooperate on their protection. UNESCO World Heritage sites provide major benefits to our society and help safeguard ecosystem services and cultural resources vital for human well-being. Yet the threats to UNESCO World Heritage sites have been rising steadily for decades, including those arising from harmful industrial and infrastructure projects, extractive activities such as mining, oil and gas and large hydropower projects, among others. In view of these significant threats, several leading companies and financial institutions have committed to protect World Heritage by respecting them as ‘no-go’ areas. UNESCO World Heritage sites are protected under international law as humanity’s legacy to future generations and, as such, merit particular attention in corporate policies and business conduct. However, there is wide variation in the nature and strength of sustainability policies and due diligence processes. This guidance was developed to assist companies to develop comprehensive strategies for World Heritage as part of their efforts to measure and manage environmental, social and governance risks. 
Managing Transnational UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa Year of publication: 2023 Author: Dodé Houehounha | Edmond Moukala Corporate author: UNESCO Transnational UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa – Cooperation is the Key to Success Transnational UNESCO World Heritage sites are the ultimate manifestation of international cooperation − an enriching experience of interculturalism and dialogue between peoples. They offer a unique opportunity to explore and exchange effective and sustainable solutions to contemporary issues, such as climate change, migration, integration, confict and many others. For the frst time, this publication presents the most up-to-date and comprehensive work concerning Transnational UNESCO World Heritage sites in Africa, refecting the interdisciplinary and forward-looking approaches that have dominated research and conservation methodologies in recent decades. The diverse articles and case studies shine a light on how transnational management of properties in Africa provides a crosscutting and sustainable response to contemporary issues related to heritage and associated communities. It also explores the variety of challenges and opportunities related to the management of these sites and highlights best practices that have been implemented. This publication, together with UNESCO, calls on all States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, concerned international and regional organizations, and all relevant stakeholders to support efforts to protect and promote Africa’s rich cultural and natural heritage. It is through concerted action and joint activities that the recommendations from this publication can be implemented and thereby help preserve these properties for future generations. 
Leave No One Behind: Equity and Inclusion in Education at UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office in Bangkok (UNESCO Bangkok) Year of publication: 2023 Corporate author: UNESCO Bangkok Equity and inclusion in education ensures a process intended to respond to students’ diversity by increasing their participation and reducing exclusion within and from education. 
Science Education in a Cultural Diversity Context: The Migrant Student in Chile (Revista Saberes Educativos; July-Decembe, No.11) Year of publication: 2023 Author: Carmen Luisa Alfaro Contreras | Iskra Pavez Soto The aim of this article is to analyze teachers' conceptions of science education in contexts of cultural diversity. In recent years, the presence of migrant students in Chilean education has increased, which has generated a meeting of diverse world views that stress the paradigms of scientific education itself. The article presents a study whose methodological design was of a qualitative nature. 13 interviews were conducted with a strategic sample made up of science teachers from the school system, pedagogy students, and university professors. The results reflect dissimilar ideas about the relationship between science and culture, generating, on the one hand, a kind of invisibility or denial of diversity and, on the other, a recognition of a multiplicity of ways of building knowledge, approaching an intercultural view of science. Stereotyped ideas about the student body and the lack of training to deal with cultural diversity are recognized. The main difficulties are associated with the characteristics of the school system and the hegemonic and monocultural nature of the curriculum. It concludes with recommendations on the need for a postcolonial scientific education and to democratize knowledge, with a focus on student learning that allows the development of critical individuals. 
Public Policies on Gender Equality in Latin America and the Caribbean in the 21st Century: New Protagonisms and Old Dilemmas in Times of Uncertainty Year of publication: 2023 Author: Cinthya Fernández Lépiz | Esteban Zolezzi Corporate author: Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) The III Report of FLACSO on Gender Issues is the result of a collaborative process among the Academic Units of FLACSO. Its chapters aim to identify the main challenges in each country regarding gender equality in the early 21st century and engage them in a dialogue with contributions from the academic community of FLACSO. They seek to provide a general characterization of each country, analyze the main challenges in terms of gender equality, as well as the critical contributions and limitations raised by gender and feminist studies in conjunction with the contributions made by FLACSO. 
Bridging the Gap: Holistic Education Policy to Foster Opportunities for Girls in Rural Pakistan Year of publication: 2023 Author: Hina Saleem Corporate author: Center for Universal Education at Brookings Seven out of ten girls in rural Sindh are excluded from schooling. This happens for a myriad of reasons and occurs both in the presence and absence of operational school buildings. When schools are present, the challenges that children—especially girls—face due to their economic and social context often go unaddressed; children who are able to enroll in school often find their learning affected by classroom design and practices and experiences that mirror the exclusion they experience outside of school. At the broader level, this exclusion is reflected in limited representation of the needs and aspirations of sizable rural populations in Pakistan’s formal education system and the pathways beyond it. This policy brief presents findings from on-the-ground research in rural settlements in Sindh province that explores the disparities between boys and girls in enrollment and continuation of schooling in addition to overall inadequate education outcomes. It also provides policy recommendations to support all children and particularly girls in meeting their education needs and aspirations. Education policy must respond to these challenges of unmet education needs and aspirations by taking a holistic, welfare-based approach that supports children to overcome the effects of exclusionary conditions to meet their education needs. However, the benefits of such an approach can only be realized if teaching practices and learning experiences are contextualized, build a connection with local knowledge, question root causes of exclusion and support and prepare all children in negotiating pathways beyond education. 
The Role of Education in Preventing Violent Radicalisation: A Review for Europe (The Journal of Education; No.397, 2022) Year of publication: 2022 Author: Arantxa Azqueta | Adoración Merino-Arribas Corporate author: Spain. Ministry of Education This research analyses government documents addressing the prevention of radicalisation in 16 European countries, differentiated according to the presence or absence of fatalities in attacks. The aim to identify the presence of the attitudes which PISA 2018 identifies as key to define a democratic and interculturally competent citizenry and guide integration-friendly policies: openness, respect, civic awareness, responsibility, self-efficacy and tolerance. A comparative methodology is employed, using a lexicographical content analysis through Iramuteq software together with a critical-interpretative analysis of the texts. 
National Policy on Native Languages, Oral Tradition and Interculturality by 2040 Year of publication: 2021 Corporate author: Ministry of Culture of Peru The Ministry of Culture, in coordination with the different sectors of the State, has carried out the process of updating the National Policy on Native Languages, Oral Tradition and Interculturality by 2040 (PNLOTI), which will be the main instrument of guidance and attention in subject of indigenous languages. Seeking to guarantee the participation of citizens in public decisions, the Ministry of Culture makes the PNLOTI proposal for 2040 available to them, with the aim that they can access it and learn about the 41 services declared in charge of the different sectors. In this way, the PNLOTI ensures the full exercise of the linguistic rights of the more than 4 million citizens who speak one of the 48 indigenous or native languages of the country.