REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON Peace - Work - Fatherland CIVIL CABINET COMMUNICATION UNIT
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REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON
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The President of the Republic, H.E. Paul BIYA at the 38th Session of the General Conference and the 70th Anniversary of UNESCO
Paris, 16 – 18 November 2015
CAMEROON - UNESCO
A Full and Friendly Cooperation
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REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN Paix - Travail - Patrie CABINET CIVIL CELLULE DE COMMUNICATION REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON Peace - Work - Fatherland CIVIL CABINET COMMUNICATION UNIT
# STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT PAUL BIYA AT THE 34TH GENERAL CONFERENCE OF UNESCO
Paris, 23 October 2007
The President of the General Conference of UNESCO, The Chair of the Executive Council, Mr. Director-General, Mr Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Heads of Delegation, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like first of all to say how pleased I am to be with you in this prestigious hall, in response to the kind invitation of Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura.
I am moved by your very warm welcome, the kind remarks made about my country and me by the President of the Conference and the honour given me to address, for the first time, your eminent assembly on the occasion of the 34th General Conference of our organization.
Cameroon and UNESCO maintain fruitful and exemplary cooperation ties. My presence here is an expression of such cooperation as well as a testimony to the interest we have in an organization whose goals, actions and achievements are entirely in line with the deep aspirations of all our peoples.
In the wake of the Second World War, the founding countries of UNESCO assigned it the exalting mission of casting out war from people's minds and averting it between nations. To that end, it was mandated to promote science which fosters better understanding of the world, education which gives access to knowledge and, lastly, culture which is a source of fulfilment and communion.
Since its inception, UNESCO, thanks to the determination of its successive leaders and in spite of the difficult economic climate, has performed the missions assigned to it in a generally satisfactory manner.
At this juncture, I would like to pay tribute to all those who, at one time or another, played a crucial role in the promotion and accomplishment of these lofty tasks. I am referring in particular to Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura for his efforts to champion UNESCO's universal cause and for his role in the successful conduct of the reforms of our organization.
In a changing world of globalization, UNESCO, which celebrates its 61st
anniversary this year, has maintained its full authority over its fundamental responsibilities. It remains the guarantor of the principles and values of universality, justice, respect for human rights and tolerance which constitute the best possible context for dialogue among cultures.