Paris, August 1, 2024. The assistant director general of UNESCO for Education, Stefania Giannini, received in Paris the general director of the Central Institute of Pedagogical Sciences of Cuba, Dr. Silvia María Navarro Quintero, opportunity in which they exchanged widely about the Cuban educational system, Cuba's commitment to quality education and the process of educational improvement in the country. The Cuban ambassador to UNESCO María del Carmen Herrera Caseiro also participated.
At the meeting, Dr. Navarro Quintero highlighted the country's actions and efforts to comply with the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG4, and referred to Cuba's participation in the regional mechanism for monitoring that Goal, in particular. in the Working Group on Recovery, Transformation and Sustainable, Equitable and Inclusive Educational Financing.
Likewise, she reported on Cuba's participation in the education quality evaluation study (LLECE) and thanked UNESCO for its support in that regard.
For her part, Ms. Giannini recognized the development of education and Cuba's leadership in the matter, as well as the country's commitment and progress in this sphere. Both parties congratulated each other on the excellent relations and cooperation between Cuba and UNESCO in this sector.
In this context, the visitor from the Island emphasized the efforts of the Cuban government to continue improving education in Cuba, in the face of the difficulties derived from the blockade imposed by the United States against her country, which was recognized by the senior official of the UNESCO.
At the same time, the Cuban ambassador expanded on the negative impact of the hostile policy of the US government towards Cuba, highlighting the especially harmful effects of the unjust inclusion of the Island on the list of countries that sponsor terrorism, the barriers it imposes on all Cuba's financial and commercial transactions, including obstacles to the work of the Regional Office and the implementation of UNESCO cooperation programs in Cuba. She also explained the broad international demand in favor of Cuba's withdrawal from said arbitrary list.
The occasion was favorable for Dr. Navarro Quintero to directly extend the invitation for the 2025 Congress of Pedagogy to be held in Havana between February 10 and 13 and the interest in Ms. Giannini making a presentation on that stage. The UNESCO representative welcomed the invitation with great enthusiasm, conveying her willingness to participate.
Dr. Navarro is visiting Paris to participate in the activities of the Casa de Cuba in Tremblay, within which she will give a presentation on the development of education in Cuba.