V. High-level group communiqué

A draft of the high-level group communiqué was distributed to all the Working Group participants and examined by a thematic group, whose brief was to propose, within the short space of time available to them, what they would like the high-level group to say. The group based its recommendations on three principles:

ensuring a balance between the financial constraint and the human and moral aspects (education as a human right)

ensuring coherence, detailed and correct references

amending the document to heighten the sense of political will.

Specific recommendations for wording changes were made by the thematic group; plenary comments focused on the overall aims and nature of the communiqué. Inspirational, punchy, short, holistic, factual, coherent, positive and constructive – these words capture the hopes of the Working Group for the communiqué. It should avoid bureaucratic language and be aimed at a broad public, (re-)endorsing all the Dakar goals, recognizing progress made and stressing the current urgent needs of EFA. An improved text was given to the Dakar Follow-up Unit for processing prior to the high-level group meeting on 29 and 30 October 2001.