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Catch up on what’s happening in the world of global citizenship education.
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Civil society: Social and political action to prioritize education on political agendas 2019-12-17 Civil society advocates from all regions called upon governments to give systematic priority to ensuring that the most vulnerable and marginalized groups have access to quality education and to respect financing benchmarks, during the 9th global meeting of the Collective Consultation of NGOs (CCNGO) for Education 2030 that gathered in Hammamet, Tunisia, on 3 and 4 December 2019. “Clearly, we have an education crisis, fueled by lack of political will, low prioritization of education and inadequate financing as well as a rising trend in education commercialization, contributing to increasing inequality,” said the 100 plus participating organizations in their outcome statement. “To different degrees, education systems worldwide are not responding to the 2030 Agenda’s commitment to ‘leave no one behind.’” Wrapping up eight panel sessions on all aspects of inclusion and equity, members recommended specific political attention to the following areas: Strengthen evidence-based policy dialogue to raise awareness and influence government policy through dedicated mechanisms; Ensure that legal, policy and planning frameworks adopt an inclusive rights-based approach; Guarantee education and psycho-social support for refugee, displaced and migrant children and ensure that teachers are trained to be sensitive to their cultural identities; Support teachers with training to promote a culture of inclusion and to help students open their minds through critical pedagogies. Adequate salaries, decent working conditions and more autonomy are essential to support and value the profession; Allocate dedicated budgets to adult learning, the least supported part of the lifelong learning; Invest in disaggregated data to capture the full reality of exclusion and to hold governments accountable; Encourage citizen monitoring of public budgets on education to ensure resources are directed to support equity and inclusion. Supporting capacity building Members committed to build the capacity of civil society organizations to engage with other stakeholders and lead collective action to defend the right to education as a human right, public good and State responsibility. They expressed deep concern about the growth in education privatization and commercialization and affirmed that all private provision must be well regulated and aligned with human rights principles. They stressed the need to strengthen partnerships with other social sectors, parliamentarians and the media to promote inclusion and equity. They also highlighted the importance of building the capacity of civil society actors to collect and analyze evidence-based data on the most marginalized groups. Members acknowledged UNESCO’s leadership in coordinating the SDG4 agenda and the Education 2030 architecture and reaffirmed that the CCNGO is a key mechanism for increased information-sharing, capacity building and collaboration amongst CSOs in the pursuit of SDG4. The meeting was opened by UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini, Tunisia’s Minister of Education Hatem Ben Salem and the President of the Global Campaign for Education, Refat Sabbah. During the Global Meeting, members elected their representatives to the Coordinating Group in the international and at large categories, while the regional focal points were agreed by consensus. Members of the Coordinating Group appointed for two years are: World Organisation for Early Childhood Education and Care (Organisation Mondiale pour l’Education Préscolaire - OMEP), represented by its President Mercedes Mayol Lassalle; Global Campaign for Education (GCE), represented by its President Refat Sabbah; Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), represented by its Executive Director Rasheda K. Choudhury; Ivorian Network for the Promotion of Education for All, represented by its Executive Secretariat Coordinator Kouame Paulin Junior; Africa Network Campaign on Education For All (ANCEFA), represented by its Chair Samuel Ndembele; Teacher creativity center (TCC) represented by its Inclusion Coordinator Rawan shwaikeh; European Association for the Education of Adults (DVV International), represented by its Director Christoph Jost; Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE), represented by its Secretary General Maria Lourdes Almazan Khan; Campaña Latinoamericana por el Derecho a la Educación (CLADE), represented by its Colombian Coalition member Blanca Cecília Gomez; Ex officio UNESCO NGO liaison Committee represented, by its President Marie-Claude Machon Honore. URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/civil-society-social-and-political-action-prioritize-education-political-agendas 
Educating for a Global Citizenship 2019-12-16 The Connecting worlds project is part of Oxfam Intermon’s education program, which aims to boost the implementation of an Education for a Global Citizenship in the classroom. Global Citizenship is an education perspective that fosters a new model of citizenship actively engaged and committed to making the world a more equitable and sustainable place, promoting respect and appreciation for diversity, defense of the environment, responsible consumption and respect for individual and social human rights. This education trend is currently part of the World Agenda thanks to the Sustainable Development Goals and, more specifically, outlined in Target 4.7, Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship, which touches on the social, humanistic and moral purposes of education. According to UNESCO we need to …”By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development”. Following the same line, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) included Global Competence in its metrics for quality, equity and effectiveness