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

all the sectors that make up the Dominican State rather than simply by our government or our present civil service.
We have been supporting ever greater participation by associations of parents, mothers, friends of the school
system as a means of strengthening the new model of education of the Dominican Republic. We have been working
on the National Literacy Programme, on programmes to promote values among youth and environmental
education, on activities to combat the rising levels of conflict in marginal areas; and we have been engaged in an
ongoing campaign to prevent and attend to the problems of violence within the family, which affects women and
children in particular. We have placed on the national agenda important discussions on the issue of the human
genome and the responsibility of present generations towards future generations as an integral part of ethics for the
twenty-first century. As we have indisputably made great strides forward in science, technology and education, the
world seems different today in this global village of the new times. But as my grandmother used to say, we must
never forget the great values of our forebears: civilization moves on but morality remains constant; although
technology, science and education change, ethical values do not. The values linked to our roots or our human
solidarity must not be left behind in the course of our peoples’ technological progress and rising urbanization. This
is how we have reaffirmed in our country the commitment to the essential principle of UNESCO: the construction
of peace in the human mind through science, education and culture.
(34.6) The Dominican Republic appreciates very much the role that UNESCO has played in this process, it
recognizes its achievements and, under its new foreign policy as a country that used to be rather isolated from the
mainstream, in the last few years it has constantly increased its collaboration with UNESCO. One of our concerns
has been to increase the viability and visibility of UNESCO’s principles and programmes in Dominican society.
There is no doubt that UNESCO’s ideas in its fields of competence have had an influence on the definition of the
Dominican Republic’s activities and policies in education, science, culture and communication. In particular, we
wish to acknowledge that, in the last few years, UNESCO’s ethical principles have guided and inspired the
Dominican Republic’s present government and non-governmental institutions, schools, universities, community
leaders, new political leaders, young people, artists, researchers and communicators in general. The country has
also reinforced its presence in this Organization’s activities through its work here, at UNESCO’s Headquarters, and
through its participation in world conferences and sectoral meetings organized by UNESCO.
(34.7) The Dominican Republic has its eyes fixed on the present and is clearly aware of the issues and
challenges that, as a nation, it will have to tackle head-on in the new century. We understand that dealing with the
effects of globalization and of scientific and technological advances in informatics and communication is a task that
we will have to undertake together, as citizens, as a country and as a region, in coordination with other countries
and other regions of the world. Aware of this, the Dominican Republic has endeavoured to strengthen its
democratic institutions and its relations with other countries in various regions through active participation in
Ibero-American summits, in the Association of Caribbean States and in CARICOM, through its membership of the
Central American and Caribbean communities and its accession to the Rio Group. As the Director-General has
said, in the next few days, the Dominican Republic will host the Second Summit of Heads of State or Government
of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States in this Group’s negotiations with the European Union, and in
that respect we will have to strengthen our unity of ideas and common interests in order to secure benefits for our
people and use that as a general guideline for the activities and programmes that will be carried out in the new
century.
(34.8) The Dominican Republic, given its geographical position and its history as a meeting point of cultures, is
trying to consolidate a position of openness to the world and an approach of greater solidarity with like-minded
peoples. In this world in which globalization holds sway, it is necessary to defend multiculturality and strengthen
recognition of and respect for particular cultural bodies. We must foster a new culture of acceptance of diversity
among peoples. With this in mind, the Dominican Republic is standing as a candidate in the elections to the
Executive Board of UNESCO, which will be held shortly, during this session of the General Conference. If elected,
we will contribute energetically towards building the Organization’s future with new approaches and new
determination for the benefit of all like-minded nations which make up this Organization and from which we seek
support. We are founding members of UNESCO, and it would be the first time that we are entitled to membership
of the Executive Board.
(34.9) We believe that development means well-being with dignity, which implies quality of life and respect for
inalienable principles such as freedom and democracy. We believe that UNESCO, in the new millennium, will
have to encourage leadership and ethics, piece together the experience of the last 52 years and, with new ideas and
this wealth of earlier experience, encourage a new form of leadership for the twenty-first century by becoming an
institution that promotes and increasingly practises a new culture of multisectoral and multi-institutional work, with
the objective of using resources in a genuinely efficient manner. We understand that this accumulated experience,
together with new ideas, must lay the foundations for UNESCO increasingly to take on its role of leadership and to
become the compulsory point of reference for the twenty-first century in all its fields of competence. Thank you
very much.
35.1 The PRESIDENT:
I thank His Excellency very much for his presentation. Perhaps we should try to aim for the
globalization of moral values and culture as you understand it and as we understand it. It is very gratifying to hear
from you, Sir, that your country, your government is aiming in the same direction as this very Organization and
that your democracy is now maturing like good wine. We certainly wish you every success. And I would ask you
528