AUDIENCE AFRICA

In organizing Audience Africa from 6 to 10 February 1995 , the Director-General hoped to encourage UNESCO to “listen in” to Africa. The Audience marked a turning point in the Organization’s action on behalf of Africa. For the first time, its Headquarters hosted a meeting of Africans from very varied socio-occupational groups - members of civil society, people in positions of responsibility, policy-makers, representatives of non-governmental international and regional organizations, intellectuals and scientists - to give thorough consideration to the problems and priorities of the development of their continent. The aim was for Africa to take the initiative in its own development so that the Africans would be the masters of their own fate and accountable for their choices and priorities.

This “listening-in” to Africa was organized around five main themes:

- training and the sharing of knowledge;
- science, technology and sustainable development - Africa and the world;
- regionalization and development;
- communication and development in rural areas;
- democratization in daily life and development: the culture of peace.

The participants were unanimous in expressing their convictions and the priorities they assigned to the development of the continent .

The results of their work helped in UNESCO’s fields of competence to produce coherent common standpoints for the African States present at the World Summit on Social Development held in Copenhagen from 6 to 12 March 1995, some weeks after the Audience.