ACCRA 2019
INTERNATIONAL
YOUTH
DIPLOMACY
CONFERENCE
Committee Background Guide
UNESCO
INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DIPLOMACY CONFERENCE (MUN)
2020
UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL
ORGANIZATION (UNESCO) COMMITTEE
STUDY GUIDE
A WELCOME NOTE FROM THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMITTEE
Dear Delegates,
I Adiza Abdul-Rafiu Mohammed welcomes you to the 2020 International Youth Diplomacy
Conference (IYDC). I am pleased to introduce myself as the chairperson of the UNESCO
COMMITTEE. I am the founder of Social Youth Drive Foundation and currently the Eastern
Regional Vice President of the PLO Lumumba Foundation. I am also the Global Landscape
Forum Chapter Director of Ghana just to mention a few. I hold professional certificates from
diversity of fields and hope to use my experiences together with the entire committee to make
this year’s programme, especially the UNESCO COMMITTEE an exciting experience for us
all.
On behalf of IYDC and the UNESCO COMMITTEE, I will like to welcome you all
distinguished and well-placed delegates to this year’s conference. Through this programme,
delegates will have opportunities to debate on exciting topics under the framework of
UNESCO, while contributing their knowledge and ideas towards the sustenance of world
development. As an advocate for change and a youth leader, I am very optimistic that, after the
various presentations of your position papers at the committee level, these will help address
the numerous challenges or serve as resolutions in the field of Education, Science and cultural
settings which will in turn promote and fast track the sustainable development goals. I am very
assured and want to tell you that, UNESCO is the best committee for you. Let's come together
and make it happen. It is my firm belief that this conference meets the expectations of us all
while equipping us with vital skills for the future. I believe in the ability of the youths as agents
of change, and I hope the UNESCO COMMITTEE’s debates reflect the capacity of today’s
youths.
Once again, welcome to this committee, and it’s a great honour to be your committee
Chairperson.
Good Luck and see you all soon. Feel free to channel any questions or comments on any aspect
of the background guide.
Adiza Abdul-Rafiu Mohammed
CHAIRPERSON, UNESCO
IYDC 2020
kezmimohammed@gmail.com
BACKGROUND OF UNESCO
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was created in
1945 to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through
educational, scientific, and cultural reforms in order to increase universal respect for justice,
the rule of law, and human rights along with fundamental freedom proclaimed in the United
Nations Charter.1The Organization has wide-reaching specific powers – for instance, in the
field of public service broadcasting, UNESCO’s role is to support and promote comprehensive
actions focusing on the role and functions of public service, and in so doing to take the advice
of the international, regional and national professional organizations concerned and of the
National Commissions. The Organization’s mandate is formally defined in Article 1, paragraph
3 of the Charter of the United Nations, and Article 1 of the UNESCO Constitution (1945).
UNESCO disseminates information and knowledge, thus helping Member States to develop
the potential of the society in various spheres of activity. The Organization fosters conditions
for genuine international dialogue based on respect for universal human values and sovereignty
of each civilization and culture.
Additionally, UNESCO is charged with coordinating and supporting the development of
knowledge and culture for “economic stability, political security, and general well-being of the
peoples of the world”.22 Consequently, UNESCO works with Member States, UN organs,
intergovernmental organizations as well as and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to
foster peace through cooperative exchange of knowledge, culture, and strategies of sustainable
and balanced development.
COMMITTEE OVERVIEW
The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is an agency
within the United Nations that is responsible for promoting peace, social justice, human rights
and international security through international cooperation on educational, science, and
cultural programs. It is based in Paris, France and has over 50 field offices located around the
world.
Today, UNESCO has five major themes to its programs which include 1) education, 2) natural
sciences, 3) social and human sciences, 4) culture, and 5) communication and information.
UNESCO is also actively working to achieve the United Nations' Millennium Development
Goals but it is focused on achieving the goals of significantly reducing extreme poverty in
developing countries, developing a program for universal primary education in all countries,
eliminating gender inequalities in primary and secondary education, promoting sustainable
development and reducing the loss of environmental resources.
