“Together we must promote equality and justice for all. Together we must find ways of facilitating and brokering peace. Together we must strive for the wellbeing of our world”
The President of Malta addresses the Leaders’ Forum at the 38th Session of the UNESCO General Conference
Her Excellency, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca today addressed the Leaders’ Forum at the 38th Session of the UNESCO General Conference. During her speech, Her Excellency highlighted the major issues which world leaders should be focusing on so as to ensure the wellbeing of our world. These include; food security, gender inequality, access to education and threats to sustainability.
The President of Malta mentioned that there must be a renewed commitment to safeguard human dignity and human rights, “not for the privileged few but for each and every one of us, wherever we live and whatever our circumstances”. She had also made reference to this commitment in her speech at the UN Summit on Sustainable Development Goals in September 2015.
Her Excellency said that the role of the UNESCO is critical and referred to it as a ‘guide and a companion’ in this journey. She said that we need to see this moment in our history as an opportunity for the global community to uncover the root causes of inequality – “We must openly and honestly explore the structural inequalities that perpetuate harmful cycles of privilege and oppression, and in the process damage the lives of countless millions”.
The President also called for a change in the approach of how economic improvement is measured, adding that world leaders must be more comprehensive in their policy formulation. This is so because, many a time, economies appear to be performing excellently in terms of economic output but then the standards of living do not reflect a similar and corresponding improvement. “Economies would in many cases register growth but people in poverty or at risk of poverty would still face the same precarious situations”.
Tieing to this, Her Excellency said economic indicators and policies cannot be simply determined just by economic factors. Other factors which need to be taken into consideration are the indicators of wellbeing within communities, as these are determinants which are of equal importance.
The President also made a heartfelt plea in favour of the achievement of gender equality, which is one of UNESCO’s global priorities, and mentioned that gender equality is an ‘affirmation of basic human dignity’ and that it ‘is necessary to create sustainable and peaceful societies’. It was here that Her Excellency mentioned the He4She campaign which is spearheaded internationally by UN Women, with Her Excellency’s involvement as one of ten state leaders throughout the globe. This initiative is being promoted in Malta through the President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society, to which the President has added a focus on the protection and empowerment of gender minorities.
Lastly, Her Excellency spoke about a project which is currently being finalized by the President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society – the Institute for Peace and Wellbeing, which will bring together a number of international academic and professional partners who will be researching, motivating and inspiring cultures of peace and wellbeing, exploring best practices and finding the most efficient and effective systems of knowledge sharing.
“Through this institute we shall engage with communities, with a special focus on the Mediterranean region. We want to learn about how communities can achieve wellbeing, as active citizens who can effectively access and enjoy their rights. We want to promote inclusive spaces within societies as a direct pathway to peace and wellbeing”.
The President said that peace and wellbeing are two pillars that provide the most firm foundation for the future, and those of future generations. She called on those present to do all that is within their power to eradicate poverty, diffuse conflict and ensure the equality of all members of the human family.
“Together we must promote equality and justice for all. Together we must find ways of facilitating and brokering peace. Together we must strive for the wellbeing of our world”.