Nobel Peace Prize 2014 co-winner, Kailash Satyarthi, and UNESCO Director General, Irina Bokova, today addressed non-government and civil society organizations at the 2015 NGO Forum in Incheon, Republic of Korea.
Their speeches marked the end of the two-day Forum, where representatives discussed and debated the future of education, culminating in the adoption of the 2015 NGO Forum Declaration ‘Towards the right to inclusive, quality public education and lifelong learning beyond 2015’. The Declaration re-affirms that education is a fundamental right and public good that is key to promoting social, economic and environmental justice. It recognizes that civil society participation should be institutionalized and guaranteed in all processes, and is crucial to ensuring that governments are held to account in achieving inclusive education for all. It also states civil society’s position on issues around quality education, access and equity; as well as teachers, indicators and financing. The Full Declaration
Representing the collective vision of civil society for education over the next 15 years, the Declaration was distributed to all participants of the World Education Forum 2015 and will guide the work and advocacy of civil society until the adoption of the Sustainable Development Agenda at the UN Special Summit in September 2015 as well as for the coming years.
Ms Bokova told representatives at the NGO Forum that they have always been a key partner with UNESCO and have played an integral role in the push to make education a reality for all children, youth and adults.
Kailash Satyarthi said the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize was not a prize for himself and education activist Malala Yousafzai alone, but also an acknowledgement of the tireless work by non-governmental and civil society organizations to ensure the rights of all children across the world.
Representatives from more than 130 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are taking part in discussions ahead of the World Education Forum 2015 ) in Incheon, Republic of Korea, to agree on a collective civil society vision for education post-2015 and chart the best way forward for engagement in the new agenda.
The 18 – 19 May NGO Forum features a strong lineup of high-profile guests, including Nobel Peace Prize 2014 co-winner, Kailash Satyarthi, and UNESCO Director General, Irina Bokova.
A statement adopted by NGOs at the Forum, with recommendations for the implementation of the post-2015 education agenda, will be shared with participants at the World Education Forum.
Civil society has played a central role in the achievement of the Education for All (EFA) goals, as recognized at the World Education Forum in 2000. In the 15 years following, civil society engagement has grown significantly, with more organizations and networks working to secure the right to education than ever before.
Building on this momentum, the NGO Forum aims to cement civil society as a key partner in policy processes and decision-making, to help ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
The NGO Forum is being coordinated through the Collective Consultation of NGOs on EFA (CCNGO/EFA), a global network of nearly 300 national, regional and international member organisations from around the world.
The World Education Forum is being held from 19 – 22 May in the Republic of Korea; where world leaders in education will agree on a joint position for finalising the education goal and targets in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda, to be adopted at the Special Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2015.
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