HISTORY OF UNESCO
When that conference began in 1945 (shortly after the United Nations officially came into
existence), there were 44 participating countries whose delegates decided to create an
organization that would promote a culture of peace, establish an "intellectual and moral
solidarity of mankind," and prevent another world war. When the conference ended on
November 16, 1945, 37 of the participating countries founded UNESCO with the Constitution
of UNESCO.
After ratification, the Constitution of UNESCO came into effect on November 4, 1946. The
first official General Conference of UNESCO was then held in Paris from November 19-
December 10, 1946 with representatives from 30 countries. Since then, UNESCO has grown
in significance across the globe and its number of participating member states has grown to
195 (there are 193 members of the United Nations but the Cook Islands and Palestine are also
members of UNESCO).
UNESCO at IYDC 2020 will have two topics on the floor. These are:
TOPIC A: The Role of Youths in Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage and
Multilateralism in Africa’s Post-Conflict Areas.
TOPIC B: Harnessing Emerging Technologies, Science and Artificial Intelligence for the
Achievement of Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG4).
TOPIC A: The Role of Youths in Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage and
Multilateralism in Africa’s Post-Conflict Areas.
INTRODUCTION
Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage
The identity of a people or community is of utmost importance to their very existence,
representing a record of their culture that transcends generations. An issue of such global
importance requires a diligent and consistent response from the international community,
particularly in efforts to safeguard cultural identities for future generations through the transfer
of knowledge, skills, and meaning. Manifestations of community identities are collectively
referred to as “cultural heritage,” which encompasses material expressions of community
identity such as statues and monuments and intangible expressions like performances, rituals,
and skills. Since intangible cultural heritage is expressed through living traditions and practices
rather than physical objects, it cannot be preserved or captured through strategies developed
for tangible expressions of cultural heritage.
UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage was adopted in
October 2003 at its 31st General Conference and entered into force on 20 April 2006. With the
ratification of Kazakhstan on 28 December 2011, it now has 142 States Parties representative
of all regions of the world. For some States, particularly in Africa, oral and traditional culture
represents a major form of cultural heritage and intangible heritage makes a significant
contribution to the social and economic development of such societies and the well-being of
their populations (Blake 2001). This was an important factor in giving the impetus to strengthen
international safeguarding of this heritage and to give it more prominence. Moreover, the
international community has recognized the importance of intangible cultural heritage as a
basis for cultural diversity (an important value given recognition in UNESCO’s Universal
Declaration on Cultural Diversity of 2001) and the major role it plays in our lives.
According to the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, ICH
constitutes “practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the
instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities,
groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage.” The 2003
Convention also explicitly defines “safeguarding” in article 2.3 as, in part, “measures aimed at
ensuring the viability of the intangible cultural heritage... through formal and non-formal
education.” These terms provide the foundation for international efforts to preserve and protect
ICH.
The base for this decision is the fact that intangible cultural heritage is perceived to be:
❖ An important mainspring for dialogue and cultural diversity;
❖ A guarantee of sustainable development;
❖ Undervalued (especially if compared with tangible and natural heritage);
❖ Endangered by “grave threats of deterioration, disappearance and destruction, in
particular owing to a lack of resources for safeguarding such heritage” (UNESCO,
2003, Preamble);
❖ Endangered by being subjected to the consequences of processes of globalization and
social transformation (and other circumstances, such as the phenomenon of
intolerance). In that way, the answer to the question: Is Safeguarding Our Intangible
Cultural Heritage Necessary?
UNESCO leads a wide and diverse network of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and
NGOs in the promotion of ICH.320 Since 2002, UNESCO has been involved in nearly 100
projects worldwide to protect specific cultural expressions; two examples include the project
on Revitalization of Traditional Masquerade Performing Arts and Costume Making, and the
project on Safeguarding Shashmaqom, the Classical Music of Central Asia. As of August 2014,
UNESCO supports 22 active and budgeted projects in sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and
South- East Asia through the provision of logistical and intellectual expertise, training, and
education to create inventories and implement safeguarding measures. The budgets for current
projects range from $24,000 to upwards of over $1 million. One of UNESCO’s most wide-
ranging and highly funded projects aims to strengthen local capacities for effective ICH
protection in selected Portuguese-speaking African countries (or PALOP), including Angola,
Guinea- Bissau, Mozambique, and Sao Tome and Principe. Specifically, the project is designed
to improve domestic capacity for working towards the goals of the 2003 Convention,
addressing areas such as building experience and knowledge, preparing regional cooperation
mechanisms, and the creation of a road map for many of these challenges.
