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On 23 June, the Director-General of UNESCO met the President of Paraguay, H.E. Horacio Cartes Jara, on the occasion of her first visit to the country.
The Director General emphasized Paraguay’s important role for the Organization, including in its first role as a member of the Executive Board. She congratulated the Government for its commitment to implementing the 2030 Agenda and expressed the full support of UNESCO to Paraguay in its efforts to consolidate progress.
President Horacio Cartes addressed the issues of quality education, reform of higher education, teacher training and the introduction of new communication technologies in education. Young people under 30 years represent today 70 percent of the Paraguayan society.
In the bilateral meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Eladio Loizaga, Irina Bokova pointed to the need to outline a cooperation plan with Paraguay in all areas of competence of the Organization, especially lifelong education, tangible and intangible cultural heritage, access to public information, safety of journalists and scientific cooperation. The minister declared that "we are winning lost time -- there is a strong commitment and follow-up. "
On the same day, the Director General gave a lecture on "UNESCO's response to the challenges of 2030 Agenda for sustainable development" at the National Congress of Paraguay.
"With the support of Member States, and I thank Paraguay here, UNESCO’s mandate, UNESCO’s competences, UNESCO’s experience, stand at the heart of the new global agenda”, she declared to the audience of Members of Congress, government officials, the diplomatic corps and representatives of UN agencies.
Accompanied by the President of the Supreme Court, Ms. Alicia Pucheta Correa, the Director General also met with the Ministers of the Supreme Court and discussed the progress made in freedom of expression and security of journalists. The Director congratulated the Supreme Court for its decision to create a mechanism considered an example for the region, involving the three branches of government in the defense of freedom of expression. She was impressed and deeply moved by the visit to the Museum of Justice, whose Documentation Center and archive for the defense of human rights has been included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme since 2009.
In addition, the Director General participated with the Minister of Education and Culture of Paraguay, Mr. Enrique Riera Escudero, in a special meeting with the Paraguayan National Commission, in which they discussed advances in the cooperation between Paraguay and UNESCO. The Director-General commended the country's commitment to ensuring intercultural education for indigenous communities, respecting multilingualism.
"This is essential for quality of learning, it is essential for national cohesion, it is essential to make the best of all the talents of the country," she affirmed. On that occasion the Director General took part in the launch of the 3rd volume of “Docentes aprendiendo en red” (DAR) devoted to Paraguay’s women poets and writers.
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