Arab States regional consultation in preparation for the extraordinary session of the Global Education Meeting 2020

On Monday 28 October 2020, the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States based in Beirut hosted an online regional consultation in preparation for the extraordinary session of the Global Education Meeting 2020.

The purposed of the regional consultation is to ensure that the inputs of all Member States, partners and key stakeholders are reflected in the meeting’s outcome document (“The 2020 GEM Declaration”). The Director of the Regional Bureau Dr. Hamed Al Hammami and the Assistant Director General for Education Ms. Stefania Giannini launched the meeting with opening speeches reiterating the importance of the continuation of learning and commitment of member states in investing in education.

The regional consultation was attended by over 70 participants, including Ministries of education, partners and civil society. The main themes reiterated during the consultation was the need to increase the investment in education, adapting existing education systems and models to the demands of learning in a post-COVID world and providing psycho-social support to learners.

The regional consultation for the Arab States region on the draft 2020 GEM Declaration is in preparation for the extraordinary session of the Global Education Meeting (2020 GEM), which UNESCO will convene with Government of the United Kingdom as co-host on 20 October 2020 for its technical segment from 1 to 4pm (CEST –Paris) and 22 October 2020 for its high-level segment from 1 to 3 pm (CEST – Paris). The 2020 GEM will provide a unique platform for exchange among high-level political leaders, policy makers and global education actors to protect and rethink education in the current and post-COVID-19 world and agree on global priority actions for educational recovery and progress in the Decade of Action for Sustainable Development.