Belarus attends UNESCO General Conference

MINSK, 5 November (BelTA) – A Belarusian delegation is attending the 37th session of the UNESCO General Conference, which opened in Paris on 5 November. The delegation is led by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to France, the Permanent Representative of Belarus to UNESCO Pavel Latushko, BelTA learned from the Belarusian Embassy in France.

Attending the conference is 195 delegations of the member countries. The General Conference opened with the general political discussion consisting of two segments: Leader’s Forum and a plenary meeting of official delegations. The agenda of the session comprises 85 items, including reports on the activities of UNESCO and on the execution of the program, general policy issues, the methods of work of the organization, statutory and legal issues, adoption of new international instruments, and monitoring of the existing ones.

The General Conference is expected to outline the main areas of the work of UNESCO, to adopt a four-year program and the budget (2014-2017), and the medium-term strategy up to 2021.

The General Conference will discuss the relations with the member states and international organizations, administrative and financial matters, issues relating to the staff and management of the UNESCO headquarters.

The session will consider UNESCO’s participation in the development of the post-2015 agenda, revise the International Standard Classification of Education, activities within the framework of the UN Literacy Decade (2003-2012), review the implementation of the strategic plan of the Information for All program (2008-2013), and will hear the report of the Director General of UNESCO on progress in implementing the results of the World Summit on the Information Society, the recommendations of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions in the field of media and information literacy.

One of the most sensitive items on the agenda will be the discussion of the access to information and knowledge, the ethical dimension of the information society and Internet privacy.

The General Conference will also elect members to the Executive Board and other governing bodies of UNESCO, and also the Director General of UNESCO.

The 19th session of the General Assembly of the states parties to the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage will be held within the framework of the General Conference of UNESCO.