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Other global initiatives

A number of global initiatives represent dominant themes in international development. Prominent initiatives include:

Despite promoting different foci, the goals and strategies of these initiatives have strong linkages and they compliment each other in a number of ways. Along with the DESD, the initiatives seek a common final objective – improvement in the quality of human lives.

Specific linkages between the MDGs, EFA, the UNLD and the DESD include:

  • A rights-based approach to education for all
  • Basic, and/or primary, education
  • Gender equality
  • Overcoming poverty
  • Healthy populations
  • Environmental awareness/sustainability
  • Acquisition of life skills
  • Strategies – which include national commitment and ownership, partnerships with civil society, greater emphasis on local context, effective community participation and stakeholder engagement in policy formulation, advocacy, and public awareness

The underlying linkages between the four initiatives suggests that collaborative efforts will create multiple pay-offs in terms of achieving initiative goals. The DESD has a particularly important role to play in these efforts, not only as the latest global education initiative, but also as the one forging direct links between education and human development.

There are a number of actions that would enhance the efforts of all four initiatives:

  • Since the attainment of the goals of the various initiatives hinge on the quality of education, it is imperative that all four initiatives pay attention to creating conditions in schools and society where effective learning takes place
  • For education to be an effective tool for poverty alleviation and sustainable development, educational policies and strategies need to be linked to national policies and strategies for poverty alleviation, economic growth and human development
  • The four initiatives will collectively benefit if emphasis is placed on social inclusion and equity, human rights, justice and an end to violence against girls, women, and excluded and marginalized groups;
    Given that illiteracy is a common cause of concern in both developed and developing countries, concerted efforts are necessary to address this problem from all four initiative
  • In many countries around the world, conditions for good governance do not exist, and this can hamper the attainment of the goals of the four global initiatives. The issue of governance at the system level is an area in which the four initiatives can collaborate for promoting good governance

For more information, download (in PDF) the technical paper, Links between the Global Initiatives in Education, an ESD resource published by UNESCO (September, 2005).