Attitude from Siviwe Gwarube: Uzbekistan has successfully hosted the UNESCO General Conference

Siviwe Gwarube, Minister of Basic Education of South Africa, shared her views with the Dunyo Information Agency correspondent on the significance of the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference, which opened on 30 October in Samarkand:

"Firstly, I want to congratulate Uzbekistan for the exemplary hosting of the General Conference. Having recently hosted the "G20" Education Working Group on African soil, we truly appreciate the remarkable efforts of countries that are stepping up to host major international gatherings, even when they are not traditionally considered as usual venues. Anyone attending can attest that Uzbekistan has done an outstanding job.

I believe anyone present here would agree that Uzbekistan has done an outstanding job. It is important that discussions led by organizations such as UNESCO are not confined solely to their headquarters in Paris. We must understand that the challenges facing Uzbekistan are similar to those confronting South Africa. These issues are global, and it is therefore essential to share such platforms.

What matters most for us is that we are here. Recently, we hosted the G20 Education Working Group in our country, which was one of those historic meetings where we witnessed how the world, amid growing divisions, was able to reach consensus on certain educational principles.

We remain fully committed to UNESCO’s agenda. It is deeply regrettable that some countries are withdrawing from UNESCO. I believe, as you know, it is crucial to uphold multilateralism and to address the divisions we are witnessing across the world. We must recognize the universality of the challenges we face globally — whether financial constraints or the pursuit of improved educational outcomes — these are common issues for all of us and for UNESCO Member States.

It has been truly a pleasure to be here in Uzbekistan, and we wish the country every success".