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Mother language day 2020: Celebrating cross-border languages for peaceful dialogue 2020-03-25 UNESCO is celebrating ‘Languages without borders’ for International Mother Language Day 2020 on 21 February. Local, cross-border languages can promote peaceful dialogue and help to preserve indigenous heritage. Cultural and linguistic diversity are key for sustainable societies and help preserve the differences in cultures and languages that foster tolerance and respect for others. Around the world, some local languages, rather than vanishing, are in fact flourishing. Many of these fast-evolving languages are cross-border languages. For example, both regional variants of Maori – spoken in New Zealand, in the Cook Islands, and Sami, spoken across Northern Europe, have benefitted from efforts on the part of governments to revitalize these languages, which started in the 1980s. Borders in many parts of the world have been artificially imposed. From sub-Saharan Africa, to the Middle East to Latin America, many borders were negotiated and drawn arbitrarily splitting communities, which had existed for centuries. This process has contributed to conflict all over the world. Linguists specializing in cross border languages have pointed out that for such communities very often official borders do not ‘exist’. They continue to trade, share cultural practices and communicate in a common local language. Cross-border languages are naturally dynamic because they are cross-fertilized by people from two or more countries. Among many other cross-border languages, Kiswahili is one such example. This sub-Saharan African language is spoken by 120 to 150 million people. It is a hybrid tongue composed of linguistic elements from Southern Africa, Arabia, Europe and India. Its evolution tells a rich story of migration, trade, slavery, colonialism. Today, it is both sub-Saharan Africa’s most important lingua franca, and an enabling force promoting African unity and diplomacy. It is a national and official language in the United Republic of Tanzania, a national language in Kenya and in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a cross-border lingua franca in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, northern Mozambique and southern Somalia, and to a lesser extent, Malawi, Zambia and southern Sudan. Quechua is another example. The language of the ancient Incan Empire has now evolved to become a family of related indigenous languages, spoken by some 8 to 10 million people in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia and Argentina. The dynamism of cross-border languages means that they can provide space for indigenous culture and traditions to thrive. In the right circumstances, they can also be powerful tools for the promotion of peace between neighbouring countries. Bonds of empathy and shared heritage on either side of a border and among several countries in a region increase solidarity among neighbouring peoples and allow people to celebrate the complexity of their multi-layered identities. The development of Multilingual Education based on Mother Tongue Instruction, not only improves learning outcomes, but also helps to maintain linguistic diversity and multilingualism, a key element of inclusion. Cross-border languages have the potential to foster powerful emotional and cultural ties between neighbouring communities often living on either side of international borders. International Mother Language Day Learn more about UNESCO’s work in languages URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/mother-language-day-2020-celebrating-cross-border-languages-peaceful-dialogue 
Sexuality education is about respect and equality 2020-03-20 Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) goes beyond education about reproduction, risks and disease, also teaching about love and relationships based on mutual respect and equality. This was the message from the Zentano family from Santiago, Chile, who spoke to UNESCO about their experiences of sexuality education for the Foundation of Life and Love campaign. Sebastian Zentano told UNESCO that responsible CSE should include messages about respect, and equality. His mother, Maria Valeska Gatica, said she had tried to impart this to her sons from an early age. “I believe comprehensive sexuality education is a very important component of human development,” she said. “It promotes a world that is more peaceful, happier, more integrated, and more of a human community.” The Foundation of Life and Love campaign highlights intergenerational stories from families across the world to show why it is so important for young people to learn about health, relationships, gender, sex and sexuality. It also includes interviews from Ghana, Thailand, China, and the UK. CSE is based on universal human rights, including the rights of all people to health, education, information equality and non-discrimination. Through CSE, young people are able to recognise their own rights, to respect the rights of others, and help those whose rights are violated. It also respects a young person’s right to a high standard of health, including safe, responsible and respectful sexual choices. Débora Solis Martinez, Director of the Chilean Association for the Protection of the Family, who was also interviewed for the Foundation of Life and Love campaign, said all young people should have access to quality CSE. “We do not want young girls getting pregnant, we do not want young people affected by sexually transmitted infections or with HIV, but in order to achieve that, young people need to be able to obtain the information needed to make the right choice,” she said. “Beyond that, one of the greatest strengths of comprehensive sexuality education is that girls learn from the beginning that the condition of being a woman does not imply a relationship of subordination with man,” she said. Join the conversation at #CSEandMe. More on Education for health and well-being URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/sexuality-education-about-respect-and-equality 