Many of UNESCO’s projects are working towards similar strategies to establish systems for
investment and capacity-building in order to prepare states for the task of protecting ICH.
While UNESCO has created a wide and diverse network of NGOs to help indigenous
communities establish strategies, future efforts might be bolstered by the creation of formalized
strategies and mechanisms that can be implemented quickly and broadly. In addition,
UNESCO’s strategies have largely focused on assisting the communities with the process of
inventorying. Further work could be done to improve actual preservation strategies while
creating better social and economic environments to safeguard ICH.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) currently operates the Creative Heritage
Project, a program that responds to the opportunity provided by the expanded availability of
global communication networks. The Creative Heritage Project focuses on the management of
intellectual property for ICH, assisting communities with maintaining ICH through digitization
and digital preservation. The project currently has operations in Kenya, Mongolia, and Sudan.
UNWTO held an international congress to address the intersection between tourism and
pilgrimage, using the latter as a means to promote development while protecting cultural
heritage.
UNESCO envisions an important role for culture in the post-2015 development agenda and
sustainable development. At a basic level, UNESCO envisions a deeper integration of culture
into international definitions of sustainable development. Other future roles that UNESCO sees
for integration include using culture to promote peace and reconciliation by fostering respect
for culture diversity among communities, as well as acknowledging the important role culture
plays in environmental sustainability through greater access to environmental goods and
services that are crucial to the associated communities.
TOPIC B: Harnessing Emerging Technologies, Science and Artificial Intelligence for the
Achievement of Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG4).
INTRODUCTION
Gone are the days of library visits to photocopy a few pages from an Encyclopedia for a school project;
thanks to a generation that has grown up with technology at their fingertips, school children, and even
kindergartners, live in a world where education has changed, and where the internet is their primary
source of entertainment and information. Chalkboards and Photostats in the classroom are also a
thing of the past, with the availability of smart technology such as interactive whiteboards, IT suites,
and tablet-based learning becoming more commonplace in schools. It is inevitable – as technology
continues to evolve and develop, so too will the way we learn.
The rapid advancement of technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, has impacted all
industries, including education. A recent report from IBM, Burning Glass and Business Higher
Education Forum shows that the number of job opportunities for data and analytics skills will increase
by 364,000 to 2,720,000 in 2020. That means that the gap between supply and demand of people with
AI skills is growing, with one report showing a worldwide base of 300,000 AI professionals, but with
millions of opportunities available, and this gap is resulting in even higher salaries for those in this
field. If we hope to utilize AI’s full potential for everyone, our focus should be on exposing the next
generation to AI early on, and utilizing artificial intelligence in the classroom.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are
programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. The term may also be applied to any
machine that exhibits traits associated with a human mind such as learning and problem-solving.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is wide-ranging branch of computer science concerned with building
smart machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. AI is an
interdisciplinary science with multiple approaches, but advancements in machine learning and
deep learning are creating a paradigm shift in virtually every sector of the tech industry.
According to Wikipedia, in computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine
intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence
displayed by humans and animals.
Artificial intelligence is the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks
normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-
making, and translation between languages.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE GENERALLY FALLS UNDER TWO BROAD
CATEGORIES:
Narrow AI: Sometimes referred to as "Weak AI," this kind of artificial intelligence operates
within a limited context and is a simulation of human intelligence. Narrow AI is often focused
on performing a single task extremely well and while these machines may seem intelligent,
they are operating under far more constraints and limitations than even the most basic human
intelligence.
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI): AGI, sometimes referred to as "Strong AI," is the kind
of artificial intelligence we see in the movies, like the robots from Westworld or Data from
Star Trek: The Next Generation. AGI is a machine with general intelligence and, much like a
human being, it can apply that intelligence to solve any problem.
TYPES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
There are four types of artificial intelligence: reactive machines, limited memory, theory of
mind and self-awareness.
