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

UNESCO cooperates actively with a host of regional and subregional organizations throughout the world, its
cooperation with SAARC is almost negligible. SAARC’s role in South Asia for peace and cooperation needs
encouragement and we would like to see active cooperation between UNESCO and SAARC, especially in the
fields of education, science and culture.
10.6 Madam President, there is a need to organize international activities covering more scientific subjects
and to follow up on these through UNESCO’s Regional Offices and National Commissions in order to bridge the
gap presently existing between the North and the South. Activities of great importance to the developing world
include the development of infrastructure and human resources, linkages among research institutions and the
production and dissemination of learning materials. I would suggest that these areas need to be included in the
action plans to be developed by the experts. I wish to make an appeal to you, Madam President, to the Director-
General and to fellow colleagues: open the gates of science and technology in the world, uphold freedom of
access to these, surrender partisan fear, for the common good. We have problems in finding access to the portals
of science and technology in the advanced countries of the world. With your support, UNESCO might set up a
widely multinational commission to study this problem and report to UNESCO’s Executive Board and General
Conference in due course. A more equitable share in scientific knowledge and technological development could
lead to greater peace and tolerance. Our endeavour should be to promote research in science and technology for
world peace. UNESCO might consider adopting this as its motto for the new millennium.
10.7 Here I wish to say a few words about the UNESCO Regional Office in Pakistan. Pakistan has had the
privilege of hosting a UNESCO Regional Office for Book Development in Asia and the Pacific since 1958. In
recent years, however, the important roles of this Office have been arbitrarily ignored. Book development is a
very important need of the region. Given the low level of literacy and low quality of educational material, and
UNESCO’s own focus on EFA and E-9 countries, particularly in the context of the Asia and the Pacific region,
this is a function which should be further extended. The Government of Pakistan raised this issue at the
programme development meeting in 1998, and again in the recently conducted sessions of the Executive Board.
It has also approached the UNESCO representatives in Pakistan more than once, and sought information and
clarification on the status of the Office. We have not been able to obtain a satisfactory explanation. My
delegation strongly recommends that UNESCO take the necessary measures to revitalize and strengthen the
UNESCO Regional Office for Book Development in Asia and the Pacific based in Islamabad.
10.8 Spreading UNESCO’s message through information offices on the pattern of the United Nations is
essential, but we already have an effective forum which not only makes UNESCO more accessible but also
inculcates a sense of peace and tolerance in our children. I am referring to the UNESCO Clubs and the
Associated Schools Project network, commonly known as ASPnet. We in Pakistan have reactivated this project
and I would like to emphasize that by launching the ASPnet activities our people have learned more about
UNESCO in the last couple of years than they have in the last five decades. I do suggest that there is a need to
establish information networks in the Member States, as well as to strengthen the ASPnet more vigorously to help
spread UNESCO’s message.
10.9 Madam President, we strongly believe that the priority areas of UNESCO need to be further
strengthened and in this regard we must concentrate more actively on programmes for both women and youth.
Programmes for women have to be dovetailed with all developmental activity and an intersectoral effort has to be
launched. Pakistan is giving high priority to women’s education and extending support to self-employment
endeavours, especially in rural areas.
10.10 Pakistan is committed to the preservation and conservation of its six world heritage sites, notably
Moenjodaro, Taxila, the beautiful Shalimar Gardens and the Lahore Fort. The 4,500-year old civilization of
Moenjodaro, on the right bank of the Indus River, is the largest site among the over one hundred settlements of
the Indus civilization. Thanks to the active international safeguarding campaign launched by UNESCO and with
the help of the Japanese Government, strong international solidarity has been mobilized in expertise, funds and
moral support. Now the site has been saved from decay.
10.11 Finally, Madam President, as we proceed to examine UNESCO’s programmes and activities, there can
be no denying the excellence of this Organization’s endeavours and the breadth of its vision. There can also be
no doubt about the commitment of the Member States to its ideals. What is needed is renewed commitment to the
realization of these ideals by the Member States. We have to synergize our resources and energies towards this
end. The imbalance between the North and South has become proverbial. This imbalance must be lessened if not
removed altogether. We look to UNESCO to help countries like ours to attain the ideals set in its manifesto. I
thank you for your attention.
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