Report On International Expert Meeting Unesco Conflict and Post-Conflict Approaches in The Mena Region 1718 December

Report on the International Expert Meeting:
UNESCO’s Conflict and Post-Conflict approaches,

its Conventions and other international (policy)
initiatives in North Africa and the Middle East
17 and 18 December 2012
National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden, the Netherlands

Content
1. Abstract ............................................................................................................................................... 3
2. Considerations with respect to UNESCO’s work in PCPD situations ‘The Leiden
Recommendation’ .............................................................................................................................. 4
3. Introduction to the Meeting ............................................................................................................. 6
4. Context UNESCO and PCPD ........................................................................................................... 9
5. Summary of the Lectures ................................................................................................................ 11
6. Discussions Feedback Session........................................................................................................ 20
7. Follow-up Activities ........................................................................................................................ 25
Appendix 1: List of Participants ............................................................................................................... 27
Appendix 2: Photos .................................................................................................................................... 28
Report International Expert Meeting: UNESCO’s Conflict and Post-Conflict approaches, its Conventions and other
international (policy) initiatives in the MENA region. 2
1. Abstract
The ‘Arab Spring’ of 2010 has triggered transformation processes in many domains of society in
most countries around the Mediterranean, in the Middle East and North Africa region. UNESCO
is and always has been present in these countries, among others, through the ratification and
implementation of the major UNESCO Conventions and other normative instruments by the
States Parties concerned, through the regional field offices and national commissions as well as
the active participation by the Member States and their representatives in Paris in the UNESCO
programs and councils.
UNESCO supports the so-called ‘Arab Spring’ in all efforts to create more open, pluralistic and
knowledge-based societies. UNESCO’s action in the region is guided by five strategic objectives
that concern: improving quality of education, freedom of expression and access to information,
protecting cultural heritage, generating economic opportunities and fostering democratic
societies.
Since 2010, UNESCO also has a special interest in and for the region from the perspective of its
intersectoral policies with respect to situations of conflict and post-conflict, focused on the role of
culture, education and media in ‘post-conflict and post-disaster’ (PCPD) situations.
The Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO has been working on PCPD-themes since
2006. It organized several expert meetings with different stakeholders in the Netherlands. The
meetings pointed out the importance for UNESCO to be more visible in PCPD situations. The
fourth expert meeting of 17-18 December 2012, discussed in this report, gave the opportunity for
experts to concretely discuss the needs and demands on how to increase this visibility.
The meeting focused specifically on the relationship between UNESCO’s conflict and post-
conflict policies, its Conventions and other international policy initiatives in the context of current
transformation processes (specifically in the MENA region). The strengths and weaknesses of the
UNESCO objectives and approaches for the transformation processes in the countries concerned
were discussed.
The presentations and feedback discussions by heritage experts, professionals in the field, policy
advisors and academics were directed to try and answer these topics around the UNESCO fields
of competence. In order to have a sustainable and effective impact, UNESCO’s permanent field
presence is essential. Moreover, UNESCO’s conventions underscore the international and
national commitment and approval to UNESCO’s participation in the various fields of
competences. Nonetheless, the implementation of these conventions can only be successful with
the commitment of local communities, institutes and professionals.
2. Considerations with respect to UNESCO’s work in Post Conflict
and Post Disaster situations ‘The Leiden Recommendation’
17-18 December 2012
UNESCO responds and contributes to operations that foster transition from relief to recovery,
aimed at the sectors of education, culture, and media. The expert meeting on UNESCO’s Conflict
and Post-Conflict approaches, its Conventions and other international (policy) initiatives in North Africa
and the Middle East encourages UNESCO to strengthen the Organization’s work in Conflict, Post-
Conflict and Post-Disaster situations, to ensure that it can play a coordinating role, within its
fields of competence, and to advocate for the importance of including education, culture and
media in response plans. In order to strengthen UNESCO’s role and the Organization’s capacity
as a partner in transformative processes, consistency and maintaining existing resources and
know-how in substantive expertise, are the basis of all programs. This also implies:
 A recognition that field presence and implementation is a prerequisite for contributing to
response efforts;
 Provision of the field units with the necessary tools and support;
 Assuming a coordination role and developing practical guidelines for initiatives in the
Organization’s fields of competence, in particular in culture;
 Actively engaging in coordination mechanisms to ensure that UNESCO action is included
in comprehensive UN response plans;
 Recognizing the resources required to ensure a resilient contribution;
 Allowing flexibility conducive to rapid response;
 To ensure a consistent and dynamic resource mobilization strategy.
The expert meeting discussed current UNESCO experiences and policies in the MENA countries,
and formulated the following six issues related to a further strengthening of UNESCO´s work as
a leading partner in such transformative situations.
1 – Coordination and implementation of intersectoral policies in transformation periods

preceding, during and after conflicts – UNESCO is as good as Member States want it to be. The
pressure on UNESCO to be more visible, to do more, to act faster, to implement preventive
measures and keep up with developments both per sector and between sectors, is valid. A
response to this pressure, however, requires consensus among the Member States on how they
want UNESCO to develop. UNESCO could be effective in (national and regional) situations
promoting the implementation of preventive measures in the countries concerned. This implies a
long-term presence and a long-term approach, since these developments take time.
2 – Developing Guidelines to create common ground in transitional situations related to

