Cuban education minister achieves broad agenda at UNESCO

On the second day of the forum scheduled to November 24, the official participated in a high-level meeting organized by the multilateral entity and France on the need to increase investments in education after the impact of COVID-19, and in the launch of the report Rethinking Our Future Together: A New Social Contract for Education.

Velasquez was one of the three ministers, along with her counterparts from Bangladesh and Slovenia, chosen to intervene in the presentation of the report, where UNESCO Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, and UN Secretary-General, Antonio, presented the criteria. and the Ethiopian President, Sahle Work Zewde, the latter two via video message.

The Cuban Minister acknowledged the importance of the report and highlighted the need to address the sector’s challenges from international cooperation, debate, collective thinking and the political will of governments.

“What we do today will be critical to ensuring tomorrow. The future of education will depend on our solution to the already accumulating problems such as illiteracy, poverty, inequality, discrimination and the consequences of the unjust international system.

This Wednesday, the Minister spoke with Venezuela’s Minister of Science and Technology, Gabriela Jimenez, at a meeting in which they reaffirmed the will of the two countries to strengthen their cooperation in UNESCO’s areas of competence.

The day before, Velasquez received Director General Azoulay and Deputy Director of Education Stefania Giannini, assuring them of the island’s commitment to the United Nations specialized organization and readiness to strengthen relations.

In remarks to Prensa Latina, the Cuban Minister commented that at the 41st General Conference, the Caribbean nation arrived with messages ranging from a call to prioritize inclusive education as a guarantee of a better future for humanity to certifying its will to make available to needy nations its modest experiences and achievements.

Among the sectors in which the largest of the Antilles makes its contribution to the international community, he mentioned the fight against illiteracy, in which the Cuban method Yes I can, is of great value and has already been applied in more than 30 countries.

He also referred to the experiences that Al Jazeera had accumulated in the field of early childhood education, special education and technical vocational education.

msm / wmr