1. Reactive machines
The most basic types of AI systems are purely reactive, and have the ability neither to form
memories nor to use past experiences to inform current decisions. Deep Blue, IBM’s chess-
playing supercomputer, which beat international grandmaster Garry Kasparov in the late 1990s,
is the perfect example of this type of machine. Deep Blue can identify the pieces on a chess
board and know how each moves. It can make predictions about what moves might be next for
it and its opponent. And it can choose the most optimal moves from among the possibilities.
But it doesn’t have any concept of the past, nor any memory of what has happened before.
Apart from a rarely used chess-specific rule against repeating the same move three times, Deep
Blue ignores everything before the present moment. All it does is look at the pieces on the
chess board as it stands right now, and choose from possible next moves.
2. Limited memory
This Type II class contains machines can look into the past. Self-driving cars do some of this
already. For example, they observe other cars’ speed and direction. That can’t be done in a just
one moment, but rather requires identifying specific objects and monitoring them over time.
These observations are added to the self-driving cars’ preprogrammed representations of the
world, which also include lane markings, traffic lights and other important elements, like
curves in the road. They’re included when the car decides when to change lanes, to avoid
cutting off another driver or being hit by a nearby car. But these simple pieces of information
about the past are only transient. They aren’t saved as part of the car’s library of experience it
can learn from, the way human drivers compile experience over years behind the wheel.
3. Theory of mind
We might stop here, and call this point the important divide between the machines we have and
the machines we will build in the future. However, it is better to be more specific to discuss the
types of representations machines need to form, and what they need to be about. Machines in
the next, more advanced, class not only form representations about the world, but also about
other agents or entities in the world. In psychology, this is called “theory of mind” – the
understanding that people, creatures and objects in the world can have thoughts and emotions
that affect their own behaviour. This is crucial to how we humans formed societies, because
they allowed us to have social interactions. Without understanding each other’s motives and
intentions, and without taking into account what somebody else knows either about me or the
environment, working together is at best difficult, at worst impossible.
4. Self-awareness
The final step of AI development is to build systems that can form representations about
themselves. Ultimately, we AI researchers will have to not only understand consciousness, but
build machines that have it. This is, in a sense, an extension of the “theory of mind” possessed
by Type III artificial intelligences. Consciousness is also called “self-awareness” for a reason.
(“I want that item” is a very different statement from “I know I want that item.”) Conscious
beings are aware of themselves, know about their internal states, and are able to predict feelings
of others. We assume someone honking behind us in traffic is angry or impatient, because that’s
how we feel when we honk at others. Without a theory of mind, we could not make those sorts
of inferences. While we are probably far from creating machines that are self-aware, we should
focus our efforts toward understanding memory, learning and the ability to base decisions on
past experiences. This is an important step to understand human intelligence on its own. And
it is crucial if we want to design or evolve machines that are more than exceptional at
classifying what they see in front of them.
THE ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
GOAL FOUR (SDG4)
The rapid advancement of technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, has
impacted all industries, including education. Artificial intelligence is expected to grow by
47.5% from 2017 to 2021 in the American education market, according to the latest Artificial
Intelligence Market in the US Education Sector report. All of this is good news for teachers, as
AI can be a great ally to a teacher. However, some educators fear the advance of AI and that it
might replace the role of the teacher altogether. Teachers’ jobs are not at risk of being replaced
by robots – while artificial intelligence programs can teach literacy or mathematics, the more
complex impartation of social and emotional skills will always remain in the domain of
humans. Because AI is computer-based, it can be connected to different classrooms all over
the world. Below are some uses and importance of AI in the future of education:
➢ Personalized Learning: Managing a class of 30 students makes personalized learning
nearly impossible. However, AI can provide a level of differentiation that customized
learning specifically to an individual student’s weaknesses and strengths
➢ Teacher’s Aid: Teachers don’t only teach, they also spend hours grading papers, and
preparing upcoming lessons. However, certain tasks, such as marking papers, could be
done by robots, giving teachers a lighter workload and more flexibility to focus on other
things. Machines can already grade multiple-choice tests, and are close to being able to
assess hand-written answers. There is also potential for AI to improve enrollment and
admissions processes.
