B.V.I. Wednesday, October 7 – Minister for Education and Culture the Honourable Andrew Fahie will address the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO) at the 35th Session of the General Conference during the General Policy Debate in Paris, France on Friday, October 9.
Honourable Fahie’s speech is expected to sensitise the 193 member states about education issues in the British Virgin Islands, as well as some of the challenges which would require UNESCO’s assistance, especially in the area of technical and vocational education.
Minister Fahie is accompanied by a delegation which includes Acting Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Culture Ms. Carolyn O’Neal, and Acting Secretary General of the BVI National Commission for UNESCO Dr. Allison Flax-Archer.
Among the discussion topics at the conference are UNESCO’s budget and programme for 2010-2011, as well as approval of a new Director General. UNESCO’s Executive Council has nominated Ms. Irina Bokova of Bulgaria to the post of UNESCO Director General. If approved, she will become the first woman to lead UNESCO.
Additionally, delegates will participate on the ministerial forum on prevention of economic crisis and multilateral cooperation; a round table on the values and traditions of contemporary societies, as well as the conference on the rational use of world ocean resources will be held within the session. The conference ends on October 23rd, 2009.
The general conference, which is held bi-annually, consists of the representatives from member states usually at the ministerial level. It is also attended by representatives of Associate Member States and observers from Non Member States as well as inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations. The British Virgin Islands became an associate member of UNESCO in 1983.
British Virgin Islands News