PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Jorien Wuite announced on Thursday that the process to formalise and officially install the St. Maarten National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is advancing.
Candidate’s names have been submitted to Governor Eugene Holiday on the recommendation of UNESCO’s local Secretary-General Marcellia Henry. Once made official by national decree, the first Commission meeting will be called immediately to start consultations in an advisory capacity to Government on achieving UNESCO’s objectives through its fields of competence; Education, the Natural Sciences, the Social Sciences, Culture, Communication and Information.
Although officially signed off in 2013, the Commission was never activated and Minister Wuite made it a priority to ensure that this took precedence.
The Commission will comprise the Minister as Chairperson, the Ministry’s Secretary-General as Deputy Chair, the head of the Foreign Relations Department, experts with knowledge or demonstrable experience in the fields of culture, education, natural or social sciences, media and communication, a representative of youth within society and the UNESCO Secretary-General for a period of three years.
This Commission will offer an opportunity to align with regional and international Commissions to share best practices to further St. Maarten’s positioning with regard to critical development needs and innovation for education, culture, youth and sports.
Wuite did not state in her Thursday press release whether this commission will be finalised before the end of this year.
