The event, ‘Skilling, reskilling and upskilling for a resilient workforce’, will take place on SDG Acceleration Day – part of the SDG Action Weekend taking place at UN Headquarters in New York – and will highlight the centrality of lifelong learning to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Reskilling and upskilling the working-age population, thereby ensuring that no one is left behind, will be the focus of the session.

In line with the call by UN Secretary-General António Guterres for the formal recognition of a universal entitlement to lifelong learning and reskilling in his recent policy brief, Our Common: Transforming Education, and the commitments made by over 140 countries with the adoption of the Marrakech Framework for Action during last year’s Seventh International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII), high-level speakers will be invited to discuss strategies and actions to give credence to the centrality of lifelong learning for future sustainable development. In doing so, they will also be building on outcomes of the 2022 Transforming Education Summit and the Inclusive Lifelong Learning Conference, which took place in Bali this summer. 

Speakers include H.E. Ms Retno Marsudi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Mr Phout Simmalavong, Minister of Education and Sports of Lao PDR, Ms Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, Mr Borhene Chakroun, Director a.i. of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, and others. 

The event will feature the #ImALifelongLearner campaign, calling on lifelong learners across the globe to share their passion for learning and inspire others. 

Programme and registration: https://sdg-actionweekend-2023.prakerja.go.id/

Background

Ahead of the Transforming Education Summit 2022, 149 UNESCO Member States adopted the Marrakech Framework for Action during the Seventh International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII), which took place in June 2022 in Marrakech, Kingdom of Morocco. 

This landmark agreement signifies a global commitment to translating the vision of a right to lifelong learning into a tangible reality. Leaders from around the world pledged to significantly increase adult participation in learning, recognized the urgent need for greater financial investment in adult learning and education, and pledged to further strengthen their commitments to meeting SDG 4 on quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.