MALAYSIA SETS UP UNESCO-MALAYSIA COOPERATIVE TRUST FUND

From Leslean Arshad

PARIS, Oct 6 (Bernama) -- Malaysia on Tuesday announced the establishment of
a Unesco-Malaysia Cooperative Trust Fund to be utilised for capacity building in
education and science for the benefit of the least developed countries, small
island states and in support of the Priority Africa agenda.

Announcing this when addressing the Unesco general conference, Prime
Minister Najib Tun Razak said the establishment of fund was a a
gesture of sincere commitment and firm belief in the ideas of Unesco's mandate
to bring peace and development through education, science, culture and
communication.

Malaysia has been a long-standing member of Unesco since 1958. The
Paris-based Unesco has 193 members.

Malaysia currently sits on the Unesco executive board. Comprising 58 members
with a four-year term of office, the board meets twice a year to examine the
work programme for the organisation and corresponding budget estimates.

Najib said Malaysia would be allocating a launching grant of US$5 million in
2010, followed by an annual contribution of US$1 million.

He said programmes for the fund would be worked out in close consultation
with the Unesco Regional Office in Bangkok and Jakarta, the priority Africa
department and the Malaysian National Commission for Unesco in the Education
Ministry.

Under the initiative, Malaysia would provide teacher training facility in
pre-service, in-service, school principleship and school management.

About 300 places would be provided annually at all levels, he said.

"We are convinced that quality education can only be provided by quality
teachers," he added.

--BERNAMA