The UNESCO Conference “Addressing Literacy Challenges in Europe with Sub-Regional Focus: Building Partnerships and Promoting Innovative Approaches”
The UNESCO Conference “Addressing Literacy Challenges in Europe with Sub-Regional Focus: Building Partnerships and Promoting Innovative Approaches” has started in Baku on May 14 at the Gulustan Palace, within the framework of the series of UNESCO`s Regional Conferences for Support to Literacy in the World.
First Lady of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva made her remarks at the opening of the conference.
Speech by Mehriban Aliyeva:
Mr Director General of UNESCO!
Your Highnesses!
Your Excellencies!
Ladies and gentlemen!
I sincerely greet all participants and visitors of the UNESCO regional conference on the theme of support to literacy in Europe. Welcome to Azerbaijan!
Action of UNESCO in field of development of education is highly assessed all over the world. Taking this opportunity, I express my gratitude to Director General of UNESCO Mr Koichiro Matsuura for intensive and multilateral activity in field of support to science, education and culture and services to building the cooperation among countries.
I greet with pleasure our special guests – Her Highness Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, Her Highness Princess Firyal and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, former president of Iceland His Excellency Vigdis Finnbogadottir. I express them my special thanks for actively supporting this conference and being with us today.
Today, we are delighted to meet with heads and officials of national education systems from over 30 countries of Europe, as well famous experts and representatives of a number of influential international organizations.
The Baku conference is the continuation of the UNESCO regional and sub-regional conferences directed to supporting the global literacy. This is a part of joint efforts towards promotion of literacy on national, regional and international levels.
UNESCO is mobilizing the resources to assure an open and equal access of nation of every country to education. Special attention is paid to assurance of access to high quality education and removal of illiteracy.
It is impossible not to mention importance of the present forum for further development of education in European countries. This event will help to fruitfully solve illiteracy problems in our continent.
European countries have successfully promoted literacy via the national policy. However, general literacy is in the traditional high level, there are still special problems and challenges in this field too.
Our conference aims to catch attention of the European community to the solution of most important problems in field of literacy and adult education. This is a special opportunity to discuss current education problems. The event will let exchange views on the new ideas, experience and most suitable work.
The conference will define general approaches, also effective methods and means used to promote literacy and adult education. We hope final documents and recommendations of the conference will reflect newly defined ideas and measures towards increasing the quality of education in Europe.
This forum will inform of measures taken by different national governments and international organizations and strengthen the dialog. It will ensure the high standard of literacy in the continent of Europe.
I hope the conference will make a significant contribution to formation of national strategies for solution of literacy and education problems. This event will serve the successful implementation of the Education for All Programme.
I value realization of such an important conference in Baku as approval of achievements Azerbaijan has gained in promotion of its policy in field of education. I am glad that UNESCO and Azerbaijan successfully cooperate in a number of spheres and have built a firm supporting partnership at the moment.
Azerbaijan is rapidly developing. The modernization policy covers all the spheres of life: economic, political and cultural spheres. Stable political state and growing economic development help successfully solve education problems. It serves application, use and development of new technologies. Over 600,000 new workplaces have been opened in the country during last 4 years. There is of course serious need for formation of specialists in a lot of fields of economy, management, banking and other sectors. ‘Adult Education’ is one of most successful projects carried out in this field.
The government attaches special importance to creation of the national education system meeting the very modern requirements, invests in development of education infrastructure and construction of modern plants. Large-scale programmes are performed to develop education and lift it to the European standards.
Special state programme in our country has been directed to settlement of the following existing problems: weak application of modern learning methods, deficiencies in formation of specialists and low-level use of modern information technologies during learning. We face these issues in a number of other post soviet countries.
I think, Azerbaijan has gained good progress and is in the right direction. Our biggest problem is the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Daghlig Garabagh conflict. Ethnic cleansing policy of Armenia has resulted in creation of a million of refugees and IDPs. A new generation living in this circumstance has been formed for last 20 years. Refugee and IDP children suffer from consequences of the conflict.
Despite the situation is complicated our government has assured the corresponding level of education for those children. To solve their education problems we have created the model of education supporting infrastructure in regions. At present, all children receive education given by their teachers, schools of the occupied districts operate in the same level like other secondary schools. This is one of our most important achievements for last 10 years.
Multilateral support to development of education is one of priorities in action of Heydar Aliyev Foundation. From its establishment the Foundation has given huge contribution to development of education in the country. For example, in frame of the New School to New Azerbaijan Programme more than 200 schools have been built in different regions of the country and supplied with modern equipment by the Foundation. Education for children in boarding schools is of special significance to us.
Heydar Aliyev Foundation keeps on enhancing cooperation with UNESCO and supports this organization. The Foundation performs several joint projects and programmes. UNESCO, the Azerbaijani Government and Heydar Aliyev Foundation signed in 2007 the agreement on implementation of the project for development of vocational education in our country.
Today’s conference is a new model of our cooperation. Via our joint cooperation we will establish firmer and long-term relations that will be useful for everyone.
In the end, I want to express my hope that this conference will be a new stimulus to establishment of closer and wider relations among our countries. The event will help strengthening of cooperation among representatives of the national education systems of all the European countries and lift our partnership to the new level.
I once again express my sincere gratitude to initiators, organizers and participants of this event, as well as all persons having actively worked in preparation of this conference.
I hope you will be pleased of your visit to Azerbaijan. I wish great success to all you. Thank you.