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Arab regional consultation on UNESCO’s 2019 Open Educational Resources Recommendation
On October 21st, 2024, UNESCO organized the Arab Regional Consultation on UNESCO’s 2019 Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER), bringing together 80 education experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from across the Arab region. The consultation focused on the application of OER principles in the Arab region such as open digital commons, re-use, adaptation, and redistribution to foster inclusive, high-quality education and enhance digital cooperation.
Held as a preparatory activity for the upcoming 3rd UNESCO World OER Congress in Dubai (19-20 November 2024), the consultation aimed to review and share best practices from the region's first five years of the Recommendation’s implementation. The objective of the consultation was to ensure that inputs to the Congress align with regional needs, initiatives, and innovative practices, in support of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Road Map for Digital Cooperation, with a specific focus on improving digital cooperation.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Salah Khaled, Director of the UNESCO Office to the Gulf States and Yemen, highlighted the transformative potential of emerging technologies and OER, saying "As we are evolving in a fast-paced technology landscape, new developments are impacting the way we access information and the quality of the information we consume. The emergence of AI and its applications in terms of knowledge production and access to information, is raising further questions about bias and representativity. To ensure AI systems are transparent and can be replicated, AI infrastructure should be based on open-source software and openly licensed content, which aligns with the core principles of OER."
Throughout the consultation, participants explored how OER can address the region's specific educational challenges and leverage emerging technologies to enhance access to information. The discussions included an overview of the Normative Instrument, a presentation of the outcomes of the 1st Consolidated Report on the Implementation of the 2019 Recommendation, and a review of the objectives and expected outcomes of the upcoming 3rd UNESCO World OER Congress.
Additionally, the consultation featured presentations of national initiatives from various Arab countries, highlighting how each institution is applying OER principles to meet their unique educational needs and contribute to regional and global educational goals. These presentations underscored the importance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing in the Arab region to ensure that educational resources are accessible to all, fostering an inclusive learning environment across the region.
This activity is part of a series of online regional consultations are being held around the world in the lead up to the 3rd Global UNESCO OER Congress until October 2024. The expected outcome of the 3rd UNESCO World OER Congress will be Guidelines on how the UNESCO 2019 Recommendation on OER can optimize openly licensed content to address the challenges and opportunities posed by emerging technologies.