➢ Teaching the Teacher: Artificial intelligence makes comprehensive information
available to teachers any time of day. They can use this information to continue
educating themselves in things such as learning foreign languages or mastering
complex programming techniques.
➢ Connecting Everyone: Because AI is computer-based, it can be connected to different
classrooms all over the world, fostering greater cooperation, communication, and
collaboration among schools and nations.
➢ Emotional Well-being: A child’s emotional state affects how well or poorly they are
able to focus, engage and stay motivated to learn. With this in mind, a team from the
Department of Artificial Intelligence in Madrid, Spain, led by Dr Imbernon Cuadrado
are working on a robot called ARTIE (Affective Robot Tutor Integrated Environment).
ARTIE’s chief role is to identify the emotional state of a student through keyboard
strokes and mouse action, and then, by running an algorithm that chooses the most
appropriate intervention required, give the student personalized educational support.
These range from encouraging words, to gestures, or attempts to increase the students’
interest and motivation towards a certain learning goal. ARTIE’s design team have
focused on three cognitive states: concentrating, distracted and inactive, and have found
that the social support behaviors provided by these robot tutors have positively
impacted these students’ ability to learning.
➢ Spotting and Filling the Gaps: Artificial intelligence can identify the gaps in a
teacher’s presentation and educational material. The teacher is alerted by the system
when a large number of students submit an incorrect answer to a homework assignment.
The teacher can then provide hints to the correct answer for future students in order to
improve the conceptual foundation of learning for that topic going forward.
➢ Children Working Alongside AI: Nao is a humanoid robot that talks, moves, and
teaches children from ages seven and up everything from literacy to computer
programming. Nao engages children in learning STEM subjects, and provides a fun
coding lab for students. This introduction to basic coding allows students to instruct the
robot to perform certain things, such as hand gestures, emotional movements, and even
choreographed dances. This way, students get the opportunity to become familiar with
telling a robot (or program) to do the tasks they want to be done, and better prepares
them to apply and train AI in the future.
➢ Individualized Learning: Artificial Intelligence allows focusing on the individual
needs of the student. Many large education platforms like Carnegie Learning invest in
AI to provide more personalized courses. These days, it’s possible to create individual
instructions, testing, and feedback. As a result, learners work with the material they are
ready for and fill the gaps in their knowledge. As Artificial Intelligence becomes
smarter, it might be possible to scan and analyze students’ facial expressions. If the
material is too complicated, the platform can change the lesson depending on their
needs.
➢ Voice Assistants: Such voice assistants as Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google
Home allow interacting with various learning materials without communication with a
teacher. As a result, it’s possible to use an education platform anywhere and anytime.
For example, Arizona State University uses Alexa for routine campus needs. The
assistant can answer common questions or follow the student’s schedule. Additionally,
using such assistants, it is quite interesting and exciting for learners, so they are mare
engaged in the education process.
➢ Smart Content: Smart content stands for various learning materials, from digitized
textbooks to customized interfaces. Content Technologies, Inc. is a development
company that works with Artificial Intelligence. Its primary goals are to automate
business processes and improve users’ experience. The company has already created
solutions for the education field. For example, Cram101 can break the textbook’s
content into parts. They can include a chapter summary, tests, and so on.
➢ Global Learning: AI brings a lot of opportunities to share knowledge all over the
world. Using Artificial Intelligence solutions, students can study various courses and
training programs. There are a lot of platforms with interactive learning materials from
the best tutors. AI also provides opportunities for students who speak different
languages or have visual or hearing problems. For example, Presentation Translator is
an AI-based solution that creates subtitles in real-time mode. Using AI Speech
Recognition, students can hear or read in their native language.
How can we harness emerging technologies, science and artificial intelligence for the
achievement of Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG4)?
REFERENCES;
1. UNESCO, Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural
Heritage, 1972; Lixinski, Intangible Cultural Heritage in International Law, 2013, p.
34.
2. UNESCO, 1982- 2000: From Mondiacult to Our Creative Diversity, 2011.
3. UNESCO, Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore,
1989. 304 Ibid.
4. World Commission on Culture and Development, Our Creative Diversity, 1996.
5. UNESCO, Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, 2001.
6. UNESCO, Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2003.
