Curriki Honorary Committee

Minja Yang, Japanese of Korean origin, is Chargée de Mission to the Assistant Director General for Culture in UNESCO and Director for Special Projects.

She obtained a BA in Sociology of Development from Georgetown University (Washington DC), MA in Political Science and post-graduate Diploma in Political Theory from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) of the University of London.

After working as a reporter on economic issues in Bangkok and Hong Kong, she joined the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1979, serving in Bangkok, then Tokyo until 1985. Moving to Geneva, she worked for the Independent Commission for International Humanitarian Issues (ICIHI) and at UNHCR Headquarters until 1989 when she joined UNESCO. She served successively in the Cabinet of the Director-General for the coordination of UNESCO involvement in UN Inter-agency Programmes, then as Chief of Emergency Unit of the Bureau for Operational Activities (1990), then Head of Inter-sectoral Task Force on Cambodia and concurrently chief of the Angkor Unit (1992-94) before joining the World Heritage Centre in 1994 as Chief of Asia Pacific Unit and also responsible for the Information Unit. She served as Deputy Director of the World Heritage Centre and coordinator of the World Heritage Cities Programme from 1999 to 2003 prior to her current appointment as, Chargée de mission to the Assistant Director General for Culture of UNESCO.

As the Director for Special Projects, she coordinates the Organisation's inter-sectoral programmes on Capacity-building of Local Governments in Cultural Resources Management, and Fighting Poverty through Heritage. She also coordinates the Rivers and Heritage Programme (joint Science & Culture Sector activities), the new Programme for the Protection of Endangered Movable Cultural Properties and Museum Development and serves as the UNESCO Secretary to the France-UNESCO Cooperation Programme for the Protection and Enhancement of Monumental, Urban and Natural Heritage.

She has been decorated by the governments of Vietnam, Laos and France for her contribution to cultural development.

She is married to a French journalist and they have two children.