Paris:HE Dr. Nasser bin Hamad Al Hinzab, Chairperson of UNESCO's Executive Board and Qatar's Permanent Representative to the organization, emphasized the importance of education and culture in fostering peace and mutual understanding during the opening of the 225th session of UNESCO's Executive Board.
According to Qatar News Agency, Dr. Al Hinzab highlighted that peace is cultivated in schools and educational institutions through culture, knowledge, and respect for others, rather than merely being the absence of conflict. He called for safeguarding educational institutions from attacks, noting that such attacks not only damage structures but also jeopardize future generations. He argued that protecting education is synonymous with protecting peace, while preserving culture and heritage maintains peoples' identities and collective memories.
He further stated the importance of protecting journalists and freedom of expression as essential to defending truth and the right to knowledge. Dr. Al Hinzab also addressed UNESCO's ongoing institutional changes, which he sees as an opportunity to enhance the organization's effectiveness and credibility. He emphasized the necessity for these reforms to strengthen UNESCO's transparency and responsiveness to member states' priorities.
Dr. Al Hinzab underscored the Executive Board's role in maintaining trust in UNESCO and ensuring accountable oversight, aiming for a more efficient and transparent organization. He pointed out that addressing financial, structural, and operational challenges is crucial, along with implementing recommendations from oversight and audit reports.
He noted that UNESCO had acted upon or accepted 79 percent of recommendations from the Joint Inspection Unit, while 64 recommendations, including 36 pending for over two years, remain outstanding. These statistics, he mentioned, highlight the need for continued reform efforts and improved follow-up and accountability mechanisms.
Dr. Al Hinzab mentioned the UNESCO 80 initiative as a significant opportunity to enhance performance, asserting that reforms must extend beyond structural changes to ensure the expertise and resources necessary for program implementation. He praised the Director-General's efforts in advancing these reforms and stressed that the success of the initiative will be measured by its ability to meet member states' expectations.
He concluded by stating that the reforms mark the start of a process that demands courage, perseverance, and commitment, emphasizing the need to uphold transparency, accountability, and fairness in line with UNESCO's constitutional mandate.