FROM GOODWILL TO PRACTICAL
SOLUTION:
UNECE Strategy for Education for
Sustainable Development
What is UNECE?
• UNECE is the regional body of the United Nations
• UNECE includes 55 member States: entire Europe,
all post Soviet-countries, Turkey, Israel, Canada
and the United States
• UNECE ‘s major role is to shape policies in the
region in different fields, including economy,
transport, energy, and environment
UNECE Strategy for Education for
Sustainable Development
A BIT OF HISTORY
• The Regional Ministerial Meeting for the
World Summit on Sustainable
Development (Geneva, 2001)
• The World Summit on Sustainable
Development (Johannesburg, 2002)
• Preparation to the Fifth Ministerial
Conference "Environment for Europe"
(Kiev, 2003)
FROM KIEV to BELGRADE…
What was the problem?
• EE or ESD
• What ESD should be about? It is about
everything!?
• Close cooperation of different actors, including
different Ministries in the capitals
• How to involve Education Ministers?
• Which forms of education it should address? All!?
• Charter, Protocol, Guidelines, Strategy….
There were too many “No”s, but the most
important there was Goodwill !
Fifth Ministerial Conference "Environment for
Europe" (Kiev, 2003):
Statement by UNECE Environment Ministers
FROM KIEV to BELGRADE…
Recent Developments
• Establishment of the UNECE Task Force on
ESD to develop the Strategy (Geneva,
2003)
• Drafting the Strategy by the UNECE Task
Force on ESD (February-July, 2004)
FROM KIEV to BELGRADE…
Future Steps
• Expected endorsement of the Strategy by the CEP
(Geneva, October, 2004)
• Adoption of the Strategy by the High-Level
Meeting of Environment and Education Ministries:
regional launching of the Decade (early 2005)
• Implementation of the Strategy - March 2005…
• First review of the progress in implementation by
the Ministers of Environment and Education –
“Environment for Europe” Conference (Belgrade,
2007)
THE STRATEGY
• Is developed through participatory process
involving governments and various
stakeholders
• It is international soft law document and is
meant to serve as a flexible framework and its
implementation can be adapted to each
country’s priorities, specific needs and
circumstances. Therefore, the document is
based on a general consensus.
• It will be adopted by UNECE member States.
States outside the region are also encouraged
to follow it.
THE STRATEGY
• Is addressed to governments, motivating and advising
them on how to develop policies and practices that
incorporate sustainable development into education
and learning with the involvement of educators and
other stakeholders
• Encourages interdepartmental and multi-stakeholder
cooperation and partnerships
• Addresses policy, regulatory and institutional
frameworks, curriculum, methodology, tools and
materials and international cooperation
THE STRATEGY
• Supports the implementation of the communication,
education, public-participation and awareness-raising
provisions of multilateral environmental and other
relevant agreements, such as the Aarhus Convention
• Recognizes importance of role of different
stakeholders, e.g. NGOs. media, education
community
• Its provisions are very supportive to the activities of
the regional and sub-regional networks, like
Copernicus-Campus
Aim of the Strategy
 To encourage UNECE member States to
develop and incorporate ESD into their
formal education systems, in all relevant
subjects, and in non-formal and informal
education
Objectives of the Strategy
• Ensure that policy, regulatory and operational
frameworks support ESD
• Promote SD through formal, non-formal and
informal learning
• Equip educators with the competence to
include SD in their teaching
• Ensure that adequate tools and materials for
ESD are accessible
• Promote research on and development of ESD
• Strengthen cooperation on ESD at all levels
within the UNECE region
Some challenges in implementing
the Strategy
•
•
•
•
Absence of an agreed ESD definition
Confusions in understanding of EE and ESD
Inflexibility of education systems
ESD is not included in national legislation in
many countries
• Institutional and policy frameworks are not
supportive to ESD in most of the countries
Let’s make this world safer, healthier and
more prosperous…
THANK YOU!
For more information visit:
www.unece.org/env/esd/welcome.htm