Education: first steps to collaboration

Rome, 11/03/13 - “By five o’clock there is going to be a resolution: no one of delegates will go out until that moment.” That was stated by the chairman on Saturday. 

Since the 8th of march, the delegates of UNESCO have been trying to propose a strong resolution to educational problem, something really “concrete”, as Australia’s delegate has repeatedly stressed.

The first draft resolution, sponsored by Australia, Pakistan, Togo, Malawi and Ethiopa, has been signed by seventeen countries, achieving the quorum.

According to these countries, financial supports is strictly necessary to ensure the continuation of the positive development. 

This must be achieved by the reduction of taxes and trade barriers and proposing favorable conditions of settlement for companies committed to build educational infrastructures.

Nevertheless interviewing the delegation of Sri Lanka, emerged how sometimes countries put on the top of their agenda the financial topic only because by means of helping the developing countries they build a strong and positive public image.

Nowadays the school is not only about studying: it is a place where improving knowledge and values too. Moreover, school is where you learn to live and to match yourself with the others.
In this kind of place ensuring equality is a Must.

This is perfectly clear also to the Republic of Chile, together with the delegations of the Republic of Argentina, the Republic of Cuba, Republic of Guatemala, Paraguay, Republic of Peru and Uruguay.

These countries, beyond the financial and infrastructural issues, have caught the attention of the assembly especially on the issues of gender discrimination and the sexual education.

In the rural regions and in the underdeveloped countries there is not a strong knowledge about sexuality and according to these delegations, to prevent abuses, rapes and violence is extremely important to organize campaigns and teaching how to respect the diversities in all their shades.

The delegation of Luxembourg’s suggestion, to have an unmoderated caucus to discuss together all the drafts come out, shows how even in the most complicated situation, the pure and clear collaboration is essential. 

 

The time of reaching a resolution has come. 

The delgates of all the countries present yesterday, 10.03.2013, in Unesco’s meeting, are going to vote.

After several discussions, the assembly decided to procede on drafts’judgment.

The drafts 1.1 and 1.2, do not reach the quorum because mostly of the countries explicitly disagree: 23 delgations for the 1.1 and 33 for the 1.2 voted NO.
Something different happens for the draft 1.3, proposed by Tunisia and United Arabian Emirates.
The delegations succeeded in cooperation and the draft has the support of almost the totality of the assembly: indeed 34 countries voted YES.

Giulia Cardamone
Diana Tasayco
(Al-Jazeera)