This visit took place within the framework of the series of meetings under Decision 194 EX/31 ("UNESCO at 70 and Future Prospects"). This meeting, organized with the Francophone Group at UNESCO, represented an opportunity to hear the views of the new Secretary-General of La Francophonie and on its close cooperation with UNESCO.
Introductory Speech by Mr Mohamed Sameh Amr, Chairperson of the Executive Board
H.E. Mr Mohamed Sameh Amr congratulated Michaëlle Jean, on behalf of the Members of the Board and in his own name, on her appointment as head of La Francophonie. As the first woman to hold this important position, he praised the progress of talented women leading international organizations. The Chairperson recalled the links between Michaëlle Jean and UNESCO, for which she served as a Special Envoy for Haiti for more than four years. The Executive Board also had the privilege of welcoming her in 2009 at its 182nd session. Finally, he invited the Secretary-General to address the themes in which La Francophonie and UNESCO could strengthen cooperation as "builders of the future.”
Introductory Speech by HAO Ping, President of the General Conference
Mr. HAO Ping warmly welcomed the arrival of the Secretary-General of La Francophonie and recalled that La Francophonie, just as UNESCO, defends the values of peace, cultural diversity and respect for human rights. The President highlighted the significant support La Francophonie brought to the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity during the 31st session of General Conference; initiating a strong cooperation between the two organizations, especially regarding the preservation of cultural heritage in Haiti.
Speech by Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO
Irina Bokova welcomed the visit of the Secretary-General of La Francophonie, describing the pleasure as two-fold: "this official visit is also a friendly visit in addition to the opportunity of reaffirming strong ties between the two organizations” she said. The Director-General congratulated Michaëlle Jean on her nomination as Secretary-General describing it as "a promise for the future: a way of ensuring a dynamic, enthusiastic and committed Francophonie." The Director-General recalled that Madame Jean had been for four years UNESCO’s Special Envoy for Haiti and that together they had visited twice this country following the devastating earthquake in 2010.
Finally, Ms Bokova recalled the complementarity between the two organizations, citing that UNESCO “conveys hope, a vision of peace, an ideal to defend education, culture, and all the highest aspirations of the human being.” The Director-General concluded by saying: "In these troubled times being forced to face violence, intolerance, social divides and regression of universal values, we need strong voices and you, Michaëlle Jean, are undoubtedly one of the clearest and loudest voices that can be heard.”
Speech by Michaëlle Jean, Secretary-General of La Francophonie
Michaëlle Jean expressed her gratitude to the Director-General of UNESCO for the opportunity she offered to assist in the reconstruction of Haiti, her native country, following the 2010 deadly earthquake. In this way, she was able to measure how UNESCO provided "a major contribution to human development" through concrete actions based on quality education and the preservation of cultural heritage. She also referred to UNESCO's ability to work in partnership with the Haitian government, civil society and other international organizations. Indeed, UNESCO and La Francophonie share common values of "dignity, equality and respect for human dignity", which was the inspiration for their creation. The Secretary-General witnessed a strong commitment from both organizations to reinforce multilateralism among all nations in order to face current challenges. In order to increase efficiency, she stressed the importance of "addressing duplication and lack of coordination between our two organizations, but also among other international organizations and non-governmental actors". She said that the ability of international organizations to act depended on the importance and resources granted to them by States. She referred to the unique role of international organizations, such as the United Nations in particular, in the development and adoption of international normative instruments and standards.
The Secretary-General also recalled that UNESCO and La Francophonie shared "a demanding and ambitious notion of the role of education" and that education was "a formidable force of massive construction, against the destructive forces that are fanaticism, obscurantism and terrorism.” She emphasized the role of education for all (boys and girls) in a world where nearly 3 billion people are under 25 years of age. Furthermore, science plays a major role in both organizations as a means to achieve sustainable development through international scientific cooperation.
Finally, both organizations advocate the protection of cultural diversity, and Michaëlle Jean reaffirmed the importance "to continue to fight for the preservation of cultural heritage.” Accordingly, the principle of “one state, one vote" must fully be respected in international organizations and multilingualism should be applied. With the terrible current events in mind, the Secretary-General declared that "… in retaliation, we need more than ever to affirm our commitment to preserve diversity and protect it.”
Intervention by Mr. Khalil Karam, Chairman of the Francophone group at UNESCO
On behalf of the Francophone group at UNESCO, the Chairman thanked Ms Michaëlle Jean, Mr Mohamed Sameh Amr, Mr HAO Ping and Ms Irina Bokova for this morning’s meeting dedicated to cultural diversity, and quoted a phrase from 1846 by Jean-Baptiste Chenet "If the God who hears me in the hidden space, comes one day to talk to a man, his image, he will speak French: this is his language.”