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United Nations Decade on Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014): Education for Sustainable Development
Place of publication | Year of publication | Collation: 
Almaty | 2005 | 12 p.
Corporate author: 
UNESCO
Region: 
Global

The Declaration of the International Conference on Ecology and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, begins with the following words: "People are the main concern for sustainable development. They have the right to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature. "The Declaration adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg in 2002, reflected the commitment of world leaders to "create a humane, equitable and attentive to civil society, recognizing that each member of this society has its own human dignity". Education is the foundation of sustainable development, as discussed in chapter 36 of the Program-21 of the summit that was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. This idea was reiterated at the Johannesburg summit. The implementation plan foresees a link between the Millennium Development Goals for universal primary education for both boys and girls, with special attention paid to girls, and the Dakar Plan of Action on Education for All. The creation of a gender-sensitive educational system at all levels and in all types of education - formal, informal and informal - to reach those who are not involved in the educational process is an essential component of education for sustainable development. Education is considered a tool to address such important issues as rural development, health, the prevention of the spread of HIV / AIDS, the environment, as well as broader ethical and legal issues (for example, human values and human rights).
There is no universal model of education for sustainable development. Despite the countries' agreement on the overall concept, the approaches to education in each country will differ due to local characteristics and priorities. Each country should define its priorities and actions, as well as goals, accents and processes, based on environmental, social, economic conditions and appropriate ways of solving the problem. Education for sustainable development is equally critical for both developed and developing countries.

Files: 
Resource Type: 
International normative instruments / policy and advocacy documents
Theme: 
Sustainable development / sustainability
Level of education: 
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)
Primary education
Secondary education
Higher education
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)