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

25.8 In this regard, we look forward to the support and cooperation of others, particularly the emerging
special plan for cooperation between UNESCO and Nigeria in which emphasis is laid on the reform of the entire
education system – to improve both quality and outreach. We hope, therefore, that this gathering will endorse the
draft resolution which has been graciously submitted by Malawi, proposing further and stronger cooperation
between Nigeria and UNESCO. I should like to thank Malawi and all those Member States that have already
signalled to us their support of the draft resolution, and hope that it will receive the full support of all.
25.9 Mr President, Nigeria sees the role of UNESCO in the field of science as one of contributing to the
implantation, the development and the advancement of science. Nigeria will continue to contribute actively to the
work of the five intergovernmental scientific committees and programmes and we will continue our cooperation
with the Director-General and the Secretariat for the establishment and/or reinforcement of UNESCO Chairs in
Nigeria’s tertiary educational institutions.
25.10 As regards oceanography, we have been very encouraged by the training programmes of the
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and we look forward to intensified cooperation of the Secretariat
and other interested bodies in our programme of capacity-building in oceanography in Nigeria, as exemplified by
the plan for the creation of a degree programme in the subject at the University of Lagos.
25.11 Mr President, please allow me at this point to mention here briefly the implementation of Nigeria’s
HPNP – High Priority National Project – in the field of solar energy. It is our intention during this session to
have a working meeting with the Secretariat with a view to articulating our proposals and working out the
modalities for their funding.
25.12 On the social and human sciences, Nigeria supports the redirection of MOST to focus more on poverty
alleviation strategies. Several steps have been taken by the Nigerian Government to restructure the economy in a
way that would raise the population out of the poverty trap. In this regard, we look forward to UNESCO’s
collaboration and assistance for national initiatives geared towards overall poverty alleviation and indeed
eradication.
25.13 On culture, we note the reshaping of the programme in culture and the proposed gradual building up of
UNESCO as a clearing house for information. We welcome the proposed three-pronged action for the
preservation and enhancement of the cultural and natural heritage and the means proposed for its attainment.
Nigeria is proud to announce the inclusion of the first Nigerian cultural site in the World Heritage List. This will
lead to the discovery of others that will be added to it. We also thank this august body for the inclusion of this
heritage on the List. We are assuring you that this will be one of the ways in which we will make our
contribution, by promoting our culture and making sure that Nigeria contributes its own culture in appreciation of
the cultural heritage of the world.
25.14 On communication, Mr President, before I end, Nigeria has always been in the forefront of the call for
UNESCO’s action in this regard and we cannot fail to call attention to the importance of the role of the
Intergovernmental Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) in this field and the need for
increased financial endowment for its work.
25.15 I should also like to add at this point that the Director-General has made several budgetary proposals
and indeed the proposal of options is interesting and we hope even useful. However, we wonder if the General
Conference should really be confronted with a series of unsolved problems and details or whether our mandate to
the Executive Board should suffice to give it enough time to consider and propose a reasonable budgetary
allocation for our consideration and adoption.
25.16 We continue to note the dwindling funds available for UNESCO’s action, at a time when we in Nigeria,
like many other Member States, would prefer to see some increase, however minimal, in UNESCO funds so as to
enable it to address, better and more fully, its ever-expanding responsibilities. My delegation has the mandate to
pursue this in the deliberations of the commissions of the General Conference, especially the Administrative
Commission, and to work positively with delegations of like mind in finding solutions that will be useful and will
meet the needs of the next millennium.
25.17 Finally, Nigeria considers every session of the General Conference as a renewed opportunity for review
and for planning – an occasion for rededication to the ideals of UNESCO, an occasion for learning and for
sharing experiences, in all the endeavours of contributing to the efforts to create a culture of peace for the world
through education, science, culture, communication, information and the social sciences. As this is the first
General Conference since Nigeria has had totally democratic governance, Mr President, Nigeria will wish to
thank all Member States for their sympathy and empathy and for standing by us during this transition period. I
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