By Politico staff writer
President Julius Maada Bio, as Co-chair of the global Transform Education Committee, has participated in a virtual High-Level Steering Committee, HLSC, meeting by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation during which he asserted his commitment as a global champion in education transformation.
According to State House Media and Communications Unit, the hybrid meeting looked into many issues, including the adoption of the committee’s decision on education funding, urging member states to set an education policy as a benchmark with data, in line with the Paris Agreement.
President Bio in his opening statement acknowledged how the Transforming Education Summit has sparked a veritable global movement for education.
He said: "The commitments to education made by 65 heads of state and government have been unprecedented. To ensure that the summit is not a fleeting star but a real turning point for transforming education, collective efforts must focus on ensuring that the commitments made are acted upon".
President Bio emphasised that achieving progress at country level must be at the heart of the summit’s follow-up, and that to "to succeed, the commitment and engagement of all actors will be critical’’. He spoke about the Global Education Cooperation Mechanism that he said provides a ’’powerful framework to draw on comparative advantages, join forces for more effective coordination, and provide better support to countries".
He called on all steering committee members to respond to the call for bolder leadership in line with their mandate, with a responsibility to lead by example and champion the summit’s follow-up in particular by driving progress at the country level.
He entreated colleague leaders that their collective success would depend on the contributions of each and every one of them.
He reiterated his commitment as ’’the Global Champion for Education Transformation to advocate for an effective follow-up to the summit and rally support for education as a critical investment’’ for the youth population ‘’and for building a peaceful, just, and sustainable future for all societies".
He said the decision adopted during the meeting constitutes an important achievement and highlights their collective commitment to affirm the HLSC’s leadership role to deliver on the critical mandate entrusted to them for the transforming education summit follow-up.
"Our decisions outline clear actions, tasks, and responsibilities, with a strengthened monitoring component that will allow for greater accountability. As we conclude, I wish to reiterate, once more, that the legitimacy and strength of the High-Level Steering Committee are rooted in its representative nature," President Bio stated.
Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, singled out President Bio for his "relentless effort to the cause of education" and thanked members of the HLSC for their efforts.
She noted that the committee had demonstrated a new commitment to education throughout the world, which was now the basis of the global new contract and encouraged members to make the necessary educational commitments, noting, "All our efforts will be futile unless proactive and positively translated".
She stressed their continued coordination, training of teachers in line with attaining Sustainable Development Goal 4.
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