Permanent Délégations to
UNESCO
National Commissions for
UNESCO
MAB National Committees and
Focal Points
27 March 2023
Thé Assistant Director-General
for Priority Africa and External Relations
Ref: SC/EES/NBC/23/2750
Subject: Change of thé Man and thé Biosphère Programme's name
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are pleased to invite you, and thé MAB Community in your country, to submit
proposais for a new name for thé Man and thé Biosphère Programme. You are also
welcome to indicate if you wish for thé Programme to retain its current name with no
changes to be made.
In récent years, thé suitability of thé name "Man and thé Biosphère" (MAB) has been
called into question on several occasion in récognition that thé word "Man" is not thé
most représentative collective term for human beings.
Following discussions during its 33rd and 34th sessions, thé International Co-ordinating
Council of thé MAB Programme (MAB-ICC) in 2021 and 2022, requested thé MAB
Secrétariat in 2022 to organize - with thé members of thé MAB-ICC Bureau - a
consultation among thé MAB Community on identifying a new name for thé Programme.
This consultation's progress is to be presented at thé MAB-ICC's subséquent sessions
so that a décisionon thé Programme's name is taken at thé latest at thé 44th session of
thé Général Conférence of UNESCO, in 2025.
In making your proposais, you, and thé MAB Community in your country, are invited to
recall that thé term "Man and thé Biosphère" and thé acronym "MAB" are globally
recognized through their historical association with thé Programme. During thé
discussions in 2021 and 2022, several Member States pointed out thé importance of
thèse recognizable éléments.
While you are free to make any proposai you wish, you are encouragea to consider
submitting proposais that acknowledge or recall this association in order to ensure that
a possible name change does not jeopardize thé visibility and public récognition of thé
programme.
Please submit your list of suggestions - as many as you wish - for a new name for thé
Man and thé Biosphère Programme to thé MAB Bureau member representing your
United Nations Educational, Scientiflc and Cultural Organization
7, Place de Fontenoy 75352 Paris 07 SP France
T:+33 (0)1 45681671
région no later than 30 April 2023 with copy to Ms Amandine Callens (e-mail:
a. callens@unesco. org).
Meetings to identify three priority suggestions will be organized for each région from end
of April 2023 until thé end of May 2024 as part of thé regular régional network meetings
or ad hoc. You are encouraged to participate in thèse discussions and share your
suggestions.
l take this opportunity to thank you for your support to thé MAB Programme and thé
World Network of Biosphère Réserves.
Yours ely,
Edou irmin Matoko
2/3
List of Bureau members;
Name Country Région Contact
Mr Antonio Portugal Europe
[email protected]
Abreu
Mr Mykola Ukraine Europe mykola. movchan@mfa. gov
Movchan
Ms Lorene Sol El Salvador Latin America
[email protected]
de Pool and thé
Caribbean
M. KIM Jong- Republic of Asia and thé jrkiml
[email protected];
Ryool Korea Pacifie
jrkim@korea. kr
Ms Soukaina Morocco Arab States s. filali. ma@unesco-
Filali delegations.org
Mr Adepoju Nigeria Afriça
[email protected]
Olatunde
Adeshola
3/3