The Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO), administered by the
Canada Council for the Arts
The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the federal government's principal i ...
peace
Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...
based on the intellectual and moral solidarity of humankind by promoting cooperation among nations.
Its role is to involve government departments and agencies, institutions, organizations and individuals working for the advancement of education, science, culture, communication and information, in its activities. UNESCO is the only UN agency to have a system of National Commissions. As part of this international network of 195 National Commissions, the Canadian Commission for UNESCO is in a unique situation to effectively contribute to Canada's positions on UNESCO issues.
Status and function
The Canadian Commission for UNESCO was established by
Order in Council
An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council (''Kin ...
on 14 June 1957, in conformity with the Constitution of UNESCO and pursuant to the '' Canada Council Act''. It operates under the general authority of the
Canada Council for the Arts
The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the federal government's principal i ...
, which provides its Secretariat. The Commission's role is to involve government departments and agencies, institutions, organizations and individuals working for the advancement of UNESCO's mandated fields of education, science, culture, communication and information, in its activities.
Structure
The Commission's arm's length relationship to government and its broadly based and diverse membership make it unique among National Commissions. The Commission has an extensive network of approximately 325 members across Canada which includes government and non-governmental organizations, institutions and individual members. The 17-member Executive Committee, including representatives of government and civil society, sets out and approves the general policy and programme directions of the Commission. Through these connections, the Commission coordinates UNESCO programme activities in Canada, consults Canadians and provides advice to the Canadian Government on UNESCO matters.
On April 29, 2021, Simon Brault, Director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts, announced the appointment of Roda Muse as the new Secretary General of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. Dr.
Liette Vasseur
Liette Vasseur (born 29 April 1963, in Laval, Quebec) is a Canadian biologist who has held the UNESCO Chair in ''Community Sustainability: From Local to Global'' in the Department of Biological Sciences since 2014 (renewed in 2018) at Brock Univ ...
and Mireille Apollon have served as President and Vice-President since 2018.
UNESCO presence in Canada
* 63 schools in the Canadian Associated Schools Project ( ASPnet) adhere to UNESCO's values of a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence
* 54 signatory municipalities of the Canadian Coalition of Cities against Racism and Discrimination, are located across Canada in nine provinces and one territory
* 16 UNESCO Biosphere Reserves work to conserve biodiversity and promote sustainable development by involving local communities
*
* 16
World Heritage Sites
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage considered to be of outstanding value to humanity
* 2 UNESCO Global Geoparks to promote geoheritage protection and awareness
* 15
UNESCO Chairs
The UNESCO Chairs program was conceived as a way to advance research, training and programme development in higher education by building university networks and encouraging inter-university cooperation through transfer of knowledge across borders.
...
in universities and post-secondary institutions promote international cooperation for exchange of knowledge and information sharing
* 3 collections are listed in the International Registry of the Memory of the World: the
Hudson's Bay Company Archives
Archives of Manitoba (), formerly the Provincial Archives of Manitoba () until 2003,Norman McLaren
* 2 post-secondary education institutions, one in Quebec and one in Ontario, are designated UNEVOC Centres for technical and vocational education and training
* 1 member of the
Creative Cities Network
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) is a project of UNESCO launched in 2004 to promote cooperation among cities which recognized creativity as a major factor in their urban development.Vincent Massey
Charles Vincent Massey (February 20, 1887December 30, 1967) was a Canadian lawyer and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 18th since Confederation. Massey was the first governor general of Canada who was born in Canada after ...
, High Commissioner for Canada to the UK, leads the Canadian Delegation at the historic founding conference in London.
* 1946 Victor Doré, Canada's Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, is elected the first President of UNESCO's Executive Board.
* 1951 The Report of the Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences Massey-Lévesque Report recommends the establishment of the Canada Council and of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. The Right Honourable Vincent Massey, is named Chairman of the Commission.
* 1957 The '' Canada Council Act'' is passed by Parliament. It provides for the creation of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, operating under the general authority of the
Canada Council
The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the fede ...
.
* 1959 UNESCO's Director-General Vittorini Veronese and the Prime Minister of Canada, John G. Diefenbaker, attend the Canadian Commission for UNESCO's first Annual General Meeting in Ottawa.
