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UNESCO in Bangladesh
There comes a piece of good news from the Paris headquarters of UNESCO A recent announcement says that the UN body has approved *50.000 grant to help Bangladesh build tyclone-resistant school buildings With this initial grant — not massive at all in terms of the need — UNESCO will seek international assistance to pay for 100,000 classrooms in the country over a 10-year period, costing an estimated 88 million.
In some ways, other aid agencies have already become involved in this new project. At the request of the OPEC Fund for International Development. UNESCO undertook a mission to Bangladesh in September to prepare the project, especially for primary schools damaged during the April cyclone, estimated at 60 per cent of the total lower-level educational institutions in the area. The project and the design of the school, prepared by a noted UNESCO architect John Bey non. have already evoked interest among other aid agencies, sucn as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). within the framework of the country's longer term education programme
In effect, the launching of the project has been long overdue It was soon after nis appointment as the new Director General erf the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1988. that Dr Frederico Mayor pledged to set up a special fund for Bangladesh — this country was specifically mentioned — for the rehabilitation of the educational system damaged by floods which had Just hit the country On paper, the special fund was probably set up. However, as far as we know, nothing much happened by way of generating international support for this programme.
It might have been a different story had the UNESCO carried out its plan for setting up a subregional office for education tn Dhaka, first promised in early eighties by its the then Director General. Amadou Mahtar M'Bow and later reiterated by the present head. Dr Mayor, in 1989. The request for the establishment of the office came from Dhaka, which was based on the simple logic that the organisation should have a direct presence where it is needed most, especially In the campaign against Illiteracy. With its proximity to Nepal and Bhutan. Bangladesh seemed — and still seems — an ideal location.
In this region. UNESCO offices are located in Beijing, in Jakarta (for science and technology for South East Asia), tn Kuala Lumpur (for communication). tn New Delhi (for science and technology for South Asia) and in Karachi (for Book Development Programme and Communication in South Asia), not to mention the organisation's much larger integrated regional office tn Bangkok. Since much of the work of UNESCO concerns the Least Developed Countries (Lt)Cs) in the organisation's areas of responsibility, there is certainly a case for setting up a sub-regional office in Dhaka, or if It Is not possible, for transferring one of the existing offices in this region to this country.
Whatever moves are taken by UNESCO, the authorities here should be prepared to provide the organisation with all possible assistance, from offering it appropriate premises to supplying it with other logistical support. In this context, the idea of placing all the UN offices under one roof deserves careful consideration.
Where the Interests of this country are concerned, UNESCO is certainly full of good intentions, reflected In many of its good plans, from the development of the country’s education programme to the preservation of its archaeological sites, from assisting media organisations In the field of training to the preparation of modernisation programmes for news agencies.
Many of these plans have been pushed under the carpet due to paucity of funds which. In turn, is due to the delay of two major donors, the United States and Britain, which left UNESCO in mid-eighties, to return to the organisation The two countries which together met over 30 per cent of UNESCO's annual budget were concerned about increasing alleged politicisation of UNESCO. This is no longer the case. Both Washington and London may be now watching Dr Mayor's management style from outside. Even if they are not entirely happy with the way the Spanish chief handles the affairs of UNESCO, it Is infinitely better to be inside the organisation than to be outside, more for the sake of countries which need UNESCO than for Dr Mayor.