The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

2005 - 2014Bernard Combes

Bonn World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (31 March - 2 April 2009)

Mid-Decade Review of the DESD (2005-2014) Jointly organized by UNESCO and the German

Federal Ministry of Education and Research, in cooperation with the German Commission for UNESCO

850 Participants (47% female, 53% male)

50 Ministers and Vice-Ministers of Education 123 Member States representedCivil society, private sector, universities and UN agencies

110 Journalists/Press

Conference objectives:1. Highlight the essential contribution of ESD to all of

education and to achieving quality educationWhy is ESD relevant?

2. Promote international exchange on ESDWhat can we learn from each other?

3. Carry out a stock-taking of DESD implementationWhat have we achieved so far, what are the

lessons learnt?

4. Develop strategies for the way aheadWhere do we want to go from here?

22 interactive workshops clustered around four themes:

• Relevance of ESD for key sustainable development challenges:learning about climate change; sustainable lifestyles and consumption; biodiversity; etc.

• Building partnerships to promote ESD:ESD in the private sector; partnerships with the media; ESD in development cooperation; etc.

• Capacity Development for ESD:institutional frameworks to foster ESD; civil society and ESD; indicators for measuring progress in ESD; etc.

• ESD and the teaching-learning process:EFA and ESD; HE and research in ESD; ESD and lifelong learning; etc.

• Best practice exhibition presenting 25 ESD projects from all over the world

• Projects exhibited in the main hall of the venue during the whole Conference

• Balance in terms of world regions and types of education settings

• Innovative projects finding new and creative solutions to common educational problems

The Bonn Declaration

Provides strategic orientation for the second half of the Decade

Attests the importance of ESD in the current world situation

Calls for making a compact with the global DESD movement aimed at improving knowledge, skills and competencies, and strengthening values and attitudes

Highlights areas of focus to put knowledge into action and promote further progress in ESD during the next 5 years

Strategy for the 2nd half of the DESD

Overall goal:

Support Member States and other stakeholders in addressing global sustainable development challenges through ESD

Regarding youth, UNESCO will foster initiatives and partnerships that open up spaces for identifying, testing and implementing youth-led ideas and innovative approaches, in collaboration with a variety of international, regional and local youth and student organizations.

Key areas of strategic action for the 2nd half of the DESD

I. Enhancing synergies with different education and development initiatives and strengthening partnership among ESD stakeholders

II. Developing and strengthening capacities for ESD (in particular teacher education and Monitoring & Evaluation)

III. Building, sharing and applying ESD-related knowledge (in particular good practices and innovative

approaches)

IV. Advocating for ESD, and increasing awareness and understanding of sustainability

Key area of strategic action I

Synergies with different education and development initiatives – Strengthening partnerships among ESD stakeholders

Focus on: UNESCO leadership and co-ordination role

for the DESD, inter-agency cooperation

Dialogue with stakeholders, and linkages between different education and development initiatives (EFA, MDGs, …)

Integration of ESD in own programmes and key international conventions

Key area of strategic action II

Developing and strengthening capacities for ESD

Focus on:

Capacity-building and policy advice for Member States and other stakeholders

Reorienting teacher education and training programmes

Assessment of ESD progress through monitoring and evaluation

Key area of strategic action III

Building, sharing and applying ESD-related knowledge

Focus on:

Supporting ESD-related research for generating knowledge, sharing of new approaches and enhancing evidence-based policy dialogue

Collection and dissemination of information on ESD programmes, innovations, good practices and materials

Mobilize the expertise available from UNESCO programmes and networks (ASPnet, UNESCO Chairs, Biosphere Reserves, WH sites, etc)

Key area of strategic action IV

Advocating for ESD, and increasing awareness and understanding of sustainability

Focus on:

Lobbying/advocacy to increase the visibility of the Decade

Development of advocacy resource tools

Mobilization for increased funding for ESD

Lobbying for the inclusion of ESD on the agenda of international fora and conferences

Learning our way to sustainability

Source: liveearth.org

DESD website: www.unesco.org/education/desd