Paris, Safar 17, 1439, Nov 6, 2017, SPA -- Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) Dr. Abdulaziz bin Othman Altwaijri said at the UNESCO 39th General Conference that peace building hinges upon a solid basis of education in its fullest sense. He further explained that UNESCO has therefore big responsibilities to shoulder, especially in today's critical global context marked by growing tensions and escalating armed conflicts, political crises and economic problems in many countries, coupled with a remarkable slowdown of the development process in the majority of countries of the South. "As a result, millions of children are deprived of their right to pursue a descent education in a normal atmosphere of security and stability," he added. In this regard, the Director General stated that educational development is a prerequisite for economic and political development. This conclusion was made very early by the pioneering founders of UNESCO, who put Education on top of the sectors falling under the Organization's realm of competence, making it an underpinning of Science and Culture. "Education is then a fundamental requirement, since Science and Culture, in their deepest sense, are inextricably linked to it," he went on. He also expressed his regret that the state of education in the developing world is far from being satisfactory and stable. Today, the number of refugees in the world exceeds 50 million, 25% of whom are children, including a portion from some countries of the Islamic world, he added. --More 19:14 LOCAL TIME 16:14 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w529895