14 September 2015
UN Officials Highlight Literacy’s Role in 2030 Agenda
story highlights

As the international community marked International Literacy Day 2015, UN officials highlighted its importance for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the outcome document of the upcoming UN summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda.

The main global celebration took place at the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris, where a two-day event on Literacy and Sustainable Societies - the theme of International Day 2015 - was held from 8-9 September 2015.

literacy8 September 2015: As the international community marked International Literacy Day 2015, UN officials highlighted its importance for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the outcome document of the upcoming UN summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda. The main global celebration took place at the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris, where a two-day event on Literacy and Sustainable Societies – the theme of International Day 2015 – was held from 8-9 September 2015.

Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General, said 757 million adults, two thirds of which are women, still lack basic literacy skills, while the number of out-of-school children and adolescents is on the rise, standing at 124 million worldwide, with 250 million children of primary school age failing to master basic literacy skills, even with schooling.

Bokova stressed that literacy is essential to reach the fourth proposed Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) to be adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in September, on promoting inclusive and equitable quality education and life-long learning for all. “Promoting literacy must stand at the heart of this new agenda,” she said, explaining that literacy helps to advance sustainable development, including through better healthcare, food security, eradicating poverty and promoting decent work.

In his message for the Day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon underlined that literacy is a human right that empowers individuals and advances societies, and which is needed “more than ever” as the UN prepares to adopt the 2030 Agenda. He added that the Agenda’s adoption by world leaders in September “offers an opportunity to recommit to promoting literacy as part of our collective push for a life of dignity for all.”

The UN Sustainable Development Summit will take place from 25-27 September 2015, in New York, US. [UN Press Release] [UN Secretary-General Message] [UNESCO Director-General Remarks] [UNESCO Infographic on Literacy]

related posts