40th Session of the General Conference - 12-27 November 2019

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Celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNESCO and the Defender of Rights in France have organized a celebration moderated by Mélissa Theuriau. The conference, attended by 400 youth and several personalities, was opened by the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms. Audrey Azoulay, and Mr. Jacques Toubon, Defender of Rights in France. The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, pronounced an allocution stressing the importance of protecting the private lives and data of children, as well as preventing online harassment and hate. President Macron called for “a new type of international commitment […] with regard to international players.” In her address, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay highlighted that it is essential to focus efforts in education on the development of critical thinking. Under the banner Time to Commit, the conference gave the floor to young people selected during a consultation organized by the Defender of Rights of France and UNESCO’s Associated Schools Network around four themes: the right to education, the right to participation, the right to be protected against all forms of discrimination, and the right to protection against all forms of violence.

BIOPALT: An answer from UNESCO for the achievement of the SDGs in the Lake Chad basin

The event “BIOPALT Project: a Multisector Response by UNESCO to the Implementation of the SDGs in the Lake Chad Basin” has presented results and shared experiences of this UNESCO’s project, developed in cooperation with the Lake Chad Basin Commission through the BIOPALT BIOsphere and Heritage of Lake Chad project. The programme, financed by the African Development Bank, is implemented in Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, Central African Republic and Chad. Related to this event, the exhibition “Lake Chad, an unusual potential” honours the potential, variability and diversity of this lake as an asset in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Lake Chad is of key significance of the Africa cradle of a 1000 year old community that unites the North African and Sub-Saharan region and is a source of peace and opportunities. UNESCO is securing the sustainable development of the region through a number of Sustainable Development Goals. Activities supported by the BIOPALT project is a source of livelihood and a source of income for local communities of more than 40 million people around the basin. The exhibition will be available on the HQ fences until the 5 January 2020.

The panel discussion on the "General History of Africa: Achievements and Prospects" addressed the importance of History in shaping the identity of peoples, building peaceful societies and strengthening social cohesion, as well as the fundamental role of African perspective in the revision of History programmes. Mr. Edouard Firmin Matoko, Assistant Director-General for External Relations and the Africa Department, opened the discussion highlighting the importance of a “Global Africa” and proposing an understanding of the African History based on a holistic and intercultural approach. He was followed by H.E. Dr. Amina C. Mohamed, Minister of Sports, Culture and Heritage (Kenya), who stressed the need of making the African History accessible to a larger and more diverse audience. The Chairperson of the Africa Group (V a), H.E. Ms. Rachel Annick Ogoula Akiko (Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Gabon) also took the floor to congratulate UNESCO’s initiative “General History of Africa” as a fundamental pillar and knowledge pool for Youth Education and peoples’ awareness.