conflict or disaster, can improve effective interaction between UNESCO Headquarters and field
offices, and help clarify UNESCO’s relation to States Parties and other high level stakeholders on
the one hand, civil society and its grass-roots organizations on the other. Examples are the
“minimum requirements for educations: preparedness, responses, recovery”, the “Object ID“
criteria related to the 1970 Convention, or the International Standards on Freedom of Expression
and Freedom of Information. The same might go for further establishing practices of negotiation
and mediation. The conventions shall be point of entry for such guidelines, as is Art. 26 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the right to education and it standards.
3 – More training and capacity building - Acknowledging that these practical guidelines will
only have impact if properly implemented. Therefore, it is necessary to raise awareness about the
existence of tools and guidelines for the protection of cultural heritage and the implementation of
these documents in practice. In this respect the ICCROM First Aid Course for the protection of
cultural heritage in times of conflict provides a valuable training to enhance the safeguarding of
cultural heritage in times of (armed) conflict. In addition to challenges and possible opportunities
for enhancing the protection of cultural heritage in conflict afflicted areas, this training aims to
enhance negotiation and mediation skills of the trainees, enabling them to exploit the full
potential of culture as a tool for conflict transformation.
4 – Understanding the added value and meaning of the culture conventions in situations of
conflict and transformation – Ever since the conventions were drafted, the world is changing,
and this also impacts the conventions. Some conventions target conflict or post-conflict situations,
others are not explicitly created for such situations, but do have an added value, connected to a
better understanding of change and transformation. An example is the 1954 UNESCO
Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, in comparison
to 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural
Expressions. This also brings back into focus the peculiar meaning of ‘universal’ in national or
local heritage, its inclusive or exclusive potential or vulnerability, and its effects with respect to
cultural diversity, economic potential, the development of civil society.
5 – Policy constraints and financial constraints – Both policy development, reflection and
implementation policies require funding at UNESCO Headquarters and in the regions/countries
concerned. Financial resources are often scarce. However, lack of financial resources, especially in
the field of culture, might also indicate a lack of consensus among the Member States or within
the UN system with respect to the importance and the nature of UNESCO’s coordinating role.
Within a common framework in which UNESCO has this designated role, more stakeholders and
national governments can contribute to UNESCO’s resources in order to perform.
6 – UNESCO’s visibility in PCPD-situations does not necessarily need to be high profile but
UNESCO should receive due recognition for its work. Visibility is important, but more important
is to ensure continuity, to work within policy frames that acknowledge the situation of
transformation but above all contribute to agendas for future developments. UNESCO wants a
qualitative approach and credibility in these situations. Such long-term perspectives in which
UNESCO may move in and out of focus, depending on the actual situation, require continuity in
staff, institutional memory, reflection on policy practices and experiences, and a steady support
of capacity building in the various UNESCO sectors.
3. Introduction to the Meeting
On 17th and 18th December 2012, the Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO organized
an international expert meeting on UNESCO’s conflict and post-conflict approaches, its
Conventions and other international (policy) initiatives in North Africa and the Middle East
(MENA region). Key notes speeches were given by Professor Peter Stone of the United Kingdom
National Commission for UNESCO and Kerstin Holst of the UNESCO Liaison Office in Geneva.
Presentations came from the UNESCO field offices in Beirut, Amman, Cairo and Tunis, from the
Cultural Sector Executive Office of UNESCO, from the German National Commission for
UNESCO and from intergovernmental organizations as ICCROM and NGO’s as EUROCLIO,
Europa Nostra and CIE-Centre for International Heritage Activities (accompanied by a small
banner exhibition).
The possibility to discuss the response efforts in PCPD situations was highly appreciated by the
UNESCO field offices and UNESCO Headquarters as well as by NGOs working in conflict and
post-conflict areas. They stressed the need for coordination in response efforts and the fact that a
coordinating role is a very valuable role for UNESCO. Permanent presence and the provision of
necessary tools and support are seen as prerequisites.
The meeting has put forward two main questions to be discussed:
1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the UNESCO objectives and approaches for the
transformation processes in the countries concerned?
2. How can they be aligned in the best possible way with other international policy
initiatives to support transformation processes in multilateral programs?
These questions aided to strengthen and improve the connection between international policy
instruments (such as the UNESCO Conventions), standard-setting bodies and institutes, experts
and organizations active in the field. Unfortunately, despite the various positive responses that
we received from other international organizations (such as the World Bank and the Council of
Europe) the number of representatives from other international organizations was lower than
anticipated. This was partially due to other work obligations of the experts in question, and
financial constraints to cover travel expenses within the organizations. Some experts felt that
there was not enough overlap with their own experts, as they were not directly involved with
UNESCO.
Consequently, the outcomes of this meeting particularly answered the first question, on
UNESCO’s roles in transformation processes, and lesser the second, on other international policy
initiatives.
The presentations and feedback discussions by heritage experts, professionals in the field, policy
advisors and academics were focused towards three themes:
1. Heritage cooperation for social cohesion, reconstruction and rehabilitation
Heritage cooperation is a two-way process; it involves the civil society in the MENA
countries at stake, as well as in the donor countries. Focal points were the local and
international impact of the conflict/transitional process at (world) heritage sites. Whether
there could be preventive measures, which interventions took place, and what the influence
of the UNESCO Conventions was in protecting heritage sites in the transformation processes.
Also, could (local) communities play a role of importance and what role could this be
regarding social cohesion, heritage rehabilitation and reconstruction.
2. Capacity building as educational strategy: vocational and technical training
Fighting unemployment and providing educational programs (especially in relation to
women and the young) are important aims in post-conflict policies both with respect to short-
term and long-term perspectives.
3. Strengthening visibility of UNESCO for national and international policy development
and the role of media in transformation processes
Previous meetings concluded that UNESCO should be more visible in post-conflict and
transitional situations. Strengthening visibility can be achieved in many ways, for example in
training projects, in educational campaigns, in fund-raising programs and by means of
evaluation reports on programs and projects.
The protection of existing heritage sites, the building of schools, the training for news media, the
support to a revitalization of tourism, even a focus on infrastructure, legal structures, protective
measures and other preconditions for civil society development engages intrinsically with values,
interpretations, historical understanding and creative processes.
Therefore, the question how culture and heritage can contribute to social cohesion and to the
development of shared notions of citizenship, has been a recurring theme throughout the
international expert meeting.
Outcomes of the meeting:
- Two meeting days, two key note addresses, nine lectures and two feedback discussions;
- Around 25 participants from various fields of expertise and nationalities;
- A Leiden Recommendation drafted during the expert meeting;
- A distinct wish emphasized by the participants to elaborate on concrete activities that
could be undertaken by UNESCO in the field of (post-) conflict and countries in
transition;
- A call for a more coordinating role in its fields of competence that UNESCO could fulfil
within (post-) conflict situations and countries in transitions (a role within the UN, a role
within the field);
- A clear identification of the strengths of UNESCO, such as its high level of staff expertise
in its field of competence, as well as the field of emergency response and long-term
planning of programs;
- An insight into the diverse range of work and projects UNESCO is doing in the field of
(post-) conflict situations and countries in transitions, and the valuable contribution that
field offices play in contributing to emergency response and reconstruction;
- A set of proposed follow-up activities to continue the discussions held at the international
expert meeting.
4. Context UNESCO and PCPD
UNESCO’s strategy in conflict, post-conflict and post-disaster situations is highlighted in the

Medium Term Strategy. The UNESCO Strategic Program Objective 14 entitled "Support through
UNESCO’s domains to countries in post-conflict situations and post-disaster situations" defines
UNESCO’s mandate and added value. UNESCO’s technical assistance and advisory services not
only provide urgent support to assess damages and mitigate losses, but also support national
authorities, international partners, and professional and civil society organizations in longer-term
sustainable reconstruction (“building back better”), disaster risk reduction, early warning
systems, and peace building institutions. UNESCO, working within the United Nations system-
wide coordination mechanisms, places its emphasis on the human and institutional dimensions
of relief, recovery and reconstruction, with specialized strengths in education at all levels, media
and press freedom and mitigating threats to culture and World Heritage.
The ‘Arab Spring’ and role for UNESCO

