UNESCO HEAD LAUDS RP INITIATIVES FOR

GREATER INTERNATIONAL PEACE, FULL DEVELOPMENT

21 October 2007 PARIS – The Head of UNESCO has lauded the Philippines for its initiatives that advance greater peace and full development in the global community.

Following his meeting with UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura at the sidelines of 34^th Session of the UNESCO General Conference here, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo said Director General Matsuura cited Philippine initiatives in interfaith dialogue, debt-for-development and lifelong education as “important initiatives” that broaden peace and development.

Secretary Romulo welcomed Director General Matsuura’s expression of support for Philippines’ advocacies which the Director General described during the meeting as “very good” and “very important” initiatives.

“The Director General’s statement affirms the continuing value and relevance of the Philippines’ advocacies in the international community in pursuit of greater peace, progress and prosperity,” said Secretary Romulo to the media after the meeting.

“The Philippines is heartened by the expression of support and will continue to work closely with the UNESCO and partners in the UN system to achieve our shared goals for the world’s peoples,” Secretary Romulo added.

In the UN system, the Philippines is a strong advocate of the interfaith dialogue as an instrument and object of peacebuilding efforts.  

At the 62^nd UN General Assembly, Secretary Romulo chaired the Second Ministerial Meeting on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace.  A few days after, Philippine Vice President Noli de Castro addressed the High-Level Dialogue on Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace. 

In 2009, the Philippines will host a special meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement on interfaith dialogue.

Outside of the UN system, the Philippines likewise works with partners for interfaith dialogue in regional fora, most recently in Waitangi, New Zealand.

At the UN, the Philippines introduced debt for development, which the UN General Assembly supports, into UNESCO through the Working Group on Debt Swaps for Education presided over by Argentina.

In his address at the 34^th session of the UNESCO General Conference, Secretary Romulo called on UNESCO to pursue “creativity in development financing” and requested the General Conference to “approve the creation of an expert committee, to propose innovative financing in favor of debt swaps for education, and later on, for science, culture, and communication.”

In education, the Philippines proposed the setting up of a Centre for Lifelong Learning for Education for Sustainable Development in Southeast Asia.  The Centre is inspired by the U.N. Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, and is envisioned as a future laboratory for the exchange of knowledge and best practices will strengthen regional capacity-building, from early childhood learning to higher education.  END