Paris, October 09 (QNA) - HE Chairperson of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Qatar's Permanent Representative to the organization Dr. Nasser bin Hamad Al Hinzab has stressed that protecting education and culture and promoting dialogue are fundamental pillars of peacebuilding and mutual understanding among peoples.

His Excellency made the remarks in his opening address at the 225th session of UNESCO's Executive Board, emphasizing that peace does not begin when conflicts end, but is built in schools and educational institutions through culture, knowledge and respect for others. He called for protecting schools and universities from attacks, describing them as safe spaces for learning and hope.

He warned that attacks on educational institutions not only destroy buildings but also threaten the future of entire generations. Protecting education, he said, is fundamentally about protecting peace, while safeguarding culture and heritage preserves peoples' identities, collective memory and right to the future.

Protecting journalists and freedom of expression, he added, is equally essential to defending truth and the right to knowledge.

Al Hinzab noted that UNESCO is undergoing significant institutional changes that present an opportunity to strengthen its ability to fulfil its mandate effectively and efficiently.

He stressed that these changes must reinforce the organization's credibility, transparency and responsiveness to the priorities of member states.

His Excellency underscored the Executive Board's responsibility to safeguard trust in the organization and ensure effective, accountable oversight, with the aim of building a more efficient and transparent UNESCO capable of delivering results while preserving the global nature of its mission.

Addressing institutional reform, he highlighted the need to tackle UNESCO's financial, structural and operational challenges, strengthen confidence in the integrity of its procedures and decision-making, and act on findings and recommendations from oversight, audit and accountability reports.

He said UNESCO had implemented or accepted 79 percent of the relevant recommendations issued by the Joint Inspection Unit, while 64 recommendations remained outstanding, including 36 that had been pending for more than two years.

These figures, he noted, underscore the need to sustain reform efforts and strengthen follow-up and accountability mechanisms.

Al Hinzab described the UNESCO 80 initiative as an important opportunity to improve the organization's performance, stressing that reform must go beyond structural changes to ensure the availability of the expertise, skills, resources and working methods needed to implement programs approved by member states effectively.

He added that the initiative's success would be measured by its ability to enhance UNESCO's effectiveness and better address member states' expectations and priorities, commending the Director-General's efforts to advance the reform process.

Concluding his address, Al Hinzab said the ongoing reforms marked the beginning of a process requiring courage, perseverance, discipline and commitment from all parties.

His Excellency stressed the importance of upholding transparency, accountability, fairness, effectiveness and respect for the organization's constitutional mandate. (QNA)