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UNESCO DESIGNATES SAUDI PRINCE TALAL AS SPECIAL ENVOY FOR WATER
The Prince's nomination comes in
recognition of his contribution to sustainable development in
his native country, regionally and on the international level,
in addition to tackling the issue of water scarcity through AGFUND
and its affiliated institutions and organizations. AGFUND has
so far contributed to 27 water projects worth $US30 million. HRH Prince Talal's commitment to
humanitarian causes and development has won him international
acclaim. He founded the first private girls' school in Riyadh
as well as the city's first private (and mainly free) hospital
and has been a relentless champion of democracy, human rights
and particularly the rights of girls and women, while holding
ministerial positions in the Saudi government. Through AGFUND the Prince has taken
the initiative in setting up several institutions in cooperation
with regional and international partners, including the Arab Women's
Centre for Training and Research in Tunisia, in 1993. In October
last year, AGFUND and UNESCO signed an agreement to establish
an Arab Open University (see: http://www.unesco.org/bpi/eng/unescopress/2001/01-102e.shtml)
using distance learning, a project masterminded by Prince Talal.
Since it was founded, AGFUND has contributed more than $22 million
to some 64 UNESCO projects and has supported more than 740 development
and humanitarian projects with national, regional and international
partners. As UNESCO Special Envoy for Water,
during 2003, International Year for Freshwater, HRH Prince Talal
will work to draw the attention of heads of states, specialists,
civil society and youth to the looming world water crisis and
the need to act. Some 2.7 billion people will face serious water
shortages by 2025 if consumption patterns and inefficient use
go unchanged. The winner of the first category
of this year's AGFUND International Prize for Pioneering Development
Projects, worth US$150,000, is the Improved Manual Irrigation
Component of the Private Irrigation Promotion Pilot Project in
Niger, implemented by Enterprise Works Worldwide. One of the least
developed countries in the world, Niger suffers from recurring
droughts. The Improved Manual Irrigation Project is designed for
small market gardens, using low-cost, locally-produced pumps. The second category prize, worth
US$ 100,000, has been awarded to the Cambodia Trust Rehabilitation
Project. Emerging from 30 years of conflict, Cambodia has some
40,000 landmine amputees, and some 50,000 people disabled by polio
and other diseases. The project aims to train people with a disability,
usually excluded from Cambodian society, to take part in the normal
life of the community. Adults are given vocational training, while
children are enabled to attend school. The third category of prize, worth
US$50,000, has been awarded to the Men on the Side of the Road
Project (MSR), in South Africa. This project gives training in
small business skills, technical skills and entrepreneurship to
men who stand by the roadside in the hope of being picked for
casual work. The AGFUND award ceremony will
be held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on December 18, at 11.30
a.m. In previous years the ceremony was held at UN Headquarters
in Geneva. This is the first time it is being held at UNESCO. **** Following the ceremony,
HRH Prince Talal and UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura
will meet the press. Journalists wishing to attend must be accredited
by the UNESCO Press Service. Contact: |
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