First Lady Laura Bush on fence-mending mission as U.S. rejoins UNESCO

French President Jacques Chirac escorts U.S. first lady Laura. The first lady is on a five day trip to Paris and Moscow in which she will be addressing United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (AP /Gerald Herbert) PARIS (AP) - Laura Bush celebrated Washington's rejoining of the United Nations' main cultural organization Monday as a crucial partnership in the battle against "an ideology of hate and violence."

The U.S. First Lady, on the second day of a five-day journey through Paris and Moscow, said such an atmosphere had produced terrorist attacks in the United States and around the globe. She urged members of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to work together to further education, tolerance and respect for human life.

"UNESCO . . . can now help achieve peace by spreading the values that will help defeat terror and lead to a better and safer world," Bush said in a keynote address to the group's meeting. "As the civilized world stands against terror, UNESCO's work can make an enormous difference."

President George W. Bush announced a year ago that the United States would rejoin UNESCO after an absence that began in 1984. Previous U.S. administrations had labelled the UN group as corrupt and anti-western.

Formed in 1945 to promote international exchanges, UNESCO helps modernize education systems, establish standards on bioethics, and preserve cultural and natural treasures through its World Heritage List.

The White House hopes the re-entry into the organization will help offset criticism that Bush's foreign policy in Iraq and elsewhere amounts to a go-it-alone stance.

His wife brought the message that the United States now is ready to partner with the world as a "full, active and enthusiastic participant."

"We have much to offer, and we have much to learn," Mrs. Bush said, before attending a ceremony outside to hoist the U.S. flag alongside the others.

The former teacher and librarian, who in February became UNESCO's honorary ambassador for the UN Decade of Literacy, said education to "all the world's sons and daughters" is the world's most urgent priority.

"The more children learn about other countries, faiths and cultures, the more likely they are to respect other people," she said. "Education can help children see beyond a world of hate and hopelessness."

She called for a global commitment to primary education, in a world where over 100 million children - 60 per cent of them girls - have no access to school.

"For people throughout the world, and especially for women and girls, education is power - the power to control their own destinies," she said

Starting a whirlwind day in France's capital, the First Lady paid a 40-minute relations-mending social call at the Elysee Palace at the request of French President Jacques Chirac.

Preceded by greeters in white tie, red waistcoats and tails in the palace courtyard, Chirac joined Bush at her limousine and kissed her on the hand. He sent her off by repeating the gentlemanly flourish.

"The president has sent his most important emissary," U.S. Ambassador Howard Leach told Chirac, who was clearly determined to keep the meeting on lighter ground.

When Leach mentioned Iraq - a subject of sharp disagreement between the U.S. and France, Chirac responded by saying, "Let bygones be bygones - we all agree we need to rebuild Iraq," and then quickly steered the conversation to the First Lady's travel plans and charity work, a U.S. official said.

Bush did not discuss Iraq with Chirac, the official said. But in her speech, she alluded to international difficulties over the war and postwar there.

"Surely we can agree that rebuilding (Iraq) ... is in all of our best interests," she said. "The presence of a peaceful stable Iraq at the heart of the Middle East will be a powerful beacon for freedom - and example of hope - in that vital region."

Angola claims arms dealer appointment to UNESCO was legitimate

LUANDA (AFP) Sep 26, 2003
Angola's government Friday claimed it complied with international law when it appointed Frenchman Pierre Falcone as its ambassador to UNESCO even though he is under investigation in France for alleged illegal arms trafficking.
"The appointment [of French arms dealer Falcone] was made accordance with international law and with the agreement between France and UNESCO," the Angolan government said in a statement.

UNESCO, the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organisation, has its headquarters in Paris.

The French Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that under the headquarters agreement with UNESCO, the organisation was not obliged to notify the ministry when accredited delegations appointed staff.

Falcone was appointed Minister-Counsellor in June at the Angolan permanent delegation to UNESCO, giving him diplomatic immunity, his lawyer said last week.

In Luanda the opposition said Falcone's appointment to UNESCO was "a betrayal of the motherland."

The Angolan press Friday reported that Falcone was due in the country on Saturday, but authorities declined to confirm or deny the reports.

Falcone came under investigation on suspicion of having organised the sale of 500 hundred million dollars worth of jets, helicopters and other weaponry to the Angolan government of Eduardo Dos Santos in 1993 and 1994, during the southwest African country's civil war, in breach of international sanctions.

He was also investigated for allegedly buying influence.

Falcone denies the charges.

Falcone spent 11 days in French custody last October for breaking a bail agreement by meeting another person under investigation in the same arms-to-Angola case.

He had previously spent a year in pre-trial detention before being released in December 2001 under the parole conditions.

Unesco Welcomes Shell's Pledge Not to Seek Oil or Gas in World Heritage Sites

September 1, 2003
Posted to the web September 2, 2003

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has welcomed the announcement by the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies (Shell) that it would not explore or develop oil and gas resources within any of the natural World Heritage sites.

"This first step in acknowledging the outstanding universal value of World Heritage - something which is absolutely irreplaceable if destroyed - is a clear indication of Shell's willingness to continue supporting World Heritage preservation, through action and not only words," Francesco Bandarin, Director of UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, said

The Organization's World Heritage List now numbers 754 sites, including 582 cultural, 149 natural and 23 mixed natural and cultural sites. There are 35 properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger, of which 17 are natural sites.

