When UNESCO takes the floor at the First Global Forum on
Trade in Educational Service which is currently taking place in Washington, the United States, its message is clear: As stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, higher education shall be accessible to all on the basis of merit. "Higher education should is considered as a public service," says Stamenka Uvalic-Trumbic of UNESCO's Division of Higher Education. She also quotes the Assistant Director-General for Education, John Daniel for saying that "when it comes to trade liberalization, higher education is not a product like bananas or cars.