KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange today announced that Cabinet has approved Jamaica’s candidature for one of the four seats allotted to the Caribbean on the Executive Board of The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the period 2017-2021.

The election of members to the executive board will take place at the 39th session of the UNESCO General Conference scheduled for October 30 – November 14, 2017, at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.

Grange said “Jamaica is positioning itself to actively engage the policy and development initiatives for the educational, scientific and cultural sectors, as guided by the National Development Plan: Vision 2030 Jamaica.”

Jamaica first served as a member on the Executive Board of UNESCO during the period 1970-1976 and subsequently served six mandates and participated in 51 sessions, in the capacity of both chairperson and representative.

Grange gave the reminder that during its tenure on the board, Jamaica successfully lobbied for and brought to prominence issues related to the right of education for all, universal rights for the disabled, prevention of violence in sports and the development of international instruments, such as the Convention on Cultural Diversity.

The minister said that as a member of the executive board, the GOJ will add significant value to the development of UNESCO’s programme of work, in particular, considerations associated with the realities of Small Island Developing States and developing countries, which are among the most vulnerable and face specific challenges in pursuit of sustainable development.

She will lead Jamaica’s delegation to the General Conference where elections will be held.