Building Consensus, Meaningful Partnership Does Not Happen Overnight, Deputy Secretary-General Cautions in Message to 2021 Global Education Meeting

(Delayed for technical reasons.)

Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message to the ministerial segment of the 2021 Global Education Meeting, held virtually on 29 July:

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues,

It is my pleasure to join you today at the ministerial segment of the 2021 Global Education Meeting.

We stand here today at the cusp of a new era for global education cooperation.  We know that by working more coherently together, our collective efforts will be more effective in accompanying countries to accelerate towards SDG4 [Sustainable Development Goal 4] in this Decade for Action.

The global education landscape is rich in actors that complement one another, but that have often worked in their own lanes.  It is my ardent hope that your endorsement today of the proposal for an improved global education cooperation mechanism, with a more focused and purposeful High-level Steering Committee and functions, will set new ground in the collective path ahead.

Working closely with regions and countries through existing platforms will further allow for better alignment with Member States’ priorities.  I would like to thank and commend the Working Group for the proposal it has put forth and UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization] for its bold leadership in the process.

Building consensus and meaningful partnership among all actors does not happen overnight — it is the result of efforts over time to build confidence and goodwill.  In many ways, the Working Group’s efforts over the past six months to reach a final proposal has already started breaking down silos and fostering a spirit of solidarity and efficient cooperation.  This proposal is only the beginning of what I hope is a united front for education.

Twenty twenty saw us set back by the COVID-19 crisis which further aggravated the education and learning crisis, but that demonstrated that education is a global public good.  Twenty twenty-one sees us equipped with a cooperation mechanism to help advance the Education 2030 Framework for Action and realize education as a catalytic force for recovery and sustainable development.

We still have a long path ahead of us.  The High-Level Segment of the Global Education Meeting in November this year will be a critical moment to see the global education cooperation mechanism in action.  We look forward to continuing to work together to ensure that no child or young person is left behind.