in education. This competence aims to assess the individual’s capacity to face global, local and intercultural issues and situations, interacting successfully and respectfully with others and taking responsible action toward sustainability and collective well-being. In order to boost this global competence, Connecting worlds articulates itself within the framework of Education for a Global Citizenship, understanding that a global citizenship consists in individuals who: Are aware of the wider world and the challenges we face in today’s world. Recognise themselves and others as people with dignity, with responsibilities to fulfil and rights that can be claimed, and with the power to bring about change. Take responsibility for their actions, are outraged by injustice and by any form of human rights abuses. Respect and appreciate gender equality, diversity and the multiple identities and sense of belonging of people and communities as a source of human enrichment. Are interested in knowing and critically analyzing and disseminating how the world works at economic, politic, social, cultural, technological and environmental levels. Participate and are committed to the community at a range of levels – from the local to the global – with the aim of making the world a more equitable and sustainable place. Contribute to building an active citizenship that fights against inequality by focusing on the redistribution of power, opportunities and resources. For further information please visit: Oxfam Intermón URL:http://www.conectandomundos.org/en/ciudadaniaglobal# 
Promover la igualdad de género en las vías CTIM de la EFTP 2019-12-13 Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has the potential to promote the productive participation of women in the labour market, equipping them with the necessary skills to undertake the jobs of the future. However, this potential remains largely unfulfilled in certain occupational sectors, particularly those requiring training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In the majority of developing countries, women are much less likely than men to enrol in TVET, with even lower enrolment numbers in STEM fields. Female participation in some of the key occupational TVET groups, remains lower than male.The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre is giving particular attention to this issue as it aligns with UNESCO’s Strategy for TVET (2016-2021) and its Priority Gender Equality Action Plan, as well as UNESCO-UNEVOC’s Medium-Term Strategy II. Consequently, on March 21st–22nd, UNESCO-UNEVOC hosted an experts’ workshop in Bonn, Germany on Gender equality in STEM-related fields in TVET. The workshop sought to better understand the root causes of gender disparities in STEM-related TVET through discussions with experts from ten UNEVOC Centres across the globe, namely Ghana, Chile, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, Costa Rica, Philippines, Jamaica, Lebanon, and South Africa. Gender inequalities in access to STEM related fields in TVET can affect the access to and participation of women in specific occupational areas, while the low female representation in those STEM-related occupations in turn affects the choice of fields in TVET by girls and parents, as well as the learning environment. The workshop experts addressed the key factors that are contributing to inequality in STEM-related TVET, such as inadequate policy frameworks, societal attitudes, the nature of STEM in the classroom and workplace, and how they affect the mindset of girls and women to pursue education and training in STEM subjects. Through the sharing of insights and interactive sessions on the underlying causes of gender inequality in STEM, the experts were able to better understand what research is needed and how to address the current challenges related to gaps in indicators and data collection.The workshop served as the basis of an upcoming study to improve the understanding of issues related to gender equality in STEM in TVET and present global perspectives of the measures that have been taken to promote gender equality in the respective fields. UNESCO has previously conducted a study on STEM education and gender equality, but there exists a knowledge gap in this field in the TVET sector. The UNESCO-UNEVOC study is expected to contribute to strengthening an evidence-based approach to promotion of gender equality in STEM-related TVET. URL:https://unevoc.unesco.org/go.php?q=Gender_STEM_Workshop 
New UNESCO study highlights achievements and gaps in the area of climate change education 2019-12-10 As United Nations leaders and delegates from around the world meet in Madrid for COP25 – the UN two-week conference on climate change, UNESCO is releasing a new analysis of country submissions on climate change education, training and public awareness. Climate change is the defining challenge of our time and education plays a critical role in designing appropriate responses to it. Since its entry into force, the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Article 6 has recognized the importance of ‘education, training and public awareness’ in mitigating ‘dangerous human interference with the climate system’. The Paris Agreement, in its article 12, reaffirmed this recognition in 2015. Countries are expected to submit national reports to the UNFCCC on a regular basis on the actions they have already taken to address climate change and the commitments they plan for the future. Analyzing these submissions, UNESCO provides a timely status report on the implementation of climate change education around the world, highlighting achievements and remaining gaps. The research recalls that almost all countries included some reference to climate change education in their country submissions under the UNFCCC reporting processes. This demonstrates a certain level of commitment to climate change education, providing a good basis to further scale up educational responses to the world’s greatest challenge. According to the submissions