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186 EX/Part I Add. – page 130
Challenges and lessons learned
¾ The scarcity of financial resources (both regular as well as extra budgetary programs)
remains the main challenge for a more efficient implementation of UNESCO’s activities,
in particular in light of the high expectations and demands of the Government.
¾ Efforts should be continued to further develop partnerships and joint programmes with
the other United Nations agencies, especially in the fields like education and HIV/AIDS
prevention.
UNESCO Office in Tehran
743. UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office [UTCO] hosts UNESCO’s Representative function to the
Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkmenistan and has a full mandate for the implementation of
UNESCO Programmes in Education, Sciences, Culture and Communication as defined by 34C/4
and 35C/5. With this assignment, UTCO works in full co-operation with the Governments and
United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) in Iran and Turkmenistan in the development of UNDAF
and inter-agency cooperation.
744. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Representative function of the Organization is assigned
respectively to UNESCO Kabul Office and UNESCO Islamabad Office. The development of
cooperation with the two Member States, including the cooperation with UNCTs, is led by the two
Field Offices. Tehran Cluster Office provides certain back-up support, when is required, in the
fields of Science, Culture, Communication and Information.
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN
745. UNESCO’s central mandates and its current global leading roles in promoting EFA, science
for development, culture diversity and rapprochement of cultures makes UNESCO one of the best
accepted United Nations agencies in the country. Relationship between UTCO and the Iranian
National Commission for UNESCO, line ministries, academic institutions and management
authorities related to UNESCO designed sites is interactive, effective and sound.
746. Updated data show that Iran is well positioned to achieve MDG Goal 2 and the EFA Goals on
primary education and literacy. In 2010, UNESCO contribution in education sector continued to
focus on upstream advice. UNESCO provided assistance in capacity-building in national education
planning and budgeting, education statistics, and the improvement of quality of teacher institutions.
The wide dissemination of EFA Global Monitoring Reports (both Farsi and English versions) and
national campaign activities for EFA, all as joint effort with the governmental education institutions,
helped to improve awareness and stimulate policy debates on quality and inclusive education.
Progress was made in dialogue with national parliament on education and science policy issues.
Iran was nominated to chair an Asia-Pacific parliamentarian forum for EFA for 2011-2012. Such
development provides high level policy platform for Iran and other countries in the Asia-Pacific
region to exchange lessons learned, discuss needed actions for EFA and debate national and
international policy issues from basic education to higher education.
747. The main challenges include (a) lack of extra-budgetary resources for UNESCO education
programmes; (b) need for sustained capacity development in central and provincial level
institutions for education planning and education statistics and teacher training; (c) need to improve
transparency of the use of education resources related to EFA. In addition, TVET programmes
need to be further developed as a means to support youth employment; new partners are required
to move forward education for sustainable development (ESD); and, better cooperation should be
formulated in HIV/AIDS and drug abuse prevention education.