CONFINTEA VI Follow-up Bulletin

Living and Learning for a Viable Future: The Power of Adult Learning
The Sixth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI), hosted by the Government of Brazil in Belém from 1 to 4 December 2009, provided an important platform for policy dialogue and advocacy on adult learning and non-formal education at global level. The conference brought together UNESCO Member States, United Nations agencies, multi- and bi-lateral cooperation agencies, organisations from civil society, the private sector and learners from all world regions. Objectives.
The third issue of the electronic CONFINTEA VI Follow-up Bulletin features activities undertaken in pursuit of the Belém Framework for Action from July 2011 to January 2012, both within and across countries.
It highlights efforts invested to produce national progress reports on the state of adult education three years after CONFINTEA VI. These reports are due at the end of the month, and are to provide information about a wide range of activities at regional and country level. You will also find the latest news on the status of UNESCO commitments such as developing guidelines for the recognition, validation and accreditation of non-formal and informal learning and the review of the Nairobi Recommendation on the Development of Adult Education, adopted by UNESCO’s General Conference in 1976. Follow-up Bulletin no. 3.
1 Monitoring and support to the follow-up of CONFINTEA VI
1.1 National CONFINTEA VI progress reporting launched: template sent out to countries
To take stock of the implementation of the Belém Framework for Action by UNESCO Member States, a template to report on progress in adult education has been developed by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), with the support of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and other experts. The template, available in English, French and Spanish, solicits data for the key areas identified in the Belém Framework for Action – policy, governance, finance, participation and quality. It is intended to be a convenient and efficient means for Member States to provide background material for both the next Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE) in 2012 and for the final evaluation of the United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD, 2003-2012).
The template was sent out by UNESCO’s Assistant Director- General for Education to all UNESCO National Commissions in early November. To complete the template and validate the data, Member States have been requested to bring together the widest possible range of stakeholders. The template is accompanied by explanatory notes, which provide further clarification on the reporting procedure. The national progress reports are to be submitted to UIL by the end of February 2012.
UIL strongly recommends that those who are interested in supporting the reporting process in their countries should contact their UNESCO National Commission to that end. The addresses of National Commissions are available at http://www.unesco.org/. The template and the explanatory notes are available for download, together with all other relevant documents relating to CONFINTEA VI, at http://uil.unesco.org/... Follow-up Bulletin no. 3.
1.3 2012 issue of the Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE) in preparation
The national reporting template described above was finalised during the first meeting of the GRALE Editorial Board held 21-22 July 2011 at UIL. The reports will provide the key data for GRALE pertaining to the five areas of policy, governance, finance, participation and quality. The template also contains questions to assess the outcomes of the United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD), which comes to an end in 2012. This timely coincidence, coupled with the fact that the Belém Framework for Action reiterates the fundamental role of literacy in adult education, led to the decision that adult literacy would be the special focus of GRALE 2012. The GRALE Editorial Board is so far composed of representatives from China, Ecuador, South Africa, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, the UNESCO Institute of Statistics and UIL... Follow-up Bulletin no. 3.
2 News from the regions
Arab States
Two regional consultations were organised by the UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut to improve literacy, basic education and adult education in the Arab States. In Sharjah (United Arab Emirates, 10-12 July 2011), some 60 decision-makers and practitioners from 15 countries agreed to reinforce efforts to meet the Education for All targets. There was agreement on the need for closer coordination of activities undertaken within a number of inter-related frameworks and UNESCO initiatives, including a more systematic follow-up to CONFINTEA VI.
Subsequently, a second regional consultation in Beirut (Lebanon) on 15-16 November explored the role the Literacy Enhancement Arab Programme (LEAP, which is due for launch in 2012) can play in following up CONFINTEA VI. LEAP is a regional coordination and support mechanism to streamline national and international efforts in literacy and adult education in the Arab region, jointly steered by UNESCO, ALECSO (Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization) and ISESCO (Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Participants from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan,
Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates discussed forthcoming activities, priorities and timelines.
To address the lack and/or unreliability of data, the clearest priority for LEAP is improved data collection. A second major issue is quality improvement. General priority issues include advocacy, clarification of concepts, capacity-building and the integration of adult education into overall planning. LEAP will serve to renew momentum and coordinate activities in literacy and adult education with a lifelong learning perspective. Evaluations are planned in 2014 and 2016. It is expected that, through LEAP, the CONFINTEA VI follow-up process will strengthen the further development of adult education and literacy provision in the region. Follow-up Bulletin no. 3.
See also CONFINTEA VI Follow-up News, Final Report of CONFINTEA VI, The Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE), VI Conferencia Internacional de Educación de Adultos.