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

esearch systems in Lithuania, and of coordinating activities, regional as well as worldwide, establish a solid
basis for a successful continuation of our reforms. In this connection, I want to emphasize the importance of the
round table of Ministers of Central and Eastern European Countries, initiated by Ambassador Angelov during the
World Conference on Science held in Budapest.
8.7 Lithuania wishes to support UNESCO’s efforts to promote a worldwide network of universities creating
electronic repositories of scientific theses and dissertations and to promote common standards and methods as
well as cataloguing techniques together with UNESCO and relevant NGOs.
8.8 Regional cooperation is crucial for Lithuania as it is for other small countries and we are therefore
conscious of the necessity to launch the Baltic Sea programme in the framework of UNESCO.
8.9 Ever since the Middle Ages our capital, Vilnius, has been a leading centre of intercultural activities.
Therefore, having regard to the fact that the United Nations has proclaimed 2001 United Nations Year of
Dialogue among Civilizations, as proposed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, my country, joining in the common
efforts, has decided to host an international conference on dialogue among civilizations under the auspices of
UNESCO and the President of the Republic of Lithuania.
8.10 My country will celebrate the tenth anniversary of its re-established independence in the year 2000,
which it has declared “Youth Year” and is also the International Year for the Culture of Peace. For my people,
this is a decisive symbol. The cyclists of Lithuania have initiated the Great Millennium Peace Ride around the
World (1998-2000) under the auspices of UNESCO. Young people from all over the world have joined in the
ride, which unfortunately cost the life of a Peruvian participant.
8.11 Lithuania wishes to support UNESCO’s initiatives in enhancing access to governmental information and
particularly statistical data, and to cooperate with other Member States to establish an international network of
exchange of public data and of statistics in various domains linked to the fields of competence of UNESCO.
8.12 On the threshold of the twenty-first century, Lithuania is paying particular attention to the future of
UNESCO: beyond the obviously necessary reforms, my country believes that the main principles of the
Organization’s Constitution should be preserved and respected. UNESCO has to remain an intellectual
organization, the guardian of the ethical values of mankind, of human rights and of the requirements of a culture
of peace and must continue to act in the future, as it has in the past, as the conscience of the United Nations
system. As we witness the constant acceleration of changes that the world is undergoing as it enters the age of
globalization we have obviously to determine new courses for UNESCO’s action and face new challenges. This
is why Lithuania is happy to be part of the Task Force on UNESCO in the Twenty-First Century and believes in
the necessity of preparing a world declaration on ethics and in the prospective function of the Organization in
seeking to become a worldwide “laboratory of ideas”.
8.13 I also wish to thank Mr Federico Mayor for the special attention and understanding that he has shown
towards the problems and needs of small countries during his tenure as Director-General of UNESCO and for
helping my country on its way towards democracy.
8.14 My congratulations go to the newly elected President. The variety of programmes of almost 200
Member States are the problems of UNESCO and are now your problems also. This is a difficult task and I wish
you success. Thank you.
9. La PRESIDENTA:
Muchas gracias, Sr. Slizys. Tiene la palabra el Excmo. Dr. Mostafa Moin, Ministro de Cultura y
Educación Superior de la República Islámica del Irán.
(9) The PRESIDENT (Translation from the Spanish):
Thank you, Mr Slizys. I now call on Dr Mostafa Moin, the Minister of Culture and Higher Education of
the Islamic Republic of Iran.
10.1 Mr MOIN (Islamic Republic of Iran) (Statement delivered in Persian; English translation supplied by
the delegation):
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful, Madam President of the General Conference,
Mr Chairperson of the Executive Board, Mr Director-General, distinguished delegates, I would like to take
advantage of this opportunity to offer my sincere appreciation to UNESCO and its Director-General for their
untiring efforts to fulfil the valuable mission of this great Organization.
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