Thursday, July 4th, 2019
Others
MEXT Minister Shibayama Masahiko, who is visiting Paris to attend the G7 Education Ministers’ meeting, met with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Audrey Azoulay at the headquarters of UNESCO. The heads exchanged views on measures underway in the fields of education, science and culture, and on the proposed draft action plan for the comprehensive review of the Memory of the World (MoW) Programme.
Minister Shibayama said it is important for nations to be able to contribute to the MoW Programme’s initial purpose which aims to promote friendship and mutual understanding based on the system engaged in by Member States, and to prevent politicization of the programme. Minister Shibayama said Japan will work to steadily implement its responsibilities expected by UNESCO.
Director-General Azoulay declared the sense of crisis on how over-politicization may damage UNESCO’s image, and said she will work to promote the ongoing reform of UNESCO toward the goal of its de-politicization.
Shibayama spoke to the press after the meeting, saying both sides have confirmed a common understanding on reform.
