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

(24.8) Mesdames et Messieurs les délégués, à la session en cours, la République de Bélarus a présenté sa
candidature au Conseil exécutif, sachant bien la responsabilité et l'importance singulières attachées à cette mission,
et elle espère trouver auprès de vous un appui bienveillant. Je vous remercie de votre attention.
25. The PRESIDENT:
Thank you very much, Your Excellency Ms Nina Mazaï of Belarus. I welcomed your stress on the
importance of conflict resolution and conflict prevention, which of course concerns the future of culture and
education, and all UNESCO’s areas of action. I now call upon the next speaker, who is Her Excellency the
Honourable Patricia Worth, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs of
Australia.
26.1 Ms WORTH (Australia):
Madam President, Mr Director-General, delegates, ladies and gentlemen, let me begin by congratulating
you, Madam President, on your election as President of the 30th session of the General Conference of UNESCO.
26.2 As the government’s representative on the Australian National Commission for UNESCO,
I am delighted to have the opportunity to participate in this General Conference. With government responsibility
in a number of UNESCO’s fields of responsibility – particularly education – I am well aware of, and greatly
appreciate, UNESCO’s potential to contribute in such fields as basic education, literacy, vocational education,
adult education, higher education and environmental education.
26.3 The Australian Government is also active in these areas. Its objectives for the Australian education and
training system are to ensure the best possible educational outcomes for all in terms of literacy and numeracy, job
readiness and access to higher education.
26.4 The Australian Government is particularly committed to the achievement of educational equality for
indigenous people. It does this not only through its mainstream education programmes but also through a range
of additional programmes designed to meet the special needs of our indigenous communities and to promote
equality of educational opportunity and improved participation in education.
26.5 Recent initiatives in mainstream school education have concentrated on two key areas. The first is the
national literacy and numeracy plan. The second area involves government initiatives to help teachers gain new
skills through the quality teacher programme.
26.6 The Australian Government has been pleased to continue its support of UNESCO’s Associated Schools
Project, as well as to support the development of the UNESCO-UNITWIN Asia-Pacific Higher Education
Research Network.
26.7 At the last General Conference, we expressed the view that, on the eve of the new millennium, it would
be timely to review the work of UNESCO in its fields of competence and consider its contribution into the
twenty-first century. To assist with this objective, Australia hosted a number of conferences. Amongst these was
the Conference on Education for the Twenty-first Century in Asia and the Pacific, which was the first of the
follow-up conferences on the Delors Report, Learning: The Treasure Within. A UNEVOC international
conference served as the regional preparatory meeting for the second International Congress on Technical and
Vocational Education. Australia had the privilege to host the Asia-Pacific Regional Preparatory Conference for
the World Conference on Science. It also organized a regional communications conference in Bali, Indonesia,
whichfocusedontheInternet.
26.8 Australia appreciates the award of the 1998 Prize for Human Rights Education to Justice Michael Kirby,
an honorary member of the Australian National Commission. It is important that human rights education remains
a priority for UNESCO. Justice Kirby’s work in the area of bioethics, genetics and the human genome have made
a significant contribution to these complex issues gaining a higher profile.
26.9 The Australian Government recognizes the special importance of young people as the new millennium
approaches, as they will inherit the future, including the future of institutions such as UNESCO.
26.10 It is important that the influence and contribution of the Pacific is maintained in UNESCO through its
governing mechanisms such as the UNESCO Executive Board. New Zealand’s term is coming to an end and, as
agreed unanimously by the National Commissions of Pacific Member States, Australia is standing to fill this
vacancy. Australia is thus the agreed candidate for the seat available for the Pacific sub-group. If elected,
Australia will be represented on the Executive Board by Professor Kenneth Wiltshire, Chairman of the Australian
National Commission for UNESCO who, as many of you know, has made a major contribution to UNESCO and
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