Mr. President, Mme. Director General, Colleagues,

Multilateralism and the shared desire to work jointly, to deal with challenges and find collective solutions to common problems, are the very reasons we are here. Yet, despite an unquestionable record, multilateralism continues to be under pressure. Therefore, the need for a stronger, efficient and modern organization remains a priority and Albania is very attached and committed to this goal. It is in this spirit that we prepare to assume during 2020 the Chairmanship in Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.  • We welcome the recent initiative by France and Germany on the Alliance for Multilateralism, an open invitation to all countries in order to preserve achievements against a disconcerting rise of nationalism that has, as we know, thrown the world many times into unspeakable abyss.

Albania welcomes the progress made so far in the process of Strategic Transformation. We look forward with great interest to the work on pillar three. The recent MOPAN assessment confirms our views on the need to modernize UNESCO-s overall management systems and we support ongoing efforts. It is reassuring that despite various challenges, including those related to the departure of two Member States, the organization is showing its ability to bring meaningful improvements and provide highquality services. This is exactly what we expect from a committed international organization: clarity of purpose, strategic perspective, identification of means though meaningful programs and results-based management and implementation.

M. le Président,
Nous nous nous félicitons de l’esprit de coopération et d’entente qui a prévalu lors des travaux de la semaine dernière, au sein du comité de Conventions et Recommandations. Il aura fallu des heures bien trop tardives pour rapprocher des points de vue et des positions au départ fort éloignées. Il n’empêche, encore une fois, le comité a fait preuve de bonne volonté, à travers un débat, certes, vif mais toujours utile, en faisant prévaloir cette formidable capacité à s’entendre sur le meilleur choix de préserver et renforcer les acquis et aboutir à des résultats. Les droits de l’homme au sein de l’UNESCO font partie de son ADN et représentent un important pilier auquel l’Albanie demeure profondément attachée.

M. le Président,
Depuis la dernière session, un processus de dialogue a été engagée dans le cadre du Groupe de Travail à Participation Non Limitée sur la reforme du Programme de Mémoire du Monde. Nous nous félicitons, et dans ce cas, en ce qui me concerne, à double titre, de l’esprit de dialogue et des avancées concrètes, prudentes mais palpables, afin de donner à ce programme et ses composantes la place qui leur revient dans l’ensemble du travail et de l’action de l’organisation. A cet effet, j’appelle les Membres du Conseil à accorder au groupe de travail le temps supplémentaire nécessaire afin de continuer la discussion, avec l’espoir et la détermination de mener à bien le processus, dans l’intérêt commun.

M. le Président,
• En juin dernier, lors du Conseil Européen, les dirigeants de l’UE ont décidé d’autoriser la Commission européenne à entamer, en juin 2019, des négociations d’adhésion à l’Union européenne avec l’Albanie. Nous y sommes préparés. Ces négociations ouvriront un nouveau chapitre non seulement dans nos relations avec l’Union mais aussi en ce qui concerne le développement et l’avancement ultérieur du pays dans tous les domaines, ce qui renforcera davantage la mise en œuvre de l’agenda 2030.

Mr. President,
I would like to thank and congratulate the DG for the report presented yesterday, rich and informative, on the work carried during the last months while outlining a clear vision ahead. I would particularly like to highlight the strong focus on Education, in all its underlying layers.

Education represents by far the most ambitious commitment of the organisation in carrying out its mandate but also in the role it has embarked upon as the lead agency in the implementation of SGD 4 within the UN system. This is a major commitment that will bare proof, more than anything else, of the renewed, reinvigorated and energised focus of the organisation as we want it. It is therefore a commitment where UNESCO cannot and must not fail.

The world today is in need of many things, in many areas, in all aspects and in all regions. But it needs, more than anything else, quality education for all, teaching of critical and independent thinking since early age, aware of the growing challenges posed by online content, intentionally distorted newsfeeds, rising discrimination and widespread hate speech.

As part of a continuous effort to consolidate a modern system of education, recently, the Government in Albania, as part of w renewed Pact for University, has established a digital online library, where school texts, scientific magazines and publications will be made available and free of charge to all students and the academic staff, as a concrete effort to respond to the need to facilitate and disseminate knowledge and education support materials.

Mr. President,
UNESCO’s work to advance and promote science in the interests of peace, sustainable development and human security and wellbeing, remains of paramount importance. We support the initiative of Open Science to establish free open access to knowledge trough a hub of networks in support of research and development by connecting together public universities and research centers in order to make access to science an open space to the benefit of all.

We do not need reminding of the importance of water; climate change hazards do it every time more often. Diktas, as is the first ever attempted globally to introduce sustainable integrated management principles in a transboundary karst freshwater aquifer of the Dinaric Karst System, as well as the MedPrograme, have a large regional outreach and will bring large-scale positive impacts on the global environment of the countries involved. These programs have our full support.

Mr. President,
Let me conclude on the issue of the Safety of journalists, which remains an important area of our work. We strongly welcome the related report and the important work of UNESCO in this field. We underline UNESCO’s lead role and key actions in the implementation of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and Issue of Impunity which should be upheld and further strengthened.

Finally, Mr. Chairman, Albania aligns with the statement of the the European Union.