NEW AMSTERDAM, Berbice — October 12, 2026
Education Minister Honourable Sonia Parag is in Paris for the 225th session of the UNESCO executive board, which runs from October 5 to October 20.
The sitting is significant for Guyana, which now holds a seat on the 58 member governing body and is weighing in on major items including the UNESCO road map.
In her plenary address, Minister Parag backed calls for a UNESCO that is more effective, more responsive and closer to ordinary people. She said Guyana strongly supports the vision of a UNESCO for the people that is more effective, more inclusive and more impactful in the lives of ordinary citizens.
Minister Parag pointed to developments at home, describing one of the most ambitious expansions of education access in Guyana's history. She cited new schools across hinterland and riverine communities, more teachers being trained, and a stronger focus on digital learning and TVET.
Looking ahead, the minister called for artificial intelligence to be governed ethically and with people at the centre. She also called for young people to be treated as partners rather than just beneficiaries, and for stronger protection of cultural heritage and indigenous knowledge.
Minister Parag said young people are not merely beneficiaries of policy, but partners and leaders in shaping the future.
As UNESCO approaches its 80th anniversary, Guyana says the organization must remain anchored in its mandate to build peace while adapting confidently to a changing world, with renewed action for people, especially in developing and vulnerable communities.
Watch the report:
By LRTVS NewsWatch · Channel 10. This report first aired on LRTVS NewsWatch.
Leave a Reply