United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

“ By encouraging cooperation among the nations in all branches of intellectual activity, including the international exchange of persons active in the fields of education, science and culture and the exchange of publications, objects of artistic and scientific interest and other materials of information ”

“ That the wide diffusion of culture, and the education of humanity for justice and liberty and peace are indispensable to the dignity of man and constitute a sacred duty which all the nations must fulfil in a spirit of mutual assistance and concern ”

“ These immense educational problems cannot be solved overnight but need continued study and appraisal, and in this regard the United Nations Organization deserves credit for focusing world attention on educational problems. ”

“ The Peace Agreements emphasize the role of education in the democratization of society and the State, particularly as regards the country’s multicultural character: “The educational system is one of the most important vehicles for the transmittal and development of cultural values and knowledge. ”

“ Pursuant to the agreements, education should play the role of affirming and disseminating concepts and behaviours conducive to a democratic pluralism that respects human rights and cultural diversity, civic values and the mechanisms of public participation. ”

“ States Parties shall promote and encourage international cooperation in matters relating to education, in particular with a view to contributing to the elimination of ignorance and illiteracy throughout the world and facilitating access to scientific and technical knowledge and modern teaching methods. ”

“ The objectives of the International Education Year are to modernize and improve educational systems and administration for the need of the times, to produce the necessary manpower for national development and to formulate new educational means and ways to strengthen international co-operation and to safeguard mankind. On this occasion, We urge Our people to strive collectively to achieve these objectives through the expansion of education and educational facilities. ”

“ We can and must steer the course of the planet. Humans cannot and must not avoid being the instrument of their own advancement.
We wish to reaffirm our commitment to international law and institutions. Only through them shall we be able to build this fairer and more integrated world of which we dream, where large and small coexist in peace and harmony.
The United Nations, Madam President, is a special instrument in this construction. A year ago, we agreed on a program for the reform of our organization, based on development, security and human rights. ”

“ A fourth is the promotion of Bahá’í scholarship, so that an increasing number of believers will be able to analyse the problems of mankind in every field and to show how the Teachings solve them. A fifth is the development of relations between the Bahá’í International Community and the United Nations both directly with the highest UN institutions and at a grass-roots level in areas of rural development, education, etc. ”

“ The Education Plan 2000-2004 and the Social Policy Matrix reveal the Government’s concern for education. A welcome development has been the process of consultation with civil society undertaken by the Ministry of Education and the Advisory Commission on Educational Reform. Those efforts need to be translated into the rapid implementation of the reform, curriculum changes and the development of teaching materials that also include appropriate contents for democratic civic education and education for participation. ”

“ The educational system in general, and particularly in the field of human rights, is operating in a context devoid of the basic elements necessary for the attainment of its objectives. The various bodies working to promote human rights do so according to institutionally defined objectives and do not coordinate effectively with the others in a concerted effort. ”

“ If you do not watch the education of a country all other international precautions for peace and mutual understanding will be wholly illusory.
An International Board of Education should control the programmes of education of all countries. It should watch that one principle prevails in every educational programme, i.e., the principle of Panhumanism. ”

“ Likewise, the expansion of the activities of the Bahá’í International Community in its relationship with United Nations agencies and other international bodies creates attractive opportunities for scholars to make a direct and highly valued contribution to the enhancement of the prestige of the Faith and to its proclamation within an influential and receptive stratum of society. ”

“ If it is true that the governments of the world are striving through the medium of the United Nations system to construct a new global order, it is equally true that the peoples of the world are galvanized by this same vision. ”

“ Although a great deal of work remains to be done for the United Nations to realize its full potential, we reaffirm our commitment to its goals in order to build a better tomorrow for future generations. ”

“ The Community shall contribute to the development of quality education by encouraging co-operation between Member States and, if necessary, by supporting and supplementing their action, while fully respecting the responsibility of the Member States for the content of teaching and the organization of education systems and their cultural and linguistic diversity. ”