U.N.E.S.C.O. issues

Press, 17 July 1980, Page 18

U.N.E.S.C.O. issues

Wellington reporter • Refugee and disaster aid, conservation of cultural and natural Asian and Oceanic heritages, an institute of vulcanology, and an examination, of the effects of population drift on development, are among issues singled out for special attention in the Asia-Pacific area by U.N.E.S.C.O. ’ ■ - * .

At its regional conference in Wellington delegates reached general agreement on the objectives, and are expected to brief their Government representatives to follow them at the international U.N.E.S.C.O. conference later this year. . Other needs identified for Asia and Oceania were lon g-term educational

planning, more and better regionally integrated education in science and technology, more regional cooperation in higher education, co-operation in publication of low-cost children’s books in indigenous languages, and decentralisation of U.N.E.S.C.O. responsibilities to regions. The regional conference agreed that U.N.E.S.C.O. was assisting with refugee problems in Africa and the Middle East, but needed to focus more on Asia, and support reconstruction efforts in countries suffering disruption and damage, and affected by natural disasters. .

Population drift had wide implications for rural development . and urban growth, and was a factor in unemployment and crime. . The quality of human settlements was a high priority in Asia and Oceania. •. ■ .

A , Regional insitute of vulcanology to allow coordination of volcanic studies in Asia -and the Pacific, a regional conservation centre based in Canberra to preserve -cuN 'tufal and? natural heritages, and direction to higher education to ensure national development goals "would be met, were put to delegates as possible priorities.