10 Dec 2013

Botswana can benefit from its United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) membership.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Ms Grace Muzila said at the launch of Botswana National Commission for UNESCO, Friday, December 6 that such benefits are spread across all UNESCO’s fields of competencies including Education, Culture, Natural Sciences, Social and Human Sciences and Communication and Information.

Ms Muzila urged committee members to maximise on the benefits that are made available by UNESCO. She said UNESCO cannot follow up member countries, but it only availed opportunities.

“With a membership of 195 countries, each country makes it a point that they tap into the availed opportunities available to the membership member states, so you cannot sit back and complain that I am subscribing but not getting anything,” she said.

Ms Muzila said there should be structures and systems in place for the committee to benefit from UNESCO as it has some expertise in the fields of education, culture, natural sciences, social and human sciences and communication and information. He said UNESCO was there to guide member states in these areas, adding that UNESCO has strategies and priorities that are aligned to global priorities.

She advised the committee members to be familiar to the UNESCO’s Post 2015 Education Agenda, which she said places emphasis on quality and relevance of education, Skills development and gender equality.

“The members of the committee should know where the torch is pointing for us to be aligned to the bigger picture,” she said.

She said Botswana as a country should contribute to post 2015 education agenda by contributing to the three global priorities of quality and relevance of education, Skills development and gender equality. She advised the committee members not to divert from the global priorities because at the moment the three priorities were the only ones that were aligned to UNESCO, which member states should contribute to.

Botswana National Commission for UNESCO chairperson, Mr Rahim Khan said the National Commission Secretariat advises member states on matters relating to UNESCO and its programmes. He said UNESCO also provides guidance to member states, as well as ensuring proper coordination of national activities relating to UNESCO’s work. ENDS