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Oman: Rowas Inaugurates Education for Sustainable Development Conference in Muscat

Monday, 24 January 2011 23:21

Bokova_-_UNESCO_Conference_in_Oman_Confronting_Challenges-

Oman (Muscat) - Abdul-Aziz bin Mohammed al-Rowas, H.M the Sultan's Advisor for Cultural Affairs today patronized over the inauguration of Education For Sustainable Development Conference for promoting the cultural diversity and Biodiversity in the presence of Yahya bin Saud al-Sulaimi, Education Minister, Chairman of the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science and Dr. Irina Bokova UNESCO Director-General at Oman Auditorium in Al-Bustan Palace Hotel. The conference was organized by the Education Ministry in cooperation with the UNESCO.

Al-Sulaimi said that the convening of this conference in Muscat from January 24th to 26th 2011 comes as a contribution by the Sultanate's in the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) and the International Year of Rapprochement of Cultures and the International Year of Youth (IYY).

"The UN declaration of 2010 as a year for Rapprochement of Cultures has crowned the international decade of the culture of peace and non-violence against the world's children (2001/2010) and a starting point to address the most pressing contemporary issues" al-Sulaimi added.

In continuation of the historical contact between Oman and the world which is based on disseminating peace and cultural dialogue, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has allowed the use of the royal yacht "The Ark of Peace" by the UNESCO for the Silk Route project, as "Shabab Oman" vessel works for promoting and reinforcing the historical ties between the Sultanate and the world through it different voyages, by carrying the message of love and peace". al-Sulaimi pointed out.

The Education Minister also said stemming from the concern about the cultural diversity, the education philosophy has assigned a full item under titled "Reinforcement of World Peace and Understanding", making tolerance, understanding and mutual respect amongst the peoples a main pillar for the individual development and social stability. These goals were interpreted in the academic curricula that pressed the significance of the cultural diversity and peaceful coexistence with others. Preserving the Biodiversity on the planet is one of the fundamentals of the sustainable development and that was clearly declared in the UN declaration in the UNESCO Conference 2009 in Bonn, Germany, by making 2010 an International Year of Biodiversity. This aimed at making the education for sustainable development a method for confronting the main problems in water, energy, climate change, as well as mitigating the effects of the disasters and loss of Biodiversity, food crisis and health hazards.

"The Sultanate has a prominent role in preserving the Biodiversity by implementing the projects, a national strategy and a Biodiversity plan according to the obligations mentioned in the International Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) signed by the Sultanate at the United Nations Environment and Development Conference. The UN General Assembly made the period from August 12th 2010 to August 11th 2011 as a Year of Youth, pressing the importance of the youth in confronting such challenges " al-Sulaimi said.

On his turn, Abdul-Aziz bin Mohammed al-Rawas, H.M. the Sultan's Advisor said that the convening of this conference in cooperation with the UNESCO has crowned the Sultanate's educational move under the prudent saying by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said since the seventies that the human is the main pillar of development.

Al-Rowas also said that Sultanate managed to be the world's number one in terms of the sustainable development and human development in addition to the Sultanate's rush towards the qualitative education to achieve more knowledge and diversity by focusing on qualitative education at the Sultanate's schools.

On the other hand Dr. Irina Bokova the UNESCO Director-General said that this conference reflects the deep ties between the Sultanate and education in general and the education for sustainable development in particular. The UN Human Development Report confirms that the Sultanate of Oman is one of the most developed states in terms of human development in the last forty years, adding that the national concern was reflected upon the health and education. The national initiative of economic vision "Oman 2020" has provided the Sultanate with rich experience in education and sustainable development which was visible in the International Conference on Education for Sustainable Development held in Bonn in 2009. The conference significance comes from pressing the relation between education for sustainable development and biological and cultural diversity.

Then Yahya bin Saud al-Sulaimi, Education Minister Chairman of the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science and Dr. Irina Bokova UNESCO Director-General signed a number of agreements concerning cooperation between the Education Ministry and the UNESCO.
(ONA)

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