Messages from the Director-General of UNESCO - Archives

Message from the Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of Human Rights Day (10 December 2002) - (Office of the Spokesperson) 08-12-2002 - Recognition of the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. These key principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are as valid today as on 10 December 1948 when it was adopted. Sadly, lack of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is still the main source of instability, tension and violence in the world. More

Message of the Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of World AIDS Day 2002 (1st December 2002) - (Office of the Spokesperson) 30-11-2002 - HIV/AIDS condemns its victims to a double sentence. The first is the one caused by the illness, and in the vast majority of cases today it is a sentence of death. The second is caused by other people, and is the sentence of stigma and discrimination, which are dehumanizing not only to those who are subjected to it but also to those who inflict it. This second sentence fuels the epidemic by thwarting prevention efforts. It dramatically aggravates the precariousness of people who are ill or infected. It tears apart families and corrodes the bonds that hold communities together. It excludes children from hope and support and denies them the opportunity to go to school. It spreads out from the victims to their families – parents and children – and to neighbours, fellow workers and the community as a whole. It is a blight on human rights. More

Message from the Director-General on the occasion of Philosophy Day at UNESCO (21 November 2002) - (Office of the Spokesperson) 20-11-2002 - Many people ask: why philosophy at UNESCO? My reply is: how could UNESCO, as the intellectual and ethical arm of the United Nations, function without promoting philosophical reflection as the basis for democracy, human rights and a just society? In other words, how else can one foster an authentic foundation for peaceful co-existence? More

Message from the Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of the International Day for Tolerance (16 November 2002) - (Office of the Spokesperson) 15-11-2002 - This is the second time that we have celebrated the International Day for Tolerance since the start of the new century. As humanity advances in its scientific and technological control of the world around it, it seems torn between the hope of better tomorrows and anxiety about an ever more threatening future. More

Message from the Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of World Science Day for Peace and Development (10 November 2002) - (Message from the Director-General) 13-11-2002 - We are living in a period of unprecedented advances in science. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that the future of humanity depends on the continued vitality of science and its applications. Science has contributed immensely to the development of modern society and the application of scientific knowledge continues to furnish powerful means for solving many of the challenges facing humanity, such as the eradication of poverty and the provision of health care, food and safe drinking water. The advances made in recent years in genetic science and biotechnology hold out extraordinary prospects for humankind as a whole and for the individual. However, these scientific advances are giving rise to important new ethical issues which have implications not only for the living but also for the generations yet to be born. The very basis of what it means to be a human being is, so to speak, in the crucible. As a result, the moral responsibilities of science have never loomed so large. More

Message from the Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of the International Day for Disaster Reduction 2002 - 9 October 2002 - (Message from the Director-General) 08-10-2002 - On 9 October 2002, the international community will again observe International Disaster Reduction Day. Natural disasters are increasing in terms of frequency, complexity, scope and destructive capacity. This year they have struck developing and industrialized countries alike, causing intolerable deaths, suffering and damage. Floods in China, India, and Eastern and Western Europe, earthquakes in Afghanistan, Iran, and Papua New Guinea, droughts in Africa and Sri Lanka, cyclones in Bangladesh and Madagascar, and other disasters have all resulted in considerable human and material losses. The poor and disadvantaged people continue to suffer most from such natural disasters. More

International Literacy Day (8 September 2002) - (Message from the Director-General) 01-09-2002 - International Literacy Day is an occasion to celebrate the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies everywhere and to affirm the centrality of literacy within all struggles for sustainable human development. It is also an opportunity to send a message of hope and encouragement to the estimated 862 million adults, of whom about two-thirds are women, whose illiteracy currently excludes them from full participation in society. More

World Water Day - (Message from the Director-General) 21-03-2002 - - The looming water crisis is one of the most critical challenges facing the world today. Global demand for this precious resource has increased more than sixfold over the past century compared with a threefold increase in world population. Without better management of water resources and related ecosystems, two-thirds of humanity will suffer from severe or moderate shortages by the year 2025. More

World Poetry Day - (Message from the Director-General) 20-03-2002 - - Loving poetry so as to love one another If ever there was an art where outlines are blurred and definitions impossible, it is poetry. And yet it is instantly recognizable: poetry is communication in its purest state; it is absolute freedom of language and a place where the real, the possible and the necessary merge. More

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination - (Message from the Director-General) 20-03-2002 - - Today, 21 March 2002, is the first International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which is being celebrated following the holding, in Durban, South Africa, of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. More

International Women’s Day - (Message from the Director-General) 20-03-2002 - - On 8 March 2002, the international community will again observe International Women's Day. Within the framework of the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010), my message this year will focus on the theme of violence against women, with particular reference to its impact on children. More

United Nations Year for Cultural Heritage - (Message from the Director-General) 31-12-2001 - - Above the door of the Kabul Museum, ravaged by more than 20 years of warfare, this maxim was posted up by persons unknown a few days ago: "A nation is alive when its culture is alive". This symbolic gesture gives a deeper meaning to the resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 21 November 2001 proclaiming 2002 "United Nations Year for Cultural Heritage". More

Discours de M. Koïchiro Matsuura lors de la session d’information avec les délégations permanentes sur le processus d’élaboration d’un avant-projet de Convention sur la protection de la diversité des contenus culturels et des expressions artistiques - () - Discours de M. Koïchiro Matsuura, Directeur général de l’Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’éducation, la science et la culture (UNESCO) lors de la session d’information avec les délégations permanentes sur le processus d’élaboration d’un avant-projet de Convention sur la protection de la diversité des contenus culturels et des expressions artistiques More