UNESCO new head calls on members to build new era of peace

PARIS. November 16. KAZINFORM. Irina Bokova, new head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),sent a message in a video on Sunday, calling on all members and partners to work for building "a new era of peace"; Kazinform refers to Xinhua

   On the first day in office, the director-general released an over five-minute video on the UNESCO website, laying out her work priorities and wishes as stressing various crisis facing the world.

    In Bokava's speech, poverty, illiteracy, the declining diversity, water shortage, climate change and the disappearance of languages are some major challenges.

    "Globalization is a whole mark of our times, it leads to new openings," Irina said, calling for "tolerance, respect for culture diversity and dialogue" among cultures to tackle with multifarious crisis.

    She also mentioned to "give top priority to Africa, small developing states, post-conflict countries and gender equality."

   Bokova, 57, sealed victory in the fifth round of balloting at the end of September, and was officially confirmed by the General Conference of UNESCO on Oct. 15. Her four-year term is successive to that of Japanese Matsuura Koichiro, 72, who worked for 10 years on the post; Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.news.xinhuanet.com for full version.