From peace to climate change: Key moments for education at UNESCO’s General Conference

A historic moment was witnessed on 20 November when Member States adopted the Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development.  This is the only global standard-setting instrument that lays out how education should be used to bring about lasting peace and foster human development. The newly adopted text updates the Recommendation from 1974, which had been under revision for the past two years to ensure it responds to today's greatest challenges and future shocks. 

The General Conference also approved the establishment of a new UNESCO International Institute for STEM Education in Shanghai, China. The Institute will support countries globally to advance quality STEM education and will bring together resources, expertise, and collaboration on an international scale to address challenges and opportunities in this area.

On 8 November, a High-level Ministerial Dialogue on Education for Peace brought together voices from around the world to discuss what quality and relevant learning should look like to bring about real and lasting change. World-known artist Michelangelo Pistoletto shared his thoughts on the meaning of peace in today’s world and ways to make it a reality for current and future generations of learners. 

UNESCO also partnered with France TV to organize the "Youth for Peace Award", an international school competition where seven classes won prizes for their paintings, videos, music and other art creations. 

In the second part of the event, 49 Ministers and Vice Ministers of Education took the floor to speak about how they envision education’s active role in peacebuilding, share good practices from their countries, challenges and lessons learned from experiences and opportunities to further develop education for peace.

UNESCO joined forces with the International Task Force on Teachers, the Varkey Foundation, and Dubai Cares to put the spotlight on teachers. 

The highlights of the first global report on teachers by UNESCO and the International Task Force on Teachers was presented on 8 November. It revealed that the world is facing a global teacher shortage: 44 million additional primary and secondary teachers are needed to provide quality education for all by 2030.

The event also featured the award ceremony of the 2023 laureate of Global Teacher Prize. Sister Zeph from Pakistan, who founded her own school for underprivileged children, was awarded the Prize. 

A special event on education for sustainable development and climate change took place on 9 November. It featured the award ceremony of the UNESCO-Japan ESD Prize, awarded this year to: ‘Long Way Home’ from Guatemala, ‘Kanazawa University’ from Japan the ‘Zimbabwe Institute of Permaculture’. A panel discussion on greening education, exploring the Greening Education Partnership’s mission and work, followed the ceremony. 

On 16 November, UNESCO convened an urgent discussion on the role of education in addressing the recent global rise in antisemitism. The high-level round table brought together experts from academia, education settings, civil society, and international organizations to discuss the impact of antisemitism on educators and learners in different parts of the world and the support they require. The participants also highlighted what actions could be taken at various levels – from policy to regulation of digital platforms – to counter polarization and hate. Ms Giannini outlined the comprehensive educational response to antisemitism that UNESCO has been championing since 2018.

UNESCO's Associated Schools Network is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, an occasion to look back at the Organization’s oldest and largest school network’s rich history of promoting transformative education and empowering learners for peace and sustainability. An exhibition was held at UNESCO Headquarters during the General Conference, highlighting the network’s key initiatives to foster peace and advocate for sustainable development through its more than 12,000 schools across 182 countries. 

Another anniversary was marked in the margins of the General Conference, with the International Institute for Educational Planning celebrating its 60th anniversary of supporting countries to plan and manage their education systems. A Symposium provided an opportunity to reflect on the Institute’s key milestones, but also to chart a path forward for the future of educational planning, considering new trends and perspectives spanning key planning and management areas. 

The annual High-Level Steering Committee Leaders meeting was held on 8 November on the sidelines of the General Conference. The meeting had several key objectives, including reporting on progress related to SDG4 and commitments from the Transforming Education Summit, outlining the next steps in financing initiatives, concluding the responsibilities of outgoing committee members, and announcing new membership for 2024-25. The Steering Committee is gearing up to maintain political momentum for upcoming milestones, such as COP28's emphasis on climate education, UNESCO's Global Education Meeting next year, and the Summit of the Future. It is committed to holding governments accountable for concrete actions, and leading efforts to rethink both domestic and international financing of education.