UNESCO supports the so-called ‘Arab Spring’ in all efforts to create more open, pluralistic and
knowledge-based societies. UNESCO is and always has been present in these countries, through
the ratification and implementation of the major UNESCO Conventions and other normative
instruments by the States Parties concerned, through the regional field offices and National
Commissions, as well as the active participation by the Member States and their representatives
in Paris in the UNESCO programs and councils.
Since 2010, UNESCO also has a special interest in and for the region from the perspective of its
intersectoral policies with respect to situations of conflict and post-conflict, focused on the role of
culture, education and media in ‘post-conflict and post-disaster’ (PCPD) situations. Conflict or
post-conflict are probably not adequate terms to cover the complexity of the situations in the
countries concerned. The context of the current transformation processes is not static; whether a
notion like conflict, post-conflict or even pre-conflict is relevant, differs widely, both in terms of
security, politics, economics, and socio-cultural relations, and depends on local, national, and
regional circumstances. On 21 June 2011 UNESCO Headquarters organized a high-level round
table, underlining that UNESCO supports the transitions to democracy. The outcome of the
meeting was a Roadmap Democracy and Renewal in the Arab World – UNESCO in support of
transition, which can be accessed on the UNESCO website.
Although UNESCO is not considered a humanitarian organization, it implements an increasing

number of projects, programs and activities, through its field offices in the emergency and early
recovery phases, including in response to transformations in the MENA region. Through offices
in Cairo, Rabat, Doha and Amman – and new Project Offices established in Tunis (Tunisia) and
Tripoli (Libya) – UNESCO’s actions in the region are guided by five strategic objectives:
 Improving the quality of education;

 Enhancing freedom of expression and access to information;
 Protecting and preserving cultural heritage;
 Generating skills and economic opportunities;
 Fostering democratic societies and assisting social transformation processes.
The Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO and PCPD

The Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO has been working on PCPD-themes since
2006. The Netherlands National Commission organized several expert meetings with different
stakeholders in the Netherlands, like the Cultural Emergency Response (CER) Department of the
Prince Claus Fund, the Royal Tropical Institute, CIMIC (Ministry of Defense) and some NGOs. At
those meetings, experts presented specific cases that allowed for a comparative perspective. The
first meeting, in 2007, focused on experiences with specific instances of cultural interventions,
respectively, in the humanitarian relief phase, the reconstruction phase and the community
development phase. The second meeting, in 2010, discussed experiences with decision-making
structures – both provisory and structural – and the roles assigned to various local, national,
international organizations, and people in the three phases of relief, reconstruction and
community development.
These meetings made the Netherlands National Commission decide to design a follow-up project
focusing on the policy interventions of a single donor in a specific PCPD-situation: the
experiences and practices by Dutch organizations and institutions in Afghanistan between 2001
and 2010 (Report Culture, Education and Media Projects in Afghanistan: What lessons can be learned
(2011)). In 2011, the Netherlands National Commission organized a meeting to discuss the above-
mentioned report on Dutch NGOs and governmental institutions operating in conflict and post-
conflict zones of Afghanistan, in the UNESCO sectors of culture, education and media. This well-
attended meeting provided a significant amount of useful feedback.
The seven most important lessons learned from the above-mentioned meetings are:
 Projects in the sectors of culture, education and media contribute to peace building and the
normalization of the lives of people;
 Post-conflict and post-disaster require a different approach;
 PCPD policies need to acknowledge differences between conflict and post-conflict situations;
 Culture, education and media are not politically neutral sectors of society;
 PCPD interventions face the challenge of an integrated approach and a lot of insecurity exists
concerning responsibilities and mandates;
 Sharing lessons learned with others and learning from others seems to have a low priority.
However, exchanging lessons learned could improve the impact of aid organizations and the
quality of development interventions as a whole.
 Post-conflict interventions in culture, education and media need more coordination.
These observations pointed out the importance for UNESCO to be more visible in PCPD
situations. The international expert meeting of 17-18 December 2012 gave the opportunity for
experts to discuss concretely the needs and demands of how to increase this visibility.
5. Summary of the Lectures
Keynote Lectures
Kerstin Holst – UNESCO Liaison Office Geneva - UNESCO’s actions and policy on emergency
response
Since the 1990s, the humanitarian community with the United Nations in the lead has
strengthened its response capacity, developed surge capacities and improved coordination and
funding mechanisms to respond to post-conflict and post-disaster situations. UNESCO works
closely with these common humanitarian response mechanisms and works to have education,
culture and media included in response plans with the aim to bridge the transition to recovery
and development.
The organization’s capacity to engage in this response has considerably increased since the 1990s,
but UNESCO nevertheless is challenged to mobilize sufficient capacity and resources to respond
and engage rapidly and often struggles to be recognized as a partner in overall response efforts.
Holst emphasized the importance of field presence and the capacity to bring substantive added
value to the overall response. She also stressed the importance of providing a consistent
contribution to response efforts as important to be recognized as an actor and partner. Lack of
resources, capacity and flexibility in administrative procedures are the primary challenges to
UNESCO’s efforts in PCPD. A weakness with regard to UNESCO response is the discontinuity of
know-how within the offices and UNESCO divisions. Much knowledge lies with the experts
involved. Once the expert leaves, the gained knowledge and expertise may disappear as well. It
is a necessity to maintain this knowledge.
Following the questions on which organizations are the main actors in post-conflict and post-
disaster situations, Holst mentioned the UNHCR, UNICEF, the World Food Program, FAO and
many more. FAO is comparable to UNESCO, as it is a specialized agency with the advantage that
it is an agency focused on specific issues and has mobilized capacity to deal with emergencies.
Holst also noted that UNESCO is not a member of the Inter-agency Standing Committee, the
main coordination forum for PCPD response.
Professor Peter Stone – Newcastle University & United Kingdom National Commission for
UNESCO - UNESCO and Post-Conflict and Post-Disaster
Professor Peter Stone gave the key note speech on the second day of the meeting. In his
presentation he stressed that in post-conflict or post-disaster situations, it’s crucial to undertake
activities prior to the actual situation. An environment where a PCPD program can function is
needed. Stone proposed a four-tier approach that includes long-term awareness training on the
generic value of cultural property and cultural heritage, specific pre-deployment training
regarding the ‘host’ nation (country where the conflict would take place), during conflict
mitigation, and post-conflict stabilization. Stone also underlined that UNESCO faces a problem,
namely, the gap between national and international perspectives regarding the value of heritage
and the fact that the organization is still strongly perceived as ‘the West’. Furthermore, there is
frequently a different way of thinking about heritage protection in comparison to communities
and (international) heritage professionals.
Essential within PCPD situations there needs to be a clear identification of who is/are the
responsible parties and what the particular circumstances are. The catastrophes of Iraq and
Afghanistan are important learning lessons that should not be forgotten. A good example of close
collaboration between the military and heritage professionals can be seen in Libya. Stone
underlined the positive developments over the recent years in the protection of heritage from a
military perspective – although there is still an enormous amount to do. He noted that there
seems to be a change of mind set within the military, as they understand cultural heritage can be
a ‘force multiplier’ – something that facilitates their job. Moreover, illicit trade of antiquities is an
important source of income for ammunition and weapons for hostile parties. Nonetheless, there
are challenges that need to be overcome in order to engage the military in the preservation and
protection of cultural heritage in times of post-conflict and transitional phases. However, there is
a need for more awareness on the 1954 Convention and its Second Protocol, especially among
politicians. Experience has shown that in order to achieve political changes or influence on higher
levels is important “you need to be ‘accepted by the inside’ or be ‘on the inside’”.
In addition, Stone emphasized the important role UNESCO has in the field of heritage education.
The World Heritage Education Kit forms a valuable tool in sharing knowhow, developing skills
and teaching about the various approaches to World Heritage. There are four central themes:
identity, tourism, environment and a culture of peace. An environment needs to be created where
post-conflict and post-disaster activities have “room to breathe”. These, among other, could be
encouraged by including into the national educational curricula around the world teachings
about World Heritage. Furthermore, initiatives that attempt to bring UNESCO’s ideas to the front
in the interpretation of a World Heritage site are necessary.
Heritage cooperation for social cohesion, reconstruction and rehabilitation
Presentations were given by Elsayed Yones of the Site Management Directorate of the Ministry of
State for Antiquities Affairs of Egypt, by Caroline Munier of the Culture Sector Executive Office
of UNESCO together with Tamara Teneishvili of the UNESCO Cairo Office and by Aparna
Tandon of ICCROM.
Elsayed Yones – The Arab Spring in Egypt and its impacts on cultural heritage
In his presentation Elsayed Yones discussed the impacts of the Revolution on January 25 th 2011
and the transitional period that followed. The revolution created social cohesion and national
unity, but was followed by chaos, and a situation of insecurity and instability. The transition
negatively affected the tourism sector and disrupted industry, trade, suspended investments and
led to an economic setback. Within the cultural sector this resulted in massive looting of artifacts,
illegal construction on archaeological sites, illegal digs, illicit trading in antiquities, smuggling of
antiquities abroad and the destruction of historical buildings. Constant changing of the
administrative structure in the cultural heritage sector led to administrative instability, evasion of
responsibility and decision-making and a delay of many projects to save cultural heritage.
Interventions that have been taken to protect the cultural heritage were the local community
which defended and protected the sites and museums during the revolution, raising awareness
among the local community and creating carrying capacity for heritage protection among the
broader public through social media, lectures, meetings and fieldtrips to heritage places.
Various (inter)national cultural heritage institutions have provided support in the protection of
the cultural heritage, such as: Ministry of State for Antiquities Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Centre
for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage, UNESCO, ICOMOS, ICCROM, ICOM and
others. National and international bodies aimed to monitor illicit trafficking of Egyptian
antiquities, to create and publish lists of looted artifacts, and overall to safeguard the cultural
heritage at risk. Challenges faced in the protection of the cultural heritage were the lack of
awareness about the cultural heritage, lack of documentation of sites and artifacts, the insecurity
and lack of safety and lack of financial resources.
Caroline Munier and Tamara Teneishvili – UNESCO and culture in conflict and post-conflict situations: a
policy and field perspective
Caroline Munier, PCPD focal point for culture at the Executive Office of UNESCO Culture Sector,
and Tamara Teneishvili, Culture Program Specialist of the UNESCO Cairo Regional Office,
presented on the impact of conflict on culture and the role of culture in conflict and post-conflict
situations and the different types of actions which can be carried out throughout the different
phases (emergency, short/mid/long terms). Firstly, Munier outlined the main aspects of UNESCO
Conventions and legal frameworks relevant to post-conflict and conflict situations. Teneishvili
exemplified the various interventions that can be undertaken to protect cultural heritage on the
basis of the events in Egypt. She also underlined the crucial role communities play in the
protection and preservation of cultural heritage.
Teneishvili emphasized that cultural heritage is a powerful instrument for reconciliation,

