ECOSOC: World leaders put education at the heart of development
©UNICEF/Marta Ramoneda
The need for governments to stay on track to meet internationally agreed education goals was the focus of the 2011 Annual Ministerial Review of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Geneva, 4-8 July). UNESCO played a lead role in its planning the high-level event which for the first time addressed education.
In a keynote address on 4 July, Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO pleaded for commitment to education from the highest levels of government and international bodies. At a prior event, she joined UN officials and schoolchildren to urge world leaders to redouble their efforts to put education at the centre of development.
ECOSOC is a major forum for discussing world issues and preparing policy recommendations for Member States and the UN system. Its Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) assessed progress on the education-related Millennium Development Goals; stressed the links between education and other internationally agreed goals and urged countries to launch initiatives in support of education.
Related Links
Education and the Millennium Development Goals