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

7.15 En materia de libertad de expresión, la Ley Electoral de Guinea Ecuatorial permite a todos los partidos
políticos intervenir en la radio y la televisión nacionales, de forma especial durante el periodo de campaña
electoral. Actualmente, y tras promulgarse en 1992 la Ley de Prensa e Imprenta, primera en toda la historia de
Guinea Ecuatorial, reformada en 1996 con la inclusión de los medios audiovisuales, mi país cuenta con varios
órganos de prensa independientes, incluidos los de las 13 formaciones políticas legalizadas. A esos órganos
independientes cabe añadir otros tres nuevos, legalizados el pasado mes de octubre por el Gobierno de mi país.
7.16 La importancia que el Gobierno de Guinea Ecuatorial concede a la problemática de los derechos
humanos, la paz y el diálogo le ha impulsado a crear un Centro de Estudios y Promoción de los Derechos
Humanos, y a proponer a los demás países de África Central la creación de un Parlamento Subregional.
Actualmente, la Comisión de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas no considera necesario enviar a un
Relator Especial para mi país.
7.17 En líneas generales, mi delegación apoya el consenso que resulte de nuestros debates sobre el Programa
y Presupuesto para 2000-2001.
7.18 Guinea Ecuatorial está convencida de poder seguir coadyuvando, desde dentro, en los esfuerzos que
despliega la Organización para consolidar una visión y una estrategia que le permitan hacer frente a los retos del
siglo XXI, razón por la cual ha presentado su candidatura para el Consejo Ejecutivo. Pedimos que apoyen
nuestra candidatura.
7.19 Sra. Presidenta: Permítame aprovechar este podio para desear, en nombre del Gobierno y el pueblo de
Guinea Ecuatorial, felices pascuas de Navidad y un próspero año nuevo 2000 a todos los delegados aquí reunidos
y los países a los que representan. Muchas gracias.
(7.1) Mr NGUA NFUMU EYANG (Equatorial Guinea) (Translation from the Spanish):
Madam President of the General Conference, Mr Director-General of UNESCO Professor Federico
Mayor Zaragoza, Your Excellencies ministers and heads of delegation, distinguished delegates, ladies and
gentlemen, it is a great honour for me to take the floor in this debate on the Organization’s general policy and, in so
doing, I wish first of all to congratulate you, Madam President, on your brilliant election to the presidency of the
30th session of the General Conference of UNESCO.
(7.2) Even as we meet at this session of the General Conference, the international community is faced with
numerous armed conflicts in various parts of the world, and as a result people are increasingly sceptical about the
real impact of peace dividends. With regard to the developing countries, debt servicing continues to overwhelm
their economies and major pandemics cut short the lives of their inhabitants. As if that were not enough, poverty
and illiteracy are constant evidence of the yawning gap between the poor and the rich countries.
(7.3) This picture, a gloomy one in every respect, would plunge us all into pessimism were it not for meetings
and opportunities like this session of the General Conference at which we can all try to join forces to ensure that
many of our countries do not lose the key to their survival, namely faith and hope in a better future. In this regard,
the major initiatives taken by UNESCO have proved to be the most appropriate for keeping the flame of this faith
and hope alight. UNESCO’s function as a forum for reflection and for looking ahead, which has been strengthened
substantially over the past 12 years, must continue to be reinforced so that issues such as the communication
society as it relates to education and the changing role of teachers; the processes of globalization, seen in terms of
their interaction with national development policies; strategies to combat poverty, etc. may result in priority
projects for the new decade.
(7.4) In view of our knowledge about human rights and the rights of peoples, it is somewhat paradoxical that
the path to democratization of many African countries is invariably strewn with bloodshed and violence,
incomprehension and intolerance. Is that not because illiteracy, which has still not been eradicated from our
continent, makes it impossible, as the saying goes, “to see the wood for the trees”? Or is it perhaps a tragic
manifestation of that popular saying “A hungry man is an angry man”? Whatever the reasons, Equatorial Guinea
says “no” to violence and wars. Equatorial Guinea, my country, says “yes” to tolerance and peace. It therefore
considers that UNESCO must continue to play its catalytic role and to consolidate the ethical successes achieved
by giving impetus to the promotion of the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, the Universal Declaration on the
Human Genome and Human Rights and the Declaration on the Responsibilities of the Present Generations
Towards Future Generations.
(7.5) Our Organization has given the international community a new concept, the “culture of peace”. Peace
must be built by seeking to change behaviour patterns, forge values and promote the institutional changes that are
necessary to remove the deep roots of violence, exclusion and conflict.
(7.6) UNESCO and all its Member States will remember the outgoing Director-General as a man of enterprise
and great initiative, as a serene idealist who succeeded in creating a language capable of arousing in many men and
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