UN’s Asia-Pacific Meeting to Assess Role of Education

Press Release

United Nations’ Asia-Pacific Meeting to Assess Education’s Role in Achieving the Millennium Development Goals

Chonburi, Thailand, 21 March – Policy makers, academics, and non-governmental and business leaders will meet in Chonburi, Thailand on 24 March to assess the role of education in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the fifty-five countries of the Asia-Pacific region. The key policy recommendations put forward during the discussions will be presented at the annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) session in July in Geneva.

Asia’s sheer size and population -- roughly 30 per cent of the world’s land mass and 60 per cent of global population, spanning tremendous cultural and income differences -- ose daunting challenges to achieving the MDGs. Progress towards the MDGs in the region has been steady but uneven. Between 1990 and 2005, the number of people worldwide earning less than $1.25 a day dropped from 1.5 billion to 979 million, with the biggest gains in East Asia. But momentum has been weakened by the global financial crisis and economic recession, as well as food and fuel price increases. As regional economies become more knowledge intensive, expanding access to education is a key to continued growth.

In almost all countries in the region, gender disparities in primary and tertiary education have narrowed. Meanwhile, the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis have slowed considerably and the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water has been cut in half. Yet, getting all children to complete primary education is among the most elusive goals.

In South and West Asia, where the major challenge is keeping children in school, between 1999 and 2008, the out-of-school population has dropped from 39 million to 18 million. However, this sub-region still accounts for a quarter of the global out-of-school population of nearly 67 million. Reaching children in conflict-affected areas, especially in Afghanistan, is one of the most urgent goals. In East Asia and the Pacific, including many small island developing states, the main problem is that many children get a delayed start on their education -- more than two-thirds of the out-of-school children can be expected to enrol late. In North and Central Asia, with a high proportion of landlocked developing countries, progress towards universal primary education has been steady since 2000. Most Central Asian countries with data have either achieved, or are on track to achieve, universal primary education by 2015.

The ECOSOC conference will be held in conjunction with the 10th High-Level Meeting on Education for All of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Panellists and experts will examine approaches to using universal education as a powerful driver to eradicate poverty, reduce child and maternal mortality, promote gender equality and ensure sustainable development. A special session will also showcase best practices and new initiatives from across Asia and the Pacific. The Government of Thailand is hosting the meeting.

Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will address the meeting on Thursday, 24 March during the opening of the event where ECOSOC Vice-President Abulkalam Abdul Momen, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Thomas Stelzer, are expected to speak. Education Ministers from Bangladesh, Thailand, Lao PDR, and Papua New Guinea, as well as the Education Vice-Minister of China Liu Limin will also participate.

ENDS

© Scoop Media