The Hindu : Joshi not going to Islamabad

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 21, 2003

International

International

Joshi not going to Islamabad

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD May 20. Why is the Human Resource Development Minister, Murli Manohar Joshi, not attending the first Ministerial meeting of South Asia Education for All (EFA) Forum beginning here tomorrow?

This is the question uppermost on everyone's mind here particularly in the light of the recent peace overtures from both sides. There is a sense of disappointment in official circles that Dr. Joshi, a senior member in the Vajpayee Government, is not availing himself of the opportunity to travel to Pakistan.

His decision to stay away from the meeting and instead send a two-member technical team has given room to conjectures that New Delhi is yet to firm up its strategy in future dealings with Pakistan.

The meeting scheduled from May 21 to 23 would review the progress, consider strategies to achieve the targets of Dakar Framework of Action on EFA, and plan for future actions. Education Ministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India are expected to take part.

UNESCO in its capacity of lead coordinating agency for EFA at the global level is the main sponsoring agency, while the Pakistan's Ministry of Education is hosting the conference.

Eminent educationists including John Daniel, Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO Paris, Sheldon Shaeffer, Director, UNESCO Regional Office for Asia and Pacific, Bangkok, and senior U.N. officials and donors including Carol Bellamy, Executive Director, UNICEF, New York, are attending the meeting.

The Education Ministers and national and international experts will discuss notably the financing of EFA, quality of basic education and strategies for bridging the gender gap.

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