Conference on the Launching of the UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (UN DESD) in Northern Germany (Lübeck, November 23-24, 2005)

	Conference on the Launching of the UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (UN DESD) in Northern Germany (Lübeck, November 23-24, 2005) The UNESCO Institute for Education is collaborating in a conference held by an initiative of five German federal states as a contribution to the UN DESD. The conference will take place over two days. The first begins with presentations of instructive examples of practical ESD on-site at 10 different institutions of the participating federal states, the majority of them near Lübeck; afterwards, participants will meet at the conference venue ("Media Docks" in the harbour area), where the official opening will be held along with an exhibition of practical examples ("Markt der Möglichkeiten") and a cultural programme. The main part of the conference, which begins on day two, includes an address by Prof. De Haan, chairperson of the German National Committee for Implementing the DESD created by the National UNESCO Commission. A number of workshops will follow, run by seven working groups devoted to learning from early childhood care and education through formal schooling and vocational and higher education to adult and informal education. A group organised by InWEnt, a German development agency, will deal with North-South exchanges on good practices of ESD and take advantage of the presence of trainees/fellows from developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. This conference represents the first of a biennial series of similar meetings during the decade, each organised by different member states of the partnership. The next meeting is foreseen for 2007 in Hamburg. The conference intends to adopt a "Lübeck Declaration" defining the purpose of the partnership, with its aims of disseminating good practice and supporting effective approaches in ESD, focusing on international exchange. For further information, please contact: Werner Mauch, UIE, w.mauch@unesco.org

Conference on the Launching of the UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (UN DESD) in Northern Germany (Lübeck, November 23-24, 2005)

The UNESCO Institute for Education is collaborating in a conference held by an initiative of five German federal states as a contribution to the UN DESD.

The conference will take place over two days. The first begins with presentations of instructive examples of practical ESD on-site at 10 different institutions of the participating federal states, the majority of them near Lübeck; afterwards, participants will meet at the conference venue ("Media Docks" in the harbour area), where the official opening will be held along with an exhibition of practical examples ("Markt der Möglichkeiten") and a cultural programme.

The main part of the conference, which begins on day two, includes an address by Prof. De Haan, chairperson of the German National Committee for Implementing the DESD created by the National UNESCO Commission. A number of workshops will follow, run by seven working groups devoted to learning from early childhood care and education through formal schooling and vocational and higher education to adult and informal education. A group organised by InWEnt, a German development agency, will deal with North-South exchanges on good practices of ESD and take advantage of the presence of trainees/fellows from developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

This conference represents the first of a biennial series of similar meetings during the decade, each organised by different member states of the partnership. The next meeting is foreseen for 2007 in Hamburg. The conference intends to adopt a "Lübeck Declaration" defining the purpose of the partnership, with its aims of disseminating good practice and supporting effective approaches in ESD, focusing on international exchange.

For further information, please contact: Werner Mauch, UIE, w.mauch@unesco.org