Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Forty years ago, at another august gathering as this, the nations of the world took a historic and noble step, by endorsing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In countless ways the world has proved to have fared better as a direct consequence of that Declaration. Though we are still far from reaching the ideals of the Declaration, the tide of change has begun. And we have learnt from the experience. It is in that tide and in the knowledge from that experience that we are here now, in this city of ‘the brightest light’.
A new vision shines ahead of us today. The World Declaration on Education for All, with its vision of basic education for all, is a message of hope for the world. The Republic of Maldives supports the Declaration and pledges allegiance to its call.
I must express the great admiration I feel for the noble men and women in the UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank, and all over the world, who have contributed to the birth of this vision, who have made this Conference possible. I extend my sincere congratulations and thanks to them. And let me thank too, our hosts - the friendly and hospitable people of Thailand and the Royal Thai Government.
 Mr. Chairman:
We are here today to mark a new beginning in the development of man. Commitments we make here in words at this time, and later in action, will usher in a new phase in the history of man - the age of universal progress, the enlightenment of all mankind. We may discourse at great length and sign the most universal declaration, and the whole world may begin to dream of a new life, a better life. But, if we do not follow our plans and declarations with concrete action, the dream will become a faded one; the hope will slowly die, and the nightmare will continue for billions around the world. And in this we draw ourselves into a vicious circle, a vicious downward spiral.
We are here to endorse an investment in the future of all mankind, an investment that is by far the greatest, the noblest investment we have yet undertaken in our common endeavour for the upliftment of the human race.
We are assembled here not merely to do a humanitarian deed. Rather, we are here to formulate a plan to fulfill a duty - a duty to recompensate those at whose cost many of us have advanced. As individuals, nations and organisations that have taken or helped take strides in what we have come to call development, we can no longer deny that we are guilty of neglect and complacency, of shortsight and impatience.
Let us therefore keep reminding ourselves that nearly a billion adults - a fifth of humanity - cannot read or write; that almost 100 million children have no chance of schooling. These men, women and children exist in a pathetically deprived world, eking out an existence from day to day. Their past was a nightmare, their present is ravaged, and their future holds no hope. A fifth of the world’s population, possibly more, are living as the wretched of the earth.
The picture is indeed forlorn
The tragedy of mankind is that in its great strides forward - in its giant leaps and bounds - its less fortunate men, women and children are forsaken, abandoned or trampled upon. The world has been moving on, but masses have been left behind, like unwanted children abandoned or stranded to a cruel existence.
Nations have been left behind. Some are floundering to move on, some are failing and falling farther behind. Existing situations attest to this. Over 70 percent of the children out of reach of educational opportunity are in the least developed nations. And these nations also hold nearly 98 percent of the entire world’s illiterate men and women. In Asia alone, there are nearly 660 million illiterate men and women - more than two-thirds of the world’s illiterates.
Within nations, especially in the least developed, the disparities are as appalling or even more so.
The harsh truth is that instead of investing in human potential, many a nation, organisation and regime end up in investing in human dependence. They continue to cultivate dependence of the disadvantaged. Many a time such dependence is fostered to maintain a never ending cycle of exploitation and assistance, again and again. This is a bitter truth on several planes - international, regional, national, communal and individual.
The bright hope is that this new vision of universal cooperation can indeed help set the world on a better road of progress.
Mr. Chairman:
I come as the Head of the Delegation of a very tiny nation - the Republic of Maldives.
We are few in number - just over 200,000 in all - and our country has many constraints in its resources, but we are determined, to the best of our abilities and capabilities, to improve the lives of every man, woman and child in our nation. Our national initiatives, strengthened with generous assistance from many international organisations as well as countries, have begun to show favourable returns. But we can see that the road ahead is going to be far more difficult, with about 50 percent of the country’s population below 15 years of age.
The Maldives has been able to achieve a basic literacy rate of 95 percent - with a marginally higher rate for females and no rural-urban disparity - with its National Basic Education and Functional Literacy Programme. However, a significant percentage of young men and women still need to be given the basic skills required for improving their lives and income-earning opportunities.
The programme for achieving universal primary education by the year 2000 has started off, and the country is almost at the threshold of universal enrollment at the base of the educational pyramid. There is, however, a very sharp tapering off with increase in the level of formal education. Though girls account for an equal enrollment rate in schools, in the atolls - the ‘rural’ areas - the disparities creep in with the levels of educational attainment: the school completion rate for girls decreases with steps up the ladder.
