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

(23.11) The Government of Ecuador formally requests the support of UNESCO and this General Conference in
drawing up mechanisms that will enable resources used to pay off debt to be redirected to developing programmes
that will make it possible to keep children in school as the principal means of preserving human capital.
(23.12) UNESCO is the highest forum of culture. It is not a pragmatic institution. For Member States it is our
reference for universal thought. We have no doubt whatsoever that the new Director-General will, in renewing the
institution, not proceed in a mechanical manner but rather respect the very essence of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Thank you very much.
:
(24) The PRESIDENT (Translation from the Arabic):
I thank the Minister of Education and Culture of Ecuador for her informative remarks. I now give the
floor to Professor Tunde Adeniran, Minister of Education of Nigeria.
25.1 Mr ADENIRAN (Nigeria):
Mr President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I bring special greetings from my President, His
Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo, the Government and people of Nigeria. The President sends in particular very
warm congratulations to Ms Moserová on her election to this very high office of President of the 30th session of
our General Conference, and also to all other elected officers of this august body.
25.2 And now to our very good friend the Director-General: first let me say how pleased we were to have
played host to you during your visit to Nigeria and to work with you in your last few days in office. For the past
12 years, Mr Director-General, you have directed the work of UNESCO, and we are here to confirm that the
progress of UNESCO during your tenure is due to your excellent leadership. We salute you and we look forward
to participating, later in this session, in the formal ceremony of acknowledgement of your tremendous
contribution to the life, progress and achievement of our great Organization, UNESCO.
25.3 Finally, my delegation would like to register, once again, our very warm appreciation and thanks to
France, our host country, and also to wish the Director-General designate, His Excellency Mr Koïchiro Matsuura,
a very successful tenure.
25.4 Mr President, here we are on the eve of the dawn of a new century, just over 50 years since UNESCO
was created on the strength of the hope for a brighter and fairer world for humanity. Yet, in spite of our recorded
progress, the truth is that we are yet to achieve that ideal of a world where justice, fairness and peace will be the
lot of everyone, everywhere. What we believe in Nigeria, Mr President, is that it is not enough for our machines
to be attuned to the technological problems of compatibility with the year 2000, but that our minds must also be
attuned to the needs of the year 2000 and the many years beyond, if we are indeed to bestow on our people better
conditions than those they currently enjoy. In this regard, we are acutely appreciative of the particular and
pressing needs of the least developed countries, small island States, countries in emergencies and States in
transition and we will support further dynamic focus in solving their multifaceted problems.
25.5 As we plan for the beginning of a new era, our deliberations on the Programme and Budget of the
Organization for 2000-2001 (30 C/5) must be approached with the utmost seriousness and care.
25.6 Nigeria welcomes the continuing emphasis laid on education and approves the reinforcement of
UNESCO’s support for the development, renewal and review of education in its Member States. We continue to
support the ideal of Education for All as a right and the important role of basic education and literacy as building
blocks in seeking that precise ideal.
25.7 Mr President, the present administration in Nigeria attaches great importance to education as the
instrument, par excellence, for preparing Nigerian society to face the daunting challenges of the twenty-first
century. I am therefore privileged to inform this august assembly that less than a month ago, on 30 September
1999, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Mr Olusegun Obasanjo, took another
giant stride towards improving educational development in Nigeria by formally launching Universal Basic
Education (UBE). This is Nigeria’s own practical and most courageous response to the Education for All (EFA)
programme, and will entail nine years of free, compulsory and quality education for our people, geared towards
the attainment of functional literacy and the acquisition of life-skills training for Nigerian children and adults. It
will also incorporate science and technology for lifelong learning and sustainable human development for all
Nigerians, irrespective of gender, religion, ethnic and other differences.
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