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2nd Asia-Pacific Meeting on Education 2030 ends with regional network for SDG 4
A network of coordinators has been established to help manage the immense task of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4鈥檚 transformative vision of inclusive and equitable quality education in Asia-Pacific.
The regional network of national coordinators, comprising national representatives, members of the global steering committee on SDG 4 and a technical working group dedicated to the goal, was launched at the second Asia-Pacific Meeting on Education 2030 (APMED2030 II), which concluded in Bangkok on Friday.
The launch of the network was one of the chief outcomes of APMED2030 II, which brought together more than 200 participants from more than 30 countries, including education ministry representatives, civil society organizations focused on education, development partners, UN agency representatives, donors and researchers.
APMED2030 II gave participants a forum to discuss the immense challenges in achieving the seven targets of SDG 4 as well as to identify opportunities for collaboration.
The distinctions between the current SDG4-Education 2030 agenda and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA) era that preceded it were highlighted by UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Qian Tang in his closing remarks.
Mr Tang said that two defining characteristics of the new agenda are its ambitious scope and where the onus for its achievement now lies.
鈥淚t's not a United Nations agenda; it is a member states' agenda. Fifteen years ago we had the MDGs 鈥 that was proposed by the United Nations. This time, over the last three years, we led the consultation on the SDG for education. This time the member states said, 'We are in the driver's seat,鈥欌 Mr Tang said. 鈥淚n the end, it is the countries 鈥 your national education policies and strategies 鈥 that are going to be accountable. Use this global agenda, these global thematic indicators, as a reference for your own national education strategy and planning.鈥
Related links:
Meeting documents and presentations from APMED2030 II are .
The outcome document of the first APMED2030 Meeting can be .