* 1968 UNESCO organizes the first conference on sustainable development, leading to the creation of UNESCO's
Man and the Biosphere
Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental scientific program, launched in 1971 by UNESCO, that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments.
MAB's work engag ...
(MAB) Programme. Canada's first biosphere reserve, Mont Saint-Hilaire (Québec), is designated in 1978.
* 1972 The
Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage
The World Heritage Convention, formally the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, is an international treaty signed on 23 November 1972, which created the World Heritage Sites, with the primary goals of ...
is adopted by UNESCO. The first sites are inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978, including Canadian sites L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site (Newfoundland and Labrador) and
Nahanni National Park
Nahanni National Park Reserve in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada, approximately west of Yellowknife, protects a portion of the Mackenzie Mountains Natural Region. The centrepiece of the park is the South Nahanni River ( ...
(Northwest Territories).
* 1978 Canada is the first importer/exporter country of cultural property to sign the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.
* 1980 UNESCO adopts the Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist. Paul Siren, later President of the Canadian Conference of the Arts, chairs the Joint Committee of Experts.
* 1991 Marie Bernard-Meunier, Canada's Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, is the first woman to be elected Chairperson of UNESCO's Executive Board.
* 1999 Michel Agnaïeff is Chair of the Task Force on "UNESCO in the 21st Century" for UNESCO's Executive Board. From 1998-2002 Mr. Agnaïeff is President of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.
* 2001 The Canadian Commission for UNESCO becomes coordinator of National Commissions of the Europe Region until 2005.
* 2002 Michèle Stanton-Jean is elected President of the
International Bioethics Committee The International Bioethics Committee (IBC) of UNESCO is a body composed of 36 independent experts from all regions and different disciplines (mainly medicine, genetics, law, and philosophy) that follows progress in the life sciences and its applic ...
(IBC) whose work leads to the 2005 Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights.From 2006-2010, Ms. Stanton-Jean is President of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.
* 2005 At the 33rd UNESCO General Conference, Member States adopt the
Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions
Convention may refer to:
* Convention (norm), a custom or tradition, a standard of presentation or conduct
** Treaty, an agreement in international law
* Convention (meeting), meeting of a (usually large) group of individuals and/or companies in a ...
, the International Convention against Doping in Sport and the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights. Canada plays a leading role in the development of each of these standard-setting instruments and is the first country to accept the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. That same year Canada accepts the International Convention against Doping in Sport.
* 2006 The Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of Québec concerning the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is signed. Under the terms of the Agreement, the Executive Committee of the Commission now includes a representative of the Government of Québec. Michel Audet is appointed as first Representative of the Government of Québec in the Canadian Permanent Delegation to UNESCO.
* 2008
Christina Cameron
Christina Cameron (born 1945), is a Canadian scientific writer, a former public servant and, from 2005 to 2019, a professor of Heritage conservation and World Heritage. Cameron has been awarded the prestigious Public Service Outstanding Achiev ...
is Chairperson of the
World Heritage Committee
The World Heritage Committee selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance ...
which holds its 32nd Session in Québec City in July 2008. The Canadian Commission organizes the Session's Youth Component. In 2010, Ms. Cameron is named Vice-President of the Commission.
* 2011 Irina Bokova, first woman Director-General of UNESCO, gives the keynote address at the Canadian Commission's 51st Annual General Meeting in Ottawa. Michèle Stanton-Jean, Past President of the Commission, is named Representative of Québec to the Permanent Delegation of Canada to UNESCO.
* 2012 The Commission initiates consultations on its future directions to ensure its activities continue to respond to the needs of Canadians.
See also
*
National Commissions for UNESCO National Commissions for UNESCO are national organizations that were established by Member States of UNESCO and which are the only such bodies in the whole UN system. T
The national commissions were established under Article VII of the Constitution ...
**
Australian National Commission for UNESCO
The Australian National Commission for UNESCO was established under Section 7 of the ''United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Act,'' 1947 (Cwlth) and is the Australian government organisation responsible for advising on th ...
Unesco
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...