High-level steering committee members
The High-Level Steering Committee Leaders convened on 8 November 2023 in Paris, at the margins of the UNESCO General Conference.
They examined SDG4 progress and the transformative actions that countries have undertaken following the Transforming Education Summit commitments. The meeting agreed on a set of decisions on the monitoring work, on advancing the education financing agenda, and on the recommendations of the High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession, among others.
The meeting was the culmination of the previous membership of the Committee (2021-2023), where the new members for 2024-2025 were announced.
![High Level Steering Committee November 2023 members](/sdg4education2030/sites/default/files/styles/paragraph_medium_desktop/public/2023-11/DSC_0516%20%281%29.jpg?itok=60Ax4_gu)
Member States and Regional Organization Representatives
Western Europe and North American
France
H.E. Ms Nicole Belloubet, Minister of National Education and Youth
Ms Nathalie Nikitenko, Delegate for European and International Relations and Cooperation
Portugal
H.E. Prof. Fernando Alexandre, Minister of Education, Science and Innovation of the Portuguese Republic
Ms Sílvia Ferreira, Director of Coordination of Cooperation and International Relations of the Ministry of Education
European Commission
Ms Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnerships, European Commission
Mr Martin Seychell, Deputy Director-General DG INTPA, European Commission
Eastern Europe
Latvia
H.E. Ms Anda Čakša, Minister for Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia
Ms Laura Treimane, Counsellor for Education and Science Permanent Representation of the Republic of Latvia to OECD and UNESCO
Romania
H.E. Dr Ligia Deca, Minister of Education of Romania
Dr Octavia Mihaela Bors-Georgescu, Senior adviser, Ministry of Education in Romania
Council of Europe
Mr Matjaž Gruden, Director of Democratic Participation
Mr Villano Qiriazi, Head of the Education Department
Latin-American and Caribbean
Brazil
H.E. Mr Camilo Santana, Minister of Education of the Federative Republic of Brazil
H.E. Ms Paula Alves de Souza, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Brazil to UNESCO
Chile - HLSC co-Chair
H.E. Mr Gabriel Boric Font, President of the Republic of Chile
H.E. Mr Nicolás Cataldo Astorga, Minister of Education of the Republic of Chile
Organization of Ibero‐American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI)
Mr Mariano Jabonero Blanco, Secretary-General
Ms Tamara Díaz, Director of the Education Sector
Asia and the Pacific
Bangladesh
H.E. Mr Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury, M.P. Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
H.E. Mr Khondker Mohammad Talha, Ambassador of Bangladesh to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO
China
H.E. Mr Huai Jinpeng, Minister of Education of the People's Republic of China
Mr Qin Changwei, Secretary-General, Chinese National Commission for UNESCO
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO)
H.E. Ms Sara Zimmerman Duterte, Vice-President of the Republic of the Philippines and the Secretary of the Department of Education of the Philippines, SEAMEO Council President
Ms Habibah binti Abdul Rahim, Director, SEAMEO Secretariat
Africa
Côte d’Ivoire
H.E. Ms Mariatou Kone, Minister of National Education and Literacy
Mr Adama Coulibaly, Inspecteur général, Coordonnateur général
Ethiopia
H.E. Professor Birhanu Nega Bonger, Minister of Education of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Mr Solomon Shiferaw Bogale, Senior Adviser to the Minister, Ministry of Education, Ethiopia
African Union
H.E. Prof. Mohamed Belhocine, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI)
Ms Sophia Ndemutila Ashipala, Head of Education Division, ESTI Department
Arab States
Saudi Arabia
H.E. Mr Yousef Albenyan, Minister of Education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Mr Abdulrahman Alamri, Deputy Minister for International Cooperation, Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Yemen
H.E. Mr Tareq Salem Al-Akbary, Minister of Education
H.E. Dr Abdelsalam Mohammed Al-Joufi, Expert
Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO)
Mr Mohamed Ould Amar, Director General
Mr Hechmi Ardhaoui, Education Expert
Multilateral Organizations/Banks/Funds Representatives
-
GPE
Ms Laura Frigenti, Chief Executive Officer
Mr Charles North, Deputy Chief Executive Officer
OECD
Mr Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills, Special Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary-General of the OECD
Ms Yuri Belfali, Head of Division, Early Childhood and Schools
UNICEF
Ms Catherine M. Russell, Executive Director
Ms Pia Rebello Britto, Global Director of Education and Adolescent Development
World Bank
Ms Mamta Murthi, Vice President for Human Development
Mr Luis Benveniste, Global Director Education
Development Cooperation (Donor) Representative
-
United Kingdom
Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education
Ms Judith Herbertson, Head of Girls’ Education Department, Education, Gender and Equality Directorate
Civil Society Representatives
-
CCNGO on Education 2030
Mr Refat Sabbah, President, Global Campaign for Education
Ms Nelsy Lizarazo, General Coordinator, Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education (CLADE)
Teacher Organization Representative
-
Education International
Mr David Edwards, General Secretary
Ms Antonia Wulff, Director of the Research, Policy and Advocacy Unit
Mr Simon Sommer, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Jacobs Foundation (2024)
Ms Dina Ghobashy, Director of Education Transformation, Microsoft (2025)
Mr Ilan Enverga, SDG4 Youth & Student Executive Committee Representative (2024 Youth Leader)
Ms Ellen Dixon, SDG4 Youth & Student Executive Committee Representative (2025 Student Leader)
UNESCO (ex officio member) - HLSC co-Chair
-
Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General (Leaders Group Co-Chair)
Ms Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education (Sherpa Group Co-Chair)
Standing invitation to attend HLSC Leaders meetings
-
UN Special Envoy for Global Education: Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown