The conference was conducted to discuss the needs of UNESCO member countries and ways to deliver the organizations’ programs to make sure that these countries are provided valuable assistance in the areas of Education, Science, Culture and Communication and Information.
The Pacific Cluster Consultation was chaired by Dr. Edna Tait of New Zealand. Palau was represented by Dwight Alexander, Director of Bureau of Arts and Culture; while Tonga was represented by Lucy Moala Mafi.
In a press statement, Alexander said the first day of the consultation conference was dedicated to Cluster meetings “in which they went over the Major Sectors of UNESCO and the different platforms of delivery of programs to the country.”
Among the recommendations by the Pacific Cluster are the strengthening of the Organization’s work in the Global Monitoring of Education for All, Education for Sustainable Development, Associated Schools Project Network, Peace and Human Rights Education, as well as putting emphasis on culture as a major component in economic development.
Among those supported by the Pacific are youth programs, migration and development of cultural industries, as well as ethics in science, researches in the area of renewable energy, climate change and disaster preparedness. The group also supported ethics and accountability of Media, Preservation of various documentary heritage, improvement of Media education and delivery of media services.
The press release stated that “the platform for delivery was through Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as a key priority area in UNESCO’s Medium Term Strategy.Many of the countries from Asia supported the move to put emphasis on the SIDS platform as they realized that the Pacific was totally eliminated from the organizations decision making body, the Executive Board.”
The President of the UNESCO General Conference, Davidson Hepburn, who is from the Bahamas made a request to the Asian Countries to ensure that their small island members have a voice in the Executive Board through agreements within the region that ensures a clean slate election.
Irine Bokova, the Director General of UNESCO, met separately with the Pacific member states and assured them of her commitment to support, Least Developed Countries (LDC’s) and Small Island States.
“Overall the meeting was very productive for the Pacific as the Asian Countries supported many of their recommendations including the assurance of a member in the Executive Board,” said Alexander in his press statement.
