As part of UNESCO’s endeavors to support the Government of Iraq and the Iraqi Civil Society towards achieving the overall EFA goal of reducing illiteracy in Iraq by 50% by 2015 a coordination meeting will take place in Doha, Qatar during (22-23) March, 2011 at the Oryx Rotana Hotel to launch the website of the National Literacy Network for Iraq and ensure identification of joint literacy interventions. The advisor of Her Highness Office (HHO), the Director of UNESCO Doha Office, the Project Manager at UNESCO Iraq Office, high level officials within the Ministry of Education in Baghdad and KRG, and partner international and national NGOs will participate in the meeting.

In the Literacy Network for Iraq NGO Meeting high level officials will discuss and identify main action points to ensure effective coordination of activities among the members of the Literacy Network of Iraq. The methodology and action plan for the development of NGO needs assessment in Iraq will be also discussed and the developed website (www.lifeforiraq.org) will be launched in partnership with HHO.

UNESCO Iraq Office, working within the framework of the United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD 2003-2012), launched the Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE) project in Iraq in 2010 in partnership with the Office of Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, First Lady of Qatar and UNESCO’s Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education. LIFE is a 4 year project, which aims at supporting the Government of Iraq and Iraqi Civil Society in the implementation of a national literacy campaign for literacy towards achieving the overall EFA goal of reducing illiteracy by 50% by 2015.

To this end, UNESCO established the Literacy Network for Iraq to increase access to literacy opportunities at community level while ensuring effective coordination among relevant stakeholders. Partners of the Literacy Network will work together on various activities, such as monitoring and mapping of literacy and non-formal education opportunities, the facilitation of partnerships between the NGOs’ and other national and international organizations, and the development of NGOs’ capacity building training program to deliver quality literacy for all in Iraq.

The LIFE project for Iraq benefits from the gracious donation of Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser. Her Highness’ support covers an array of projects related to Education, from Literacy, curriculum review, teacher training, thus addressing the complex and complementary issues affecting Iraq’s education system. These projects are consistent with Her Highness’ concerns and ambitions for Iraq and are critical to the development of a well informed, educated and autonomous Iraqi society.

For further information, please contact:

Alberto Biancoli, Project Manager, UNESCO Iraq Office

Mobile: +962 (0) 776 723 409,

Email: a.biancoli@unesco.org