Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Equatorial Guinea Urges UNESCO to Implement Award

   Peter Clottey 04 October 2010

   The   Equatorial   Guineaâs   presidential  adviser  on  international
   relations has called on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
   Cultural  Organization  (UNESCO)  to  implement a lifetime achievement
   award sponsored by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

   The  executive  board  of  the  world body is scheduled to meet in the
   French capital, Paris Tuesday.

   Presidential  adviser Agapito Mba Makuy said Equatorial Guinea expects
   UNESCOâs secretariat as well as the director to implement the award.

   âSince  the  award has already been approved by the executive board of
   UNESCO,  our  expectation  is  that  the  secretariat  or the director
   general of UNESCO will implement that decision.â

   In 2008, President Nguema reportedly donated $3 million for the UNESCO
   award.

   Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo

   Equatorial  Guineaâs  government  said  in a statement that the UNESCO
   prize  is  intended to promote scientific development and achievements
   that âimprove the quality of human life.â

   The  move  generated intense international controversy. Washington and
   Norway  joined  forces in objecting to the award in Mr. Nguemaâs name.
   Human  rights  group also condemned the award saying Mr. Nguemaâs poor
   human  rights  record  made  him  unfit to have the award named in his
   honor.

   Critics cite the likelihood that Mr. Nguemaâs donation might have come
   from  corruption,  kickbacks and other theft. They also said President
   Nguema  should  rather  invest  the money in the countryâs educational
   sector.

   But,  Equatorial Guinea rejected the criticism in a released statement
   saying,  âWe  have  no  doubt  that  the  entities  that  created this
   controversy are showing their true colonialist, discriminatory, racist
   and prejudiced identity by not accepting that an African president can
   confer an award of this kind.â

   Presidential  adviser  Mba  Makuy  said UNESCO is engaged in a âdouble
   standardâ  by refusing to implement the award despite a decision taken
   by member states.

   âRecently,  UNESCO  produced  a report on the literacy rate worldwide.
   And on that report, they put Equatorial Guinea with a literacy rate of
   93  percent  and  placed  Equatorial  Guinea  as  the first country in
   Sub-Saharan Africa that has made good progress in literacy rate. It is
   ironic  that  on the one hand they are saying you are not investing in
   education,  but  on the other hand they are realizing that the country
   is making some progress.â

.