The Ministry of Education (MoE) has participated in the Transforming Education Pre-Summit, held from 28 to 30 June 2022 at the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the French capital Paris.
Attended by more than 150 ministers and 2,000 participants, the pre-summit is a global starting point to garner support for education transformation and prepare the agenda for the main summit, to be held in September, based on a common vision and multilateral approach.The pre-summit was organized while the UN was preparing to host the Education Transformation Summit (ETS), as part of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2022.
His Excellency António Guterres, UN General Secretary, has extended invitations to the summit, which seeks to garner efforts, aspirations, and solidarity; find solutions to change education; design a new, global education system that is more appropriate and able to meet the requirements of the future. The pre-summit program included a closed meeting of the SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee, followed by an opening session of the pre-summit that included a keynote speech by the UN Secretary General, Director-General of the UNESCO, and major figures working in the education sector. Finally, round sessions gathering the ministers were held, during which the results of the national consultations of their countries were reviewed, in terms of ideas, results, recommendations, and commitments to transform education.The pre-summit also included specialized sessions to review the global trends the summit is focusing on to transform education, namely comprehensive, fair, safe, and healthy schools, learning and skills for life, work and sustainable development, digital learning and transformation, teachers, teaching, and education funding.
H.E. DR. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, has participated in the pre-summit through a recorded speech. He thanked the UN and the organizations working under it for that distinguished initiative, namely organizing the "The Global UN Education Transformation Summit." He added that the summit reflected a global commitment to cooperation that cemented the ongoing partnerships, integration, and fruitful work to unify global visions and efforts and sustain coordination and consultations to advance education around the world.
H.E. stressed that the UAE was a pioneer in supporting priorities, objectives, and solidary work by building effective partnerships with the UNESCO and countries of the world for sustainable education.
H.E. Al Falasi said that the UAE had triggered national consultations, in cooperation with regional and global development partners, strategic partners, such as government and local entities, public benefit associations, and community members. He added that during the consultations, ideas and ambitions were shared to draw a unified, national vision and a commitment from all the attendants to support education, to enhance sustainable development, achieve government visions and approaches of the UAE and its leadership.
H.E. said at the end, "Everyone has the right to education. That is why we hope that this event will serve as a supportive platform for global efforts to achieve this humanitarian goal."
It is worth mentioning that the MoE has organized the first phase of national consultations virtually on Friday, 24 June, with the participation of more the 120 participants, representing 25 federal and local ministries and agencies. This comes in preparation for the ETS in New York and to draft a national commitment statement and a national statement of the UAE that will be submitted to the summit.
Did you find this content helpful? Yes
No
