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| | Sudan and UNESCO reinforce cooperation
26-01-2006 - On the occasion of his participation at the Sixth African Union Summit in Khartoum (see Flash Info n°013-2006), the Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, discussed the strengthening of cooperation between the Organization and Sudan during his bi-lateral meeting with President Al Beshir. |
During this meeting, the Director-General expressed his satisfaction that the cooperation between UNESCO and Sudan had progressed since his first visit in 2003 on the basis of an Aide-mémoire signed with the President on the fields of competence of the Organization, in particular education and culture, within the framework of implementing the General Conference resolution on Sudan. Mr Matsuura also highlighted the opening of UNESCO Antenna Offices in Sudan, in Khartoum and Juba, as well as the recent creation of a task force charged with priority follow-up in the country aimed at pursuing and reinforcing current efforts.
Mr Matsuura spoke in particular of two initiatives in the field of education, one concerning teacher training, financed by Japanese funds, the other on pre school children financed by AGFUND. Given the crucial importance for the country of having qualified teachers the Director-General also informed the President that he was ready to finance a second phase of teacher training, as soon as the first phase is successfully completed. In the field of culture, the Director-General welcomed the inscription of the first World Heritage Site, Gebel Barkal and the surrounding regions, which he visited during his last trip. He also noted that cooperation was increasing on the elaboration of a second nomination file for the World Heritage List. In light of his visit to the Museum of Sudan in Khartoum in 2003, the Director-General was seeing to it that a new assistance project would be launched for the Museum. He had the opportunity to discuss these projects further with the Ministers of Education of Sudan during their recent visit to Paris (see Flash Info n°001-2006).
The President of Sudan thanked the Director-General for the particular interest the Organization has shown to his country, illustrated notably by the opening of two Antenna Offices in Khartoum and Juba. He reiterated the priority to be given to water management, an issue which is the cause of tensions among farmers. He thanked the Director-General for establishing a UNESCO Chair on Hydrological Resources, which is studying the problem of blocked irrigation canals due to silt from the Nile.
Expressing his satisfaction at cooperation in the field of education and culture, the President underscored the problem of girls’ education and adult literacy, two priority issues.
The Director-General also paid a visit to the National Commission of Sudan. During a dinner organized by the Minister of Education and President of the National Commission and in the presence of several Ministers and representatives of academic bodies, the University of Juba conferred upon the Director-General the title of Doctorat Honoris Causa in the field of peace and development research.
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Source |
Flash Info n°014-2006
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