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

wholeheartedly. The components of this major programme respond most sensitively to the diverse needs of the
Member States in the areas of information and communication.
Now, a word about the transdisciplinary project “Toward a culture of peace”. Bangladesh expresses her
utmost gratification for the launching of the project since the attainment of peace is a deep craving of mankind. In
whatever direction and under whatever captions human activities are initiated and executed, what we are craving
is peace: peace in mind, peace in body and peace in spirit. We extend our wholehearted support to this project. In
this connection, we appreciate the proclamation of the year 2000 as the “International Year for the Culture of
Peace” by the General Assembly of the United Nations.
I would also like to mention here the commendable role for UNESCO with regard to the World
Conference on Higher Education held in Paris from 5 to 9 October 1998. Convened by UNESCO, the
Conference was a milestone in the sphere of higher education. The Conference addressed all the issues that
concern higher education actors all over the world. Taken together, the “Declaration on Higher Education” and
the “Framework for Priority Action” adopted by the Conference provide a very strong base for reforms and
policy measures to be undertaken by countries like Bangladesh.
The World Conference on Science, held in Budapest from 26 June to 1 July 1999, likewise contributed
greatly to thinking about the development of science education and scientific research as well as ensuring
governmental commitment to the development of science.
Mr President, please allow me briefly to focus upon Bangladesh’s policies, programmes and
achievements in the areas of UNESCO’s concerns. Bangladesh, with a population of about 120 million and a per
capita income of around US $300 is striving hard to attain a decent level of living for its people through stepping
up economic growth with social justice. For Bangladesh the key tools for realizing the national objectives are
human resource development, poverty eradication, mainstreaming women, empowerment of the poor,
participatory development programmes, accelerated agricultural production, export-led industrialization and
good governance.
The present government, elected in 1996, is in its fourth year of office. The state of affairs in the
political arena of the country furnishes ample proof that the recently established democratic process has gathered
enough momentum to overcome major hindrances on its forward march. The present government, in pursuance
of its constitutional obligations and electoral commitments, is working hard to establish the fundamentals of good
governance, namely accountability to the people, transparency and efficiency in conducting government business
and non-discriminatory dispensation of the laws of the land. I recall here the impassioned speech of H.E. the
President of Venezuela where he quoted the statement of Nobel laureate Amartya Sen that there can be no famine
in a democracy. This was very accurately proved in Bangladesh. During the devastating flood in Bangladesh
which affected two thirds of the country and lasted for nearly three months, causing heavy damage to crops and
stored food, when the international news media predicted death by starvation of millions of people, in actual fact
not one single person died from starvation and disease as the government distributed food assistance to over
20 million citizens for nearly nine months. This was a remarkable achievement of a democratic and peoplesensitive
government.
Bangladesh, in consonance with UNESCO, gives highest priority to education as a means towards
achieving and promoting development. Bangladesh accords high priority to basic education in fulfilment of the
obligations enjoined upon her by the constitution of the country and the World Declaration on Education for All
(Jomtien, 1990), to which it has been a signatory.
In the field of primary education and basic literacy, Bangladesh has made remarkable progress during
the last few years. We expect to overachieve the EFA target of gross enrolment and completion rates set for the
year 2000. Gross enrolment in 1999 was 96% against 95% targeted for 2000 and the completion rate in 1998 was
65% against 70% targeted for 2000. This is no doubt a remarkable increase considering that the completion rate
was only 40% in 1991.
The present concern in this subsector is ensuring quality, i.e. ensuring internal and external efficiency of
the system. Measures have also been taken to that end. Grading of primary schools according to performance,
strengthening monitoring and supervision and implementing massive and continuous training programmes for
teachers are some well-orchestrated measures undertaken with a view to improving the quality of primary
education. Gender parity has already been achieved in the primary as also in the secondary level of education.
In a bid to enhance the adult literacy rate to 75% by 2002, and to completely eradicate illiteracy by
2006, a strategy of bringing all villages under the umbrella of compulsory, uniform and free primary education
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