The chairperson of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the organisation, Dr Nasser bin Hamad al-Hinzab, has stressed that protecting education and culture and promoting dialogue are fundamental pillars of peacebuilding and mutual understanding among peoples.
He made the remarks in his opening address at the 225th session of Unesco’s Executive Board, emphasising that peace does not begin when conflicts end, but is built in schools and educational institutions through culture, knowledge and respect for others.
Dr al-Hinzab called for protecting schools and universities from attacks, describing them as safe spaces for learning and hope.
He warned that attacks on educational institutions not only destroy buildings but also threaten the future of entire generations.
Protecting education, Dr al-Hinzab said, is fundamentally about protecting peace, while safeguarding culture and heritage preserves peoples’ identities, collective memory and right to the future.
Protecting journalists and freedom of expression, he added, is equally essential to defending truth and the right to knowledge.
Dr al-Hinzab noted that Unesco is undergoing significant institutional changes that present an opportunity to strengthen its ability to fulfil its mandate effectively and efficiently.
He stressed that these changes must reinforce the organisation’s credibility, transparency and responsiveness to the priorities of member states.
Dr al-Hinzab said that Unesco had implemented or accepted 79% of the relevant recommendations issued by the Joint Inspection Unit, while 64 recommendations remained outstanding, including 36 that had been pending for more than two years.