especially in recovery and post-conflict situations. In addition, culture has a healing power,
which can contribute to social relief and return to normality and it is key to building national
cohesion and develop shared notions of citizenship. In addition to the social aspect, culture also
has a clear economic impact. Many people make a living out of the creative sector, hence
revitalizing the sector helps to support the economic recovery of communities in post-conflict or
a transitional situation.
Munier identified various instruments that UNESCO created to be applied in times of armed
conflict or in post-conflict situation, such as legal instruments (the UNESCO Conventions) and
practical tools (the UNESCO database of national cultural heritage laws, capacity building
workshops and training programs). Moreover, UNESCO provides assistance to the field, national
governments through the instruments and its broad network and partnerships (e.g. with
INTERPOL, ICOM, ICCROM).
UNESCO has, and is often called upon to play, a coordinating role and functions as a platform in
order to mobilize partners. It promotes a culture-sensitive approach, where culture is used in
reconstruction and development. It ensures the safeguarding of the tangible and intangible
cultural heritage and it fosters an inclusive dialogue among all States Parties. Furthermore,
UNESCO stimulates capacity building on local institutional and community level and it
advocates its mission and activities on an international level. UNESCO´s actions in the
emergency and short-term phases consist mainly in securing cultural properties, putting in place
measures against illicit trafficking, mobilizing and initiating coordination among national and
international partners, and undertaking needs assessments. With regard to mid-term and long-
term action, the focus is on maintaining coordination, providing technical assistance for
rehabilitation and safeguarding of cultural properties and intangible heritage, offering policy
guidance and strengthening the capacity of institutions and communities.
The main challenge UNESCO faces currently is the need for enhanced recognition of culture as a
key area of humanitarian assistance, which has to be integrated in the UN humanitarian
mechanisms. Moreover, it is important for countries in transition to enhance institutional capacity
and to bridge institutions and civil society.
Aparna Tandon – ICCROM Training First Aid to Cultural Heritage