analyzed, countries mostly reference climate change education in relation to public awareness, suggesting that it will be necessary for them to expand their activities and address more systematically the other elements of climate change education, especially formal education and training. Submissions also indicate that, at all levels of formal education, countries have heavily emphasized cognitive learning over social-emotional and behavioral learning, which are crucial tools to empower learners and make change happen. The data also show that countries are slow to address climate change education when preparing their Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement. This indicates a need for more technical support for countries on climate change education in preparing these reports which play an important role in setting targets and committing to take action against climate change. Ultimately, UNESCO’s study stresses the need for further research, in order to get a more comprehensive picture of country implementation of climate change education under the UNFCCC process. Among other things, future research should examine the process countries go through in formulating and implementing their national adaptation plans, adaptation communications and long-term climate strategies. Download the study: Country progress on Climate Change Education, Training and Public Awareness Learn more about the study and Climate Change Education at COP25: Attend one of UNESCO’s events URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/new-unesco-study-highlights-achievements-and-gaps-area-climate-change-education 
UNESCO and OHCHR strengthen cooperation to advance human rights 2019-12-04 A fast changing world requires quick, but meaningful responses to challenges that can tear at the fabric of our communities. In order to ensure that human rights are respected and protected, UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay and Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, today signed a new memorandum of understanding to promote joint action for advancing human rights. “At a time when human dignity, equality and justice are under attack, UNESCO and OHCHR reaffirm their resolve to work closer together towards a stronger implementation of human rights in response to new challenges worldwide,” said Ms. Azoulay following the signing. The agreement focuses on emerging trends and new fields of human rights today, especially human rights-based responses to new scientific and technological developments, notably on artificial intelligence. This comes at a time when UNESCO Member states are expected to launch the elaboration of a normative instrument on the ethics of artificial intelligence upon its conclusion of its General Conference on 27 November. UNESCO and OHCHR will also strengthen their work tackling racist propaganda and hate speech online and offline, linked to the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech (2019). Looking ahead to the anticipated development of new standard setting frameworks for AI at UNESCO, Ms. Bachelet sees opportunities emerging from this new agreement. “Taking these steps will guide technology for all the good it can produce,” she says, “but we can avoid the misuse in terms of hate speech, and also in terms of harassing journalists, human rights defenders or critics.” This new cooperation also identifies areas of convergence across the mandate of UNESCO. These include the advancement of the right to education, the right to take part in cultural life; the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications and the right to water and sanitation. It also includes the right to freedom of expression and access to information, in line with the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity spearheaded by UNESCO. URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-and-ohchr-strengthen-cooperation-advance-human-rights 
La UNESCO y la UNODC lanzan nuevos recursos didácticos para formar estudiantes en la construcción de un sistema más justo para todas y todos 2019-11-26 In early 2019, teacher manuals were piloted in schools in 10 countries. People all over the world are losing trust in leaders and in public institutions. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, only one in five people feel that ‘the system’ is working for them [1], while polls by Transparency International [2] show that across Latin America, 85 per cent of people think Government corruption is a big problem, with only 21 per cent expressing trust and confidence in leadership. In a 2016 global study [3], in the five Latin American countries sampled, 69 per cent of 13-14 year olds approved of dictatorial governments if they bring order and stability, and 53 per cent supported nepotistic practices such as public servants awarding jobs to their friends. UNESCO and UNODC are partnering on the project ‘Global Citizenship Education for the rule of law’, aimed at promoting democratic values and the principles of justice in schools. The project engages policy-makers and teacher educators, and links efforts towards Sustainable Development Goals 4 (in particular 4.7 [4] on quality, inclusive and equitable education and 16, calling for the building of peace, justice and strong institutions. Today sees the launch of two new teachers’ handbooks in Latin America and the Caribbean. (Empowering students for just societies: a handbook for primary school teachers and Empowering students for just societies: a handbook for secondary school teachers), designed to anchor values of fairness and integrity in students. Activities make use of role-play and storytelling to build empathy and understanding of how societies learn to live together. Cecilia Barbieri, Head of UNESCO’s Global Citizenship Education Section said: ‘Schools must be at the heart of educating for democratic values, fundamental rights and the rule of law. Global Citizenship Education gives students the confidence to navigate our institutions and hold leaders to account.’ Many school curricula do not explore the process by which laws evolve, nor how the rule of law protects people from authoritarian regimes. The teacher handbooks were piloted in schools in 10 countries earlier this year. A secondary-school pupil from Nigeria drew this lesson: ‘I thought that anyone in the leadership could just make a law and force others to obey. I didn’t know that rules have process’. UNESCO and UNODC’s Global Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration recently held a capacity-building workshop in Mexico attended by representatives from education ministries as well as representatives from teacher training institutes from the region. Participants discussed the role that the education sector can play a role in promoting fairer societies and developed regional and national action plans to initiate the change. Download Empowering students for just societies: a handbook for primary school teachers Empowering students for just societies: a handbook for secondary school teachers *****[1] Edelman Trust Barometer 2019 [2] Transparency International Global Corruption Barometer Latin America and the Caribbean, 2019[3] International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS), 2016. The study was conducted in 30 countries including Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Peru.[4] SDG 4, target 7 ‘By 2030 ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development’. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/es/education/ 
The right to education of people on the move: UNESCO calls on Latin American and Caribbean countries to provide answers beyond migratory emergency responses 2019-11-19 The region is facing educational challenges related to human mobility that must be addressed at the cross-border level, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), through its Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (OREALC/UNESCO Santiago). UNESCO has been leading a working group on human mobility in the region since 2019. The purpose of the entity is to promote these issues, experiences and inputs in spaces of political dialogue that UNESCO creates in Latin America and the Caribbean. 17.10.2019 -The conclusions of the regional forum “Education beyond borders: Regional solidarity for the guarantee of the right to education for people on the move” were released by UNESCO on October 17, 2019. The document issues a call to build cross-border regional educational responses in a complex context of large-scale international movements that cannot be successfully addressed solely through national solutions, UNESCO states. The text, which refers to the meeting held 7-9 August 2019 in Santiago de Chile, contains the points that the participants expressed during the event. These include the need for coordination mechanisms that allow for public policies that go beyond migratory emergency responses; giving priority to formal education systems for educational responses; the need for data that allow countries to plan adequate and timely responses; and progress on mechanisms for recognizing studies and prior knowledge that ensure continuation of studies and the development of individuals on the move through employment. Representatives from Ministries of Education from the region, government institutions responsible for implementing migration policy and international and civil society organizations attended the meeting. The attendees highlighted the need to expand efforts that would allow educational and social environments to become spaces that recognize diversity as an enriching element and fundamental condition for achieving sustainable development. Claudia Uribe, Director of the Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (OREALC/UNESCO Santiago), stated during the meeting “there is a generous commitment on the part of destination countries to ensure the right to education of people on the move. However, these efforts require cross-border coordination mechanisms, more funding and a focus on the important needs of formal education systems in order to expand their scope and go beyond emergency responses.” Summary of the meeting in Santiago The regional forum “Education beyond borders: Regional solidarity for the guarantee of the right to education for people on the move” was designed to provide an opportunity for the stakeholders involved in this work to engage in dialogue and to provide a context of regional collaboration and strategic decisions to guarantee the right to education of individuals in a context of mobility. Participants analyzed the main challenges related to the educational response to contemporary human mobility flows and exchanged meaningful experiences for addressing them in Latin America and the Caribbean. During the event, the document Regional Strategy for UNESCO’s response to the situation of people on the move in Latin America and the Caribbean 2019-2021 was presented and modes of collaboration were identified. The forum featured the following sessions: Human mobility and the right to education Discussion of the regional situation of guaranteeing the right to education for people in a context of mobility, considering mobility trends in the region and globally as well as examples of responses. Planning for access to education systems: Regulatory frameworks Challenges related to the development and transformation of legal frameworks that would allow people on the move to access educational systems in the region. This included experiences improving instruments and protocols for complying with international agreements. Planning for access to education systems: Information systems and educational management Promotion of better records for access, pathway and completion of studies for people in a context of mobility. Recognition of studies, degrees, certificates and prior knowledge Regional mechanisms and progress on new tools for promoting recognition of studies for students in host countries. The main challenges associated with educational recognition. Inclusive educational