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  • Side Events (71)

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  • Communication, Education and Public Awareness (71)

Aichi Targets

Date

Side Event

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) : Multiple Perspective Approaches to Biodiversity Education and Learning

Organizer
UNESCO

Date and Time
12 October 2012 18:15 - 19:45

Meeting
Eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 11)

The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD, 2005-2014) engages people through innovative ways of learning about biodiversity by focusing on education and training to address the interlinking issues of ecosystems and livelihoods, the interactions of nature with culture, society and economy, and the actions we can take without affecting our quality of life. Through quality education and training in the area of biodiversity, the Decade aims at reorienting educational programmes in order to: develop new educational contents and materials; and formulate new learning paths that would take into account the meaning and importance of biodiversity, the drivers affecting its status and trends, and the effect of prevailing consumption patterns on the values, attitudes and behaviours that are needed in order to promote biodiversity. The Inter-Agency Committee (IAC/DESD) for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD: 2005-2014) was established by UNESCO as a forum of UN agencies for open-ended collaboration towards the effective implementation of the Decade. The IAC/DESD, focusing on the educational aspect of sustainable development, develops a common vision, principles, and values on ESD and promotes the DESD as a shared objective and agenda of the UN system. It brings together 22 agencies all committed to achieving the DESD goals: UNESCO (including relevant Institutes and Centres), FAO, ILO, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNEP, UNFPA, UN Global Compact, UN-HABITAT, UNHCR, UNICEF, UN-ISDR, UNITAR, UNU, WFP, WHO, World Bank, WTO, UNCCD, UNCBD, UNFCCC and UNDESA. The session will offer an opportunity to discuss the development and use of educational kits on biodiversity for teachers and trainers to raise awareness and educate young and wider public audiences through easy-to-use and appealing tools. Among the teaching materials to be presented will be the joint UNESCO/CBD Biodiversity Learning Kit developed in the context of the International Year of Biodiversity and as a concrete contribution to the CEPA components of the UN Decade of Biodiversity. The major lessons learnt from the pilot testing of the Biodiversity Learning Kit, made up of two books (a teacher's manual presenting key notions on biodiversity and a booklet of 14 activities), through the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet) will be shared. Furthermore, in the course of this side event, representatives of UN agencies, government and local stakeholders will share their experiences on strategies and actions for enhancing biodiversity education and learning, as well as discuss inter-agency and intersectoral work to reinforce common biodiversity activities and build on complementarities. The session will provide an opportunity to engage in a dialogue around biodiversity education, and to explore possible areas of cooperation with UNESCO, the IAC/DESD and its members regarding CEPA issues in favour of biodiversity.