1.
GV: Kenyatta Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya.
0.03

2.
SV: Tribal Dancers.
0.13

3.
SV: President Kenyatta of Kenya arrives.
0.19

4.
GV and SVs: delegates seated. (3 shots)
0.27

5.
SCU: President Kenyatta leading chanting as conference officials look on.
0.51

6.
SVs: delegates from Ecuador, France, German Democratic Republic and German Federal Republic.
1.01

7.
SV: Chairman of the UNESCO Executive Board Mr. Hector Wynter speaking (English)
2.14


"Delegations have come to concentrate on the very many areas in which we agree, and through goodwill to negotiate on the points of difference. And I am confident that the approach to the important questions before us will be one of a willingness to find harmony, to find agreement, to find consensus and not one of empty and futile confrontation. Madame President, the 140 countries which are members of UNESCO reflect different approaches, different ideologies. But within the pluralistic nature of these systems, we can find a common commitment, and it is this which we must emphasize, for we can find a richness from our diversities in place of irreconcilable differences. This has been the experience, Madame President, in the Executive Board which you elected at the last conference."




Initials RH/MF/PNG/1725



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The 19th general conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has opened in Kenya with two controversial issues - Israel and the freedom of the press - threatening to split the meeting.

SYNOPSIS: The five-week conference is being held at the Kenyatta Conference Centre in Nairobi. Its the first time it's been held in Africa. The official opening was performed by President Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, who praised the fact that UNESCO's Director-General, Mr. Ahmadou M'Bow of Senegal, was an African.

Delegates from the 138 member nations of UNESCO are in Nairobi for the meeting.

In his opening speech on Tuesday, President Kenyatta stressed the importance of education, and said he was pleased the conference was being held in Africa. But behind the scenes of formality, a Soviet-inspired resolution seeking world press censorship, and the reported re-application of Israeli, was threatening to cause some dissent. Israel was voted out of UNESCO's European group two years ago.

The chairman of the Executive Board, Mr. Hector Wynter, appealed for unity, harmony and goodwill.