Minister Plenipotentiary Arrindell highlights innovation, education and cultural protection at UNESCO General Conference

Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten, Drs. Gracita R. Arrindell, addressed the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference, currently taking place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. It is the first time since 1985 that the biennial conference is being held outside of Paris.

Representing the Honourable Melissa D. Gumbs, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Minister Arrindell highlighted Sint Maarten’s ongoing efforts in education reform, digital innovation, and cultural protection. In her remarks, she emphasized that technological progress must go hand in hand with integrity and creativity, stating that “AI must amplify Caribbean creativity, not appropriate it.” She also underscored Sint Maarten’s advances in higher education, including the new Higher Education and Research Ordinance, which sets national standards for quality assurance and international accreditation.

Education remains a public trust,” she said. “It is the foundation of national resilience.

Further, Minister Arrindell pointed to Sint Maarten’s new initiatives in Artificial Intelligence and STEAM education, developed through partnerships with the St. Maarten Science Fair Foundation, the St. Kitts & Nevis Robotics Association, and the OECS Robotics Association. Building on the message of MONDIACULT 2022 and 2025, she reaffirmed Sint Maarten’s cultural vision:

Culturize before you digitize. We do not reject technology; we seek to humanize it.

The Minister also reflected on Sint Maarten’s growing leadership in heritage protection, referencing the establishment of the region’s first Caribbean Cultural Emergency Response (CER) Sub-Hub, and ongoing efforts toward a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Youth empowerment was another key theme, with Minister Arrindell highlighting the National Youth Mainstreaming Strategy and the participation of three Sint Maarten high schools in the UNESCO Associated Schools Network, connecting local students to global learning opportunities.

In closing, Minister Arrindell expressed gratitude for UNESCO’s continued support and solidarity with small island nations, and extended heartfelt thoughts to Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, and other countries affected by Hurricane Melissa.

Together, may we build a world where knowledge inspires peace, and culture lights the path forward. 

The 43rd UNESCO General Conference runs from 30 October to 13 November 2025 and will include thematic debates, exhibitions, and the adoption of the first global Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology.