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

programme should be greater efficiency and effectiveness. For example, the process of decentralization should
not just be on paper; it should mean devolving the process of project programming and execution to the field
offices, because that is where the Member States are and where action is expected. Programme evaluation from
Headquarters to field offices should be done in a more systematic and transparent manner, with Member States
taking an active part. The same transparency should be extended to budgetary allocations, particularly to field
offices. For example, it is almost impossible to know what amounts have been allocated to what programme and
at what field office in the current Draft Programme and Budget document. In our view the C/5 document should
be the basic document for programme planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation at the same time. It is
therefore very important to know who does what, where, when and how.
42.4 Mr President, the Director-General has always stressed the important role that National Commissions
play in the work of the Organization, and the Malawi delegation is happy that those sentiments are reflected in
the current C/5 document. However, in order to concretize this complementarity we want to advise that the
current training envisaged by the Division of National Commissions should be extended to UNESCO staff,
particularly in the area of programming and better cooperation with National Commissions.
42.5 We in Malawi have very fond memories of the Director-General’s visit to Malawi in April 1997 and we
have been following with keen interest how he has passionately and religiously embraced the UNESCO mission
of “constructing the defences of peace in the minds of men (and women)”. Today, on the threshold of the twentyfirst
century, this objective has lost none of its topicality with the many wars and conflicts that still beset
humanity. It is for this reason that my delegation particularly welcomes the transdisciplinary project, “Towards a
Culture of Peace” and UNESCO’s lead in the celebration of the International Year for the Culture of Peace next
year. Values such as respect for human rights, democracy, tolerance and regard for other cultures, love of peace
and international understanding should not elude us. These must be carefully nurtured and inculcated into people:
in the family, in society and at school.
42.6 This is where we would like to particularly welcome the involvement of the worldwide UNESCO
Associated Schools Project network in the Culture of Peace project. This project deserves more attention and
backing from us all because it introduces young people to UNESCO’s ideals at an early stage. While I am still on
the topic of youth, Mr President, you may be aware that in our part of the world young people constitute more
than half of our populations. Therefore, programmes that seek to empower them to make informed choices, to
take charge of their destiny and to make positive contributions towards the development of their societies have
our strongest support. To this end Malawi welcomes the continued assistance that UNESCO has pledged towards
the establishment of the Africa Regional Centre for Guidance, Counselling and Youth Development in Lilongwe,
Malawi, whose legal document we hope will be signed during this Conference after many years of preparatory
work by Ministers from Africa. Malawi wishes to further express its gratitude to fellow African Member States
and to the Finnish Government for the financial, technical and moral support it has so far received from them for
the Centre.
42.7 Because education is a human right, Malawi strongly believes that “basic education for all” should
remain UNESCO’s top priority. Indeed, it is because we believe education is both a human right and a tool for
poverty alleviation that we introduced free primary education in 1994. The programme has been received with
great enthusiasm by the people of Malawi and has scored remarkable achievements. But it has also been
accompanied by new challenges, and in tackling these Malawi will seek to benefit from the experience and
wisdom of her friends within UNESCO. The time has now come to take stock of the Jomtien World Declaration
on Education for All and reinvigorate efforts to wipe out illiteracy, particularly among the vulnerable groups in
our society. We would therefore request UNESCO and Member States to continue supporting the programmes of
the Institute of Educational Planning which, in our view, is doing a commendable job in evaluating the Jomtien
initiatives.
42.8 We take note of the innovative efforts at world heritage education, particularly targeting young people,
which we commend. We believe that greater efforts should be made towards achieving equity in the recognition
of world heritage sites and the teaching of world heritage. Otherwise we run the risk of giving the impression to
our young that certain parts of the world do not have anything to contribute to the world heritage.
42.9 During the last biennium, my delegation expressed concern over the apparent lack of focus in the
Management of Social Transformation (MOST) Programme. I am glad to note that the Programme and Budget
currently under debate have addressed this concern. Poverty alleviation still remains a top priority in our efforts
to sustain our new democracies and great intellectual efforts are required in this direction. While we may be
celebrating that the world population has passed the 6 billion mark, the sheer numbers pose great challenges to
the sustainable utilization of our limited resources. What lies ahead calls for even greater material and intellectual
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