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

que le plan de paix somalien, lancé par le président de la République, S. Exc. M. Ismail Omar Guelleh, lors du
récent sommet de l'Organisation des Nations Unies, vient d'obtenir le soutien de plusieurs pays et organisations
internationales. La participation des peuples de la Corne de l'Afrique exige que les consciences et les bonnes
volontés de notre région conçoivent des instruments et des mécanismes et créent des occasions d'échanges qui
traduiront ce concept dans la réalité et en feront un nouveau moyen de prévenir les conflits, un moyen qui sera
peut-être même le meilleur, car il prône le dialogue, le respect et la solidarité agissante contre toute forme de
violence.
22.10 Un programme d'action commence à voir le jour. Il s'appuie sur la culture et le sport par l'entremise de
deux projets. Le premier, "Fest Horn 99", festival régional de musique pour une culture de la paix, prévu pour la
première quinzaine du mois de décembre, réunira pour la première fois à Djibouti des artistes venus de tous les
pays membres de l'IGAD, qui est une organisation régionale. Le second consistera en la tenue d'une conférence
sur la paix par le sport qui mettra en lumière les vertus du sport en matière de reconnaissance mutuelle et
d'échanges entre les peuples.
22.11 Convaincu de la nécessité d'agir dans ce sens et de s'engager pour promouvoir la culture de la paix et
l'enraciner dans les esprits de nos jeunes, mon gouvernement espère obtenir de l'UNESCO un appui indéfectible
qui lui permettra de gagner son pari civilisateur et d'assurer un développement durable. Je vous remercie de votre
très aimable attention.
23. The PRESIDENT:
Thank you, Your Excellency. I now invite Dr Rufino Mauricio of the Historic Preservation, Arts and
Culture Division of the Department of Health, Education and Social Affairs, who is going to speak on behalf of
the Vice-President of the Federated States of Micronesia.
24.1 Mr MAURICIO (Federated States of Micronesia):
With your permission, Mr President, I will read His Excellency Vice-President Mr Redley Killion’s
statement for the 30th session of the General Conference. Mr President, Mr Chairperson of the Executive Board,
distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, it is indeed a privilege and an honour for me to appear before this
august body to deliver the first remarks ever by the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in its newly acquired
capacity as a fully-fledged Member of UNESCO. For us in the FSM, our induction into UNESCO as a Member
is a happy occasion, as it marks yet another important chapter in the diplomatic history of our young island
nation. On this happy and historic occasion for my people and government, I am therefore most pleased to
convey His Excellency President Leo Falcam’s warm greetings, to which I add my own wishes for a productive
30th Session of the General Conference. I wish to take the opportunity to congratulate the President of the
General Conference and the other new officers of the Organization upon their election to their respective offices.
We are told that the increasing trends toward globalization portend not only opportunities but challenges as well.
With her wealth of experience, skill and tenacity, however, I am confident that she will successfully lead the
Organization into the coming millennium. I also wish to acknowledge the hard work of the previous President,
Mr Portella, and the other outgoing officials, as it was during their term of office that the formalization of my
country’s membership in UNESCO was initiated. Through their collective efforts and dedication, they
successfully navigated the Organization to where it is today. Furthermore it is most fitting that I express our
heart-felt appreciation to the leadership of the Organization for formalizing my country’s membership in the
UNESCO family. I extend a special word of gratitude to our neighbours in the Asia-Pacific region and our other
friends for their kind support. As a new Member, the Federated States of Micronesia have little to contribute in
the general debates of the present session. Nonetheless, we look forward to many future opportunities for
collaboration in areas of shared interests and common concerns. We are just as determined to play our part in
promoting the vision and mission upon which UNESCO was founded 54 years ago. As a new member, the
Federated States of Micronesia will look to UNESCO and to our other friends for guidance in the future as we
believe we can benefit from your reservoir of experience and wisdom.
24.2 Mr President, some may view our joining the Organization at this juncture in our diplomatic history as
being belated. We could have sought UNESCO membership shortly after we became a Member State of the
United Nations itself in 1991. Soon after joining the international community, however, my country had to avail
itself of the opportunity to carefully examine its priorities and weigh its options. The immediate task for us was to
identify those international organizations which serve our interests and in which we are in a position to make a
meaningful contribution. In other words, our decision to join UNESCO was not hastily made. Through a fairly
long process of observation and review, it was our collective determination that membership of UNESCO would
be in our interest and we hope that it will be mutually rewarding in the long run. On the occasion of our joining
the Organization, I wish to reaffirm my government’s readiness to discharge its responsibilities as a Member and
to cooperate with other Member States in areas of common interest and concern. Furthermore, I would like to
reaffirm my government’s support of the principles that underlie UNESCO’s work objectives, particularly in the
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