Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, recently participated in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The conference took place between May 17-19 in cooperation with UNESCO and the Federal Ministry of Education and Scientific Research in Germany.

During the conference, the minister underlined the need for establishing a national specialised action team consisting of representatives from various authorities with the aim of analysing the required developments in the overall education system in the post-Coronavirus period.

He highlighted the necessity to conduct a joint research study between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Prevention, in cooperation with relevant universities on potential ways to utilise behavioural attitudes to improve cultural perspectives on recycling, waste management, and environmental health.

Attended by more than 80 ministers of education and 2,500 specialists and experts from countries across the world, the event was organised with the aim of raising awareness about the new Education Framework for Sustainable Development 2030.

Al Hammadi participated in the first plenary session of the event, titled "Creating the change we need in the time of planetary crisis – ESD for 2030". The session discussed the role of ESD in overcoming key sustainability challenges amid the COVID-19 crisis as well as in line with UNESCO’s new ESD for 2030 Roadmap.

Addressing the event, Al Hammadi explained how the UAE embraced Sustainable Development Goal No 4.7 related to accessing quality education by 2030. It aims to ensure that every learner has access to the necessary knowledge and skills to assist in the efforts of achieving sustainable development with the help of relevant education about sustainable living, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and cultural diversity.

He underlined the move will help in achieving the initiatives of the UAE leadership related to the five priority action areas of the framework -

(a) Updating policies

(b) Learning about environmental transformation

(c) Building the capacities of teachers, empowering and mobilising the youth

(d) Adopting related procedures within communities

(e) Monitoring their progress

He affirmed that Sustainable Development Goal No 4 and its objective have been integrated into the UAE’s national education agenda. In this regard, he stressed the need for providing fair educational opportunities, noting that education is a basic human right.

Al Hammadi asserted that the UAE's 2021 Vision National Agenda is aimed at developing a quality education system. He pointed out that there will be potential investments in the sector to enhance enrollment in pre-school education through the Baraem Al Mustaqbal programme, which is a pre-school initiative aimed at developing children’s personalities and strengthening their cognitive abilities, along with primary education. This agenda also seeks to make the UAE's education system and its students among the best in the world, Al Hammadi added.

In conclusion, he said that the National Committee on the Sustainable Development Goals was formed in January 2017 in line with a decree issued by the UAE Cabinet. The Committee was established in collaboration with 17 ministries, non-governmental organisations and the private sector to achieve the objectives of the framework.

During the event, UNESCO noted that the Conference is aimed at creating momentum for the framework ESD for 2030 in view of the pressing environmental issues looming on the world. The new framework seeks to build a more just and sustainable world by reinforcing ESD to develop such education systems that support learners of all ages.

It aims to make learners more responsible and active contributors to the creation of more sustainable societies and a healthy planet. It also seeks to boost awareness about sustainable development challenges, particularly in terms of the climate crisis, loss of biodiversity and other environmental challenges. In addition, the framework aims to raise awareness about the paramount role of education as a crucial enabler to ensure successful achievement of the SDGs.

WAM