UNESCO to mull Palestine membership bid

By Talal Al-Kandari
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will mull Palestine membership bid during the 36th Session of its General Conference which will open here on Tuesday, October 25.
The Executive Board of the Organization approved on October 5 Palestine application for membership and the applications of Corasao and Saint Martin for joining the organization as associate members.
The conference will bring together representatives of the 193 member states of the Organization, including Kuwaiti Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr. Ahmad Al-Mulaifi with UNESCO's Director-General Irina Bokova attending.
It will also discuss the Organization's medium-term strategy for promoting the concepts of sustainable development and the culture of peace as well as the budget for 2012-13.
This year's session of the biannual conference will be chaired by Hungary's Permanent Delegate to the UNESCO Katalin Bogyay in the presence of presidents of Hungary Pal Sshmitt, Benin Thomas Yayi Boni, Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov, Cote d'Ivoire Alassane Dramane Ouattara, Gabon Ali Ben Bongo Ondimba, and Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Kuwait's Permanent Delegate Dr. Ali Al-Tarrah will act as deputy chairman for the promotion of sustainable development and the culture of peace.
Led by Minister Al-Mulaifi, the Kuwaiti delegation to the event includes Rector of Kuwait University Dr. Abdullatif Al-Bader, Director General of the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training Dr. Abdulrazzaq Al-Nafisi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education Dr. Khaled Al-Saad, Director of the Arab center for educational studies Dr. Marzouq Al-Ghunaim, and Secretary-General of Kuwait National Commissions for UNESCO Abdullatif Ahmad Al-Baijan.
UNESCO to mull Palestine membership bid