Constraints in financial and human resources continue to hinder the implementation of the educational plan as well as all other national development programmes. To note a simple statistic, 64 percent of the teachers in the atolls have had no formal training, and 43 percent of the teachers in Male’ - the capital island - are expatriate. And because of the heavy constraints, in many cases crisis management has to take precedence over rationally planned execution of development programmes.
To the Maldives, the new global vision of this Conference is indeed a very brilliant ray of hope.
 Mr. Chairman:
We continue to talk of widespread economic stagnation and decline, and of growing disparities within and among countries. Why is the disparity growing?
Our present strategies of development are such that only those who can already fend for themselves gain access to the new and better opportunities. Ironically, those who are in most need for the basics to continue to survive are left behind. Our principles of equal opportunity cater to those already in the race, while millions just cannot reach the track.
We speak of the deterioration of the environment. How can we help alleviate this, when a fifth of mankind, the caretakers of the environment, are basically unaware or ignorant of the consequences of their actions? We are concerned about rapid population growth. Yet, how can we find a solution, when one in every five of us cannot understand the problem? We lament over the distress of street children. But how can we save them unless we try to reach them and teach them to survive and live in dignity?
Such dilemmas are many, and there is really no need to recount them here.
Education is the longterm solution to all these dilemmas.
In the words of John Ruskin, the famous English writer and critic of the nineteenth century, and I quote:
“Education is the leading human souls to what is best, and making what is best out of them; and these two objects are always attainable together, and by the same means; the training which makes men happiest in themselves also makes them most serviceable to others.”
End of quote.
 Mr. Chairman:
As nations and as a world community, it is time for a reorientation of our thoughts, our policies and strategies - a re-evaluation of our principles. More urgently, we need an enlightenment of our hearts - to be able to see with our hearts the plight of the hundred million children and the billion adults outside the gates of developing man.
Let this be the greatest mission of man so far. Our science and technology has taken us to worlds beyond; it has increased our might. Let us now apply it down on earth, in this mission for meeting basic learning needs.
The real step forward will be in our perseverance in this task.
This is a cause which demands all mankind’s allegiance to it - a dynamic allegiance - for the development of humanity.
No development process can be sustained without human development. And it is the betterment of man’s life and mind that should be the ultimate focus of all development.
Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates from all over the world:
The actions of the years and ages gone by cannot be undone, but the future holds opportunity and hope for new corrective courses of action. Needless to regret that this World Declaration on Education for All did not materialize in this manner sooner than this. There is no better time than now to undertake this global mission for meeting basic learning needs. We are in the World Decade for Cultural Development, in the International Literacy Year, and moving into the United Nations Fourth Development Decade with its theme of human development.
We must act now. Our logic and conscience compel us to act now.
Let us all give our wholehearted support, in intent and action, to this Declaration that calls out for:
- direct action within individual countries
- co-operation among groups of countries
- multilateral and bilateral co-operation in the world
community, and
- political commitment and political will.
We simply cannot afford to do any less.
The ultimate goal is a noble one: to meet the basic learning needs of all children, youths and adults in keeping with the new vision of education for all. And such education is the means for survival, for development, for improvement of the standard and quality of life.
True progress is the sum total of overall individual development. A country is as squalid as its slums, as backward as its illiterates, as under-developed as its wretched. The advancement of some facets and segments of its population is merely the facade of development, like a beautiful face on a starving and infested body.
 Ladies and Gentlemen, Nations of the world:
Begin now to give basic education to all disadvantaged groups. And give it equitably, regardless of gender or economic status, geographical location, or physical or intellectual disability. As the Declaration calls out, give all people the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes they need to survive. Teach them how to live in dignity, to continue learning, and to improve the quality of their own lives and their communities and nations. Give them greater self-reliance, help them stand up and move on on their own, and give them their freedom.
Begin now to resolve conflicts and strife among and within nations, to end military occupations, and to settle displaced populations, to create an environment that nurtures and fosters learning.
Mobilise all resources to the maximum extent possible.
The new strategies are many. The documents and discussions of this Conference hold or will reveal comprehensive and extensive ideas, new and old. The commitment will necessarily need to come from all of us, here and all over the world. Education for all requires support of all
Teach all mankind, to free all mankind.
Thank you