Aparna Tandon opened her presentation with an example of Lebanon, which is a “post-conflict”
country, but now again in a tense political situation because of the conflict in Syria. Selective
recognition of heritage by experts has put at risk religious and ethnic heritages, as communities
within Lebanon have hermetically sealed views on culture and heritage. In addition, there is lack
of power-sharing and economic disparities. Horizontal inequalities developments divide a
society more deeply along ethno-religious lines, leading to protracted conflicts in which the root
cause gets sidelined and ethno-religious aspects assume primacy. This leads to identity politics
and intentional destruction of heritage. These ethno-religious problems should be coherently
included in our policy and actions.
Tandon showed, through the example of ICCROM Training First Aid to Cultural Heritage, that
concrete assistance can be given in times of armed conflict and more importantly as a preventive
measure. The main aims were to create a critical mass of proactive professionals who can
intervene during protracted conflict situations. The training included modules on conflict
analysis; humanitarian response and how to join forces with humanitarians, working with NGOs,
military and other actors; legislations and their use domestically; basic stabilization techniques
for securing a variety of cultural materials and ensuring the protection of both movable and
immovable heritage, and; post conflict recovery and how to integrate culture in the agenda for
transition and recovery. The course was set in a complex emergency scenario, where teams make
conflict analyses. Another aspect of the training was the topic how disaster is related to conflict.
ICCROM strives for bringing people skills for working with communities, like mediation and
negotiation skills. Post-conflict recovery and how to integrate culture in the agenda for transition
and recovery is an important element of the training as well for the long-term focus. Outcomes of
the 3-course training are set forward in the publication: ICCROM, Protecting cultural heritage in
times of conflict. No such training existed in the field, prior to ICCROM’s initiative. Tandon
concluded that such training initiatives are required to build the capacity of a country going
through transition in order to exploit the full potential of culture sector in nation building and
attaining lasting peace. It would be very helpful if culture could get its own cluster in the UN
humanitarian aid structure to achieve full integration of culture in times of response to conflict
and periods of transition.
Capacity building as educational strategy: vocational and technical training
Presentations were given by Nilse Ryman of the UNESCO Office Beirut, by Anna Paolini of the
UNESCO Office Amman and by Joke van der Leeuw-Roord of EUROCLIO.
Nilse Ryman – UNESCO and Education in the Arab region following the ‘Spring’
Nilse Ryman discussed education in the Arab region following the ‘Spring’. Ryman emphasized
that all countries in the Arab region are unique in their political situation. Each country is specific
so no ready template is made for educational programs. Reality on the ground decides what
needs to be and could be done.
There are less than 25 education specialists working for UNESCO across the eight offices in the
region. It is important to note that these specialists are experts in their fields and that UNESCO’s
credibility rests on their expertise. They are not necessarily interchangeable as their specialties are
sub-sectoral and provide UNESCO with the added value when compared to education
generalists from other agencies.
A very helpful tool for these specialists is the International Network Education in Emergencies
(INEE) where minimum standards for education are identified in agreement with all education
partners. INEE is linked to Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 4th
Geneva Convention on the right to education, and links to international law. It serves as a
resource for education in emergencies ranging from preparedness, to response and recovery.
UNESCO is one of the developers of these standards. INEE is a resource to support ministries of
education to set and apply these minimum standards. The minimum standards provide a
common framework for identifying the needs and preparing appropriate responses. UNESCO
provides technical support to Member States in the form of analysis, planning and capacity
development. UNESCO helps to bridge programs from short-term emergencies to long-term
development plans. In the field of education UNESCO aims to build capacity of crisis-affected
educational systems.
Anna Paolini – UNESCO and its activities in education and vocational training of refugees in Jordan
Anna Paolini presented the overall situation of the influx of refugees from Syria in Jordan, the
UN response and the involvement of UNESCO. UNESCO will be responsible for the capacity
developing of teachers employed in the schools of the refugee camps and in schools in the
hosting community with presence of children from Syria. Paolini noted that it is crucial to look at
preparedness beside response. She emphasized that Jordan is in a very delicate state that might
lead to possible instability due to the internal economic situation, the upcoming parliamentarian
elections, and an eventual spill-over of the Syrian crisis. At present, the government of Jordan is
taking the necessary measures to introduce systemic reforms and address the economic crisis.
The UN regional response to the Syrian refugees is coordinated by UNCHR and it was presented
in a consolidated plan (RRP) addressing needs and related resources. The RRP is coordinated at
country level through sectoral working groups formed by UN and NGOs actors.
To this end, UNESCO is part of the education, social protection and WASH (water and
sanitation) working groups to coordinate its actions in the field of education, the use of media to
provide information, psycho-social support, and water quality and consumption related
information through a water education campaign in schools and through an EU-funded project
due to start at the beginning of the new year aiming at Sustaining Quality Education and
Promoting Skills Development Opportunities for Young Syrian Refugees.1
The teacher-training program adapted to the local situation is developed in cooperation with the
Queen Rania Teacher Training Academy and the Ministry of Education, and funded by the
Bulgarian Government. According to Paolini, the project fits within the framework of the inter-
agencies’ Response Plan to mitigate the impact of the challenging humanitarian crisis situation
that has been building up over the past year, in the aftermath of the continuous unrest in Syria,
resulting in an increasing flow of displaced Syrians who continue to cross the border into the
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Beside upgrading of training for the teaching force and related
teaching personnel it will also provide demand-driven educational, informal/non-formal
education and skills development opportunities to Syrian and Jordanian youth. A second phase
of the project will target the development of literacy program for adult in particular women and
of development of vocational programs for youth.
Joke van der Leeuw-Roord – The role of history teaching in transformation processes
The final presentation within the second theme was Joke van der Leeuw-Roord, director of
EUROCLIO, the European Association of History Educators. EUROCLIO promotes a responsible
and innovative teaching of history based on multi-perceptivity, critical thinking, mutual respect,
and the inclusion of controversial issues. The Association advocates a sound use of history
education towards the building and deepening of democratic societies, connecting professionals
across boundaries of countries, ethnicities and religions.
Van der Leeuw-Roord emphasized that UNESCO should stimulate the implementation of
recommendations and policy documents, as well as a cross-border approach in academic/school
history and encourage the exploring of common themes, while also showing positive
experiences. She emphasized that there is a need for investments and action. EUROCLIO has
1
UNESCO’s target is to train 400 teacher trainers, School Supervisors and Principals on teaching and mentoring
strategies in emergency situations, 2000 in-service teachers on pedagogy and teaching strategies in emergency
situations and is aiming to provide 5000 Syrian youths with informal, non-formal education, skills development
and mentoring opportunities.
various activities aimed at achieving reconciliation in countries in transition through history
education, by supporting public cross-border history and heritage activities, by developing cross-
border heritage resources, open access sources and cross-border training of history educators.
The work of EUROCLIO is in line with the recent declarations of the European Parliament to
develop strategies for history teaching vis-à-vis sensitive, tragic and controversial subjects, but
also to highlight other dimensions in this context, such as cultural history, the history of lifestyles,
of positive interactions, etc.
Strengthening visibility of UNESCO for national and international policy development and
the role of media in supporting democratic processes
Presentations were given by Mehdi Benchelah of the UNESCO Office Rabat and the Tunis Project
Office, by Christine Merkel of the German National Commission and Laurie Neale of Europa
Nostra.
Medhi Benchelah – UNESCO Office Rabat and Project Tunis

In line with other presentations Medhi Benchelah noted that each transitional process within the
‘Arab Spring’ is different. The revolution in Tunisia was comparatively less damaging than in
other countries. This also set the tone of the transition. Target groups of UNESCO’s actions in
Tunisia are policy makers, public institutions and national and international actors in the field of
media. UNESCO in Tunisia provides technical support and is engaged in advocacy activities in
favor of freedom of expression and freedom of press.
The UNESCO Project Office in Tunis along with the Tunisian authorities organized the World
Press Freedom Day Conference in Tunis from the 3th to 5th May, 2012 “New Voices: Media
Freedom Helping to Transform Societies”. 2 At the end of the conference, participants adopted
the Carthage Declaration on press freedom, ethics in transitional situations and the safety of
journalists. UNESCO Project Office in Tunis raises awareness in the field of access to information,
media regulation and press freedom among others by means of:
 A comprehensive study on media development based on UNESCO’s Media Development

