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Several international declarations and conventions aim at securing the right to education for every child and adult, as well as opportunities to ensure the full and harmonious development and participation in cultural and artistic life. Culture and the arts are thus essential components of a comprehensive education. UNESCO is the lead agency coordinating global efforts to achieve SDG 4 on education and the UNESCO Education sector is active in promoting a holistic vision of education, in particular through the concept of . ESD, which reflects SDG Target 4.7, is an approach to education that enables every human being to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that are necessary to shape a sustainable future. ESD also encompasses inter-disciplinary learning on subjects such as cultural diversity, gender equality, health, biodiversity and sustainable consumption and promotes competencies such as critical thinking, imagining future scenarios and making decisions collaboratively. UNESCO’s Culture Conventions in the field contribute to this type of interdisciplinary learning, as well as work towards ensuring that education helps safeguard cultural heritage, creativity and diversity.

Intangible cultural heritage, is a repository of culturally-relevant knowledge, skills and values that people have developed over time. Furthermore, intangible practices can contribute ideas and new or renewed approaches to sustainability. These practices cut across numerous disciplines: from cosmology and physics to health and the sustainable use of natural resources; from resolving conflict and tensions to understanding the self and one’s place in society; from architecture to material science. The 2016 GEM Report notes that indigenous knowledge in particular, often upholds norms and values that are central to sustainable living. The report also notes that the strong Western focus of education systems around the world impedes meaningful inclusion of indigenous populations and their knowledge and practices within formal education. Failure to integrate local knowledge and culture can thus impede education for sustainable development; it can also make learning less relevant and less meaningful for learners. A new global initiative Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in formal and non-formal education, launched by UNESCO in 2017, is building stronger links between education and intangible cultural heritage (ICH). The publication , based on a pilot project in four Asian-Pacific countries provides guidance to educators on using intangible heritage to further learning, as well as ensuring the continued transmission of this heritage.  extended the reflection to technical vocational education and training (TVET). TVET programmes that integrate ICH have the potential to support livelihoods and empower communities and groups, including marginalized groups, rural communities and women. As the influence of culture on sustainable food and farming is increasingly recognized, 91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ also begun working with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to raise awareness on the linkages between food, traditional culinary practices and sustainable food production.

The World Heritage Convention also ensures that youth learn about the value of heritage and become involved in the protection of our common cultural and natural heritage for future generations, through the . Under this long-running programme, young people can participate in week-long national and international volunteer camps, and can exchange ideas and concerns in World Heritage 91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄs. Teachers and other educators are also equipped with kits to teach secondary school learners about heritage issues. In addition, on-site skills development courses on safeguarding tangible and intangible heritage are organized for young people. This education programme helps transmit the powerful message that cultural and natural heritage, in all its diversity, belongs to all of humanity. Furthermore, reinforced cooperation with the FAO’s Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, under the World Heritage Convention is ongoing to identify and safeguard elements of living heritage related to agricultural practices. Finally, in May 2019, the European Young Heritage Professionals Forum was held in Zadar, Croatia, as part of a joint UNESCO-EU project. Bringing together young heritage professionals from across Europe, the Forum was the first of its kind to address both tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

Arts education, informal and non-formal settings, is another valuable contributor to educational outcomes. Artistic expression provides a unique means for people to be able to express themselves, encouraging participation, whilst facilitating access and inclusion. Education in artistic disciplines fosters skills for creative and inventive thinking, as well as the ability to adapt to new realities. It also helps maintain a thirst for lifelong learning, all critical in today’s challenging context. Some studies predict that creative skills – as well as other ‘soft skills’, such as teamwork, problem-solving and interpersonal skills - will become key for employability in a context of increasing technological change. iii Arts education also develops artistic competencies that enhance the skill base for future professions in the cultural and creative industries which are key contributors to jobs globally. In 2006, UNESCO published a , providing guidance for advancing the qualitative development and growth of arts education that still remains relevant today. Since 2012, the UNESCO International Arts Education Week has been celebrated every year at the end of May.

The Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005) provides technical assistance to help ministries design arts education strategies for formal education. The 2005 Convention also emphasizes technical and vocational education and training, and lifelong learning opportunities for aspiring and practicing adult professionals as key for ensuring an enabling environment for cultural production. The  of the 2005 Convention note that professions in the field of cultural industries have undergone rapid change; training for these professions must therefore be subject to a continual process of reflection and new initiatives. The majority of projects funded by the Convention’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity include a training component, thus helping strengthen the skill base and improving employment opportunities. It is equally essential to encourage educational programmes and activities that provide opportunities for creative expressions through non-formal arts education. Providing a safe and nurturing learning environment in which young people can develop and express their artistic talents is key to contributing to the personal development of children, strengthening their self-confidence and instilling in them the desire to learn. There is wide recognition of the social and cultural well-being dimensions of arts education, including its therapeutic and restorative dimensions in post-conflict and post-disaster situations. Integrating arts education into non-formal education also provides a diverse learning environment, in particular for out-of-school children and youth, fostering dialogue and exchange, and supporting stability and reconstruction efforts in conflict-stricken communities.

Cities within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network have launched a variety of initiatives to build bridges between heritage and learning and to equip citizens with artistic and creative skills for the jobs of tomorrow. Some of these experiences are captured through the platform for experimentation and exchange for cities promoting the 2030 Agenda.

Finally, UNESCO as a whole is critically engaging with the rapid development and deployment of  (AI). The Organization has launched cross-sectoral reflections on the ethical implications of AI, including the specific implications for education, as well as for cultural industries. The 2019 , UNESCO’s flagship event for information and communication technology (ICT) in education focused on the theme ‘Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Development’. In December 2018, the Culture Sector organized a debate on  to reflect on the implications of AI for the creative sector. This included the impact on the status of artists and the ability of the creative sector to fairly remunerate artists. The event also explored the challenge posed by market concentration of large digital platforms to the agency of the public sector and by the lack of transparency in the collection and use of data on cultural consumption generated for and by AI algorithms. In 2017, UNESCO created new guidelines for Member States for implementing its 2005 Convention in the digital environment. These digital guidelines provide a roadmap for ensuring that, in this new digital landscape, artists are fairly remunerated for their work, human rights are respected, and digital technologies become more accessible for all.