The Director General of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Irina Georgieva Bokova has arrived in South Sudan saying her visit aims to support peace and reconciliation efforts, and to promote the education sector.

“I am coming to South Sudan to support the efforts of the people of South Sudan for dialogue and reconciliation,” she said, adding that also the promotion of literature would help develop peace in the country.

American actor Forest Whitaker has accompanied Bokova on this visit as an UNESCO Special Envoy, as has Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.

Bokova noted that Whitaker will launch a new youth network for peace in South Sudan.

The actor is involved in promoting a “youth peacemakers network,” a joint project backed by UNESCO, Zain and Ericsson. According to a press release by the UN agency, the network aims “to empower youth with peace-building and conflict management/mitigation skills, mediation & life-skills including ICTs.”

Speaking at Juba Airport on Monday, Bokova said the delegation will likely to travel to Yei County, Central Equatoria to assess the education situation there.   

For his part, John Gai, Minister of Education in South Sudan, who received the UNESCO delegation at the airport, said that the visit comes at a time when the country is facing a very difficult situation. He said calling for peace, which is UNESCO’s main agenda, will be a very important milestone for South Sudan.

The minister added that he will travel to Geneva to attend a conference on education, where he expects millions of dollars to be pledged to support the education system in South Sudan.

File photo: Irina Georgieva Bokova, UNESCO Director-General

Gallery 1: John Gai, Minister of Education

Gallery 2: The UNESCO chief is accompanied by South Sudan’s education minister at Juba Airport

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