Indicators publication that provides recommendations relating to the media regulatory
system, media diversity, the role of democratic debate in the media, professional training and
available infrastructure to contribute to the transformation of the media sector in Tunisia;
 A workshop with members Tunisian National Constituent Assembly (NCA), the body
responsible for drafting a new Tunisian constitution, with international experts from
Indonesia, South Africa and Canada for presentations of different models of constitutions
guaranteeing freedom of expression, freedom of the press and the right of access to
information.
2
The event was attended by around 800 people from nearly 90 different countries. The WPFD event also includes
16 side events, organized by UNESCO’s press freedom partners, including non-governmental and
intergovernmental organizations, international media outlets and youth groups.
Benchelah concluded by elaborating on the project by the Tunis Office on “Training of security
forces on freedom of expression, freedom of press and security of journalists to promote
democratic principles in Tunisia”. The objective of the training, which involves law enforcement
officers and journalists, is to foster freedom of expression and enhance the security of journalists
in Tunisia by making security forces more aware of their responsibility toward journalists and
their specific role in a democratic society.
Christine M. Merkel – German National Commission for UNESCO

On the basis of her yearlong working experience in the Arab region, and of the CONNEXXIONS
programme of the German Commission for UNESCO (shaping cultural diversity) in Tunisia and
Egypt, she elaborated on the role of civil society, communities and UNESCO with regard to
transitional processes. Merkel stressed that the ‘Arab Spring’ resulted in new opportunities and
challenges of working together and that an analysis of the transitional phase should not be
limited to a short term horizon of a few years. UNESCO may mobilize and connect the different
actors in civil society, as well as the institutions and accompany them in the process of
reorganization. Frameworks, such as the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Diversity of Cultural
Expressions, are particularly valuable in this respect, as it underlines the role of civil society for
culture and development. The most important transition countries of the region (Tunisia, Egypt,
Syria) are party to this Convention. This allows for cooperation on equal footing. It is important
to allow time for appraisal and get to know actors on the ground. Local experts and institutions
present in the (post-) conflict areas have the necessary knowledge for a local emergency response.
In addition, the communities and civil society are the actual democracy builders in
transformation processes.
International interventions, such as cultural responses, may only be successful when being fully
acquainted with the situation on the ground and educated on the geographical and geopolitical
influences in the region. The involved international actors should be aware that their support is
used for professional capacity building of experts and institutes in the transition countries, and
not instrumentalized for short term political power struggles. With regard to UNESCO’s role in
post-conflict situations and transformation processes, Merkel advised to focus on particular
activities, for example, projects related to freedom of expression, as this theme connects all the
fields of competence of UNESCO (arts and culture/ education/ media).
Merkel also recommended not to ‘label‘ particular MENA countries as “post-conflict situations”,
as some countries are still in violent conflict (Syria), or have not been in conflict recently, but
rather in transformation after change of the regime or of the head of state, resulting from civic
mobilization (Tunisia, Egypt) as well as from armed action (Libya).
Merkel concluded by noting that UNESCO can only be as good as its Member States want it to
be. The Member States set priorities and underline the need for development and peace building
in the upcoming biennium; they define UNESCO’s actions.
Laurie Neale - Europa Nostra
By means of European examples, Neale underlined the role of communities and civil societies in
transformation processes, especially where it concerns the preservation and protection of cultural
heritage. She noted that cultural heritage can function as a vehicle: by creating or engaging in
joint heritage rehabilitation projects, conflicting communities can come together, start a dialogue
and build mutual trust. A successful example of this kind of confidence building occurred
between conflicting parties from Kosovo. In addition, the Awards program run by Europa Nostra
helps to tell the stories of communities. These Awards promote best heritage practices and
through the ‘power of example’ encourage communities to protect and make inventories of the
cultural heritage, to provide their citizens with training and educational skills, and to give young
people the opportunity to contribute in creative industries and in basic heritage maintenance and
to share with others their stories. Neale also underlined that outlining UNESCO’s role in PCPD
situations, requires the development of a scope of effectiveness.
The closing remarks of the meeting were delivered by Ambassador Robert Zeldenrust of the
permanent delegation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to UNESCO. The Ambassador
remarked that the ‘hands-on’ experiences of the representatives in the field offices was very
informative. He emphasized that there needs to be more awareness about the important
contribution UNESCO can make in PCPD.
6. Discussions Feedback Session
During the discussions in the Feedback Sessions the following points were raised with regard to
UNESCO’s conflict and post-conflict approaches in North Africa and the Middle East:
 Need for enhanced recognition of culture as a key area of humanitarian assistance;

 UNESCO should be integrated in the UN humanitarian response mechanisms;
 UNESCO should focus on enhancing institutional capacity in transition countries;
 UNESCO’s specialists are its credibility: when the number of specialists is reduced, the
breadth of the expertise is reduced, and thus our credibility. Specialists are not
interchangeable experts;
 UNESCO can play a coordinating role and function as a bridge between local
institutions/civil society and the international actors within its fields of competence;
 UNESCO can provide technical support to help bridge programs from short-term
emergencies to long-term plans and build the foundation for durable solutions and
resilience;
 UNESCO has a role as central information platform/platform of knowledge management
in the field of PCPD/transition processes within its fields of competence;
 Developing practical guidelines for culture, such as the INEE (the International Network
for Education in Emergencies) in the field of education, could be useful.
Heritage cooperation for social cohesion, reconstruction and rehabilitation

Cultural heritage is often a target in times of armed conflict, as it contains a strong notion of
identity. In addition, objects that are of cultural and historic significance become increasingly
threatened by looting and illicit trade, as protection mechanisms, monitoring and controlling
systems are weakened or not in place. In (post-) conflict situations and transformation processes
the protection of cultural heritage is challenging. Due to shifts in governments or political unrest,
citizens and civil society cannot rely on their governments for the protection of the local and
national cultural heritage. Therefore, communities and civil societies play an essential role. In
situations where governments are no longer in place or in a transformation phase, international
support can shift from government support to local capacity building and technical assistance
(such as the Cultural Emergency Response project by the Prince Claus Fund and the First Aid
Courses by ICCROM).
The main actors in the field of emergency response however need to share information. The
involvement of too many players may lead to uncoordinated interventions. Hence, a common
and structured approach is needed, in order to achieve a sustainable and solid impact in the
(post-) conflict areas. It was recommended during the feedback discussions to adopt practical
guidelines based on the cultural Conventions and Recommendations. According to various
participants, UNESCO could and should coordinate the information flows. Participants proposed
the creation of a central information point and a platform of knowledge accessible for the
organisations and institutions involved. A system of knowledge management in the field of post-
conflict and transformation processes needs to be developed in order to maintain and preserve
the knowledge. This system could be in the shape of a digital platform. In addition, it was
recommended that the involved organizations should divide tasks and responsibilities. The
financial aid should also be examined properly. The financial support and human resources
should be well-spread among the various institutions, programs and activities. These activities
and programs are part of a broader and integrated approach; hence it is advisable not to target
the aid to just one museum or institution.
Some participants concluded that UNESCO could strengthen its coordination with regard to
cultural response in (post-) conflict areas. This issue, among others, has to do with a lack of
funding for more capacity at the regional offices or in the conflicted areas, as well as travel
restriction in times of conflict. Preferably, UNESCO could provide a central platform and a
designated team to set up a strategy for this coordination role in relation to emergency response
and cultural heritage protection in (post-) conflict situations and transformation processes.
International assistance is essential in the safeguarding of heritage of outstanding cultural and

historic value. The Conventions and Protocols provide the legal framework and regulations for
international involvement with regard to cultural heritage. However, there are different
approaches. For example the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention strengths is the
“universal value” criteria of a site, and the 2003 UNESCO Intangible Heritage Convention
strongly focus is on communities with a strong bottom-up approach. These two approaches also
require different national implementation and (inter)national involvement. The focus on
community involvement in recent years underline that communities and civil society are key
players in the protection of cultural heritage worldwide, whether tangible or intangible, as well
as in the promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions. Participants also noted that cultural
heritage could be used as a vehicle for social and economic developments in post-conflict and
post-revolution situations. Specifically, the World Heritage Convention can contribute to this, as
the 1972 Convention is the most known ‘brand’ of UNESCO, and significant to attracting tourists.
Capacity building as educational strategy: vocation and technical training