Shell's announcement follows a pledge made last week by the International Council on Mining and Metals, comprising 15 of the world's largest mining companies, not to explore or mine in World Heritage sites.

Shell undertook some years ago not to operate in the natural World Heritage sites of Sundarbans Forest in Bangladesh and in Oman.

The chairman of Shell's Committee of Managing Directors, Sir Philip Watts, said today's announcement was an acknowledgement that "it is time to take that approach one step further.

From the Great Barrier Reef [in Australia] to the Grand Canyon [in the United States], the outstanding value of the landscapes and biodiversity of these sites is well understood and formally recognized under the World Heritage Convntion.

"The clear systems, rules and processes which support these sites provide a strong model of good practice and I hope that this kind of clarity can be developed for other protected areas," he added.

THE FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA MARKS THE U.S. RETURN TO UNESCO WITH AN ADDRESS TO THE GENERAL CONFERENCE

Paris, September 29 – “We raise our flag to join the flags of 189 UNESCO Member States in seeking the very best of our human hopes for liberty, dignity and peace,” said Mrs Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States of America, as the flag of her country was raised this afternoon on the grounds of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris.

Introducing her moments before, UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura said: “Today a new nation joins forces with us, bringing vast intellectual and cultural resources along with partnership and good will. A great nation so diverse that each of us can see himself in it; America holds up a mirror to the world. This nation, a founding member of UNESCO, is now returning with energy, talent and creativity to work with us towards our common goals; education for all, cultural preservation, sharing widely the benefits of scientific progress.”

The United States withdrew from UNESCO in 1984 citing concerns over mismanagement.

Addressing earlier this afternoon the delegates attending the 32nd Session of UNESCO’s General Conference, Mrs Bush said that “We believe in working with the nations of the world to promote values shared by people throughout the world.”

“We have much to offer and we have much to learn (and) given the many challenges in our world today, our work is more urgent and more important than at any time in UNESCO's history.”

“No nation, we have learned, is immune,” from terrorism, said Mrs Bush. “My own country was a target on a terrible September morning two years ago. Since that day, acts of terror have robbed innocents of their lives in Jakarta, Pakistan and Riyadh. And last month, terrorists attacked the very symbol of the civilized world, striking the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad; killing those who had come to deliver humanitarian help and hope to the people of Iraq.”

“As a former public school teacher and librarian,” said Mrs Bush “I believe education is our most urgent priority, and should have the first and highest call on our time and our resources.” Education, she added, “is the birthright of every human being – all the world's sons and all the world’s daughters.”

Mrs Bush - who earlier this year was designated UNESCO Honorary Ambassador for the UN Literacy Decade (2003-2012) by the Director-General - then focussed on four key areas requiring urgent attention.
Literacy. Nearly 900 million adults are illiterate today, two thirds of them women. “To prevent another generation of adult illiteracy, we must make a major commitment to primary education for all children, especially girls.” Mrs Bush praised UNESCO's Education For All initiative which “closely mirrors the goals of my husband's ‘No child left behind’ initiative which was passed by the United States Congress two years ago […] Our close collaboration on these education initiatives will help both the United States and UNESCO achieve our goals. Together, we can bring learning and literacy to children across the world – building the best possible foundation for freedom and peace.” One of the places where this transformation is taking place is Afghanistan, said Mrs Bush. “Nearly four million children are in school – including one million girls” where three years ago 92 percent of girls were not allowed to attend school because of the Taleban. Mrs Bush announced that the United States Government was working to re-establish the American School in Kabul beginning next fall and towards the development of a teacher training institute.

Quality education – which Mrs Bush defined as “education based on truth and tolerance”. Pointing to work that has been conducted in the Balkans and in Iraq, Mrs Bush praised UNESCO for its “wonderful work in this area”.

Post-conflict education. This concerns the reconstruction of education systems in countries affected by war and civil strife. “UNESCO has done valuable work rebuilding education in Uganda, Sierra Leone and Liberia and your collaboration can help change the future children in Afghanistan and Iraq […] The presence of a peaceful, stable Iraq in the heart of the Middle East will be a powerful beacon for freedom – an example of hope – in that vital region. […] More than 80 percent of Iraq's primary and secondary schools and all but two universities have now reopened […] Next month,” she added “five million students will receive their own text books free of Ba'athist propaganda thanks to a UNESCO programme that reviews text books and removes language of hate and division.”

HIV/AIDS education. “I'm proud that President Bush has made a massive commitment – US$15 billion – to fight this humanitarian crisis. This is the largest single commitment of funds in history for an international public health initiative on a specific disease – and I'm very proud of my husband's leadership to help the children of the world. In collaboration with UNESCO, the United States will work to build more centres of care and education for those afflicted with HIV and AIDS.”“My fellow delegates" Mrs Bush concluded, " I challenge us all to work together to make this a Decade of Literacy and a Century of Liberty. Literacy and Liberty are natural allies, and they are the core mission of UNESCO. Before us are both opportunities and obligations. We must educate every person – in reading, writing and their basic human rights. We must preserve the cultural heritage of our past, and illuminate a future of scientific advance and discovery with careful ethics and a reverence for the dignity of life.”

http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php@URL_ID=15006&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php@URL_ID=15006&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.