Education International welcomes the United Nations General Assembly’s consensus adoption of a resolution proclaiming 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development.
As representatives of the world education community were gathered in Brussels, Belgium, for the Global Education Meeting, convened by UNESCO and aiming especially to take stock of progress towards the global education targets and commitments in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly voiced on 3 December a strong message recognising the foundational role of education in peace and development.
The adoption of the resolution 73/25 “International Day of Education”, co-authored by Nigeria and 58 other Member States, supported inclusive, equitable and quality education for all. By doing so, the international community reiterated that education plays a key role in building sustainable and resilient societies and contributes to the achievement of all other sustainable development goals.
In support of the realisation of SDG 4, the resolution calls on member states, organisations of the UN system, and civil society, non-governmental organisations, academic institutions, the private sector, individuals and other relevant stakeholders to observe the International Day of Education.
Introducing the resolution to the General Assembly, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN H.E. Tijjani Muhammad Bande highlighted that the proclamation of 24 January as the International Day of Education clearly shows that “education is not only a human right, but a path for sustainable development”.