Video - New UN Forum to Advance Sustainable Development

The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development had it's inaugural meeting on 24 September 2013. Watch our video to find out why this matters.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Education References in the Rio+20 The Future We Want Text

Education was a key issue at the Rio+20 conference last June. Education is referenced six different times in the Rio+20 draft text known as "The Future We Want." Here is a summary of those references:

11. We reaffirm our commitment to strengthening international cooperation to address the persistent challenges related to sustainable development for all, in particular in developing countries. In this regard, we reaffirm the need to achieve economic stability and sustained economic growth, promotion of social equity, and protection of the environment, while enhancing gender equality and women's empowerment, and equal opportunities for all, and the protection, survival and development of children to their full potential, including through education.

RIO + 20 Supported Education for Sustainable Development

Education was an important part of the Rio+20 conference in June 2012. Although many felt that the outcome did not go far enough, education was frequently mentioned as an important area of sustainable development. Despite tepid results, participants at the conference did manage to agree that education has a crucial role to play, in particular Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

The Rio+20 conference prompted UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to say, “We resolve to promote education for sustainable development and to integrate sustainable development more actively into education beyond the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.”

UNESCO's Education for Sustainable Development

UNESCO's Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) promotes the widespread access of all people everywhere to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to shape a sustainable future. ESD incorporates key sustainable development issues into teaching and learning; for example, climate change, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity, poverty reduction, and sustainable consumption. It also requires participatory teaching and learning methods that motivate and empower learners to change their behavior and take action for sustainable development. ESD consequently promotes competencies like critical thinking, imagining future scenarios and making decisions in a collaborative way.