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

RAPPORT DE LA COMMISSION II : RESOLUTIONS ET RECOMMANDATIONS
REPORT OF COMMISSION II: RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
INFORME DE LA COMISIÓN II: RESOLUCIONES Y RECOMENDACIONES
ДОКЛАД КОМИССИИ II: РЕЗОЛЮЦИИ И РЕКОМЕНДАЦИИ
1.1 The PRESIDENT:
I thank those present for their punctuality. However, as we do not have a quorum, I shall have to adjourn
the meeting for five minutes.
(The meeting is adjourned for five minutes)
1.2 I declare open the twenty-sixth plenary meeting of the General Conference. We begin our work this
morning with the examination of the report of Commission II. The documents we have to consider are 30 C/62
and 30 C/62 Addendum and Corrigendum. I now give the floor to Mr Molnar, Chairperson of Commission II,
who will present the report of this Commission.
2.1 Mr MOLNAR (Slovakia), Chairperson of Commission II:
Thank you, Madam President, for giving me the floor to present the report of the work of our
Commission. Madam President, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, I have the honour and pleasure -
as Chairperson of our Commission - to report to you on the substance of our work relative to UNESCO’s priority
programme, Education and its future for sustainable development with a view to constructing a tomorrow built on
liberty, dignity, peace and respect for all people.
2.2 The oral report I present here is a shortened version of the oral report presented to Commission II. The
section of my report devoted to the transdisciplinary project “Towards a culture of peace” presented in plenary
on Saturday morning and an account of Commission II’s debate on UNESCO in the twenty-first century is
annexed to our draft report 30 C/62 and 30 C/62 Add. and Corr. I will therefore not present them now. My full
report is also available in English and French in document 30 C/INF.52. This session is particularly significant,
held as it is on the threshold of the third millennium. In this session it has been our great privilege to discuss the
issues relating to the transition to a third millennium - awaited with apprehension and hope - and the increasing
challenges posed by the multiple issues addressed by our Organization, at the crossroads of several paths. Before
presenting this report, allow me to say that it has been a great pleasure to chair this Commission and I thank you
wholeheartedly for the trust you have placed in me. As you will remember, our Commission was required by its
terms of reference to consider Major Programme I as a whole and to adopt the recommendations and resolutions
of Member States. To do this, the Commission concentrated on the three main elements that followed the same
lines as the three discussion units, namely, Education for all throughout life; Towards a culture of peace; and
UNESCO in the twenty-first century.
2.3 This formal framework for debate by our Commission was supplemented by informal discussions on
specific themes, in workshops, round tables and youth forums, bringing together members of National
Commissions, NGOs, experts, civil society representatives and the like. It is, of course, not my intention to report
on all of these fruitful activities and debates, even though they are at the core of the Commission’s concerns and
provide the seeds of the alternatives and solutions that are being sought. What has emerged is a critical
assessment, drawn up without indulgence, of the work which remains to be carried out or completed in many
countries in order to provide education for all throughout life. Fortunately, this rigorous appraisal of the present
situation also evokes a realistic picture of the progress which needs to be made in order to implement the
objectives of Major Programme I.
2.4 Ladies and gentlemen, our Commission has above all been a sounding board for our full commitment to
peace, solidarity and international understanding. It has placed on record our unanimous and unshakeable
conviction as to the inestimable and decisive contribution that education must and can make to the fulfilment of
all our Organization’s missions. From our work, there emerges a portrait of what UNESCO should be in the
twenty-first century - this has been painted with passion, conviction and with powerful arguments and
illustrations.
2.5 Ladies and gentlemen, it is now widely acknowledged that education is the driving force and the most
appropriate tool for achieving sustainable development and providing a solid basis for a culture of peace rooted
not only in universal democratic values but also in local specificities. If there is one point that has been
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