Global Education Meeting to focus on need to reduce inequalities in and through education

Some 350 ministers, officials, representatives of development agencies and other partners from all over the world will take stock of progress in meeting the educational objectives of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda during the Global Education conference, 3 to 5 December, in Brussels, Belgium.

The first Global Education Meeting since the adoption of the Sustanaible Development Agenda in 2015, will focus on the need to reduce inequalities within and among countries, in and through education. It will also examine the links between education and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG (link is external)s) on Decent Work and Economic Growth, Reduced Inequalities, Climate Action and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

Organized by UNESCO in consultation with the SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee, and hosted by the government of Belgium, the meeting will address urgent priorities in a world that still numbers 262 million out-of-school children, adolescents and youth. The data also show that 617 million children and adolescents — i.e. six out of ten — are unable to read a simple sentence or handle basic mathematic calculations. More than two-thirds of them are in school, highlighting the urgent need to improve the quality of education currently on offer.  

During the meeting, four high-level ministerial panels will focus on:

• Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and gender equality in education;
• Ensuring the right to education for migrants and refugees ;
• Rethinking the role of teachers in a changing landscape;
• Skilling and re-skilling for life and work.

Deliberations will notably be informed by UNESCO’s newly released 2019 Global Education Monitoring Report, Voluntary National Reviews (link is external), regional consultations and the on-going work of the multi-stakeholder SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee (link is external).

Queen Mathilde of Belgium will officially open the meeting (4 December, 2pm) alongside Stefania Giannini, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education, Ambassador Inga Rhonda King, President of UN ECOSOC, and Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sports. Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General will deliver a keynote address at the opening.

Accreditation request must include press identification (card or letter of media affiliation), as well as national identification with accreditation request.

More about the meeting: https://en.unesco.org/themes/education/globaleducationmeeting2018

Link to livestream, 4 December: https://livestream.com/streaming/globaleducationmeeting2018