Among those participating were the Secretary-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Secretary-General of the National Commission for UNESCO, members of the Malian delegation to the General Conference, and a representative from the Ministry of Finance responsible for coordinating development assistance and guiding national strategy.
the Malian Ambassador to UNESCO, who previously headed the national delegation at the General Conference, addressed the meeting virtually. He emphasized Mali’s active role within five strategic UNESCO bodies: the Intergovernmental Council of the International Hydrological Programme, the Intergovernmental Council of the Information for All Programme, the International coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme, the Intergovernmental Council of the Management of Social Transformations Programme, and the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. He urged for increased Malian leadership within these bodies, positioning UNESCO’s interventions as key drivers of the country’s enduring development. His strategic analysis and the clarity of his proposed directions were widely praised.
The workshops focused on presenting UNESCO’s planning system and the approved C/5 document, alongside key insights from the interventions of Deputy Directors-General at the General Conference. Preliminary analyses centered on:
- A cross-analysis of national priorities.
- The Mali 2063 Vision.
- The framework of the SNEDD 2024-2033.
- The common situational analysis from the United Nations Cooperation Framework.
- Sectoral documents linked to the 43 C/5.
With 17 sectoral ministries represented, this meeting represents a pivotal step in solidifying UNESCO’s role as a strategic partner for Mali. The overarching goal is to align the Organization’s programs with national priorities, fostering high-impact programming and mobilizing additional resources with the support of national authorities.