ED/EFA/2006/9
2002
Original: English
Education for All
Collective consultation of NGOs (CCNGO/EFA)
Context and Working Procedures
Collective Consultation of NGOs
ON EDUCATION FOR ALL
Consultation Collective des ONG
SUR L’EDUCATION POUR TOUS
Consultación Colectiva de las ONG
EN EDUCACIÓN PARA TODOS
Context and Working Procedures
Proposed by the Director-General for the
Collective Consultation of NGOs on Education for All
I.
Introduction
Since its creation, UNESCO considers NGOs key partners in fulfilling its mandate. In 1984, the
Education Sector created a collective consultation mechanism to facilitate dialogue between UNESCO
and NGOs on the theme of basic education. This mechanism enabled the NGOs and UNESCO to work
together and carry out joint activities in order to promote education in a perspective of lifelong
learning.
During the last decade, civil society’s involvement in sustainable development and education
expanded considerably, particularly at national level. Prompted by the active participation of civil
society organizations in the evaluation of the Jomtien objectives as well as in regional and
international meetings on education and development, especially the World Education Forum (Dakar,
2000), UNESCO and the NGOs have reconfirmed their interest in working together, in a framework
adapted to the new forms of civil society organization and expression, in order to make an effective
contribution to the reflection on the concept of education for all and its implementation.
The new context of globalization involves challenges, such as growing economic poverty and the need
to support the dynamics of sustainable development. But the process also offers new opportunities in
the field of communication and cultural diversity worldwide. There is a need to broaden the concept of
education for all, to encourage innovations and to promote societies that enable everyone to continue
to learn and acquire the necessary knowledge and compete