UNESCO. General Conference; 30th; Records ... - unesdoc - Unesco

exploited. They therefore react at times through undesirable forms of behaviour, violence or drug addiction. In
my view, educational institutions play a very significant role here. Apart from providing children and youth with
knowledge and the necessary life skills, they must inculcate morality and ethics so that the latter will enjoy a
good quality of life. With love and warmth, they will not be vulnerable to drug abuse, gambling and offensive
media and will not resort to violence. To guide children and youth towards this desirable self-development, we
have initiated the White Schools Project, a campaign to safeguard the school as a social institution. Schools will
thus be free from drugs and other causes of undesirable behaviour. The students themselves, teachers, parents,
families and communities have all been mobilized to assist in organizing creative activities so that the children’s
social behaviour will be changed for the better. At present, many schools are participating in the Project which, in
my view, has been very successful. I therefore welcome an opportunity to exchange our experience in this regard
with other Member States.
18.5 Madam President, I wish to support UNESCO’s action for the proclamation of the year 2000, which is
the first year of the coming century, as the International Year for the Culture of Peace. Thailand is prepared to
carry out various activities related to the transdisciplinary project “Towards a culture of peace”. In this
connection, I fully endorse UNESCO’s recognition of the importance of children and youth, who should be
taught to appreciate the value of peace. This approach is in full accord with the policy of our country. We believe
that peace-building must begin in the minds of men, and more particularly in the minds of children and young
people.
18.6 Madam President, Thailand is governed by a constitutional monarchy with a democratic form of
government. His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, our ruling monarch, who is the longest reigning monarch in
the world, is the Guiding Light of the nation, including our neighbours. His Majesty has most graciously initiated
projects based on the New Theory, advising the people to recognize the importance of agricultural society, and to
appreciate principles of frugality and the value of natural resources. They should have confidence in their own
potential to resolve the problems of life and should be able to earn their living through a self-sufficient economy.
Furthermore, Her Royal Highness, the Princess Mother, has most graciously devoted her efforts to promoting
community development, children’s education, various occupations for minorities and the underprivileged, and
reforestation in the interests of environmental protection, as evidenced in her personal supervision of various
projects. For the auspicious occasion of the centenary of the royal birth in the year 2000, Thailand has therefore
submitted a proposal for UNESCO to be associated with the commemoration of this historic event.
18.7 With regard to activities in the field of science and technology, Thailand commends UNESCO’s
preparatory measures for the new millennium. We support the World Declaration on Science and the Use of
Scientific Knowledge in order to identify collectively solutions to social problems. We also subscribe to the
Science Agenda - Framework for Action adopted by the World Conference on Science held in Hungary in June
1999. The results of the World Conference are indeed very much in line with our National Plan for Development
of Science and Technology 1997-2006. As to the development of science education, the Associated Schools
Project has been widely implemented. Besides, Thailand has been implementing the programme for the
conservation of natural and cultural resources in biosphere reserves and the world heritage sites in accordance
with the deliberations of the UNESCO conference on the subject in 1995. It is gratifying to be able to inform you
that the Ranong Biosphere Reserve has been declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, with emphasis on
harmonious mutual dependence of human beings and nature.
18.8 In the coming century, science and technology will develop at a rapid pace. I therefore wish to
emphasize that such development must be based on ethical principles. The proposed Universal Declaration on the
Human Genome and Human Rights and the strengthening of National Bioethics Committees enjoy our full
support.
18.9 Thailand subscribes to UNESCO’s proposed actions to promote and further strengthen freedom of
expression, the rights and freedom of the media, including the respect for pluralism in the expression of ideas.
These principles indeed form the basis of fundamental human rights and democratic governance. Thailand
therefore would like to take this opportunity to pay homage to Professor Dr Pridi Banomyong, our former Prime
Minister, who has enhanced freedom and democracy in Thailand. His accomplishments were indeed in accord
with UNESCO’s work. Regarding activities in the field of communication, it is recommended that greater
emphasis be placed on the development of media utilizers’ capabilities, so as to enable them to exercise critical
judgement in the analysis and selection of the messages received.
18.10 In conclusion, Madam President, allow me to reiterate that, while rapid progress in knowledge and
information has resulted in economic and financial complexities all over the world, urgent steps must be taken to
harmonize our visions, with emphasis on our constant progress and concurrent global progress in solidarity. It is
imperative, therefore, that sustainable development and the development of each individual’s potentiality be
100