Paris (AFP)
Rising budget, project launches: the 40th General Conference of UNESCO seems to confirm a new impetus for the organization, two years after the election at the head of the French Audrey Azoulay who had then promised to restore confidence in a emblematic institution of multilateralism in crisis.
"The world needs more Unesco, no less than Unesco, this is the clear message sent by this General Conference", from 12 to 27 November at the headquarters of the organization in Paris, commented to the AFP Mrs. Azoulay.
For the latter, the mandate of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is at the center of the challenges of today's world, as illustrated at the Conference of ethics of artificial intelligence, refugee education or open science.
"In a consolidated political and budgetary framework, with a budget adopted for the first time in 20 years, it is a saving moment for UNESCO," she said.
The 193 member countries voted a budget that increased by more than $ 16 million to $ 534 million.
"It is still a rare decision in the UN world to agree to pay a little more at this time," says Nicolas Kassianides, the Chief of Staff of the Director General.
Another sign of a "renewed confidence" for Ms. Azoulay: the surge in extra-budgetary contributions for targeted projects, such as the ambitious plan to rebuild Mosul, the former stronghold of jihadists in Iraq, devastated in 2017 .
In the first half of 2019, these voluntary contributions increased by 41%, to $ 161 million, compared to the first half of 2018.
Moreover, countries are now up to date - "at 90%" - of their payments after years of acute crisis and accumulation of arrears. Large countries like the United Kingdom and Japan have settled their debt, at the end of "an in-depth dialogue".
In addition to the emphasis on education, particularly girls, and technological changes, as soon as she was elected, Ms. Azoulay prioritized the appeasement of tensions that dangerously undermined the organization, saying to AFP "to work in upstream on divisive issues to find common solutions ". Either: depoliticize Unesco and refocus it on its primary missions.
- Decisions by consensus -
This was immediately translated into the ultra-sensitive issues of the Middle East (heritage of Jerusalem, education in the occupied territories ...). In its first year in office, twelve decisions were taken by consensus, after a negotiation facilitated by the Unesco Secretariat between Israel, the Palestinians, the Arab countries, postponing the subjects who are angry, too political.
To the extent that in June 2018, the Israeli ambassador to Unesco had decided in favor of postponing the departure of his country from the organization.
Israel and the United States nevertheless left UNESCO at the end of 2018, as announced in October 2017, with Washington accusing the organization of anti-Israeli bias. They had already suspended payment of their dues in 2011 when Palestinians became members.
This disaffection remained isolated. At the 40th General Conference, no fewer than 90 ministers and nine deputy ministers of education, as well as 92 ministers and 24 deputy ministers of culture, were present in addition to 14 heads of state, including most, it is true, had also come to Paris for the Forum of Peace of November 12-13.
"There is no other place in the world where you can have such a concentration of Ministers of Education and Culture", "that proves that Unesco is very relevant on these issues," he said. -on the staff of the institution.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made the opening move, praising, among other things, the role of Unesco in defending multilateralism, its work in favor of education, youth, science.
In these areas, several initiatives resulted in the conference. One should lead to a global convention allowing the recognition of qualifications in higher education from one country to another, a first in the UN system.
A second is the decision to mandate Unesco to work on the development of ethical standards in artificial intelligence.
© 2019 AFP