and social environments: The role of local governments and cities Challenges to local governments related to human mobility, identification of opportunities for collaboration between local partners and local governments. Sharing best practices in the region. Inclusive educational and social environments: Safe, inclusive and welcoming educational contexts The factors that allow educational environments to address the challenges posed by migratory flows. Sharing best practices and experiences related to socio-emotional education and psychosocial support. Inclusive educational and social environments: Interculturality Identification of challenges related to interculturality in educational contexts. Dissemination of knowledge on regional efforts to ensure inclusive, safe and healthy social and learning environments based on the needs of people in a context of mobility and the destination society. More information Website: Regional Strategy for UNESCO’s response to the situation of people on the move in Latin America and the Caribbean 2019-2021 PDF: Foro regional: “Educación más allá de las fronteras: Solidaridad regional para la garantía del derecho a la educación de personas en contexto de movilidad. Report (in Spanish) PDF: Context and background: Regional Strategy for UNESCO’s response to the situation of people on the move in Latin America and the Caribbean PDF: Regional Strategy for UNESCO’s response to the situation of people on the move in Latin America and the Caribbean 2019-2021: working document ***** The forum included the participation of representatives of the Education Ministries of Uruguay, Grenada, Peru, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Curaçao and Mexico. It was also attended by important regional partners such as the International Organization for Migrants (OIM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture. The Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Andrés Bello Convention, Fundación Santa María, the Continuing Education Network of Latin America and Europe, RET International, the Jesuit Refugee Service, Cooperativa Sociale Mondo Aperto and the Regional Center for the Promotion of Books in Latin America and Caribbean (CERLALC/UNESCO) were invited. The event also was attended by representatives of the International Institute for Educational Planning (UNESCO/IIPE Buenos Aires), coordination experts who publish the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, the International Center for the Promotion of Human Rights and UNESCO’s Guatemala, Montevideo, Lima and Beirut Offices and its Paris Headquarters. URL:http://www.unesco.org/new/en/santiago/education-2030/news/the-right-to-education-of-people-on-the-move/ 
Global meeting of education ministers and university leaders paves way for greater inclusion and mobility in higher education 2019-11-14 For the first time in UNESCO’s history, ministers of education and university leaders came together to envisage international measures to improve inclusion and mobility in higher education. “In the field of higher education, multilateralism and UNESCO in particular, have a key role to play,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay as she opened the meeting. Over 100 ministers and 100 university representatives that are part of the UNESCO Chairs programme convened at UNESCO on 13 November during the Organization’s General Conference in Paris. They examined ways governments and higher education institutions can work together to meet the pressing challenge of creating a more inclusive global campus that can handle rapidly growing enrolment in higher education and increasing student mobility. They also envisaged ways for the world’s higher education sector to counter increasing inequalities and include marginalized groups. “We need to take actions to enhance international cooperation in higher education, reinforce knowledge sharing, academic exchanges and mobility, and create a fair, transparent and inclusive global campus that offers quality, inclusive and lifelong learning opportunities for all,” argued Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education. “One of the challenges we have in education is the democratization of the credentialing process,” said Tina Beaudry-Mellor, Minister of Advanced Education Saskatchewan, Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. A rapidly changing landscape The global higher education landscape is rapidly changing with increasing internationalization, diversification of providers, and new modes of learning. Some 220 million students are currently enrolled in higher education worldwide, twice as many as ten years ago and further growth is expected, especially in Africa. However, increased enrolment is not a reliable indicator of progress in achieving the internationally agreed 2030 Agenda’s goal of ensuring that educational systems “leave no one behind” and providing equitable, affordable quality higher education. Institutions face the challenge of providing quality education to an increasingly diverse student population, including non-traditional learners and disadvantaged groups such as migrants, refugees and indigenous peoples.