过去25年间小学入学性别差距减半 2020-03-20 UNESCO unveils a new fact sheet on girls’ education today ahead of International Women’s Day. The data is published as part of the #HerEducationOurFuture initiative which focuses on the progress achieved over the past 25 years. It shows that girls’ enrolment rates in primary and secondary education have almost doubled in low-income countries, and that the gender gap in primary enrolment has been halved. But it also shows that the pace of change is not fast enough. At the present rate, getting every girl into primary school will only happen in 2050. The fact sheet is published on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing in 1995), which culminated with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a key global policy document on gender equality and the most ambitious roadmap for the empowerment of girls and women. “Ignoring girls’ education is akin to ignoring one of the most effective solutions for development,” said the Director-General for UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay. “When girls access quality education, it emboldens them to break the social stereotypes that hold back gender equality. It also gives them the tools to better navigate future life-altering choices on pregnancy, childbirth, and health challenges claiming millions of children’s lives around the world. We cannot achieve the world we want without the education and empowerment of all girls and women.” The Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report at UNESCO shows that if all women completed primary education, maternal deaths would be reduced by two-thirds. If they had a secondary education, child deaths would be cut by half, saving 3 million lives, and there would be two-thirds fewer child marriages. If all girls in sub-Saharan Africa, and in South and West Asia had a secondary education, the number of pregnancies among girls younger than 17 would fall by close to 60%. But slow progress is preventing girls from reaping these benefits. As the new interactive website, https://www.education-progress.org/en/ illustrates, the primary enrolment rate of girls over the past 25 years has only increased by ten percentage points from 78% to 88%, less than half a point per year. The new fact sheet shows progress since 1995 in global commitment to girls’ right to an education through international Conventions as drawn from UNESCO’s HerAtlas, and areas where improvements are still needed. In 1995, the Beijing Platform for Action urged countries to eliminate gender discrimination in education, which is now prohibited by the constitutions of 90 countries. Since the Beijing Platform for Action, the number of States that have ratified the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (CADE) has increased from 82 to 105. However, this still means almost half have not signed it. By 1995, 150 States had ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which provides for equal rights for men and women. It has now been ratified by 189 States Parties, but 27 countries signed it with objections to particular articles on child marriage and discrimination policy. A new social media campaign, under #HerEducationOurFuture, is being launched in partnership with multiple education organizations to help advance the commitments made on education in the Beijing Declaration. The campaign calls on girls and teachers to add their voices to call for change by saying what they would want to improve for the next generation. It is launched on International Women’s Day and the Commission for the Status of Women, which will feed inputs into The Generation Equality Forum. This is a global gathering for gender equality, convened by UN Women and co-chaired by France and Mexico, with civil society as a leader and partner. The Forum will kick-off in Mexico City, Mexico, (7-8 May 2020) and be concluded over three days in Paris, France (from 7 to 10 July 2020). ****For more information and interviews, contact Kate Redman k.redman@unesco.org +33(0)671786234 URL: https://en.unesco.org/news/gender-gap-primary-school-enrolment-halved-over-past-25-years 
发出你的声音：你对未来女童教育有何期待？ 2020-03-16 2020 is a pivotal year as the global community comes together to mark the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Adopted unanimously by 189 countries, the Beijing Declaration is considered as the key global policy document on gender equality and the most ambitious roadmap for the empowerment of girls and women everywhere. As we reflect on the past 25 years, we also look forward to actions that can empower girls and women to go to school, learn, apply their education and thrive in their communities and societies. UNESCO and the Global Education Monitoring Report have produced a joint factsheet on gender equality in education with the latest facts and stats. It provides information on the bottom ten countries for girls’ education from the WIDE database, managed jointly with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. It also draws on data from UNESCO’s Her Atlas, which measures the status of