31 May 2016
UNESCO, Partners Launch West and Central Africa Coordination Group on SDG 4
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The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched the West and Central Africa (WCA) Regional Coordination Group on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4 (Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all) in partnership with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), UN Women and other partners.

The Group will collaborate on activities to support the integration and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development's SDG 4 on education and related Goals and targets, taking into account national development contexts and aspirations.

UNESCO24 May 2016: The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched the West and Central Africa (WCA) Regional Coordination Group on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4 (Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all) in partnership with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN Women and other partners. The Group will collaborate on activities to support the integration and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’s SDG 4 on education and related Goals and targets, taking into account national development contexts and aspirations.

The WCA Regional Coordination Group, which brings together intergovernmental and civil society organizations to advance education in the WCA region, was created following to the Regional Consultation on the Education 2030 Agenda for West and Central Africa, which took place in November 2015. The Consultation stressed the importance of addressing the unfinished agenda of the education-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA) goals, noting that the WCA region is home to ten of the 18 countries worldwide that are far from achieving the quantifiable EFA goals. The Consultation aimed to build a common understanding of the Education 2030 agenda in the region, and to prepare stakeholders to support the integration of targets and focus areas into national planning and policy processes.

The UNESCO WCA Regional Office organized an inaugural meeting of the Group on 19 May 2016, in Dakar, Senegal. Participants discussed ways and means to operationalize an effective coordination mechanism for the WCA region, including development of the Group’s terms of reference. Participants also stressed the importance of strong regional collaboration and monitoring to support national education development and reaffirmed the recommendations of the Education 2030 Framework for Action. [UNESCO Press Release] [Publication: Summary Report: Regional consultation and dialogues on Education 2030 Framework for Action for West and Central Africa] [UNESCO Dakar Website] [UNDG Western and Central Africa Website]

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