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

persons with special needs, adolescents, migrants and refugees, are given special consideration, and detailed
programmes have been developed for them. The Sudan’s national comprehensive literacy campaign enshrines the
country’s political will and its determination to enter the new century fully literate. Curricula have been overhauled
to take into account the extraordinary changes that the world has recently witnessed, with a view to preparing for
globalization and thus being able to take advantage of its benefits while avoiding its negative aspects. The Sudan is
still working to unify these major programmes, which have in common the theme of qualitative improvement in
education. The country’s comprehensive national strategy is structured around building institutional capabilities,
developing qualified educational personnel, staunching the brain drain, benefiting from new technology and
fostering research.
(11.5) Madam President, at the 29th session of the Conference, my delegation raised the issue of the technology
gap and called for a declaration on the lag affecting the developing countries. The Seoul Conference has perhaps
been the best response to that call. We still see the difficult economic situations of many developing countries
impeding their ability to make effective use of technological education and culture. At the dawn of the third
millennium, in order to keep pace with change and narrow the gap between advanced and developing countries,
technical education constitutes a challenge for the poor countries. It is their bridge to the twenty-first century, but it
is costly, and however aware of its indispensability they may be, they do not have the cadres and equipment they
would need in order to invest their available resources judiciously. Consequently, those countries must be helped to
conduct research and studies aimed at identifying appropriate investment points. The Sudan, with its broad
diversity of societies, resources, skills and needs, could avoid the poverty trap if it possessed an adequate system of
technical education. Accordingly, a technical mission from UNESCO to provide some assistance in that connection
would be most welcome.
(11.6) Madam President, the Sudan is a cradle of civilizations, a land with a distinguished heritage. The names
of Meroe, Naga’a, El-Musawwarat, Barkal, Bahrawiyah and Nabata are redolent of great civilizations whose
renown and influence once spread across the world. To maintain the remains of these civilizations is to preserve the
heritage of humanity. The extraordinary achievements of the several peoples concerned have come down to us from
remote antiquity, arousing the admiration of successive generations. The Organization’s technical assistance in this
connection is indispensable for the repair and renovation of these archaeological sites, the development of
museums, and the training of qualified personnel.
(11.7) Madam President, the human values of freedom, democracy, justice and human rights are part and parcel
of the fabric of the Sudan, and are consistent with its traditional social beliefs. We respond to them with mutual
assistance and support with a view to the advent of peace and development and the vanquishing of ignorance,
poverty, social tension and conflict, and environmental degradation. The Sudan has consistently put forward
initiatives aimed at bringing about peace on its soil. UNESCO has joined with the Sudan in establishing the
headquarters of a culture of peace in Khartoum, and two regional conferences aimed at activating a culture of peace
have been held there. UNESCO continues to play an important and vital role in supporting initiatives and activities
aimed at peace.
(11.8) Of necessity, Madam President, we set a high value on cooperation with the communication and
information sector, inasmuch as the least developed States need assistance in developing infrastructure that will
enable them to keep pace with the age of the information explosion and benefit from the extraordinary advances
that have been made in the field of information and communication technology. The fact of the matter is that the
technical media contribute in no small measure to the evolution of education for development, the spread of culture
and self-education, and the acceptance of others in a world of many cultures, backgrounds and religions, helping to
turn that diversity into a factor of harmony and strength. Here again, UNESCO has a role to play in preparing and
implementing large-scale projects, mustering extrabudgetary resources, promoting the projects of Member States
and conducting studies.
(11.9) Madam President, I should like to see an international science facility established, with the participation
of international organizations and funding bodies, for the purpose of improving the current situation with respect to
investment in the field of science and culture in the developing countries, which are not in a position to invest
adequately in that field on their own.
(11.10) While oil has added greatly to our economy, we are currently devoting a good deal of attention to solar
energy, as the most promising of the new energy sources. We are looking forward to the Second Solar Summit,
which is to be held in Khartoum in 2001, under the auspices of the President of the Republic, to follow up the
decisions of the Harare Summit.
(11.11) Lastly, I should like to reaffirm that the Sudan is totally committed to international cooperation for
human welfare. God grant you success. The Peace, Mercy and Blessings of God be upon you all.
12 The PRESIDENT:
I should like to thank His Excellency the Minister for Education and Higher Education of Sudan. Your
Excellency, I was impressed by the percentage of girls attending school. This is surprising and very gratifying
given some of the figures we have heard in the last few days. We fully understand your country’s need for more
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