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General Conference of UNESCO opens in Paris

Xinhua, November 4, 2015 Adjust font size:

The 38th session of the General Conference of UNESCO opened Tuesday in Paris, during which the governing body of UNESCO will review program and policy plans aimed at achieving the 2015-2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Reiterating the agency's commitment to achieving the 2030 SDGs, the outgoing President of the General Conference, Chinese Vice Minister of Education Hao Ping, hailed "UNESCO's irreplaceable role in dialogue and peace building," saying "dialogue on an equal footing between all countries and civilizations is more important than ever."

"As the think-tank of the United Nations, UNESCO must take actions," he continued, adding that "the promotion of building a community of common destiny is not only the inheriting of UNESCO's purpose, but also its future responsibility."

"UNESCO is born out of the idea that if peace and development are to last, they must be deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of peoples. This conviction remains unchanged and is our compass in today's changing world," Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova said at the opening ceremony.

She thanked the supports and efforts of China during Hao Ping's term as President of UNESCO's General Conference.

Later Tuesday afternoon, Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Technology of Namibia Stanley Mutumba Simataa was elected by the 195 Member States as the new President of General Conference of UNESCO.

"In time of despair, UNESCO is called upon to bring foresight and hope to the peoples of the world through education, including education for peace, tolerance, democracy and human rights, through the sciences, notably with the development of dissemination of scientific knowledge to improve responses to unprecedented environmental changes now occurring," said Simataa in his first address to the General Conference.

The 38th session of the General Conference of UNESCO will close on Nov. 18. Endit