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External sources (not reviewed)

Regarding funding support for the arts groups, members in generally considered that the Administration should (a) ensure a reasonable and fair distribution of funding resources amongst arts groups; (b) review the existing mode of subsidy for the major performing arts groups to avoid stifling the development of non-subvented commercial arts groups; (c) provide more funding for the support of small and medium sized arts groups and budding artists; (d) explore means to minimize staffing and administrative expenses in the operation of arts programmes so that the savings could be re-allocated to the use of arts development; (e) examine the effectiveness of the current funding policy in achieving the policy goals, such as encouraging diversified and balanced development of arts and culture; and (f) consider increasing its overall allocation of funding for culture and the arts, given the imminent need to achieve the vision of the West Kowloon Culture District project.

[...] [...] Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, [...] [...]

Interfaith International encouraged Cyprus to set up favourable conditions for the removal of restrictive measures, which would make it possible for the faithful to exercise their religious freedom and to visit places of pilgrimage annually, and to combat trafficking in women by setting up a mechanism for the reintegration of victims in social and economic life.

These include: a deep-sea port being constructed on the Indian Ocean near the Rakhine State capital of Sittwe, and parallel road, high-speed rail, and oil and natural gas pipelines that will create an energy and trade corridor to China’s landlocked south west; the Kaladan multi-modal project that will create a transportation corridor between the Indian Ocean and India’s eastern seaboard and its landlocked north east; and the Dawei Development Project which, if completed according to plan, would include a large industrial estate and modern deep-sea port in the south, with road and rail links for transhipment of goods to Thailand and on to Vietnam, cutting several days off the sea route through the Straits of Malacca.

For smaller agencies, geographical focus is another challenge, considering their limited representation outside the federal capital; a problem which UNESCO is addressing by furthering its already close cooperation with the federal and provincial government departments and other partners concerned.

To delete "prudently assess" after "the Government to" and substitute with "make optimal use of"; to delete "additional" before "resources"; to delete "required for implementing" after "resources" and substitute with "saved due to the drop in the primary and secondary school student population to provide training for teachers on"; to delete ", weigh the commitments of both the Government and parents and, by ensuring that complementing training for teachers is available" before ", progressively implement small class teaching" and substitute with "and, through a 'by district and by grade' mode of transition"; to delete "in" after "progressively implement small class teaching" and substitute with ", starting with"; and to add "and junior secondary forms," after "primary schools".

Slovakia considered this set of recommendations very complex and requiring huge financial resources, effort and cooperation of all involved, and noted that solutions were not imminent but would materialize in the future.

Representatives of the following members and associate members made statements: Armenia; Australia; Bangladesh; Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; China; Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; Fiji; Hong Kong, China; India; Indonesia; Iran (Islamic Republic of); Japan; Kazakhstan; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Malaysia; Mongolia; Myanmar; Nepal; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Republic of Korea; Russian Federation; Samoa; Singapore; Solomon Islands; Sri Lanka; Thailand; Tonga; Tuvalu; Vanuatu; and Viet Nam.

The representatives of the following countries made statements during the general exchange of views: Algeria, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile (on behalf of the Rio Group), China, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Hungary (on behalf of the European Union), India, Indonesia, Indonesia (on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement), Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Montenegro, Nepal, Nigeria, Nigeria (on behalf of the Group of African States), Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Senegal, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) and Viet Nam.

The amount of $266,500 is proposed for travel to undertake the following technical support activities: on-site evaluations and provision of technical assistance, including for assessing progress in field operations in connection with the expansion of provincial offices and other contractual activities, the procurement solicitation process, strategic deployment stock warehouse inventory and codification issues, and review of fuel operations in the field ($166,000); improve knowledge and technical skills of staff in the field charged with aviation safety and establish a formulation of the United Nations Common Aviation Safety Standards for the use of air assets between different United Nations entities ($65,300); and implementation of the electronic rations management system and the electronic fuel management system in peacekeeping missions ($35,200).