national legal frameworks related to girls’ and women’s right to education. In an effort to raise the profile of girls’ education, UNESCO has launched a campaign leveraging the collective force of education advocates. The campaign seeks the input of girls, women, boys, men, youth, teachers and all stakeholders around the world. Tell us what your wish is for the next generation of girls. Girls and women, how has education transformed your life? How do you see gender equality in education progressing in the next 25 years? Add your voice through this online survey. Your input will help shape decisions to advance action on girls’ education and gender equality in the next 25 years and beyond. Help us to ensure girls’ education is at the forefront of discussion. We count on you, so don’t wait and take part in this campaign. These efforts directly contribute to UNESCO’s initiative, Her education, our future, launched last year and calling for accelerated collective action in favour of girls’ and women’s education. More information Opinion: The road to gender equality is through quality education Gender gap in primary school enrollment halved over past 25 years UNESCO’s work on gender equality in education URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/share-your-voice-what-do-you-wish-education-next-generation-girls 
Предстоящее Десятилетие языков коренных народов (2022–2032 гг.) будет сосредоточено на правах носителей языков коренных народов 2020-03-09 Participants at the High-level event, “Making a decade of action for indigenous languages,” on 28 February issued a strategic roadmap for the Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032) prioritizing the empowerment indigenous language users. More than 500 participants from 50 countries, including government ministers, indigenous leaders, researchers, public and private partners, and other stakeholders and experts, adopted the Los Pinos Declaration, at the end of the two-day event in Mexico City, which was organized by UNESCO and Mexico. The Declaration places indigenous peoples at the centre of its recommendations under the slogan “Nothing for us without us.” The Declaration, designed to inspire a global plan of action for the Decade, calls for the implementation of the internationally recognized rights of indigenous peoples, expressed notably in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of 2007, the UN System-wide Action Plan (SWAP) on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of 2017, and other standard-setting instruments such as UNESCO’s Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960),the UN’s International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966). In its strategic recommendations for the Decade, the Los Pinos Declaration emphasizes indigenous peoples’ rights to freedom of expression, to an education in their mother tongue and to participation in public life using their languages, as prerequisites for the survival of indigenous languages many of which are currently on the verge of extinction. With regard to participation in public life, the Declaration highlights the importance of enabling the use of indigenous languages in justice systems, the media, labour and health programmes. It also points to the potential of digital technologies in supporting the use and preservation of those languages. Building on the lessons learnt during the International Year of Indigenous Languages (2019), the Declaration recognizes the importance of indigenous languages to social cohesion and inclusion, cultural rights, health and justice and highlights their relevance to sustainable development and the preservation of biodiversity as they maintain ancient and traditional knowledge that binds humanity with nature. Current data indicates that at least 40% of the 7,000 languages used worldwide are at some level of endangerment. While reliable figures are hard to come by, experts agree that indigenous languages are particularly vulnerable because many of them are not taught at school or used in the public sphere. More statistical data will become available once UNESCO’s Atlas of Languages, a database about practically all human languages, becomes available later this year. **** More about the International Year of Indigenous Languages and its outcomes URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/upcoming-decade-indigenous-languages-2022-2032-focus-indigenous-language-users-human-rights 
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 
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 
"Global Citizenship Education" as the main part of the curriculum 2019-03-25 An UNESCO workshop on Global Citizenship Education was held in Geneva, Switzerland. Experts from Uganda, Columbia, Mongolia and Cambodia shared their view on the challenges and opportunities facing Global Citizenship Education. Measures such as promoting teachers’ awareness, training specialists for curriculum and teaching materials development were approved in consensus. URL: http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2016-12/02/c_129387680.htm 
From school to enterprise : a lecture about gender equality in Shandong, China 2019-03-25 The “international Standard of Social Gender Equality and Its Practice in China” report was issued in Shandong Heze University. This was an attempt to educate college students on basic state policy of gender equality. Shandong provincial government is making progress in advocating gender equality in the area of family, higher education and enterprises.URL:http://paper.cnwomen.com.cn/content/2018-11/29/054751.html