CONFINTEA VI, hosted by the Government of Brazil in Belém from 1 to 4 December 2009, will provide the platform for policy dialogue and advocacy on adult learning and non-formal education at global level. The conference will draw together UNESCO Member States - including more than 100 Ministers – United Nations agencies, multi- and bi-lateral cooperation agencies, organizations from civil society, the private sector and learners from all world regions. The CONFINTEA conferences are held every 12 years since their inception in 1949. For the first time in its history, CONFINTEA is taking place in the Southern hemisphere. More »

19 October 2009
E-9 Seminar on Literacy and Adult Learning in Rural Areas (Beijing, China, 26-29 October 2009)

E-9 countries have a key role to play in promoting literacy and adult learning in rural areas, given that nearly 70 per cent of the world’s illiterate adults live in these countries. In order to promote the implementation of UNESCO’s Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE) and develop E-9 countries’ capacities with regard to literacy and adult learning, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and the UNESCO International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (INRULED) will hold a Seminar on Literacy and Adult Learning in Rural Areas in Beijing from 26 to 29 October 2009, in cooperation with the National Commission for UNESCO, the Chinese Ministry of Education, UNESCO Beijing and UNESCO Bangkok. More »

16 October 2009
New publication: Advancing literacy: A review of LIFE 2006-2009

In view of the magnitude of the literacy challenge, UNESCO launched the Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE 2006-2015). As one of UNESCO’s three flagship initiatives dedicated to advancing the EFA agenda, LIFE is also a key operational mechanism for achieving the goals of the United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD – 2003-2012). Now that the initiative has been in place for three years, UNESCO prepared a review of LIFE 2006-2009. More »

28 September 2009
Cross-regional Workshop on Capacity-building for LIFE in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Arab States.

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning together with its partners is organizing a Cross-regional Workshop on Capacity-building for LIFE in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab States. The UNESCO Office in Addis Ababa will host the workshop from 29 September to 2 October 2009 which is organised in partnership with UNESCO BREDA, the UNESCO Office in Bangkok and ISESCO. The main focus of this technical seminar is on Adult (15+) Literacy in Multilingual Contexts. More »

24 September 2009
Frankfurt Book Fair Literacy Campaign(Litcam)

UIL is a cooperating partner of the Frankfurt Book Fair’s Literacy Campaign (LitCam). This year’s LitCam will be held on 12 and 13 October 2009 on the theme of “Literacy and Media”. Media-related literacy projects will be presented from Afghanistan (Deutsche Welle, Learning by Ear), Ireland (NALA); India (Planet Read); and Nigeria (National Commission for Nomadic Education), among others. Workshops will address topics such as e-learning for basic skills, publisher involvement and public awareness-building. The accompanying exhibition will offer an insight into current activities worldwide. Since 2006, hundreds of participants from more than 30 countries in all five continents have participated in LitCam. Programme »

9 September 2009
International Literacy Day Event in Berlin, Germany

As last year, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) organised the national celebrations for International Literacy Day (ILD) on 8 September in Berlin, in cooperation with the Federal Association for Literacy and Basic Education (BVAG) and the German Adult Education Association (DVV), and with the support of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF). More »

2 September 2009
New publication: Alfabetización y multiculturalidad: Miradas desde América Latina (Literacy and Multiculturality: Views from Latin America)

Indigenous people as well as linguistic and cultural minorities are some of the disadvantaged populations whose illiteracy rates exceed the national average. They are therefore in need of empowering literacy programmes, particularly those that effectively address peoples’ learning needs in multicultural and multilingual contexts. This year, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) is contributing to the theme of this year’s International Literacy Day – “Literacy and Empowerment” – as well as to the UNLD, and the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People, by launching a publication entitled “Literacy and Multiculturality: Views from Latin America”. More »   Español »   Português »

23 June 2009
New dates for CONFINTEA VI: 1 – 4 December 2009

After consulting all stakeholders, it has been decided to hold CONFINTEA VI from 1st to 4th December in Belém. Invitations previously issued by UNESCO remain valid. The CONFINTEA VI Secretariat will contact all invitees for re-confirmation. More »

5 May 2009
CONFINTEA VI postponed

The Government of Brazil has decided to postpone the Sixth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI)-
due to take place in Belém do Pára (Brazil) from 19-22 May 2009 -following the spread of the influenza virus H1N1 (“swine flu”). More »

16 April 2009
Mid-April update: Registrations received for CONFINTEA VI

As of 15 April, 123 of 193 UNESCO Member States have confirmed that they will be taking part in CONFINTEA VI in Belém this May. A fair proportion of the delegations from Member States will be headed by their respective Ministers or Vice-Ministers of Education, 75 of whom have confirmed their attendance to date. More »

25 March 2009
UIL Launches New Database on Effective Practice in Literacy and Numeracy Worldwide

Recognising that knowledge exchange is a crucial means of promoting literacy and numeracy efforts, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) has established a database litbase that provides examples of effective literacy and numeracy programmes worldwide. More »

13 February 2009
Outcome documents of all CONFINTEA VI regional preparatory conferences available online

These documents are a record of the resolutions adopted by the respective regional conference. They summarise the specific contexts and issues for adult learning and education in each region. More »