It is the first time two Permanent Representatives of the Netherlands in UNESCO-Paris, visited Aruba in this capacity.
The intention of the visit was primarily to get to know the work done by UNESCO in Aruba and to inform the ministers about the General Conference of UNESCO, which will take place in November and for which the Dutch Kingdom should be well prepared and represented.
Part of the preparations includes working together on the document ‘Koninkrijksinstructie,’ describing the priorities and policy for three years. Mrs. Van Daalen and Mrs. Schrijvershof accompanied the Secretary of the National Commission for UNESCO Aruba during the many encounters in Aruba.
In addition to the visit to the Governor of Aruba, they also visited the Minister of Finance and Culture, Xiomara Maduro, and the Minister of Transportation, Integrity, Nature and Senior Affairs, Mr. Ursell Arends, who is the acting Prime Minister of Aruba, due to the absence of the Prime Minister who was in NY to attend the UN meetings.
The delegation met with the Department of Foreign Affairs to discuss the conception process and completion of the ‘Koninkrijksinstructie’.
The organizations and the delegation also visited Basisschool Prinses Amalia (UNESCO-School), the National Archeology Museo of Aruba (MANA), the Industrial Museum in San Nicolas, and the Aruba National Park Foundation (FPNA). They also visited the Spaans Lagoen, a natural site of high historical, archeological, and ecological value.
Mrs. Van Daalen was impressed with the ongoing work at the different organizations and was surprised by the coherency of the many work fields. The strategic plan 2023-2032 of the FPNA and its implementation, guided by their director Mrs. Natasha Silva, is an example of how to transform an organization and the mentality of the involved stakeholders.
For Mrs. Van Daalen and Mrs. Schrijvershof, the visit to the nature of Aruba was the part they enjoyed most.
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