Under the direction of Mr Mongi Bousnina, Director-General of ALECSO and candidate for a second term of office, the proceedings saw Mr Al-Jawfi, Minister of Education of Yemen, elected to the presidency of the General Conference, and the medium-term strategy for 2005-2010 adopted.

Welcoming the excellent cooperation that had been built up between the two organizations over recent years, Mr Matsuura stressed that Education for All was today a priority challenge. He recalled that the conclusions of the High-Level Working Group on Education for All, meeting at its fourth session from 8 to 10 November 2004 in Brasilia, had expressed grave concern over the international community’s real capacity to attain the objective of universal primary education by 2015, along with the other five Dakar goals. « The message is somewhat alarming. In regions where needs are greatest, particularly Sub-saharan Africa and Southern and Western Asia, as well as the Arab region, we must indeed take bold new decisions if we are to face up to the many challenges that are jeopardizing access to education for those that are not enrolled », the Director-General pointed out. « For my part, he emphasized, so as to respond to this impression of urgency and concern, this year I have launched three new global initiatives in the fields of adult literacy, teacher training in Sub-saharan Africa and HIV/AIDS Preventive education. »

The High-Level Group also emphasized three priority areas of action: girls’ education, teachers, and the conditions of financing of schooling. « I know that, in the Arab world, where it is thought some 40 per cent of the population is below 14 years of age, many of these concerns are shared », he went on. Placing stress more particularly on the quality of education and on the fight to dispel gender disparities, the Director-General called for a « strengthened partnership » hinged on the goals which all concerned actors shared. « Whether it be in the area of educational reform, of the safeguarding of heritage or the promotion of dialogue among cultures and religions, I am convinced that, by joining forces, we will be in a better position to respond to the expectations of the Arab region. »

Referring to the progress made in countries such as Egypt, Yemen and Tunisia, the Director-General called upon Governments to devote at least 6 per cent of their GNP to education: « Progress is possible. There is a clear determination in the Arab region today to introduce political and economic reform. Already, highly populated countries such as Egypt have made considerable progress over the past few years in the area of Education for All, by improving access to primary education and narrowing gender disparities. Countries like Tunisia and Yemen are also showing the way by devoting respectively 7.2% and 10.6% of their GNP to education. » «In the long run, he concluded, we are all pursuing the same aims: the building of knowledge societies, which are the keystones of human development. » (…) « I should like to take this opportunity, therefore, to reaffirm UNESCO’s determination to stand by all the Arab States in their endeavours to achieve the education-related Millennium development goals. »

On the fringe of the proceedings of the ALECSO Conference, the Director-General was received by Mr Ghannouchi, Prime Minister of Tunisia. During their discussions, reference was made in particular to the preparations for the forthcoming World Summit on the Information Societies, scheduled for Tunis in November 2005. ALECSO will be organizing a side event workshop on « Recent methods in distance education. »