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

15.2 Mr President, earlier this month the Icelandic Government, in cooperation with the Nordic Council of
Ministers and the United States Government, and with the participation of the First Lady, Ms Hillary Rodham
Clinton, held an International Conference on Women and Democracy at the Dawn of the New Millennium. Most
of the participants were from the Baltic States, Russia and the United States, as well as from the Nordic countries.
The important discussions at the conference confirmed the great changes in the economic and social position of
women.
15.3 Women are very active in education and cultural affairs in Iceland. Without their participation the
Icelandic school system would be virtually inoperable owing to a lack of teachers. This is especially true of
nursery and primary schools, where the great majority of teachers are women. More women than men now attend
the University of Iceland. Women are also at the forefront of Icelandic culture: one could say they are the pillar
of the Icelandic music scene, being for example, very prominent in the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra. In the
sciences, women are also playing an ever greater part. I want to emphasize these facts because women will
become much more active in carrying out the important tasks that are UNESCO’s responsibility. We must also
realise that the education of women and respect for women’s work is the most sensible way to improve the lot of
all the nations of the world. In this respect, it is very important that we increase our efforts to combat illiteracy
under the auspices of UNESCO. To this end, the programme “Educating for a sustainable future” is of great
importance.
15.4 In the coming century, UNESCO’s organization and operations need to take increased account of these
facts. UNESCO must not only adapt to changed circumstances due to developments in international relations
between States, but must also take into account social changes within its Member States and those factors that
have the greatest bearing on their political affairs. Looking at UNESCO’s internal operations, I am, for example,
of the opinion that the methods employed in selecting Members of the Executive Board are not in accordance
with modern standards. The selection process is too complex, costly and cumbersome, given the interests of the
many Member States who vary in both wealth and population.
15.5 Mr President, we live in a time of constant change. Those who fail to make use of the opportunities
provided by these changes will stagnate, and are in real danger of being left by the wayside. In times of change it
is also important to preserve the best of the past. UNESCO has an important role to play in this respect. Iceland
declares strong support for the “Memory of the World” programme. There is a similar need to preserve the
cultural heritage that is less visible than buildings or other tangible artefacts. For nations determined to speak
their own language, the struggle to preserve it will never end. But the advent of information technology is forcing
languages to adapt to new demands. It is not enough to fight for their right to be used in direct human
communication; it is now necessary to safeguard their rights in a world of computers and other communications
equipment. We have reached an agreement with the powerful computer company, Microsoft, to safeguard the
position of the Icelandic language in the company’s programming. It is also vitally important to ensure that
characters peculiar to individual languages are employed by font designers and producers. The Icelandic
Government is planning an initiative to give even greater protection to the position of Icelandic in the virtual
reality of computers. There is widespread interest in international cooperation regarding projects of this kind. I
believe UNESCO is well suited to play a role in this field, since respect for languages is of great importance in
the promotion of cultural diversity.
15.6 The World Book and Copyright Day plays an important part in making UNESCO visible to Icelanders.
The Organization should also look for other events that could publicize the importance of its work. It would, for
example, be fitting for UNESCO to be more active in promoting creative art: initiating programmes with the
cooperation of artists would enhance UNESCO’s visibility and open up new avenues.
15.7 Lifelong Learning Day was held in Iceland this autumn to draw attention to the value of lifelong learning
and the opportunities available in this field. We intend to organize an annual event on lifelong learning, in
accordance with the UNESCO Declaration on Adult Learning.
15.8 Last year Iceland hosted a study group from UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning.
We took great pleasure in acquainting them with our system of education, which has been thoroughly overhauled
in recent years. This summer saw the introduction of new curricula for nursery schools, as well as for primary and
secondary schools, where great emphasis is placed on the use of information technology. I have put forward the
suggestion that all secondary school students should get their own laptop computer – with public support if
necessary – since computers are fast becoming an essential part of their school equipment.
15.9 Iceland pins great hopes in the work of the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge
and Technology. Ethical questions in science and technology are steadily increasing in urgency and the
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