Country profile - General information

Vanuatu

Head of State and/or Government

President: His Excellency Mr Baldwin Lonsdale
Prime Minister: The Hon. Charlot SALWAI Tabimasmas

Qui fait quoi Conseil exécutif Gen. Conference Anniversaires Conventions

Permanent Delegation to UNESCO

H. E. Mr Mickey Joy
Ambassador, Permanent Delegate (19/07/2012)

Curriculum vitae > Biographical note

Contact
Permanent Delegation of Vanuatu to UNESCO
Ambassade de Vanuatu
Avenue de Tervueren 380
Chemin de Ronde
1150 Bruxelles
Belgique
Telephone
+00 32 2 771.74.94
E-mail
info(a)vanuatuembassy.be
vanuatuembassybrussels(a)gmail.com

National Commission for UNESCO

Chair: Hon. Jean Pierre Nirua

Secretary-General: Mr. Jesse Dick Joe

UNESCO Officer: Mr Hilaire Sese

Vanuatu National Commission for UNESCO
Ministry of Education
PMB 9028
Port Vila
Vanuatu

Telephone
(678) 22 309 +678 775 0120 (mobile Chair) +678 540 0825 (mobile SG) +678 710 6773 (mobile officer)
Fax

E-mail
jpnirua(a)vanuatu.gov.vu (Chair), jjoe(a)vanuatu.gov.vu (SG)

Representation in the Executive Board

The 1991 amendment modified Article V of the Constitution, regarding the status of members of the Board. From the 27th session of the General Conference (1993), the Executive Board consists of Member States rather than of persons (26 C/Resolution 19.3).

Title	Name	Years	Sessions
Representative		2001-2005	163-172

Participation in subsidiary organs

Other intergovernmental organs

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
Member

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

37 session of the General Conference

His Excellency, Mr Bob Loughman, Minister of Education of Vanuatu

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

34 session of the General Conference

H.E. Hon. Lelnavao Tasso, Minister of Education and Culture

Vanuatu, a Small Island Developing State, is also a Least Developed Country with little natural resources. Therefore, Vanuatu invests heavily in human resources and attaches a high importance to education to build sustainable societies. Vanuatu is committed to striving towards Education for All goals by 2015.
The Ministry of Education developed the Vanuatu Education Sector Strategy (VESS), which incorporated Education for All Action Plan and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The priorities of this strategy are literacy, teacher training, early childhood education, life skills, education for sustainable development and application of communication technologies.
UNESCO should play a more proactive leadership role in guiding and coordinating the Member States and ensure that its activities strictly reflect the needs of the country. The Apia Cluster Office has a critical role in supporting and coordinating the Organization’s activities in the sub-region.
“The centralization and restructuring of the Organization are vital to improving the effectiveness, efficiencies, transparency and accountability of the Organization, thereby enabling the Organization to fulfil its mandate.”
Vanuatu is a multi language country with more than 112 indigenous languages that models its cultural diversity. Therefore, Vanuatu is candidate for the World Heritage Committee elections.
“Concerning the natural disaster preparedness, we are pleased that UNESCO continues to assist by establishing early warning systems in the Indian Ocean and that works were undertaken together with SOPAC to ensure that the South West Pacific region has full coverage.”
Vanuatu also calls on the Organization to consider applications for all Pacific Island Member States under the Young Professional Programme, given the fact is that Pacific is under represented in the composition of the Organisation.
Vanuatu welcomes Montenegro and Singapore.