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

past and redefine its role for the future so that it becomes more effective in coordinating the efforts of the
countries and international agencies in the next millennium. Madam President, I thank you for the opportunity to
address the 30th session of the General Conference. I wish this Conference a grand success. Thank you.
13. The PRESIDENT:
Your Excellency I thank you for your excellent report and suggestions, which are very much
appreciated. I now call the next speaker, His Excellency Mr Alexander Maidannyk, Deputy Minister for Foreign
Affairs of Ukraine.
14.1 Mr MAIDANNYK (Ukraine):
Madam President, Mr Director-General, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the eve of the new century
and the new millennium is a good chance to look at and to analyse UNESCO’s activity and relative development
trends in the world community as a whole. The transition of mankind to the third millennium is accompanied by a
number of distinctive phenomena and problems. In recent years, with the growing tendency for the world
community to be transformed into a single entity, aspirations to mutually agreed collaboration in settling many
global, regional and international problems have become more and more numerous. That is why it appears that a
search for ways of harmonizing global, regional and national interests should be among the most important tasks
at present. The basis for this should, in our view, be to strive for new forms of collaboration and partnership and
not for the modernization of inward-looking, confrontational stereotypes.
14.2 Proceeding from its mandate as a universal centre of international intellectual collaboration, UNESCO is
called upon to make its contribution in overcoming stereotypes of confrontation and hostility, and in building up
attitudes of tolerance and mutual understanding and a culture of peace. This mission may be translated into
practical action in particular through the implementation of the project “Towards a culture of peace”, which is
future-oriented, educationally significant and aimed at the development of civil society. We are convinced that
this project should be kept as a priority in the next Programme.
14.3 Regarding the future of UNESCO and its role in the twenty-first century, we consider that the rapid pace
of social and economic changes in the world calls for flexible international structures and mechanisms capable of
adjusting quickly to global changes, and of foreseeing them and working in a long-term perspective. We see the
future of the Organization in exactly the same light. There is a dilemma: should UNESCO be a body that supplies
expert, technical and consultative assistance with generally limited financial resources, or should it strengthen its
role as a centre of global intellectual cooperation? Here we are in full agreement with the consensus that emerged
during the discussions on the role of UNESCO in the twenty-first century.
14.4 The Organization should strengthen its constitutional function and role as an intellectual, moral and
ethical centre both for the United Nations system and for society at the global level. It should be a living
organism that clearly reacts to the challenges of the time, foresees them and assists societies in solving the
problems of today. However, we consider that a balance should be maintained between the global view and the
pragmatic view. Efforts should be made to ensure that the global view does not encroach on Member States’
national interests and UNESCO’ s presence in the field. This is precisely why the strategy and the policy for
UNESCO’s activity call for fine-tuning.
14.5 We support the view that at a time when the culture of violence is far from losing its strength and its
adaptation mechanisms, UNESCO should play a key role within the United Nations system in strengthening nonmilitary,
humanitarian aspects of international security and stability. The Organization’s ethical role should be
strengthened in this context. The main strategic task of UNESCO should focus on the ethical and moral aspects
of social development and the ethics of the future as our agenda for the next century. We also consider that
sustainable social development should become an integral component of UNESCO’s transdisciplinary activity.
14.6 The need for UNESCO to play a more important global role cannot be separated from the need to
expand and strengthen its presence in the field, and its visibility in the Member States. The enhancement of the
authority our Organization enjoys in the Member States and the popularization of UNESCO’s activity and its
usefulness are the fundamental factors in strengthening its role in general. That is why, in our view, one of the
main tasks is to unite our common efforts in order to heighten the interest shown in UNESCO and to enhance the
effectiveness of its activity in the Member States.
14.7 Madam President, distinguished delegates, as we are aware, there is quite a large number of Member
States in difficult socio-economic circumstances. On the one hand, they are mostly dependent on the
development of international cooperation but, on the other, the latter offers limited opportunities and does not
allow them to participate fully in global integration. What is needed, therefore, is to maintain a balance between
the Member States’ interests and their resources. How can UNESCO attract the interest of partners to supplement
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