On 3 December 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted with consensus a resolution proclaiming 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development.
The adoption of the resolution 73/25 “International Day of Education”, co-authored by Nigeria and 58 other Member States, demonstrated the unwavering political will to support transformative actions for inclusive, equitable and quality education for all.
By doing so, the international community reiterated that education plays a key role in building sustainable and resilient societies, and contributes to the achievement of all other Sustainable Development Goals.
With a view to enhance international cooperation in supporting the efforts towards the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 4, the resolution called on all stakeholders including Member States, organizations of the UN system, and civil society, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, the private sector, individuals and other relevant stakeholders to observe the International Day of Education.
UNESCO, as the specialized United Nations agency for education, will facilitate the annual observance of the Day in close collaboration with main education actors.
Education is a human right
The right to education is enshrined in article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration calls for free and compulsory elementary education. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989, goes further to stipulate that countries shall make higher education accessible to all.
Education is key to sustainable development
When it adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015, the international community recognized that education is essential for the success of all 17 of its goals. Sustainable Development Goal 4, in particular, aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030.
Challenges to achieving universal education
Education offers children a ladder out of poverty and a path to a promising future. But about 265 million children and adolescents around the world do not have the opportunity to enter or complete school. More than a fifth of them are of primary school age. They are thwarted by poverty, discrimination, armed conflict, emergencies and the effects of climate change. Migration and forcible displacement also affect the achievement of the education goals, as presented in the 2019 Global Education Monitoring report.
Celebrating the first International Day of Education in 2019
By proclaiming the International Day of Education, UN member states recognized the importance of working to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels – so that all people may have access to lifelong learning opportunities that help them to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to access opportunities to participate fully in society and contribute to sustainable development.
Resources
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Clarity
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1 How can we get more girls to thrive in STEM subjects and careers?
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2 URGENT: Watch the Société Générale Video and African Girls Coding Initiative will be Funded
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3 Key to Restoring the Harmony Between Humanity and Nature
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4 Countries should defend themselves against platform-based digital colonialism
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5 Kenya’s Julie Gichuru Leads Africa’s Dream Moonshot Discussion
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6 APRM’s Eddy Maloka issues a statement condemning xenophobia in South Africa
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7 DEADLINE EXTENDED! – Apply to attend The World Bank Youth Summit 2019 in Washington D.C.
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8 APPLY and Become an African Youth Ambassador For Peace – (AYAP) 2019
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9 September 8th – World International Literacy Day
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10 #Goalkeepers19 – Bill Gates to launch explosive 2019 Report in September
