In Paris, Annan and UNESCO chief discuss cloning, literacy and cultural diversity

Wrapping up his official visit to France today, Secretary-General Kofi Annan met with the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for talks on a range of issues, including the decision by the United States to rejoin the Paris-based body after an 18-year absence.

In the Secretary-General's meeting with UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura, the two also discussed the UN Literacy Decade, which starts in February, preparations for the next meeting of the UN Chief Executives Board in Paris next March, and French President Jacques Chirac's proposal for a Convention on Cultural Diversity, a UN spokesperson said in New York.

Their discussion also touched on bio-ethics and the need for greater cooperation within the UN system to deal with ethically complex issues such as cloning and the handling of genetic data. Mr. Matsuura told the Secretary-General that he would convene a meeting of UN agency representatives to discuss the issue, Hua Jiang said.

The Secretary-General also raised the issue of preserving monasteries in Kosovo, where religious sites are threatened by inter-communal violence and neglect, and Mr. Matsuura responded that UNESCO was already focusing on the matter.