Statement by
Luc Stevens
Resident Representative
UNDP Jordan
Amman, Jordan, 28 April 2007
Launch of two reports on education in Arab Countries
Your Excellency, Dr. Khaled Toukan, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research,
Mr. Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, Deputy Director of UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States
Dr. Isam Al Naqib, Project Manager, Enhancement of Quality Assurance and Institutional Planning in Arab Universities
Mr. Adel Al Ali, Project Manager, Trends in International Mathematic and Science Study in the Arab World
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great privilege to welcome all of you today on behalf of United Nations Development Programme in Jordan. I am particularly delighted that His Excellency Dr. Khaled Toukan, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Jordan, has graciously agreed to patronize today’s event. We are honoured Your Excellency that you joined us today to share your insights and knowledge and we are grateful for your continuous support.
I would like to add my words of welcome to Mr. Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, the Deputy Director of UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States who only arrived yesterday from New York to join us today. We are delighted Mr. Dieye to host the launch of the two projects in Jordan.
Distinguished Guests,
New technologies are transforming our society, the way we work, our social and community life and the way we learn.
Today, UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States is releasing two different reports, the first “Quality Assessment of Academic Programmes in the Field of Education in Arab Universities” and the second is “Achievements of Arab Countries that Participated in the trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2003)”. Both reports seek to improve the quality of education in the Arab region and raise its standards, with the aim to ensure that all learners achieve their utmost potential.
At UNDP we see education and knowledge not only a fundamental human right but a crucial necessity to human development. Knowledge enhances people’s options for achieving the goals that support a dignified life. It defines the line between wealth and poverty, between capability and powerlessness.
The first Arab Human Development Report, identified knowledge as one of the three cardinal deficits impeding the advancement of human development in the region. As a result, the second Report focused exclusively on knowledge, and has provided in depth analyses as well as recommendations for action to overcome the underlying obstructions to knowledge.
To that end, the Regional Bureau for Arab States has launched a Knowledge Programme that seeks to promote information and communication technology for development, enhance the quality of education at the primary, secondary and higher education levels; and support the establishment of regional mechanisms considered catalytic for building capacities in the region.
Also in line with the United Nations Millennium Declaration, the knowledge programme addresses some of the key issues and challenges impeding the region’s progress toward poverty reduction and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
Finally, and as we look forward to learning from the findings and the recommendations of both reports, we have to remember that a hopeful future is within the reach of each Arab citizen, but to succeed we need the inspiration and support from all to develop an enlightened Arab knowledge model that encourages cognitive learning, critical thinking, problem solving and creativity.
Thank you .