The 205th UNESCO Executive Board Plenary Session was held on Tuesday (Oct 9) at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, as noted in a press statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Paris received here on Thursday.
"Indonesia supports the process of UNESCO`s strategic transformation, so that it will be more relevant and beneficial for all its member countries," Ambassador Hotmangaradja Pandjaitan, Indonesia`s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, noted.
The meeting, opened on October 8, 2018, and to be held until October 17, 2018, will discuss various issues related to UNESCO`s programs, mainly in the fields of education, science, culture, communication, and information as well as issues of UNESCO`s operational management and administration.
On the occasion, the Indonesian government highlighted the importance of the commitment of all UNESCO member countries to help UNESCO emerge from the financial crisis.
Indonesian Ambassador Pandjaitan also praised the efforts of UNESCO to hold the Partners` Forum last September to upgrade UNESCO`s partnership with external partners, donors, and potential partners.
In the field of science, Indonesia affirmed its commitment to actively participating in various organizations and mechanisms of UNESCO, particularly those related to biosphere reserves and issues related to water and sea.
Ambassador Pandjaitan lauded UNESCO member countries that had supported the nominations of Deputy of Life Sciences at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Prof. Dr. Enny Sudarmonowati as chair of the International Coordinating Council to the Man of Biosphere (ICC MAB) Program, UNESCO, for the 2018-2020 period.
Indonesia, as the host of the 30th ICC MAB Session in Palembang, South Sumatra, in July 2018, expressed hope that results of the meeting, including the Palembang Declaration, would strengthen efforts to conserve biosphere reserves.
With regard to water issues, the Indonesian government affirmed its commitment to hosting the Asia Pacific Center for Ecohydrology (APCE), which is a UNESCO Category II Center.
Hence, Indonesian Ambassador Pandjaitan appealed to UNESCO member countries, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, to be able to collaborate with APCE in the fields of research and training as well as other activities.
The Indonesian government also reiterated its keenness to actively participate in the field of marine science and also the tsunami early warning system.
In order to further enhance cooperation in the field of science with UNESCO, Indonesia supports the efforts of the Director General of UNESCO to improve coordination between the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and the UNESCO Representative Offices, especially in Jakarta, in implementing various UNESCO programs.
Similar to other UNESCO member countries, Indonesia emphasized its commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 targets regarding education, particularly in providing quality education for sustainable development through formal and non-formal approaches.
Some of the main strategies undertaken by Indonesia included strengthening the educational system as well as improving quality and access to education for early childhood and secondary education.
At the UNESCO Session, Indonesian Ambassador Pandjaitan also conveyed a statement on behalf of a group of ASEAN countries at UNESCO, which emphasized the priority of rotation on subsidiary bodies and UNESCO`s governing bodies as part of UNESCO`s strategic transformation. ASEAN countries view that rotation needs to be optimized to provide equal opportunities for member countries to play an optimal role.
Editing by Yoseph Hariyadi
Reporter: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Editor: Andi Abdussalam
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