By Betty Milton, Information Attachè Brussels, Belgium
BRUSSELS, Nov. 10 (232News) – Paris France -The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Dr David Moinina Sengeh and the Sierra Leone Ambassador to Belgium H.E Samuel Tamba Musa and Permanent representative to UNESCO have arrived in Paris, France ahead of the Paris Peace Forum and the UNESCO 41st Conference and the Paris Peace Forum (PPF). During the UNESCO conference, there will be a general policy Debate where the Minister is expected to speak on behalf of the government of Sierra Leone on Friday 12 November. Several important decisions on contemporary issues relating to the preservation of heritage, environment and education are also expected to be discussed amongst the 193 Member States. Dr Sengeh has been nominated as part of the SDG4 High-Level Steering Committee (HLSC) which is the highest body in the UN related to SDG 4: Quality Education. The Minister will also attend the Paris Peace Forum (PPF), commencing the 11th November to the 13th November 2021 at the La Grande Halle de La Villette in Paris France on the theme: “Mind the Gaps”. The PPF is an annual global governance event gathering projects, ideas, and initiatives. Many Heads of State and government have exchanges with project leaders and participants from all over the world on governance issues, while sharing with intellectuals and think tanker leaders or experts: US Vice President, Kamala Harris and France Emmanuel Macron are part of the speakers of this fourth Edition of the PPF.
During the different debates, Dr Sengeh will take part on key topics which include; governing the digital transition: global partnerships for an open and free internet and AI and policymakers: How to reconcile Algorithms and inclusive policies. Accompanied by the Ambassador of Sierra Leone to Belgium and Permanent Representative of UNESCO, Dr Sengeh will meet with different partners in the field of education and other sectors. Ms Jutta Urpilainen, the EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, who will be attending the Global Education meeting, has requested with a bilateral meeting with Dr. David Sengeh. On the Margin of the UNESCO 41st Conference and the PPF, Dr Sengeh is also scheduled to meet the France Minister of Education. Sierra Leone has been commended as one of the few countries that expanded its budget for education during the COVID-19 pandemic (now at 22%). Dr Sengeh chairs the Global Education Monitoring Report and it is expected to meet with the technical team during this trip. Dr Sengeh stated that: “Globally, you can’t talk about equitable access to Quality education without mentioning Sierra Leone, thanks to the leadership of H.E President Bio. We are eager to share our experiences and remain excited to learn from other countries as well. In our engagements with the French government, we will seek to create a relationship between our students and teachers and their counterparts in France.”
