“$6.9bn will be needed over the next 10 years to support the recovery of the cultural and tourism sectors in Ukraine”: UNESCO DG Audrey Azoulay visits Kyiv and Chernihiv

UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay pays a two-day Mission to Ukraine to meet the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, the Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko and the First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova. The main aim of the visit is to reaffirm UNESCO support for the Ukrainian people and to advance cultural and educational recovery.

“Thank you for the real results of work and supporting Ukraine. We are fighting on the battlefield for the values of democracy, our freedom and independence, for the future of our children, as well as for our historical values and cultural heritage. It is very important to protect them,” summarized the meeting President Zelenskiy.

Following the meeting with Ukrainian leader Audrey Azoulay stated UNESCO has estimated that 6.9 billion dollars will be needed over the next 10 years to support the recovery of the cultural and tourism sectors in Ukraine.

“Our Organization is mobilizing and coordinating the international partners to respond to the needs in the field of culture,” she tweeted.

.@UNESCO has estimated that $6.9bn will be needed over the next ten years to support the recovery of the cultural & tourism sectors in #Ukraine. Our Organization is mobilizing and coordinating the international partners to respond to the needs in the field of #culture. pic.twitter.com/qCeoqHuEl4

— Audrey Azoulay (@AAzoulay) April 4, 2023

During the Mission, in particular, Audrey Azoulay met teachers in a Chernihiv school who have been supported by UNESCO to ensure learning continuity.

“Our organization and Google have provided more than 50,000 computers with digital educational tools and training all over the countrу,” she added in Twitter.

I also met teachers in a #Chernihiv school who have been supported by @UNESCO to ensure learning continuity. Our organization and Google have provided more than 50,000 computers with digital educational tools and training all over the country. pic.twitter.com/GLAbOuMCS7

— Audrey Azoulay (@AAzoulay) April 4, 2023

In Chernihiv she announced that UNESCO will develop this year with the authorities a complete rehabilitation project for the historic centre, inscribed on the country’s World Heritage Tentative List.

In #Chernihiv, I also announced that @UNESCO will develop this year with the authorities a complete rehabilitation project for the historic centre, inscribed on the country’s World Heritage Tentative List. #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/BIB6OUARyO

— Audrey Azoulay (@AAzoulay) April 4, 2023

According to Audrey Azoulay UNESCO is mobilizing more than $10 million to strengthen its response to the education emergency in Ukraine.

“With these funds, we will extend the psychosocial support in schools for children and we will train 2,000 additional teachers in distance learning tools,” emphasized the UNESCO DG.

While visiting Kyiv the representatives to the Director General of UNESCO attended the main office of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU).

“Ukrainian journalists appreciate the great support we receive from UNESCO in times of war. We fruitfully discussed our cooperation during the visit of representatives of the UNESCO Mission to our Journalists` Solidarity Center in Kyiv”, tweeted the President of the NUJU Sergiy Tomilenko after the meeting.

Ukrainian journalists appreciate the great support we receive from @UNESCO in times of war. We fruitfully discussed our cooperation during the visit of representatives of the #UNESCO Mission to our Journalists` Solidarity Center in Kyiv @unesco_kyiv @IFJGlobal @EFJEUROPE pic.twitter.com/mytLzRZOkI

— Sergiy Tomilenko (@Stommedia) April 4, 2023

The UNESCO DG representatives highlighted some specific aspects of the UNESCO support since the full-scale Russian invasion, including the extension of protection efforts thanks to partner countries, organisation training for women in Ukraine on the NUJU basis and joint cultural activities for journalists, “so they could better report on the damages on heritage sites”.

The main aim of the UNESCO Mission is to see what they’ve done so far to protect culture, education, freedom of expression and journalists: “It is a message that we are here and that we will be here with the Ukrainian population to help in recovery of the country in our field of competencies”.

NUJU information service