Addresses delivered in the general policy debate by the Head of Delegation at the General Conference

37 session of the General Conference

S. E. M. Samuel Otsile Outlule, Ambassadeur extraordinaire et plénipotentiaire de la République du Botswana en France et à l’Union européenne

Speech delivered during the General Policy Debate of the 37th session of the General Conference - revised and corrected version of the verbatim records of plenary meetings

36 session of the General Conference

H.E. Mrs Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, Minister of Education and Skills Development

Speech delivered during the General Policy Debate of the 36th session of the General Conference and posted as received

34 session of the General Conference

H.E. Mr Jacob Nkate, Minister of Education

“I commend the Director-General for his commitment in working collaboratively with UNESCO Member States and other United Nations agencies in driving UNESCO’s mandate, ideals and principles. Let me not forget to welcome back Singapore and our new member Montenegro into the United Nations family at UNESCO.”
“My delegation is particularly pleased to note the focus UNESCO has placed on Africa in its Medium-Term Strategy. The continent continues to face daunting challenges, which impede its efforts of meeting the Millennium Development Goals. Concerted action by UNESCO in all of its fields of competence can go a long way in alleviating this problem. I confirm Botswana’s commitment to the realization of Education for All goals. We have undertaken to achieve accessible, equitable and quality education by 2016 when Botswana will be celebrating 50 years of independence.”
“We fully support the position expressed by the Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the United Kingdom that countries with viable plans to make primary education universal should be supported. Our plea is that middle-income countries with viable plans should not be excluded, as is often the case nowadays.”
“I extend our appreciation to the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) and the Netherlands Government for the long-term technical and financial support that they have provided for the SACMEQ research and training programmes. I have no doubt in my mind that these programmes will contribute significantly in our educational development planning and improvement. Botswana and indeed the African continent cannot achieve sustainable development if adequate attention is not given to the development of science, technology and engineering, as was indicated by the African Summit on Science and Technology for Development. […] I am pleased to state that Botswana is involved in the Sustainable Integrated Management and Development of the Arid and Semi-Arid Region of Southern Africa (SIMDAS) flagship programme.”
“The University of Botswana and the Department of Geological Surveys through the International Geosciences Programme (IGCP) are currently engaged in collaborative research of the Okavango Rift. The project has also established networks with other scientists regionally and internationally to facilitate scientific exchanges of research and experiences. UNESCO’s support is crucial for sustaining these projects.”
“Botswana is committed to building peace and resolving conflicts. The Centre for Culture and Peace Studies launched this year in April at the University of Botswana is one of the many ways our country contributes to us building a culture of peace. The Centre endeavours to promote peace within southern Africa and indeed the whole African continent, by integrating all aspects of African cultural heritage. With respect to culture, we recognize the important role played by UNESCO’s standard-setting instruments in the protection and safeguarding of our cultural heritage. […] We would like to see UNESCO pay more attention to preservation of the African heritage through the increasing inscription of World Heritage sites. The continent is lagging behind in inscribing its sites, mainly due to lack of technical and financial capacity to preserve them. It is my firm belief that the African World Heritage Fund will alleviate this problem.”
«Being a small country with limited representation in most multinational organizations, we find the Young Professionals programme to be of immense benefit to young professionals and their personal development.”