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

21.1 Ms HAGA (Norway):
Mr President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, a new millennium is rapidly approaching,
encouraging reflection. It is clear that any country – rich or poor – which has ambitions to foster economic and
social development for its people, must concentrate its efforts on education, science and culture in the new
millennium. In other words, UNESCO’s mandate is as relevant as ever. Whether UNESCO as an organization
will be relevant in the new millennium is a question of its ability to respond adequately to global as well as local
challenges and expectations. I will return to the issue of reform at the end of my statement. Allow me, however,
just one brief remark in this context: it is up to the governments represented here in this room to make UNESCO
a relevant organization in the new millennium. Let us first of all agree to pick up that challenge and then go ahead
with the concrete work.
21.2 I would like to express my thanks to the Director-General for his strong commitment and dedication to
the mandate of this Organization.
21.3 Mr President, education for all is, and should continue to be, UNESCO’s top priority. Particular
attention has to be given to girls and women; we know that by now. Education can free people from poverty and
help the individual to shape his or her own destiny. Education is the key to promoting peace. The defences of
peace must be constructed in the minds of each one of us, and that construction must be developed at all levels of
education: basic through higher education, formal as well as informal.
21.4 Mr President, let me mention one particular project, namely the Associated Schools Project (ASP),
which sensitizes young people to human rights, conflict prevention and resolution, and building democracy. It
teaches how to live with and enjoy cultural diversity, how to take care of our environment; the students learn
solidarity and sharing. On a small scale, the project embodies all UNESCO’s fields of competence. Norway will
promote and continue to support such frameworks through UNESCO – this is an excellent example of what we
are looking for. As delegates may know, my country also contributes to major educational programmes through
other United Nations organizations, the World Bank and bilaterally. We are concerned that these contributions
have maximum effect. That is why we continuously underline the need for close cooperation between all
agencies, particularly at the country level.
21.5 During the last decade we have seen changes in science and technology without precedent in history.
Two or three sessions of the General Conference ago, few of us had any knowledge about the Internet. Today,
although unequally distributed around the globe, it has become part of the daily life of many. The impact of
technological development for the educational sector, in poor as well as in rich countries, should be a priority
area for UNESCO. This is a clear example of one field in which UNESCO has obvious comparative advantages.
21.6 Mr President, my government welcomes and encourages UNESCO’s renewed focus on cultural issues,
following the Stockholm Action Plan. Globalization allows cultural exchanges to increase both in quantity and
speed. This is positive. However, an obvious challenge to policy-makers is to promote cultural exchanges that
lead to greater understanding among nations, rather than creating stereotyped attitudes and global trends.
UNESCO provides the appropriate forum to discuss ways of sustaining local and national cultures in an
increasingly globalized world. We look forward to increased focus on these issues including proper follow-up of
the Action Plan adopted in Stockholm.
21.7 The scientific and technological developments over the last decades have strong social and human
implications and raise important ethical issues. UNESCO has taken a lead in this respect and should continue to
do so, in our view. Allow me to mention the establishment of COMEST, the World Commission on the Ethics of
Scientific Knowledge and Technology, whose first meeting Norway had the honour to host in Oslo last April. At
the World Conference on Science in Budapest a few months later, ethical issues were at the forefront. Burning
issues like the balance between industrialized and developing countries were discussed, as was the balance
between science and human rights. UNESCO has an obvious role in following up these very critical issues.
21.8 UNESCO’s National Commissions represent a unique structure and a tremendous resource. They bring
together artists, teachers, students, authors, journalists, bureaucrats and others both at national and international
level. Strong networks exist, and the potential for further development is great. Networks meet; they transfer
knowledge, help build solidarity and friendship among peoples. Thus, UNESCO is firmly established at the
grass-roots. Governments should further promote the role of and important work of the National Commissions.
21.9 Mr President, to conclude, Norway believes that UNESCO has spread its efforts and limited financial
resources too thinly over too many areas. Fragmentation leads to loss of impact. Improving the visibility of
UNESCO is closely linked to a better focus on UNESCO’s main tasks in the United Nations family. Priorities
must be clearly decided upon. UNESCO needs to adopt more efficient structures for decision-making and
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