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Solidifying Regional Action for GCED: Asia-Pacific Regional Network Meeting in Jakarta
Post date:
2018/05/21
With the theme “Solidifying Regional Action for GCED”, APCEIU, together with UNESCO Bangkok Office and UNESCO Jakarta Office, co-organized the 2018 Asia-Pacific Regional GCED Network Meeting on May 3-4, 2018 in Jakarta, Indonesia. There were 55 representatives from 40 organizations across the Asia-Pacific representing government and inter-governmental organizations, academic/research institutions, and civil society organizations. This regional meeting takes stock in the existing GCED initiatives of actors in the region, and aims to address implementation challenges by enhancing partnership through a regional network for GCED. The meeting concluded with the formation of an Asia-Pacific Regional GCED Network, an open network for relevant and interested institutions to share their activities and contribute to regional action for GCED, to be led a core group of selected institutions.
The Asia-Pacific GCED Network Meeting follows various initiatives that has contributed to the movement to incorporate GCED framework and concepts within education systems, in line with the inclusion of GCED in the sustainable development goals as Target 4.7. While the importance and normative definition of GCED itself has been extensively discussed in many occasions, the status of its implementation has not been sufficiently addressed. Addressing the call to systematically address GCED implementation and to provide a mechanism to strategically promote GCED, the meeting focused on identifying the remaining gaps and identifying potential ways forward. The meeting was composed of panel discussions and working groups. The panel sessions showcased initiatives that address different needs in each stage of the educational process to allow transformation of the learner through GCED, under the framework of GCED “Inputs-Processes-Outcomes”. The panel discussions addressed priorities and developed action plans for the region.
Opening the meeting, Professor Arief Rachman, Executive Chairman of the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO, praised the efforts of UNESCO and APCEIU in sustainably supporting the transformation of education in the Asia-Pacific. Ms Maki Hayashikawa, Director ai of UNESCO Bangkok, the Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, mentioned the vibrant discussions in previous occasions for GCED, and the need to elaborate systemized action by building a GCED Network. Mr Utak Chung, highlighted the importance of partnership at this stage, 3 years after the inclusion of GCED in the global goals. He encouraged the participants to utilize the most of the meeting to build human and institutional networks for GCED in the region. Finally, Mr Ananto Kusama Seta, Senior Advisor at the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, mentioned that the existence of several entry points for GCED in Asia-Pacific education systems signifies the readiness of the region to accept and internalize GCED.
The Asia-Pacific Regional GCED Network Meeting included a panel session dedicated on GCED country reports of countries from Southeast Asia. The panelists, who are senior-level officials at their respective ministries of education, highlighted that existing education policies already strongly support GCED concepts, as well as that of Education for Sustainable Development. However, it was highlighted that support both at the policy level and the implementation level is needed.
The 2-day meeting concluded with the adoption of a foundation document that will lay the steps in creating an Asia-Pacific Regional GCED Network. The network aims to ▲ promote systematized knowledge sharing among GCED partners in the region, ▲ develop evidence base for GCED and linking it with the UNESCO GCED Clearinghouse, and ▲ harmonize and synergize actions to further promote GCED in the region. Activities of the network will be identified by the core group who will be managing the activities of the network.
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