“The Qualifications Passport was a door opener for me. I fled the war in Syria to Greece, and I then received my qualification recognition and was able to pursue my studies in Norway,” said Anwar Horani, a Syrian refugee in Norway. Increased mobility among students The past decades’ unprecedented increase of enrolment in higher education is matched by growing student mobility leading to the gradual emergence a global campus of learners, faculty and researchers. In the decade leading up to 2011, the number of learners choosing to study abroad more than doubled to 4.3 million students – a figure that is conservatively estimated to double again by 2025. “Student mobility should become the norm, and not an exception. It is our duty to make it easier for qualifications to be recognized across borders,” said Iselin Nybø, Minister for Research and Higher Education of Norway. Yet many students still face obstacles in having their qualifications recognized when returning to their home country or moving to a new country. Lack of recognition of qualifications constitutes a major obstacle in students’ pursuit of further studies or employment. Today more than half of the world’s foreign students are not merely studying away from their home country, but in a different continent or region. “In too many institutions of higher education, structural barriers make a university education available only to those born into the most privileged groups of society,” said Fernando Reimers, Professor of International Education at Harvard University (USA), and Member of UNESCO’s Futures of Education Report Commission. “Addressing the challenge of inclusion will require in many places expanding access to higher education.” To meet these new challenges, UNESCO is preparing the adoption of a Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education at the General Conference underway until 27 November. The new Convention aims to facilitate student mobility and improve access to higher education across regions and continents. “The Global Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications will be clear evidence that multilateralism, despite its critics, is the most appropriate system for the interconnected world in which we live,” said Ms Azoulay. UNESCO has also launched a Qualifications Passport to facilitate mobility for refugees with qualifications. The qualifications passport is currently being piloted in Zambia. “This passport can play a key role in supporting the integration of refugees by recognizing the studies they completed in their countries of origin,” said Ms Azoulay. Zambia’s Minister of Higher Education for his part said, “we are proud to pilot the Qualifications Passport for Refugees. We are working with UNESCO to make sure that refugee learners are given a chance to pursue their education and careers.” By convening policy-makers and universities to this unprecedented meeting, UNESCO aims to foster political will, international cooperation and capacities in higher education to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and gain understanding for the Global Convention’s added value in facilitating this process. Ministerial meeting on inclusion and mobility in higher education UNESCO and Higher Education Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education Qualifications Passport URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/global-meeting-education-ministers-and-university-leaders-paves-way-greater-inclusion-and 
What you need to know about the Convention against Discrimination in Education 2019-11-02 Since its adoption by UNESCO’s General Conference in 1960, the Convention against Discrimination in Education has been at the forefront of the Organization’s standard-setting instruments in the field of education. It has so far been ratified by 104 Member States and UNESCO is now urging the remaining countries to do so with its #RightToEducation campaign. What is the Convention against Discrimination in Education? The Convention reaffirms that education is not a luxury, but a fundamental human right. It highlights States' obligations to ensure free and compulsory education, bans any form of discrimination and promotes equality of educational opportunity. The treaty comprehensively covers the right to education and is the only one entirely dedicated to it. The Convention is recognized as a cornerstone of the Education 2030 Agenda and a powerful tool to advance inclusive and equitable quality education for all. What does the Convention guarantee? States that have ratified the Convention are under the obligation to implement the right to education as it is elaborated in the text including, among other provisions, the obligation of the state to provide free and compulsory education.The main provisions of the treaty include: Primary education free and compulsory Secondary education in its different forms, generally available and accessible to all Higher education equally accessible to all on the basis of individual capacity Equivalent standards of education in all public educational institutions of the same level and conditions relation to quality Opportunities for continuing education Training opportunities for the teaching profession without discrimination. The Convention also ensures: Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms The liberty of parents to choose for their children’s education in conformity with their moral and religious beliefs The right of members of national minorities to carry on their own educational activities. Why ratify the Convention now?As a standard-setting Organization, UNESCO encourages Members States to ratify normative instruments in order to achieve universal adherence to its norms and standards. This Convention is the first and only legally binding international treaty exclusively dedicated to the right to education and is considered to be a foundation of the Education 2030 Agenda. Ratifying the Convention: Shows the adherence of the country to rights set forth by the Convention, including the fundamental principles of non-discrimination, equality of treatment and of educational opportunities Ensures the respect of all rights laid down in the Convention Joins the community of States that are already party to the Convention and adopt the same normative framework Participates in the strengthening of international norms and standards in education Gives higher visibility to the Convention, and raises awareness The Convention does not admit any reservation, meaning that ratifying States cannot decide to exclude certain aspects or provisions from the legal effect of the Convention; therefore, the Convention is fully applicable to all its State Parties. Read the full text of the Convention. Join UNESCO’s #RightToEducation campaign. URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/what-you-need-know-about-convention-against-discrimination-education