In his opening remarks to Members of the Diplomatic corps, Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, paid tribute to the success achieved by Namibia in terms of economic performance and noted that the high priority given to education and training has helped to bring the adult literacy rate to nearly eighty percent. “This indicator, together with the good results obtained in gender equity, encourages us to be very optimistic about the chances of Namibia to achieve the Education for All goals,” he said. The President of the General Conference, the Chairperson of the Executive Board, and the Chairperson of the Africa Group also addressed the meeting.

In his speech on the subject of “Namibia: from the liberation struggle to a peaceful and democratic society”, President Nujoma noted that the relationship between Namibia and UNESCO dates back to the independence movement when the Organization provided scholarships and other training programmes to Namibians in exile. He also commended the Organization for having given priority to Education for All, HIV/AIDS prevention education, teacher training and the promotion of cultural diversity.

During the ensuing bilateral meeting, between President Nujoma and Director-General Matsuura, a detailed examination was made of the cooperation established between UNESCO and Namibia. President Nujoma highlighted the need for increased investment in education as a tool for socioeconomic development in his country and expressed the hope that UNESCO would continue to provide technical assistance notably in the key areas of teacher-training and the development of capacity in the teaching of mathematics and sciences, domains that were neglected during the apartheid era. He also stressed the importance of sub-regional and regional cooperation, noting Namibia’s involvement in the resettlement of Angolan refugees and participation in the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia.

The Director-General welcomed the priority that the Namibian Government was giving to education and stressed the need to mobilize more extrabudgetary resources to cater for teacher training and HIV/AIDS prevention education. He also noted the importance of preserving the rich cultural heritage of Namibia, both tangible and intangible. He went on to highlight UNESCO’s interventions in post-conflict countries in Africa, including Liberia, where the Organization is providing assistance in the reconstruction of the educational institutions.

The President was accompanied by Mr Marco Hausiku, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Jesaya Nyamu, Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Wilfried Emvula, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Namibia to UNESCO and Ms Trudie Amulungu, Secretary-General of the Namibian National Commission.