Nyore Madzianike
Senior Reporter
UNESCO is working closely with the Government to develop a national strategy on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and put in place mechanisms to support young researchers involved in recording history of liberation movements in the South African region, which will be integrated into Zimbabwe’s school curriculum.
UNESCO director-general, Ms Audrey Azoulay, said they have agreed with President Mnangagwa that the initiatives will be launched this year, following their discussion after she paid him a courtesy call at State House yesterday.
Ms Azoulay is on her maiden official visit to Zimbabwe.
Speaking after her discussions with President Mnangagwa, Ms Azoulay said UNESCO was already working with other Sadc countries to document the history of the liberation movements.
“With His Excellency the President, we have also discussed two issues, mainly two other points.
“One is the work that UNESCO does with Zimbabwe and other countries of the region in order to document the history of the movement of liberation in Southern Africa and how to support young scientists, young researchers that are working on it, and the integration of this history into the school curricula.
“I was very happy to announce a new initiative of UNESCO in this objective and the last point, maybe, to mention is the issue of artificial intelligence.
“As UNESCO is also the UN agency for science, we have a mandate on artificial intelligence and we’re working closely with the Government on preparing the national strategy of Zimbabwe for AI.
“So, you see, a very broad cooperation, but I must say an excellent one,” she said.
Ms Azoulay said UNESCO’s work on recording the history of liberation movements started in 2018, but the new phase was agreed upon after meeting with President Mnangagwa.
“Yes, so we have already started since 2018, actually, the first work, because UNESCO has been doing a fantastic work launched in the 60s that we call the General History of Africa, which is a history written by African researchers, intellectuals, so that the story of Africa is also told by scientists from Africa.
“This started in the 60s and one of the last developments of this production of knowledge is the knowledge about the movements of liberation in Southern Africa that are more recent in this history.
“So, we started this in 2018, and we just announced on the occasion of this visit, will start in the coming months to support young researchers and in cooperation, in close cooperation with Zimbabwe, the integration in schools through the curriculum.
“Of course, it will take a bit of time, but its decided, and we have decided to launch it this year,” she said.
Ms Azoulay indicated that her discussion also extended beyond the two areas of cooperation, saying they also touched on water conservation and natural heritage.
“Our cooperation goes beyond that.
“It is also the natural heritage, the water issue, the cooperation on water, and its theme, which is a theme of the week, too, with the opening of the Wetland Conference of Parties on Thursday, to which I will have the honour of being present, too, for the opening, along with the President and many other international guests. Wetlands are very important for the ecosystems,” she said.
The UNESCO director-general thanked the President for officially inviting her to the country and for the opportunity to visit national monuments, describing it as a great honour.
“So I have the honour and pleasure of having an audience with His Excellency, the President Mnangagwa, on the occasion of my first official visit to Zimbabwe as director-general of UNESCO, the UN Organisation for Culture, Education and the Science.
“We discussed many, many issues of our rich cooperation, especially on the protection of cultural and natural heritage.
“I thank the President for having allowed me to go this morning (yesterday) to the Great Zimbabwe monuments, which is inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List as a recognition of a major African mediaeval empire, and as seen as such by the international community and heritage.
“Zimbabwe should be very proud and is very proud of, rightfully and on which we are working together with the different local and national authorities to protect and support.
“It is the case for the four other sites that are inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List, but we have also discussed the intangible heritage, like, for instance, the Mbira music, which is also fantastic music and which is also part of UNESCO’s intangible list as a heritage of humanity.”
Ms Azoulay also thanked First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa for affording her the opportunity to meet and have discussions.
“I also thank the First Lady, whom I had the pleasure of meeting for the first time in Paris and here as well today in Harare, and the different Honourable Ministers that have welcomed me, the Ambassador, who’s a very strong supporter of UNESCO, and also for the facilitation of the work of our regional office, UNESCO’s regional office, which is based in Harare for nine countries in the region,” she said.
Ms Azoulay was accompanied by Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to France Dr Sekai Nzenza, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Dr Frederick Shava and other local UNESCO officials.
Tomorrow, Ms Azoulay is expected to attend COP15 in Victoria Falls and visit other national monuments.
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