Every two years, Ministers from around the world gather at UNESCO headquarters in Paris to chart the course in terms of culture, education and science on a global scale and each present the results of the previous two years.
The General Conference is also the major decision-making body at UNESCO: elections to committees and working groups, approval of budgets, votes on main texts and resolutions, etc. In 2023, Belgium, and particularly Wallonia-Brussels, took an active part in it which bore fruit!
The expertise and commitment of Wallonia-Brussels rewarded
Under the leadership of Wallonia-Brussels International and the Wallonia-Brussels General Delegation in Paris, this General Conference proved to be particularly profitable for our involvement within UNESCO.
This is first of all the case in the field of human sciences, with the exceptional election of Marie-Geneviève Pinsart as president of the Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee. Ms. Pinsart is a professor at the Free University of Brussels. Its designation is an honor for research in French-speaking Belgium, strengthening our scientific excellence and contributing to our international recognition as pioneers of innovation in bioethics. While leading countries in research such as Japan, the United States and China are preparing to join this same committee, the presidency exercised by Ms. Pinsart until 2025 will allow the Wallonia-Brussels Federation to play a central role in negotiations on the ethics of neurotechnologies and other scientific advances.
Our commitment was also highlighted in the field of cultural and natural heritage. Indeed, the World Heritage Committee is a flagship body of UNESCO in terms of reputation and expertise. Remember that Belgium and its regional governments are decision-making members until 2025. The previous edition of the Committee last September, in Saudi Arabia, saw the inclusion of First World War burial sites in Wallonia and Flanders on the list. World Heritage list.
For this next edition, it was decided that the Committee would be chaired and take place under the auspices of the Indian Government, with the appointment of Martin Ouaklani as Rapporteur. Mr. Ouaklani is an advisor to the Wallonia-Brussels General Delegation in Paris and diplomatic representative to UNESCO and the OECD. His role during the next session will be, alongside the President and the vice-presidents, to ensure the proper functioning of the Committee and to ratify all the decisions adopted. This is an unprecedented mark of confidence shown by UNESCO and foreign delegations towards Wallonia.
Note that Belgium was also elected (or re-elected) to other important committees and bodies of this organization such as the Legal and Headquarters Committees, the International Hydrological Program or the Scientific Committee for Underwater Cultural Heritage. Wallonia-Brussels also serves as vice-president of the Group of French-speaking ambassadors at UNESCO.
On the occasion of the education ministerial meeting, let us finally point out that the Notre-Dame-des-Champs school in Uccle was awarded an award for a video project on education for peace. This prize is awarded each year during a youth competition organized by UNESCO and France Télévisions. This year's jury was chaired by Ms. Marina Picasso and included among its ranks the Belgian singer Alice on the Roof. This recognition is an illustration of the creativity, values and sense of solidarity of our youth!
A remarkable presence of French-speaking Belgium
Beyond these pleasing distinctions, the presence of our experts, our operators and our civil society from Wallonia and Brussels took place in several aspects.
One of the highlights of this General Conference was the holding of the Intergovernmental Conference for the Safeguarding and Development of Angkor, with the exceptional participation of the King of Cambodia. The General Delegation took part alongside Belgian researcher Bénédicte Selfslagh, one of the site’s scientific experts. The event assessed the progress of the past three decades and set a strategy for the future of the Angkor and Sambor Prei Kuk temples.
Wallonia-Brussels was also able to count on its young talents. During the 13th UNESCO Youth Forum, which focused on climate change, Sean Nart, a student at the Free University of Brussels, had the opportunity to serve as rapporteur. As a UN Youth Delegate, Sean brought the voices of young people around the world, making their recommendations on the social impact of climate change to the President of the General Conference!
By bringing together actors from around the world, the General Conference was also an opportunity for meetings and cooperation with international partners. Thus, a productive meeting could be organized between the President and the Secretary General of the French-speaking Belgian Commission for UNESCO, MM. Yves Rouyet and Claude Gonfroid, with their counterparts from the French National Commission. The opportunity for managers and experts to exchange their best practices and strengthen the already close ties between our two countries