In (post-) conflict situations education forms a vital instrument in achieving better economic
perspectives. Fighting unemployment and providing educational programs are therefore
important objectives in post-conflict programs both with respect to short and long-term
perspectives. UNESCO plays an important role in these programs. Although within the UN there
are more agencies working on education (such as UNICEF), often with larger budgets and more
capacity, UNESCO is often involved because of its large expertise. This expertise, on short and
long-term programs, including many different kinds of education, makes UNESCO an
indispensable partner in (post-) conflict situations, transformation processes and in particularly
in the aftermath of these events. The INEE (the International Network of Education in
Emergencies) has developed minimum standards on international aid in the field of education in
emergencies. UNESCO’s experts in the field of education also use this valuable toolkit and
guidelines on education in (post-) conflict situations and countries in transition. The cluster
system of humanitarian aid is fixed and education is one of the priorities included.
Representatives of the UNESCO Liaison Office in Geneva UNESCO strive to have culture
included into the cluster of education within the humanitarian aid system.
Within UNESCO more money is allocated for education than for culture. Although more
cooperation between the various sectors of UNESCO is preferable, it tends to be difficult. Various
participants underlined that education could also form a vehicle for creating awareness on the
need to preserve cultural heritage, the creation of employment possibilities (e.g. through
preservation activities) and supporting social cohesion, mutual respect and shared notions of
citizenship. Unfortunately, there are administrative and financial constrains to divide the money
over different programs. The regular budget of UNESCO tends to be divided among the sectors;
in addition, extra budgetary funds are often earmarked. Consequently, programs tend to focus
on one sector. It may be advisable to concentrate on one particular initiative, ensuring the
implementation of a long-term planning.
The strength of UNESCO in the field of education also lies with the presence of its field offices
and local experts. As noted by one participant, the offices that have extra-budgetary sources
succeed more often than other field offices, because they can set their own priorities. This is
especially important as each country has its own circumstances.
As outlined by one of the groups, education is also less politicized and therefore it may be easier
to collaborate with (local) governments on the development of education programs, after conflict
or transformation processes.
Participants also noted that heritage education is a valuable tool in achieving reconciliation.
Particularly, in post-conflict situations, such as Kosovo, heritage education can support an
intercultural dialogue and create mutual understanding. Heritage education can encourage the
process of social cohesion and nation building, especially when little objective historiography
existed in the previous political system.
In addition to this, the internet and social media can significantly contribute to the process of
rewriting and understanding one’s history. Facebook pages and websites, such as Historiana,
help citizens to rethink their history and contribute to an open discussion.
Ways forward for UNESCO with regard to education:
- seek partnerships to codify and promote priorities

- build on capacities and leverage on UNESCO’s added value: expertise
- advocacy but also activity delivery in social media
- promote visibility of UNESCO by promoting UNESCO's issues
Strengthening visibility of UNESCO for national and international policy development and
the role of media in transformation processes
It was concluded that it would be helpful if UNESCO is more visible in (post-) conflict and
transitional situations. Strengthening visibility can be achieved in many ways, for example
through (capacity) training, educational campaigns, fund-raising programs, and by means of
evaluation reports on programs and projects. Another conclusion shared by many participants, is
that UNESCO is not yet a major player in the international programs in (post-) conflict situations
and countries in transition. This partially has to do with the limited means of UNESCO, in
comparison to other international/UN organizations, and with the high level of bureaucracy,
which both hinder UNESCO representatives in the field from acting quickly.
The field offices have a valuable role in the rehabilitation and reconstruction in post-conflict
situations and countries in transition. Participants advised that the work of UNESCO should be
more bottom-up, as the regional offices know the field and local political situations better than
the UNESCO headquarters. Every country has a different story and needs a different approach.
Also, a project is demand-driven and depends on the need. Within the field offices there is often
only one person to determine the strategy for the country.
Although each country is a unique case study, there are many lessons that can be learned from
the various projects and programs implemented by UNESCO in the field. Hence, the evaluation
of programs and projects are of great value to the implementation of future activities.
Considering the impact of the work of regional offices, such guidelines, monitoring and
evaluation systems would help the field offices to respond more quickly to an emergency
situation. Currently, in some situations, a UNESCO expert is sent to the country to develop a
cultural strategy for that country.
The involvement of local experts and civil society/local organizations is vital in post-conflict
situations and transformation processes. Individual initiatives can have great impacts, especially
in politically unstable situations. Therefore, it may be advised to provide international support on
a small scale, low profile and local level. First aid lessons and emergency response directed to the
local community or building local expertise can be influential on a large scale.
Social media has given a whole new dimension to transformation processes and (post-) conflict
situations. Citizens and local/national institutions and organizations use for example Facebook
and YouTube to share information, tools and skills on various themes, and among other, heritage
preservation. Through these grassroots initiatives training and education is provided, when it is
not provided through the regular systems.
UNESCO’s strength lies within its experts and network, hence it should act as coordinating and
awareness raising organization in the event of a conflict or transformation process. During the
feedback session UNESCO’s coordinating role was emphasized, especially linking the local
communities and civil society with the international actors: UNESCO needs to be on the ground
with a clear and convincing message.
Reconsidering the term PCPD
Various participants noted that the term Post-Conflict and Post-Disaster, in short PCPD, is not an
adequate term to cover the complexity of the situations in the countries concerned. This was also
concluded in the meetings organized by the Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO and
UNESCO Headquarters in 2010 and 2011. The local and national circumstances often differ and
conflict and disaster situations require different kinds of emergency response and long-term
support. Furthermore, transiting from conflict to (prolonged) post-conflict is not a linear process.
The complicated process towards reconciliation and development is often defined by
incidences of (violent) interruptions. The term PCPD assumes a clear distinction between conflict
and post-conflict situations, whilst often this is not the case.
Therefore, it is advised to change the term PCPD to make it more suitable to countries in conflict
as well as transitional processes. Focus could be on crises, conflict and transition.
7. Follow-up Activities
Development of practical guidelines

