The meeting brought together high officials, including the United Nations principal organs, global education partners, civil society representatives, donor representatives, and Ministers of Education from 12 countries, namely Argentina, Bangladesh, China, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Jordan, Latvia, Morocco, Portugal, Sierra Leone and Slovenia. The event was a platform to explore means to accelerate national and global progress towards SDG4 and achieve quality education for all by 2030 were explored.

Mandated by the UN Secretary General during the Transforming Education Summit (TES) to ensure and monitor the implementation of commitments made at the Summit, the HLSC called on countries to adopt new indicators measuring the implementation of environmental education and digital access to learning for all. The Committee also urged the endorsement of the TES calls for action, which pertain to 6 areas: green education, digital transitions, advancing gender equality, empowering young people, foundational learning, education in crisis situations, and equity and efficiency in educational finance.

In her speech, UNESCO Director-General, Ms Audrey Azoulay, addressed participants saying “Ensuring that all children and youth are climate ready, improving schools’ digital connectivity and students’ access to online learning contents are critical goals. We appeal to world leaders to accelerate progress in these areas, according to the agreements reached at the Transforming Education Summit.”