The setting up of practical guidelines for operational response during and post-conflict situations,
based on the existing UNESCO conventions, is essential, particularly in the field of culture.
Whereas, there are well-established international norms and standards in the field of culture
pertaining specifically to crisis and post-conflict, their operational application remains a
challenge.
As a result, culture appears a missing dimension in many (early) recovery and transition
processes. The development of common operational guidelines to protect cultural heritage and
expressions during and after conflicts would enable humanitarian and developing partners,
including international organizations, to deal with this issue in a more structured way. Therefore,
common guidelines-setting in the field of culture is needed urgently.
UNESCO is uniquely positioned to develop such guidelines, whereby the National Commissions
can play a facilitating role in supporting their effective implementation. UNESCO has recently
developed, or contributed to develop, such tools for education and media, which provide very
valuable frameworks for operational responses, as confirmed by both UNESCO staff and
members of partner organizations. It ensures that field offices are provided with the necessary
tools and support. These examples from the fields of education and media can serve as good
models for the development of similar guidelines in the field of culture. In this respect, the
development of the “Object ID” criteria related to the 1970s convention and initiated by the J.
Paul Getty Trust3, may function as an example for the creation of broader guidelines for cultural
heritage in emergencies. The working method for the identification of cultural objects and
collections could also be applied to other skills and fields of expertise, such as archives.
Once the three sets of practical guidelines (culture, education and media) are all in place they can
be followed by training and more elaborate and detailed guidelines and toolboxes for action,
during and in the aftermath of conflicts. After a number of years the standards and these
guidelines/toolboxes can be evaluated and updated.
Coordinating role
A coordinating role for UNESCO in conflict and post-conflict situations lies within its fields of
UNESCO competence and should not be limited to them but also address conflict prevention.
This means, that UNESCO’s actions should be included in the UN preparedness and response
plans. Member States, particularly those represented in the Executive Board, should call upon the
UNESCO General Conference to take more proactive action in this direction. Also the cultural
conventions, in particular the 1954, 1970 and 1972 conventions, provide good entry points for
UNESCO to strengthen its coordinating role in the UN system, specifically with regard to the role
3
http://archives.icom.museum/object-id/about.html
of culture during and in the immediate aftermath of conflicts. The United Nations, the General
Conference and Member States should be encouraged to take their responsibility for the
protection of culture. This also applies for the relevant Committee meetings of the three
aforementioned conventions.
Strengthening UNESCO’s institutional capacity and long-term (strategic) planning

Regarding the above-mentioned objectives UNESCO needs to strengthen its PCPD/transition
capacity with the help of its National Commissions and its key partners. Continuity in
coordination in pre-conflict, conflict and post-conflict areas require long-term perspectives with
continuity in staff, institutional memory and a steady support of capacity building in the various
UNESCO sectors. Permanent field presence of UNESCO is a prerequisite for effective response
efforts. The safeguarding of this institutional capacity could only be done in a sustainable and
effective manner if UNESCO’s data systems are further developed, notably for knowledge
management purposes, (post-) conflict and transition guidelines, as well as professional capacity.
Given the present financial and organizational pressures on the UNESCO Secretariat, it is
essential that the National Commissions and other key players in Member States provide the
necessary institutional support and expertise.
Appendix 1: List of Participants
Surname First name Organization

Benchelah Medhi Project Unit Tunis/ UNESCO Office Rabat
Brugman Marieke Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO
Devers Maxime UNESCO Liaison Office Brussels
D'Hoest Tijs Flemish National UNESCO Commission
Fienieg Anouk CIE - Centre for International Heritage Activities
Gaikema Armand NUFFIC
Royal Netherlands Army – Section Cultural Affairs and
Gooren Robert Information
Haxthausen Louise UNESCO Conflict and Post-Conflict Operations
Heese, van Marja Cultural Heritage Inspectorate the Netherlands
Holst Kerstin UNESCO Geneva Liaison Office
Jones Elsayed Ministry of State for Antiquities Affairs Egypt
Kat, de Ida Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
Keurs, ter Pieter Dutch National Museum of Antiquities
Leeuw-Roord, van der Joke EUROCLIO
VU University Amsterdam / Netherlands National
Legêne Susan UNESCO Commission
Leijen Hanna Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO
Lekka Ellen Microgliptiki A.E.
Merkel Christine German National UNESCO Commission
Munier Caroline Executive Office of UNESCO Culture Sector
Neale Laurie Europa Nostra
Paolini Anna UNESCO Office Amman
Quarles van Ufford Robert Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO
Ryman Nilse UNESCO Office Beirut
Spitz Koosje Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO
Sterenberg Marjon UNESCO Liaison Office Brussels
Stolk Deborah CER /Prince Claus Fund
United Kingdom National UNESCO Commission /
Stone Peter Newcastle University
Tandon Aparna ICCROM
Teijgeler René Culture in Development
Teneishvili Tamara UNESCO Office Cairo
Ver Loren van Themaat Tessa VU University Amsterdam
Permanent Delegation of the Kingdom of the
Zeldenrust Robert Netherlands to UNESCO
Appendix 2: Photos

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Report On International Expert Meeting Unesco Conflict and Post-Conflict Approaches in The Mena Region 1718 December

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Report on the International Expert Meeting:

UNESCO’s Conflict and Post-Conflict approaches,

17 and 18 December 2012

National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden, the Netherlands

2. Considerations with respect to UNESCO’s work in PCPD situations ‘The Leiden

3. Introduction to the Meeting ............................................................................................................. 6

4. Context UNESCO and PCPD ........................................................................................................... 9

5. Summary of the Lectures ................................................................................................................ 11

6. Discussions Feedback Session........................................................................................................ 20

7. Follow-up Activities ........................................................................................................................ 25

Appendix 1: List of Participants ............................................................................................................... 27

Appendix 2: Photos .................................................................................................................................... 28

17-18 December 2012

1 – Coordination and implementation of intersectoral policies in transformation periods

2 – Developing Guidelines to create common ground in transitional situations related to

The meeting has put forward two main questions to be discussed:

Outcomes of the meeting:

UNESCO’s strategy in conflict, post-conflict and post-disaster situations is highlighted in the

The ‘Arab Spring’ and role for UNESCO

Although UNESCO is not considered a humanitarian organization, it implements an increasing

 Improving the quality of education;

The Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO and PCPD

Heritage cooperation for social cohesion, reconstruction and rehabilitation

Teneishvili emphasized that cultural heritage is a powerful instrument for reconciliation,

Aparna Tandon – ICCROM Training First Aid to Cultural Heritage

Capacity building as educational strategy: vocational and technical training

Medhi Benchelah – UNESCO Office Rabat and Project Tunis

 A comprehensive study on media development based on UNESCO’s Media Development

Christine M. Merkel – German National Commission for UNESCO

 Need for enhanced recognition of culture as a key area of humanitarian assistance;

Heritage cooperation for social cohesion, reconstruction and rehabilitation

International assistance is essential in the safeguarding of heritage of outstanding cultural and

Capacity building as educational strategy: vocation and technical training

Ways forward for UNESCO with regard to education:

- seek partnerships to codify and promote priorities

Development of practical guidelines

Strengthening UNESCO’s institutional capacity and long-term (strategic) planning

Surname First name Organization

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